I looked in the mirror one more time. The outfit that I’d picked out last night just didn’t seem the same now that I had it on this morning. There was still time to change before I had to leave, but what would I wear if I didn’t dress in this.
Ten minutes later, I walked out of my room and downstairs. I still had on the leggings and tunic shirt that I’d selected earlier. It wasn’t the best attire in my wardrobe, but it was comfy, and that ranked higher than wearing the latest sleaze fashions that everyone else would have on.
“You look…nice.” Mom poured another cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. “What happened to all those clothes we bought with Clarissa yesterday. Those were cute.”
I rolled my eyes and wobbled my head side-to-side. There always had to be a ‘but’ in whatever compliment my mom gave me. This time it was the ‘that’s a nice outfit, but are you really going to wear that to school. You know Clarissa wouldn’t be caught dead in something like that, especially going where there are going to be so many people that could see her.’
“It’s comfy.” I grabbed my car keys off the holder and picked up my backpack off the floor. My mom’s lack of compliment and the way that she was checking out my outfit like she was totally disappointed in her youngest daughter’s clothing, made me lose my morning appetite. “See ya later.” I didn’t even wait to hear a response. I left for the first day of school before my mother could put me into any worse of a mood.
***
I tried to stall for time of going in, but that was nearly impossible with Tara and Rynae pounding on my car window. They were two of my besties, well really only the two closest friends that I had.
We were all in the lifelong sisterhood of being part of the geek squad. It wasn’t that they were ugly or anything, but just had the above-average grades, lack of sleaze clothes, and of course they were in the debate club with me.
Tara was the first to pull on my arm once I decided that I had let them wait long enough. This was a tough feat to do since Tara was like a pixie in disguise, but she was able to get my feet moving in the direction of the school.
“I don’t know why you have to be so stubborn.” Rynae, the Cover Girl model look-a-like of our trio of misfits, seemed annoyed that I had made them wait three extra minutes while I listened to a song on the radio. “You should be happy, like us, “her lips turned upwards into a big, happy smile, “That this is our senior year. We will be done and outta here in no time.”
“First,” I held up one finger, “I wasn't stubborn. I was listening to a Taylor Swift song.”
“Welcome to New York.” Both Tara and Rynae said it at the same time.
Okay, so I had an obsession with T. Swift’s music, especially her song ‘Welcome to New York.’ I’d never gone there, and that was on my big list of places to go, and hopefully, I really, really hoped that I would be accepted into one of its many law schools for next year’s fall semester.
“It’s a great song. Well, they all are, but I sorta have a liking to that one.”
“Really.” Tara looked stunned by my confession. “You mean when you play a song a hundred times a day, that means you have a liking for it.”
“I don’t play it a hundred times a day, only ninety-nine.” I stuck my tongue out her.
They both just shook their heads at my nonsense.
“Well, at least it isn’t One Direction anymore.” Tara looked over my way and questioned me with her eyes.
“I…um…I still listen to them occasionally.” I didn’t tell her that meant I listened to them on my way over to the school.
Tara snorted at my hesitation and nudged Rynae who just nodded her head.
“I can’t help that they were an excellent band.”
“We’ll have to get you out of your rut. There are more singers out there than just those two.”
“I sorta like my style. C’mon, we better get a move on.” Now it was my turn to pull them along.
The distance from the student parking to the school seemed like it was half a marathon. I don’t know why they made it so far away, but I was exhausted by the time that we hit the main crowd walking up the sidewalk.
The ninth graders were acting like they usually did, like the children they still were. The rest of the student population was in their own little groups.
The real geeks of the school hustled about forever looking like they were in a total state of confusion.
The hoes that weren’t part of any cheer or dance team just walked around and strutted their stuff. They wore the skimpiest of outfits and seemed to have as many male followers as the sports teams had female followers.
Then there was us, the academic nerds of the school. The ones that got picked on because we were actually trying to make something out of our lives and not wasting away being a follower, a stoner, or someone who could possibly have every sexually transmitted disease by the time they were twenty-two.
The presence of the Hawks and Hawkettes were nowhere to be found. It was kind of an eery calmness about the school with them not around. It was like the school could function at a reasonable level without that forever lingering rain cloud that threatened to ruin everyone else’s day.
The loud sound of the first warning bell echoed as it alerted everyone that the first day of school was to begin in fifteen minutes.
And so, the circle of life at high school continued.
