by Raathi Chota
Since it was the last week of school before spring break, we didn’t do much, so people didn’t come. Yet I was forced to because Dad didn’t want me home alone even though I asked nicely to go visit the Gunners since Blake ditched school and invited me.
Instead, I returned from a sweaty lesson and went to the locker rooms. The showers ran while I tied my bootlaces, muffled voices followed afterward, and I recognized them as Kelly and Jennifer. The water stopped, and I heard Kelly’s voice.
“I even dyed my hair for him!” she shouted, and I remembered her purple hair.
“Err…Kelly, he has a girlfriend,” Jennifer interjected.
“Yeah, what a bitch she is. You’d think when Parker and I slept together and Austin took Marcus home that they’ll break up,” she began as my eyes widened. “But no! That bitch is loyal and shit. What is there not to like about me? I’m hot, skinny, and popular,” Kelly added while I rolled my eyes. “That’s what guys are into, right?”
“Well…” Jennifer trailed off as I grabbed my bag.
“Ugh, whom I kidding? You’re a lesbian, so just tell me who is hotter? Me or her?”
“Well, you’re both attract—”
“Are you deaf? I asked which one. Either you’re deaf, or those toys are getting to you.”
“What? That doesn’t even make sense!” Jennifer exclaimed. “Are you freaking homop—”
“No! It’s just I’m not used to my best friend liking the pu—”
“Oh, fuck you, Kelly West,” Jennifer snapped as a flush crept up her face. She grabbed her bag and stormed off. Kelly shook her head in disappointment and followed. I went the other way since I didn’t want her to know I heard their argument. I had to warn Miranda about Kelly. I quickly put my bag in my locker then grabbed my lunch bag. Once I arrived at our table, I sat next to Benny. We conversed while everyone else arrived. Liam appeared in front of us with his eyes widened.
“Look at this! Look at what they’re putting in the vending machines!” he exclaimed and slammed a can of soda in the center of the table.
“What’s wrong with it?” Marcus asked we as stared at the Coke.
“It’s Diet Coke.” Liam grimaced, and Miranda and I laughed.
“Yeah, they’re serving healthy shit,” Aidan said. I shook my head in amusement as Liam and Aidan ranted about the food in the cafeteria. I turned to Miranda, who laughed at something Marcus said. I bit the inside of my cheek and awkwardly poked her shoulder. She turned to me with a bright smile; however I didn’t want to ruin the mood. She gave me a questioning look, and I looked over her shoulder at Marcus.
“Kelly wants your man,” I whispered because I didn’t know how to put it. Miranda’s expression changed, and I watched as she turned to Kelly’s table. I followed her gaze to see Kelly and Austin. “Just a warning.”
“Thanks. Ugh, I hate her so much.” Miranda gave Kelly a dirty look. Kelly looked at our table, and out the corner of my eye, I saw Miranda grab her boyfriend’s collar and smash her lips against his.
“Dude!” Aidan groaned, and I looked up to see that Liam spilled his Coke all over Aidan.
“S-Sorry,” Liam stuttered as he used his sleeve to wipe Aidan’s shirt while he resisted the urge to look at Miranda. I frowned and nudged Benny under the table. He turned to me then looked at Liam, who blinked continuously, yet it was barely noticeable under his glasses.
“I’ll talk to him later,” Benny mumbled as we watched Liam.
“Coach wants us here first thing Monday morning,” Nick said as he glanced at Liam then Miranda.
“Do you have to go?” Melissa whined as she pouted at Nick. I gave Benny a questioning look, and he rolled his shoulders.
“The first few days of spring break, we’re going to this basketball tournament,” he said as I nodded.
“Speaking of spring break, my parents said it’s cool if you all come over to the beach house for a few days,” Ethan announced. “We’ll be gone till Thursday, so then Friday afternoon we can go.”
“Cool, then Saturday night we’ll have an awesome party for this cutie,” Tiffany said, poking Aidan’s nose.
“Holy shit yeah, it’s your birthday next week!” Melissa squealed.
“Yeah, but we don’t have to have a par—”
“Are you kidding me? We’re having a party, bro, freaking beach party!” Marcus said.
