by Kim Pritekel
"Oh, okay. Well I live right on the corner of Theo and Lark."
"Really? That’s only about six blocks away from me."
"Well good. You won’t have far to go."
"Thanks, Andi. I really appreciate this."
"No problem. See you soon."
I clicked the off button on my phone, and sighed. Wow. Haley Corregan is coming to my house.
"Shit."
I popped up, looked around my room to see what mess there was. Not bad, but I still shoved any bit of clothing from the floor into my hamper, stacking my books on my dresser instead of spread all across the floor as usual.
I heard the doorbell chime, and checked myself in the mirror, smoothing my cowlick down before looking down at myself. I wore shiny green soccer shorts with a white tank, my feet bare.
"Andrea!"
"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled, hurrying toward the door, opening it just in time to hear,
"So, do you like brownies?" Rolling my eyes, I hurried down the stairs to see Haley standing just inside the door in a pair of flannel pants, sneakers and a heavy coat. She looked up at the noise my hurried steps made. My mom disappeared to the kitchen.
"Hey," she said. I waved. "I’m getting a brownie." She smiled, obviously happy about this.
"Well, as long as you can listen and review at the same time, we’ll be fine."
My mom hurried over to us with a plate stacked with little brownie squares and two napkins.
"Thank you, Mrs.," she looked at me.
"Littman."
"Littman." She smiled, as did my mother.
"Theresa, and enjoy. You two have fun." She turned to head back downstairs where the TV was on.
"Well, um, ready?" Haley looked at me, a brownie already in hand. I turned to lead us up the stairs, and could hear her chewing and moaning in pleasure as she scarffed the treat down. I switched my light on, and stood to the side to allow her to enter. As she ate, she looked around, taking in my eclectic collection.
"This is most interesting." She said with a grin, looking at my Beanie Babies. For just a moment I felt embarrassed, knowing it wasn’t exactly what a 17-year-old girl should be keeping. But I just couldn’t bring myself to part with a ten year obsession.
"Yeah, well. You know." I shuffled my feet, staring down at the floor. "So, um, how are the brownies?" I could not believe this; Haley Corregan was in my house, and not just that, she was standing in the middle of my bedroom! It’s like inviting Julia Roberts to your house, but teenage style.
"They’re wonderful. Want one?" She offered the second one to me. I shook my head putting my hand up.
"No. I’ve had my fill for today. I think six is already topping the scale as it is, you know?" She grinned, stuffing the entire thing into her mouth. "Alrighty, then. Shall we?" I indicated the floor. She nodded, chewing as she knelt down, dropping the text book in front of me.
"Help." She managed to utter after an impressive swallowing act. Shaking my head, I opened the book, and began the review. I could tell Haley was scared to death to take the test. She hung on my every word, watching me intently as I explained the different parts of gravity, and went over the experiments once again.
"So, you think you’ve got it?" I asked, tapping the book with the pen in my hand. She looked at the book to her notes, then finally at me, and took a deep breath.
"Well, I just hope I’ll be able to retain all this overnight."
"If you need any further help, I usually try to get to school early."
"Oh, that’s okay. I have the test during first hour, so I think if I don’t know it by the time I wake up in the morning, I might as well give it up." I grinned, nodding.
"Okay. I really think you’ll do fine, Haley. Hell, you knew most of what I was covering tonight before I even went over it, anyway." She sat back, holding herself up on her hands.
"Well, maybe. I think I just needed that little bit of a safety lesson, you know." She smiled sheepishly.
"Eh, you’ll be okay. Really. My services are guaranteed."
"I sure hope so." She laughed. Haley glanced at her watch. "Oh, shit. I have to go. I was supposed to meet Kelly at ten, and it’s almost ten-thirty."
"Oops."
"Yeah. Thanks again, Andi, or Andrea." I glared as she grinned.
"Yeah, call me that again and see if I help you again." Haley stood, gathering her book and notebook, sticking her pen in her pocket.
"Let me know how it goes." Haley smiled, then walked toward the door. I walked her downstairs and opened the front door for her, letting in the cold night air. She walked out onto the porch, our sensory light clicking on to illuminate the front yard and the black Acura Integra parked at the curb. She clicked the automatic locks open, loaded everything in, and drove off into the night.
