Life, Love, & Lemons

by Vernon, Magan

  “Um…” She smacked her overly glossed lips. “Like I know you may have a different view about dress-up clothes or maybe you’ve been busy or something, but um…”

  She paused and I looked over at her. She was staring up at the ceiling. Actually her big blue eyes always seemed to be looking at the ceiling when she talked.

  I was getting frustrated. I slammed my locker as I looked over at her. “What Macy? What in the hell do you want?”

  “Oh..um..well..” She stepped back a bit, obviously not expecting that reaction. “It’s supposed to be a dress-up day for Homecoming court, and you’re not exactly well…” she leaned in and whispered, “dressed up.” She looked me over. All the way from the top of my bright orange University of Illinois shirt, down my oversized blue sweatpants, and right at my cheetah print slippers.

  I shrugged. “I guess I forgot.” I was too defeated and worn out to actually argue with her. I didn’t wait for her to talk and just walked right past her to my history class.

  “Whoa, looks like Barbie downgraded to GI Joe,” Roxy yelled to the front of the class. A few people laughed, but I ignored her and just took my seat. I really didn’t want to be bothered with Roxy or any of the other scene kids. I just wanted the day to be over.

  “Hey, you know that was supposed to be an insult, right?” Roxy poked me in the back with her chewed up finger nail.

  I turned around and looked at her. Her expression was like she just seen a ghost, a small gasp even escaped her lips while her eyes grew twice their size. Usually I would be scared of her, afraid of what she would do, but at that point, things could get much worse.

  “Um, are you okay?” she whispered, leaning in. Her breath smelled like cigarettes and flavored coffee.

  I didn’t want to cry, not there and especially not in front of Roxy. I let out a deep breath and shrugged, looking down at the linoleum floor.

  “Aren’t you happy? You got to come back to school, and Brynne is pretty mad that Kai took the blame for you.”

  I slowly looked up. “Why does she hate me so much? I never did anything to her or to anybody.” I wasn’t about to confide in Roxy, and I wasn’t sure what her reaction would be, but it was worth a shot.

  “Besides the fact that you’re the hot new girl that everyone wants, you also happen to be dating her ex.” She started picking at a scab on her hand.

  “But she cheated on him and didn’t they break up a long time ago?” I pressed.

  “Not that long ago. I think it was the Saturday before school started. Then she heard about you and him going to Perkins, and it just really rubbed her the wrong way. They were together for seven months and then he meets a new girl that is not only gorgeous, but he takes her out to Perkins which is usually where everyone we hang out with goes, so obviously that kind of stung.” She didn’t stop picking as she spoke, it was like she was nervous and had just crossed enemy lines.

  “Hey, Ro, trying to pick up on Barbie now that Kai’s not around?” Teegan approached us.

  “Oh…” That was all that she could muster when she caught sight of my face and then took her seat.

  “I’ll see you around, Bentley.” Roxy didn’t look at me as she sat down next to Teegan. Immediately I saw Teegan whispering to her and pointing at me but class had started before I could listen any further.

  The rest of the day I felt like I was in a haze. I went through class and pretended to be taking notes or listening but all I did was stare at my blank notebook page. Gabby tried to talk to me in English, but it was hard to even concentrate on what she was saying.

  “So you’re still going with us to dinner before the dance, right?” She nudged her shoulder against mine while I drew circles on my worksheet.

  “I guess…” I muttered.

  “Oh come on, it’ll be fun.” Her voice was even higher than usual. “I love the dress you’re wearing, and Brett’s super excited that he’s not stuck with just the pom girls.”

  I nodded. “I think I’m going to use the restroom…”I got up and walked to the door, grabbing the bathroom pass. I don’t think Miss Winter even looked up from her desk once, not even as the blue-shirted boys started flicking paper footballs across the room.

