CHAPTER TWO

RAIN

Class is a bore fest. Nothing is exciting today. We got our seats assigned and thankfully, all the classes I have with my tormentors, I am seated far away from them and we weren't paired on any 70% of grade deciding projects. I was paired with Camden last year and it was one of the worst experiences of my life.

Soon lunch time comes and I wait until everyone leaves before picking up my bag. I'm not afraid, I just know the stoner crew drag their foot on the way to lunch and I want to be right with them when they pick a table for the year.

Last year, I wasn't with them and there wasn't any space on their table for three weeks, until one of the girls got a boyfriend on the volleyball team and she started sitting with them. This year, I'm going to be fast and sharp.

The stoner kids aren't the only ones who smoke a lot of pot, they're just called stoner kids because they're mostly scholarship kids from the wrong side of the tracks.

As I leave the class, I see them heading to the cafeteria and I ran to catch up with them. Buck is the first person to see me and he nods at me. He's the only one that talks to me in the group. The rest nod at me.

"Hey Rain, how are you?"

"I'm good Buck, how are you?"

"I'm good, are you coming to the party tonight?" He asks.

"What party?"

"Some guys from Greenville high school are throwing a back to school party. It's going to be rad."

Even though we attend Clairemonte High school, we have our fun with the public school kids.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see if my dad is cool with it."

My dad will be but that's my excuse if I'm ever unsure about anything.

"You're such a good girl, Rain."

We enter into the cafeteria and stand in line for food. I'm not getting any but I'll still stand in line with them. I'm not leaving them for even a second. Xavier and his friends come up and skip the line to get food. Nobody says anything because what can you say to them?

Derrick walks up to me with a plate of mashed potatoes and smashes it on my blazer.

"I totally forgot that I owed you something and I didn't want to forget again, Rain."

I'll never understand why he insists on having a conversation about bullying me like we're friends. His friends are laughing and when I look up at them, my eyes meets Xavier's. He doesn't look impressed by what Derrick did. He expected more and Derrick just disappointed him. My messed up blazer is a disappointment to him, how nice. I look around the cafeteria, lot of them are still laughing and some are even recording.

Buck tries to step up to Derrick and all his friends come rushing towards him. Everyone except Xavier, he's still by the food, quietly watching.

"What is it trailer park? Is she your girlfriend now?" Derrick asks.

"You're a disgusting human being, you know that? It's the first day of school and you're already bothering her. If you like her, just say something, this isn't kindergarten." Buck says.

Derrick starts laughing. He's laughing so hard, he's holding his ribs. Soon everyone starts laughing with him and I stand there, humiliated. I would leave but I want a table this year. I don't want to spend senior year eating in the library.

"Me? Like Rain? Please. I wouldn't touch her if she suddenly got beautiful."

He's lying. I am a very beautiful girl. I know it, he knows it, and everyone here knows it.

"Let's go." Xavier says.

Derrick stops, glares at me and Buck then walks away with Xavier. I sigh and take off the blazer.

"Let's go, I have an extra one in my locker. I'll give it to you." Eva, Bucks girlfriend says.

"Thanks but I'll stick it out. If I leave, I won't be able to sit at the table this year except someone else finds a boyfriend and moves out."

Eva laughs. "Buck will keep a spot for you. Don't worry about it."

She whispers in Bucks ears and he nods. I smile at Buck before following Eva out of the cafeteria.

"Thank you." I say to Eva after I've changed into her blazer.

"It's cool. It's what girls do for each other."

Eva and Buck started dating last year. We're not close but I know she's a nice person. She's also rich which is why it's a mystery why she's so nice to us and dating Buck.

"I've been trying to get you to be my friend but you're always closed off. I'm not proud of it, but I'm happy I finally have an in."

I laugh hard. "You wanted to be my friend? Why?"

"You're cool, you have really great taste in music and you're not trying to steal my boyfriend. That's important when picking friends."

How come I never noticed that Eva was funny?

"Well, you're not missing out on anything. I'm not that cool and I have great taste in music because I work at a radio station and they play kick ass music."

"Stop Rain, you're becoming too cool for me."

We laugh and head back to the cafeteria. Guess this year won't suck very much. I have a friend now.

*****

My house is quiet when I get home. As usual, dad is not around. He's always working. He's a handyman who's always picking up odd jobs every time he's even a little bit free. He's determined to send me to college without my grandparents help. I like that he's holding on to his pride but it's hurting our relationship.

I make myself lunch and put the TV on. I like watching something while I eat. I watch TV until it gets dark. There's still no sign of my father so I call him.

"Hey dad, how are you?"

"Princess, sorry I didn't call. We were so busy. How was your first day of school?"

"It was fine. Are you coming home for dinner?"

He sighs. "I'm sorry princess, I'm doing security tonight at the factory."

Great. "I'll be home before you go to school tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too, daddy."

The calls ends and I look around the empty house. It's not a big house, the only thing that separates us from the trailer park is the road. I lock the house and cross the street to the trailer park where Buck lives. I don't have any homework tonight and I'm not in the mood to over think about being left home alone.

I'm going to that party.