* * *
I slammed my locker shut, feeling freer without the weight of my backpack, my lunch bag in hand as I headed for the cafeteria. Well, the ring of lockers that surrounded it. Finding locker number 218, my locker of choice, I plopped down and opened my brown bag. I hadn’t been very hungry this morning, so I’d only brought a bagel and an apple. The bagel just didn’t speak to me, so I rubbed the apple on my sweatshirt, and took a nice, noisy bite. The fruit juice squirted in my mouth as I chewed. I looked out at the other kids in the cafeteria, making noise laughing and talking as they ate. I was always amused by some of the things I saw and heard. If you asked, I was a fountain of knowledge when it came to the students of Winston High.
"Hey." I looked up to see Haley standing over me.
"Hello." She knelt down.
"Not a big eater, are you?" She nodded at my apple, which I looked at, then shrugged.
"Not real hungry, you know? Besides, how do you know that I didn’t just finish off a seven course meal and this is my dessert?"
"Because I saw you sit down."
"Ah. Okay, so you got me. How was the test?"
"Well, I’m not real sure, yet. We don’t find out until Monday or Tuesday."
"Oh, yeah? Hank is making you guys wait that long?"
"Hank?"
"Rodman."
"Oh. You two are pretty close, then?" I shrugged. "So, um, you guys talk?" She cocked her head to the side a bit, her ponytail falling over her shoulder. I narrowed my eyes, knowing exactly where this was going.
"Maybe."
"Well, you know, if you guys are close, then maybe he’d tell you, you know, what I got."
"So you want to use me for my connections, eh?"
"And your brain."
"Oh, I see how it is." I grinned, shaking my head. "Meet me at his room after school."
"Oh, you are so cool!" She reached out and set her hand on my shoulder. "Thanks, Andi. I just know that having to wonder all weekend would kill me." She smiled, so did I. "Look, there’s got to be something that I can do for you. I mean, you’ve been so wonderful with this whole tutoring thing, and now trying to help out with Mr. Rodman."
"It’s not necessary, Haley, really. It’s not that big of a deal."
"It is to me." She looked at me for a moment, finally taking her hand away from my shoulder. I watched it out of the corner of my eye. "Do you drive?"
"Yes."
"Oh," She looked dejected for just a second. "But I don’t have a car." Instantly brightening again, she smiled.
"If I get an A on this test, I’ll take you to and from school on all the bad days. Rain or snow. How’s that?" I nodded, liking the idea.
"Okay. It’s still not necessary, but alright." A huge smile spread across her face.
"Great! I better get going, but I’ll see you after school, okay?"
"See you." I watched Haley stand and bounce her way back to her friends, who looked at me with obvious questions in their eyes, made more apparent as their heads leaned in to, I’m sure, ask Haley a zillion questions.
"Andi, why on earth should I give this girl her score now? I barely have her test graded." I leaned over Hank’s desk, looking into his eyes, enlarged behi
nd thick glasses.
"Come on, Hank. Just for me. This girl is my protégé, and I want to see how I did." I smiled, and he stared at me for a moment.
"That is the biggest pile of horse shit I’ve ever heard, but it was such a good excuse I’ll do it."
"Oh, man! You’re awesome." I slapped the old science teacher on the back, a huge grin on my face. About then the classroom door opened, and Haley stepped through. She looked from me to Hank, then back at me, hope in her eyes. I nodded, she smiled.
"Okay, Haley. Know this won’t happen with every test, but I’ll go ahead and give you your grade." The teacher said, looking at her over the top of the spectacles.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Rodman. I really appreciate this." Haley heaved the backpack further up onto her shoulder, and walked to stand next to me. I could smell the slight scent of perfume on her sweater. It was too faint for me to be able to tell what it was.
"Miss Corregan," My attention was ripped back to Hank, who was looking at stapled papers in his hand, which I assumed was Haley’s test. "You received a 92." He looked up, pulling his glasses off.