  The bathrooms were some of the most disgusting places at East, so I usually avoided them at all cost, but I just had to get away. I opened the door to the overwhelming smell of nicotine and pee. I tried to ignore it as I crossed the door less bathroom stalls and headed toward the sinks. I ran the cool water over my hands and splashed some on my face. Then for the first time all day I looked in the mirror. I could tell why everyone was looking at me with a shocked expression. The bags under my eyes were almost as dark as a raccoons and probably just as big. My normally tan face looked very pale, and I think there were even still hints of yesterday’s mascara speckled down my cheeks.

  “Mirror, mirror, on the wall…”

  I heard an all too familiar voice and froze.

  “Who’s the fakest of them all?” Brynne stepped out from behind one of the stalls, her glittered platforms clunked with every step she took.

  “You got what you want, Brynne.” Her reflection approached mine, and I tried not to show how bad I was shaking. “I got busted for the pills, just like you wanted.”

  “You think you’re so innocent.” She put her hands on her hips, glaring at me. Her makeup was so heavy that she looked like a circus performer with her narrowed eyes. “I read about the drug scandal in your file and knew it was the perfect opportunity to show everyone that you aren’t this perfect princess.” She leaned against the sink next to me. Her leather like leggings were so tight that they squeaked on the metal sink.

  “Brynne, I really don’t understand why you are doing all this. I know that you and Kai dated or whatever, and I’m really sorry; I didn’t know that you had just broke up when we met.” I focused on her sequined top instead of looking at her face.

  “I find that hard to believe since I’m pretty sure people told you that we had just broke up when he took your blonde ass to Perkins. Let’s face it. You don’t belong with him or in our world. You are not the type of girl that goes to concerts or drinks coffee at midnight. You’re better off hanging out with your Catholic school friends at some sushi joint than here.” She was so close that I could almost feel her body heat.

  “I don’t know what you want me to say. It’s not like I went seeking out Kai.” I tried to step back a bit. “And I don’t care that we may look funny together or that I am more comfortable at a tennis match than a concert. I’ve learned to adapt enough these past couple months and I’m actually starting to enjoy all the new things that Kai has opened me up to. “I smiled a very weak, tight-lipped smile. “Who knows maybe we can even be friends one day.”

  Brynne didn’t say a word as she stared me down. I figured that was my cue to leave, so I turned and started walking toward the door. I didn’t even get five steps when I felt Brynne’s grip on my ponytail. Before I knew what hit me she had pounced and smashed my head against the paper towel dispenser. My head bounced back like a spring as I grabbed my forehead, which was throbbing and sticky. I looked down at my fingers to see a few drops of blood.

  “Let’s get this straight, Barbie, you and I will never be friends,” she screamed in my ear. “And for the record, you’ll never belong with Kai’s friends so just start hanging out with Macy and the other preppy kids while you still have a chance.”

  She stormed out the bathroom door, leaving me there with a large bump on my head and a very thick wall of tears just waiting to burst.

  Chapter 35

  Peachy

  My head was throbbing. It took every bit of strength that I had to pretend like it didn’t bother me as I approached Dad’s car. I somehow fashioned my hair into a really weird side bang to cover the big bump on my head and the piece of toilet paper I placed there to stop the bleeding.

  “Hey, Bent, how was school?” Dad was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

  “Peachy.” I smiled
and tried not to sound too sarcastic. My head was pounding, and I tried not to wince at the fact that every sound was just making it throb harder.

  I looked over at Dad who was dressed in a suit that hadn’t seen the light of day since he went up for his last promotion ten years ago and probably cost more than our rent.

  “What are you all dressed up for?” I tried to ignore my head as I pushed my fingers up against my temple.

  “Well…” He glanced at me from the corner of his eye with that big grin still on his face.

  “Well what?” Okay now I was getting a little bit annoyed. My head was pounding, and I had no idea why Dad was playing this stupid smiling and happy game. Didn’t he care that my life was in the toilet? I got beat up by my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend and was going to have to go to Homecoming alone like an idiot in a dress from two years ago. If he told me that he was excited because Easy Mac was on sale, I would have probably flipped my lid.

  “I had a meeting with an agent today.”