“Okay.” Aidan nodded and turned to Ethan. “Is there enough room for all of us?”
“Yeah, the girls will be on one side of the house while the guys will be on the other side,” Ethan said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Plus, my dad wants an adult there, so Axel and Tamia are coming. Jaden and Keene overheard, so they’re coming too as well as Levi.”
“Why do they have to come?” Miranda whined. “I’m fine with the rest of them, but Jaden is annoying as shit.”
“He’s our friend plus I’m scared of him so…” Aidan trailed off.
“If we get into trouble because he brought crack, I’m ditching you guys,” Miranda added then threw a grape at Aidan. I watched as Aidan caught the grape in his mouth and threw his fist up in triumph. Liam sighed deeply next to him as he continued to distract himself.
“Yet you’re fine with Keene being there,” I whispered to Miranda.
She rolled her eyes then leaned in and said, “He’s not so bad.”
I grinned, and she playfully nudged me. The bell rang, and Benny walked me to my locker. When we arrived, I opened it, and he leaned on the one next to it.
“Will you be okay until Thursday?” Benny asked as I took out my books.
“Yeah, I’ll study, do all the homework, and hang out with the girls,” I said then shut my locker. I turned to see that his face went blank.
“So is Levi staying for good?” Benny asked as his eyebrows rose. That day when we went to the diner, I got a ton of messages from Benny, Miranda, Liam, and Melissa. They said they’re sorry they didn’t tell me about Levi. Of course, I was furious, but they only found out that Saturday when Levi was on my porch. It explained their weird behavior after that night.
“Yeah, he’s staying in Illinois for good.”
“Oh, okay, and I’m sorry for not telling you again. I really wanted to, babe, but that night you were just…” He trailed off as his fingers entwined with mine.
“It’s okay, I forgive you. I just don’t want any drama or fighting anymore.”
“Me too. Even though this Christo problem doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, we shouldn’t let that interfere. Let’s just leave it to Detective Kale and your dad.” I nodded then walked in silence as I thought about where James and Christo were. They had to be together. He’s the only person other than us who knew Christo was dead. People were still going in, and I saw Mr. Bronx talk with a student. Benny asked, “You doing anything after school?”
“Nope. What do you have in mind?”
“Aidan and I were thinking we should take our girlfriends out for miniature golf. Tiffany always wanted to go, and he asked if we’d like to join tonight.”
“Of course. Sounds fun,” I said and wrapped my arms around him and kissed him. His lips were soft against mine, and I smiled as my cheeks reddened. We pulled away when we heard a knock on the door. I looked over my shoulder to see Mr. Bronx leaning against the doorframe. I probably seemed like a tomato as I awkwardly pulled away from Benny.
“See you after practice,” Benny whispered, and I gave Mr. Bronx a tight smile as I walked into the class. I had Calculus with Aidan, Tiffany, and Nick. Since they were in the back, I shuffled my way through and sat between Nick and Tiffany.
“All right, since there’s like two days of school left until spring break, we’re g—”
“Not gonna do work?” Aidan finished Mr. Bronx’s sentence with a smile.
“Unfortunately, we are going to do work, Mr. Rowley,” Griffon said, and the class groaned in unison. “Because right after you all come back, we’re doing review for finals. Time will fly after sprin
g break,” Mr. Bronx said and rubbed his temples. He pushed himself off his desk and began to hand out papers. Aidan raised his arm as Mr. Bronx passed him and spoke.
“What’s that surprise Principal West was talking about in assembly?”
Everyone erupted in whispers and murmurs as I remembered an assembly where Principal West said we’d get a treat after finals.
“Oh yeah. Well, you’ll just have to wait and see, Mr. Rowley,” Griffon said then handed me a sheet. I looked up to see a grin plastered on his face. I playfully rolled my eyes and began the worksheet. Mr. Bronx walked back to the front and cleaned the whiteboard. The door creaked open, and I glanced up from my calculator to see Austin. “Austin, you’re late,” Griffon announced, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Aidan look at his ex-friend. “Will you ever try to come to my class early?”
“Nope, I hate this class,” Austin bluntly stated.
“Aidan, don’t,” Tiffany whispered loudly, and I noticed he straightened in his seat.