"Yes!" Haley turned to me, sticking her hand up in the air. I slapped it. "Thanks, Andi. You are so awesome." I grinned.
"Thanks. Congratulations." I felt proud for some reason, pleased.
"You heading home now?" Haley asked after thanking the teacher. I nodded. "Come on, I’ll give you a lift."
The drive to my house was nothing compared to the walk, and it seemed that in no time Haley pulled her car into the driveway. She turned to me.
"Thanks again. I’m sure I’ll be in need of your guaranteed services again." I grinned.
"Just give me a call."
* * *
"Charyot!" yelled Sabum Nim Kyung. I stopped immediately, as did my sparing partner, Tracy. We walked to our places on the matt and knelt down to our knees, our eyes downcast out of respect for our teacher. Our Sabum Nim stood before us, arms crossed over his chest as he waited. "Sunbae Nim Andi." My eyes raised to his, and I jumped to my feet, joining him at the front.
"Charyot!" I yelled, the class looking at me. "Remember, championships are coming up in January. You guys must try harder." I looked at the face of each student, most of which I’d known for many years. "Dustin and Kyle, next week you two will be partnered, and I don’t want to see you fall again, Kyle." The twelve year old’s gaze dropped, and he nodded. I turned to my Sabum Nim, and bowed.
"That’s all for today." He clapped his hands, and everyone jumped up and scattered. Tracy walked over to me.
"Nice job today, chief. Your second week as the Sunbae Nim." I grinned, nodding.
"Kind of cool, isn’t it?"
"Well, not really. You could kick just about anyone’s butt in here."
"Yeah, well you’re just jealous. We still on for tonight?" she nodded.
"Yeah. I just need to get showered and changed, and we’re off."
Tracy and I had started in the Kyung dojang at the same time, but she’d left when she was eight when her family moved away. When they came back three years later, she had re-joined. By that time I had moved far ahead of her, starting with Tae Kwon Do at age six. I had earned my third degree black belt over the summer. I was now the senior student, or Sunbae Nim. Tracy was one of my best friends, well, one of my only friends.
"It feels so good to be out of there. Though I have to admit I’m bummed Yoga was cancelled," Tracy said as she steered her Jeep through the streets of our town.
"I know." I said. I ran my hands through my still-damp hair, combing out the strands with my fingers, before they became tangled. "I can’t believe I forgot my brush."
"I told you I had mine. Jeez, what do you think I have?" I glared at her as I continued. "So I hear this movie is supposed to be pretty good."
"I hope so. It’s been so long since I’ve seen anything that was worth watching. The way I see it, if it hurts my brain to watch a movie, it’s just not worth it."
"Well, yeah, but just about everything hurts your brain." Tracy glanced over at me as she turned onto Pacos, the street that would lead to the theater complex.
"This is true."
The place was busy, Tracy having to park near the end of the lot. We made our way through the cars, finally getting to the doors that were open as the line was too much for the lobby to hold. We looked at each other, surprised.
"Oh, boy. Still want to do this, do you?" I crossed my arms over my chest.
"We’re staying." Tracy patted my shoulder, knowing how much I hated being in a huge group. "The line will move quickly. I hope."
I looked around, seeing who all had come out for the grand opening of the new Sandra Bullock, Hugh Grant flick. I usually wasn’t a fan of romantic comedies, thinking how stupid they were, and that no one ever acts that way or goes to those extremes for love. Tracy said I was far too cynical for my years, and maybe she was right.
"Hey." I turned to look at Tracy, but saw that she was talking to some guy, so I looked in the other direction, stunned to see Haley smiling at me. She was in line just a little further back, surrounded by her entourage.
"Hi. Fancy seeing you here."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. What are you here to see?"
"Some Sandra Bullock movie."
"Oh, I hear that’s really cute. I got drug here to see the new J. Lo movie."
"Who?"
"J. Lo? Jennifer Lopez?"
"Oh. The whole J. Lo thing is new to me." I grinned sheepishly.
"Wow, you are out of the loop, aren’t you?" She pulled the ends of her jacket a little closer around her body as the wind began to whip around the theater.