  I stopped rubbing my head and just stared at him with my mouth wide open. Could this be? “And?”

  “She said that she would like to offer me representation and already has a publisher that’s very interested in a possible three book deal. Turns out my little self-published book didn’t do so bad after all,” he said it nonchalantly, like he just told me that he really did get a bunch of Easy Mac on sale.

  “Are you serious?” This time I was actually able to ignore the pounding as I squealed.

  He nodded and I practically tackled him, causing the car to almost hit a guard rail. It was amazing how a little conversation with Dad could almost make me forget all my problems.

  “We can go to the game tonight and then after we can go out for dinner somewhere nice. Somewhere I can actually wear this suit and not get looked at funny.” Dad laughed as we walked up the sidewalk to our apartment.

  “Um, is that, that boy Jake sitting on our patio?” Dad nodded his head toward our apartment as we walked.

  “Jake?” I arched an eyebrow. There was no way that Jake would ever show up at our apartment.

  “You know, Jake with the popped collar, drives a Mercedes convertible, and has far too large of a trust fund.” Dad said it like it was a fact, which it pretty much was.

  As we approached the patio door I saw that it actually was Jake—hot pink polo shirt, stupid aviators and all.

  “Hey, Bee.” He slowly walked toward me.

  “I’ll leave you two alone.” Dad patted my back as he headed inside. “Don’t be too long, Bent, we have a game to go to,” he called before shutting the door.

  “Don’t worry this shouldn’t take that long,” I yelled back, folding my arms across my chest.

  “What do you want, Jake?” I stared at him.

  “Um, what happened to your head?” He pointed his perfectly trimmed nails at me.

  “Just a light head bashing but don’t change the subject.” I tried to sound as stern as possible, but my headache was just making me sound whiney. “What are you doing here, Jake? I thought I made it perfectly clear that I didn’t want to see you.”

  “I know…” He stared down at his flip-flop clad feet. “But Gabby told Brett what happened at school and then Brett told me.” He looked up, his blue eyes looked like there was nothing behind them as he spoke.

  “So, what does that have to do with anything?” I rolled my eyes. “The pills weren’t actually mine and if they were, I definitely wouldn’t be selling you any.” I curled my top lip in disgust.

  “No, that’s not it at all; I learned my lesson.” He waved his hands in front of him.

  “Then what is it, Jake?” I put my hands on my hips. I didn’t know how one minute I could go from being at the bottom of the barrel to top of the world and back down again.

  “I heard that you may need a date for Homecoming, and you do know how good I look in a suit.” He had that cocky little grin that showed all of his bleached teeth.

  “Ugh.” I rolled my eyes again. “Jake, do you really think that I’d take you to my Homecoming? Aren’t you dating Taylor anyway?”

  “Look, Bee.” He stepped closer. “I think I should apologize about what happened between us last year. It was stupid. I should have never had you bring the pills to school, but what was I supposed to do? If I would have admitted that it was mine, I would have gotten expelled for sure.”

  I leaned back. “But it was okay for me to get in trouble? Your dad bailed us both out anyway, so why did it matter whose ass was on the line? Which, by the way in case you forgot, it was my permanent record that it stuck with.”

  He let out a big sigh. “I know, I know. But, Bee, I gotta level with you, all I could think about was the fact that I didn’t want to end up expelled. I did the only thing I could do and told the head master they were yours.”

  “And do you still think that makes it right?” I tilted my head, crossing my arms over my chest again as I tried to stand straighter. “If we had the chance to go back and do it all over again, would you do it again or would you fess up and say they were your pills?”

  “Well, Bee, actually they were your pills. You were the one dealing…” He bit his lip nervously as he quickly looked down at the cement floor.