“Yeah, that’s why you were probably jerking off,” Aidan chimed in, and I snickered as Tiffany facepalmed.
“If I’d like to hear from an ass, I’d fart, Rowley!” Austin exclaimed.
“Then certainly your ass must be jealous of all the shit that comes out of your mouth!”
“Not this again. You two really are dissing each other’s asses?” Mr. Bronx demanded as he glared at Aidan and Austin.
“Fine.” Austin faked smiled. “Rowley’s just mad ’cause his mom has a bigger dick than him.”
People howled in the class, and I turned to see Aidan jump up from his seat. Everything happened so fast as he marched toward Austin and shoved him against the board.
“Aidan!” Tiffany yelled over the cheers of people as he punched Austin in the stomach. Mr. Bronx’s expression hardened as he took off his jacket and casually hung it over his chair. I watched in amusement as the one side of the class fought while he rolled up his sleeves. He loosened his tie and marched toward Austin, who punched Aidan in the stomach. It’s weird that he’s on the soccer team, yet he’s so lanky. Mr. Bronx pulled Austin by his collar while Nick held Aidan back. Griffon stood between the boys, who glared at each other.
“Everyone, sit down!” Griffon demanded then pulled back Austin and Aidan by their ears. They whined as they tried to hit Griffon’s hands away. Everyone else sat down, and I continued with my work. “I’m tired of you two going back and forth. You’re not gonna end high school by hating each other, so make up, or I’ll take you to West,” Griffon muttered as his grip tightened on their ears. Apart from their complaints about their ears, they didn’t even bother to look at each other. Mr. Bronx huffed and dropped his hands. “Let’s go,” he said and fixed his tie. Aidan huffed as he walked back to his seat and grabbed his things. I watched as he swung his bag over his shoulder then kissed Tiffany’s forehead. He gave her an assured smile and ruffled my hair as he walked. They walked out of the classroom with Mr. Bronx behind. The rest of the period was boring since everyone got back to work. The final bell rang for the end of the day, and I got up and gathered my things. Mr. Bronx entered the class as people walked out. I clutched my books tighter to my chest as I approached him.
“You guys were gone for quite a while.”
“Yeah, West didn’t know what to do with them since tomorrow’s the last day.” He sighed. “I just don’t want any drama because I can sense that Austin and Kelly are telling other students about me. Plus, I’m just sick of those ass disses,” Uncle Griff said as we laughed. My expression dulled as I thought over the worksheet he gave us. Don’t get me wrong, it was easy to do, but it made me think about where it led to. “Something on your mind, Lana?”
“Yeah, err…I don’t—” I cut myself off because I didn’t know how to say it. I gave him my worksheet, and he leaned against his desk. I nervously played with my hair as he clicked his fingers for me to talk. “Have you heard anything from Yale?”
“N-No I haven’t…yet.” He went poker-faced. “I heard Carter got an interview with them soon.”
“Yeah, I went to his house the other day. He has a lot of books, and he’s quite determined.”
“Yep. He’s a smart kid. He shouldn’t let his brain go to waste,” Griffon said then awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “But don’t worry about it, Lana. Carter sent his application in before you, so you should hear from them soon.”
“Yeah, and it’s okay, though. I mean, I already got a letter from the University of Illinois.”
“Nevertheless, you still want to go to Yale, huh?” He smiled as I wrapped a curl around my finger and slowly nodded.
“I just wanna get out of this place, too many bad memories.”
“Well, let’s just hope for the best.” Griffon sighed as he put a hand on my shoulder and rubbed it for comfort. I nodded then said good-bye. Since I didn’t have anything to do, I decided to go to the gym and watch Benny practice. I first stopped at my locker and got a few things then strolled toward the gym. I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear then turned the corner to hear shouts. A lot of shouts by only one person. I entered the gym to see him yell at Liam.
“If you want to go to that tournament, Sanchez, you better pull your damn socks up and put your head into this!”
Coach and Liam were in front of the bleachers. I noticed Liam pushed up his glasses. He wore a gray shirt, Nike basketball shorts, and a pair of Jordans.
“Yes, Coach,” Liam mumbled as I stepped up on the bleachers. I sat in the middle and glanced up to see Benny, Nick, and Ethan practice with the other players.