I made a long delay in making an appearance for the first day of school extravaganza that always happened. Not that there was anything unusual, but it was still routine that on the first day of school the team paraded around the hallways basking in the attention that all the girls threw our way. I just wasn’t in the limelight mood this year, especially not after yesterday and the demand that Matt had put on me. I hadn’t talked with any of the guys from the team since the meeting, and I knew they were going to be questioning me left and right today about the situation.“Looking good, Ethan.” Claudia wrapped her arm around my waist and gave me a tight squeeze.“Hey.” I really wasn’t in the mood to have anybody hanging all over me this morning, not even Claudia. She was more than hot, and any guy in the school would give their left hand to have her touch them in the ways that I’d already experienced. She was the head of the
I glanced up the hallway. Why of course the soccer team would be on the prowl, it was the team's yearly tradition ever since I could remember. It had gone on since I’d been a freshman, since Clarissa had been a freshman, and probably since the team was organized years ago.The bad boys of the school, the ones who thought they ruled, had placed themselves on exhibition so everyone could get a look at their pretty selves. They were all quite handsome, like in a way that made every girl fantasize at night, but so wrapped up in themselves that it was a total turn-off to me.Not that I had a chance with any of them, since only the elite of the elite, the Hawkettes, ever got close enough to them. But with me being above average in size and an academic nerd, sort of left me out of the running as date material for any of the soccer guys…well, yeah, any guy in general except for another geek that might need a date for a dance or something.“Why are the
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Jason questioned me about my lack of communication with the girl that was my next conquest. “You know your six months started from yesterday.”We really didn’t know too much about this Morgan girl. She wasn’t like the rest of the female population at the school who regularly hung on us, she was kind of always off doing her own thing. It might take me a little longer than the usual two days to get into her panties.“There’s time.” I glanced up at the clock and saw that we had ten minutes before the warning bell. “We better get going.” I pushed myself off the wall and began walking in the same direction that Morgan had just gone. I didn’t have to tell the other guys where or why I was leaving, I knew that they would naturally follow.“Dude.” Jason caught up with me on my way to my first class. “You know Matt is gonna be all over your ass i
I couldn’t believe that I was the one that had Ethan Lowry as a lab partner, and this wasn’t in good way that most girls would be getting their panties all wet over. Ever since I saw all the shit that the Hawks and Hawkettes liked to do that made everyone else’s life miserable, through my sister’s association and leadership role, I stayed far away as possible from this group. Not that it was friendly invites, but ones that my sister probably had ordered, but I’d been invited to several of their parties over the years and had gracefully declined with a ‘hell no.’Our science teacher went on to discuss what we’d be learning over the course of the next nine months. As I assumed, the seats that we’d picked today would remain our permanent seats along with the person seated next to them as our yearlong partner.Everyone high-fived each other because they would be partnered with the one that they wanted, except f
My day was going…like really slow. The rest of my classes were with a majority of my group, and they kept the classroom entertaining, but I couldn’t focus on anything except Morgan. She had totally ignored me the entire first period, that was shit I just wasn’t used to.No lie, but I had girls trying to get somewhere in class when I sat beside them. At those two seats at some station desks, I had one girl who kept trying to get me off with her hand underneath the desk. I solved that problem quickly…I did her in the bathroom.Thankfully, she wasn’t one that demanded more attention or promises of forever, which no one ever got. I know that makes me sound as bad as the girls that give out to everyone, but I’ve never initiated any of the sexual moments that I’ve been involved in. I won’t say no to one of those moments, but I won’t be the one out looking for it either.I walked down to the lunchroom wit
‘What the fuck.’ I just couldn’t believe the chances of this happening again, but holy shit Ethan Lowry just had to take the seat right beside me, again. We had classes together before, but there were always other Hawks or Hawkettes in the room for him to sit beside.It would be okay if these seats weren’t connected together, but these particulars had two chairs joined together at every desk station.I felt the body heat radiating off of Ethan, and smelled the sweetness of his cologne. I would have to give him the credit of being the pretty boy, smelling really good, and…well that was about all. His attitude and whole demeanor made the rest of him unattractive.I tried to keep my focus on what the teacher was saying, but the presence of having Ethan sitting this close once again was proving to be too much of a distraction.I’d seen the little show that was put on at lunchtime today. It seemed
“Dude, you should’ve been all over that by now.” Brandon kicked the ball over to the side so that I would be able to run it in. We were practicing one of the new play designs for our next soccer game while talking about how I was going to wine, dine, and make Morgan feel fine challenge.“It’s only been twenty-four hours since dickhead told me. There’s lots of time.” I ran to one side of the goal and then quickly changed directions once the goalie followed. I kicked the ball hard and drove it deep into the net. I held up my arms indicating another success on my part.“I don’t know.” Jason followed behind us on the field. “She seems like a hard one to crack. If this were anyone else, it would have been a slam, bam, thank you, ma’am, already. I think she’s going to be a challenge.”“I’m good with challenges.” I grabbed the soccer ball and started to do leg dribbles
“How was the first day?” Mom greeted me as I came into the family room. I’d just gotten back from my first day of senior year, and she looked eager to hear all about my day…not.“It was alright. Just like every other year. You sit, listen, and then go on to the next.” I grabbed a handful of M&M’s that were in a bowl on the coffee table.“Dinner will be in an hour. I think Clarissa is coming by.”I noticed mom eyeing the candy in my hand. I tossed it back into the bowl. “I think I have work to do. I’ll grab something later.” I turned and walked back to my room.The automatic light came on as soon as I walked into my bedroom. I dropped my heavy book bag onto the floor then collapsed onto the bed.Mother never made a verbal comment about me eating junk food, but I could always tell by the look in her eye and the reference of how close the next meal was that I shouldn’t