  Then it finally hit me. All this time I had been blaming Jake for what he did to me when the truth was that I had done it all to myself. I was the one who brought the pills to school, and I was the one dealing drugs for my own selfish reasons of keeping up with my private school lifestyle. It really stung when I realized that it wasn’t Kai that I should have been mad at. When Jake got caught at St. Christopher’s, he immediately pointed the finger at me to save himself, and it was very hard to forgive him for that. When I got caught at East, Kai was the first one to jump in front and save me. I realized that I was being just as selfish as I had been all those months ago when I blamed Jake for my mistakes. As I was for blaming Kai for fixing my mistakes.

  I let out a deep breath. “You’re right, Jake.”

  “I am?” He popped his head back up to look at me.

  “Yeah.” I shrugged. “I was stupid to deal drugs in the first place. I should have actually gone out and started looking for a job right then and there instead of getting people in trouble with prescription drugs that weren’t mine.

  “Man, Bee, you don’t know how good it feels to hear you say that.” He flashed that brightly bleached smile at me as he stepped even closer.

  “Just because I’ve realized that I made a mistake doesn’t mean you and I are on good terms again. You still spilled a shake all over the floor while I was at work and treated me like complete crap by dating my best friend after we broke up.” I put my hands up to create a barrier between us.

  “Oh come on, Bee; we were just having some fun.” He ran a hand through his blonde spikes. “And as for Taylor, she’s cool and all, but we all know that I’m just her arm candy.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, that would be Taylor. It’s more about who looks prettier on her arm or in her bed than who she is actually with.”

  “You know I really missed you, Bee. We had some fun times together.” He traced his fingers down my upper arm.

  “Nobody would ever have to know. It could be our little secret.” He leaned in closing his eyes.

  I turned so sharply that ended up getting a mouthful of hair. “Ugh, Jake, you definitely haven’t changed.”

  “What?” He stepped back, blinking hard. “I thought we were having a moment there.”

  “When you narked on me for the pills I couldn’t stand you. Now that I have a boyfriend who is willing to go out of his way to take the blame for my mistakes; I’ve realized how much of a douche bag you really are.” I put my hands on my hips and lifted up my chin with confidence.

  “Do you even know what you are saying? I’m probably your one shot at ever getting back in with anyone at St. Christopher’s.” He crossed his arms over his chest and jutted out his jaw.

  “I don’t ever want to be back in with the St
. Christopher’s kids again. The students at East have welcomed me with open arms.” Or open fists, but he didn’t need to know that. “And it may be a big change working at a fast food joint and living in a small apartment, but at least I know who the people that really care about me are.

  “Your loss, princess.” He shook his head and walked off the patio.

  If it were last year, I would have cried. I would have begged him not to leave. But it was a new year. And a new Bentley Evans.

  Chapter 36

  The Boy

  “Dad, I don’t think that I’m ever going to be able to eat again.” I held my stomach as we walked out of the car.

  I don’t remember the last time that Dad and I had gone out to dinner, and he definitely went all-out. We went to a local steakhouse where Dad ordered everything from appetizers to prime rib and even polished off a whole bottle of wine with some cheesecake. I hadn’t seen Dad this happy in a long time, and I think I was more in shock of the bill that was larger than my paycheck.

  “From here on out, Bent, things are going to be different. You and I are going to get out of this place and go straight to the top.” He slurred while stumbling down the sidewalk to our apartment. I was glad I insisted on driving.

  “Sure, Dad.” I patted his arm that was around me.

  I actually was just getting used to the whole budgeting thing. I hated to say it but there was actually a lot more good than bad that came from my dad losing his job. Sure we lost the house and all but when I really thought about it so many good things came from it. I figured that the good being Dad finding a job that he loved and the bad, that our house got foreclosed on, definitely outweighed each other. The best thing that came out of it all was really meeting Kai and finding out who my true friends were.

  “Hey Dad?” I asked as we got into the apartment and he sat down on the couch.

  “Yeah, Bent?” He looked up at me. I really just could not get over the look of pure happiness on his face. He never even mentioned Mom’s name once since she left and all he could talk about at dinner was how much better things were going to be. He even told all the waitresses that I was on Homecoming court. It was just a bit embarrassing since I actually didn’t even know if I would still be going to Homecoming without Kai.