“Now take those glasses off, put contacts in, and play like you’ve never played before, Sanchez. This practice determines if you’re playing in the tournament. Otherwise, you’re a substitute,” Coach stated, and I saw the vein pop in his neck.
“Yes, Coach,” Liam repeated. He took his water bottle and walked up the bleachers to sit next to me.
“Are you okay?” I asked as he drank his water. He nodded and placed his bottle in between us. He took off his glasses then bent and put his head in his hands. I glanced up to see Benny and Nick in a line; they watched us while they waited for their turn to shoot hoops. Benny gave me a sympathetic look as he gestured to Liam. I nodded and turned to Liam and rubbed his back.
“It’s just a stupid little crush, Lana.” He reached for the bag and took out a box.
“It’s not, Liam. Maybe if you tell her indirectly, you’ll finally get it off your che—”
“I can’t just ‘indirectly’ tell her. Miranda doesn’t even like me that way. She has her perfect boyfriend,” Liam cut me off and huffed. “All she sees is a clumsy idiot with his skateboard who eats a lot.”
I remained quiet as he took out his phone and used it as a mirror to put on his contacts.
“You’re not an idiot, Liam, you’re smart with this whole Christo thing, and I eat a lot too.”
“How do you do it?” he suddenly asked as I turned to him with a questioned look. “How did you get over Levi?”
“How did yo—”
“How did I know?” He let out a dry laugh and looked at his teammates. “You’ve known each other for, what? Fourteen years. One of you was bound to fall for the other, plus it’s just…the way you treat each other and the friendship you have with him…it’s different from your other relationships,” he emphasized, and I followed his gaze to see Benny. I let out a deep sigh and looked down.
“I don’t know, I just got used to being his best friend and seeing him once a year. I admit that I told Levi that I love him, and he never said it back, so I just…buried those feelings and moved on.”
“Someone doesn’t simply just move on from being in love and stop loving that person anymore,” Liam said as he stared at me with his brown eyes.
“I don’t know, Liam. I don’t know what to tell you,” I confessed as sadness overtook my face.
“It’s okay, Lana; love is a crazy thing that makes you want the person more when they’re
acting like themselves,” Liam said and stood up. He ruffled my hair then walked down the bleachers to join his team. I sighed as I undid my ponytail and shook out my hair. I tied it into a low ponytail then crossed my legs and watched them. I glanced at the books that I brought with me to do my homework, but after Liam and I spoke, I wasn’t in the mood. Plus, with Coach’s yelling and the loud noise of the basketball against the ground, I couldn’t focus. The noise got louder, and I glanced up from my phone to see Liam and Benny jog toward me. They stopped in front of the bleachers and looked up at me. “Lana, please tell Benny here that his old car was shitty as hell and that his new car is a relief for us all.”
“Whoa, look, that was my first car, bro, and you’re only saying that because you dropped your burrito in it the first month. I got it,” Benny said while I laughed.
“At least I got you a burrito the next day.” Liam shrugged as he passed the ball to Benny. “Be happy, dude. I don’t just buy food for anyone.”
“Yeah, yeah, and my old car was not shitty.”
“Sure, it wasn’t, but it’s not here. For all we know, it could be smashed up into that Diet Coke can that I had at lunch.”
“So you’re certain that it’s gone?”
“Ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure, Lana Willson.” Liam smiled as he saluted me. I gave him a skeptical look, and he pulled his tongue. Nick jogged toward them in his white muscle tank.
“What are you talking about? Coach is looking at you guys.” Nick exhaled and ran a hand through his blonde hair.
“Oh, you know, just my old car that we got rid of and Liam’s burrito.” Benny shrugged.
“Normal teenager stuff,” Liam assured Nick, who had a puzzled look.
“Why are you guys talking about it? Didn’t we get rid of it?” he whispered and looked over his shoulder to see if anyone listened.
“Yeah, but we were mostly talking about burritos and Benny’s shitty ca—”
“It wasn’t shitty, Liam!”
“Sure, but don’t worry. There’s no evidence, no car, no shoes, no dress, and the cameras are broken, so we are tota—”
“Wait, what did you just say?” I asked as my eyes widened.