"Well, I do my best." I grinned, so did she.
"Who are you here with?"
"My pal Tracy."
"Huh?" Tracy looked at me, then back at Haley, then back at me with huge eyes.
"Oh. Hello." Haley smiled at my friend. Shyly Tracy waved at her.
"Haley, they’re making two lines. Come on." One of Haley’s friends grabbed her by the sleeve, tugging her away. "Girl, what are you doing?" I heard hissed at her. I didn’t listen for Haley’s response.
"You talk to her?" I turned to see Tracy looking at me expectantly. "Better yet, she talks to you?"
"Gee, thanks. Yes."
"Wow. Call me shocked." The line moved up a bit, and we were finally inside the building. I looked around, trying to not make it obvious, seeing where Haley had gone. She stood with a group of about four or five, all huddled together talking and laughing. She ran her hands through her ponytail, fixing it a bit. I had never seen her with her hair down. It hadn’t occurred to me until just now.
The entire time I’d gone to school, I had been in awe of Haley Corregan. Not only was she popular and beautiful, but she was known for being sweet and kind to everyone. I was finding that to be true. My opinion of her crowd could certainly be higher, but she had gained my respect for the most part. She seemed separate from them, somehow, like even they were out of her league. It was so unfair for one girl to be so talented, a star soccer player, intelligent and unbelievably beautiful. Why was it that just certain people were blessed by the gods with every single attribute? With everything going their way? And why on earth would someone like her hang around with those circus clowns?
"Hello, earth to Andi." Shaken out of my reverie, I looked around to see we were at the front of the line. I reached into my pocket for my money, handing the girl the right amount, and taking my ticket. "Where did you go?" Tracy asked as we headed to the concession stand.
"Oh, nowhere. Just kind of lost in my own thoughts for a second there."
"Yeah, I’ll say. What do you want?"
We ordered our junk food, feeling justified after the workout we’d had in class, and headed into the huge theater, packed with anxious movie-goers. We found two seats as close to the middle as we could. I felt the movie experience wasn’t nearly as good unless I sat as close to the middle as I could. Hey, we all have our things.
The movie ended, we stood to leave.
"Oh, I loved it," Tracy gushed, wiping the tears away from her eyes.
"You are such a sap." I grinned, easing my way into the main aisle as people herded out.
"Yeah, so? Oh, it was just so sweet!" she exclaimed, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
"You’re a nut. Wait for me, will you? I need to go to the bathroom."
"Okay." She sniffled as she headed toward the lobby. I hurried to the ladies room, the large coke I’d had going through me like a funnel. The bathroom, too, was packed as several movies got out at the same time, so I leaned against the tiled wall, waiting for my turn.
"Well, I just can’t get away from you today, can I?" I turned to see Haley lean against the wall next to me. I grinned.
"Sorry about that." She looked confused.
"Why?" Because your friends are assholes?
"Oh, nothing. Just kidding."
"Oh. So did you enjoy your show?" She heaved the strap of the bag she carried, further up her shoulder.
"Not as much as Tracy did." I grinned. "She’s blowing her nose as we speak." Haley chuckled, then indicated that I should move up in line. I slid across the wall.
"Oh, one of those kinds of movies, huh?" She smiled. I nodded.
"Apparently. I liked it, but didn’t really feel the need to cry. What about yours?"
"Well, let’s put it this way, I wish I had gone into yours. I can watch Sandra Bullock any day. But J. Lo? Well, I’m not such a fan. But Ralph Finnes is pretty cute. Pretty green eyes. You don’t see those very often." She narrowed her eyes, and leaned toward me. I stared at her like she was nuts. "You have green eyes." She stood up again, arms cross over her chest. "Huh. I never noticed that. They’re pretty." I, for the first time in my life, blushed, looking away. I hated to be affected by what other people said.
"Um, thanks. Oh, it’s my turn. See you later." I smiled, and hurried to the deserted bathroom stall.
Part 2
I tapped the eraser of my No. 2 on my notebook as I examined my doodle. Art certainly wasn’t in my future, well, if it was I’d put the old adage "starving artist" to all new heights.
