Summer Days 2, chapters 4-5
Kella
I slid into a desk at the end of the very front row of my science class, trying to appear casual as I surveyed the students coming into the classroom. I’d been one of the first ones there. The Newburg transfers stuck out to me like sore thumbs, even amongst the freshman. I don’t know what it was about them specifically, it was as though I could sense their unease.
The students filtered in. There was hardly anyone I knew. Granted, my math class was one taken mostly by sophomores. There were a couple lingering stares my way. I was the first thing you saw when you stepped into the room. A tall, handsome boy with dark brown hair and shining green eyes smiled at me as he sauntered into the room and landed in the seat behind me. I kept my eyes on my desk as he stepped around me, not knowing how to respond. I’d never had a boyfriend or so much as a date. I was completely clueless when it came to guys. I’d been kissed by both Vic and Jimmy the previous year, but that didn’t count!
He didn’t say anything to me, but I could feel his eyes on the back of my head. The teacher called Ms. Verona commanded silence and gave her little welcoming lecture. I don’t understand why teachers give us these speeches. After nine years of school I’d think I’d know by now what to expect. Picking up her clipboard she started roll call.
“Kyle Bradley,” was the first name on the list.
“Here,” I heard the voice behind me call.
Kyle. He looked like a Kyle.
He called another and then, “Kellianne Coffield.”
I raised my hand. “I go by Kella.”
She nodded, writing that down and went on.
My mother was the only person who’d ever called me Kellianne. Daddy hadn’t liked her choice in names (he despised the name Kelly) and had nicknamed me Kella and that was the name that had stuck. In fact, till I was about four years old, I didn’t even realize Kella wasn’t actually my first name. I thought Kellianne was the nickname my mother had for me.
She gave us the end of the bell to socialize a bit. I didn’t turn around but he tapped me on the shoulder.
“Hey.”
I turned, but not completely, just enough to see him and gave him a small smile. “Hi.”
“It’s Kella, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you a freshman?” Was it that obvious?
"Are you from Newburg?” I asked instead of answering, a bit of a demanding tone slipping into my voice. I always got defensive. I couldn’t help it.
“Yeah. Why are you in this class?”
“I took some advanced classes last year.” The hateful bell rang.
He smiled at me, standing up. “Beauty and brains both, huh? I better watch out for you.” He headed towards the door.
Did he just give me a compliment? I wondered, gathering my things. I had taken my notebook out in case I’d needed to take notes but I hadn’t used it.
I stepped into the hall thinking about Kyle. Well there was already one plus over Junior High. Not a single guy had ever even looked my way. I wondered if he could possibly like me. I’d have to ask Vic about it.
I must’ve looked like a real nerd with my books clutched tightly to my chest. I took a quick detour to my locker to drop off the textbook I’d been given and to stick my notebook back in the bag. Afterwards I headed to the bathroom. Not that I had to go already. I hated public restrooms and only used them when I couldn’t hold it anymore. I wanted to check how I looked in the mirror. My hair had a tendency to frizz and stick up after five minutes (I’m sure jumping the fence first thing in the morning didn’t help).
I didn’t look bad. I fixed my tendrils to where they were supposed to be and smoothed the few hairs sticking up down with water. But that daring side of me took over once again. I undid the first three buttons of my blouse and folded the corners over, exposing a fair bit of cleavage. Not that my breasts were that huge, but they were big for my small frame and I’d always despised them. But I might as well use them.
I heard the toilet flush and a pretty blond stepped out of the last stall. “Hi,” she said to me, coming to the sink to wash her hands. I recognized her from math. She was most likely a sophomore. And from Newburg.
“Hi,” I replied. I wasn’t used to people I didn’t know talking to me. I pulled my book bag back on my shoulder and hurried out to get to my next class.
This was the class me and Vic had together. Science I waited for him outside the door, smiling at him as he approached.
There were too many people around to talk in the hall, so we went inside. I headed for the middle. I knew Vic hated sitting in the front and I really wanted us to sit together so I’d compromise. He probably would’ve sat next to me wherever I went, given his penchant for cheating off me during quiz’s and exams. I didn’t care too much. I never went out of my way to let him cheat. If he could make out my miniscule messy handwriting without being obvious let him. As long as I never got caught.
“I think this guy in my math class likes me,” I began, taking a large spiral notebook out of my backpack. “His name’s Kyle Bradley.”
“Is he better looking than me?” he asked with a smirk.
“That cockroach I found in my drink at your brothers was cuter than you. Especially after Sarah poured it out on the floor and stepped on it.”
He laughed at that. I feared nothing. Horror movies never made me so much as blink. But that had been one of the few times I’ve ever flipped out and screamed like a little girl.
I was lying about that comment, though. I would never call Vic handsome but he had a nice face. He could probably be a model if he were taller. His face was sharp, angular, with a feminine kind of beauty you don’t usually see on males. Despite his flaws I could almost see why girls flocked to him in droves.
“Do you think it’s wrong for me to be thinking about stuff like that,” I said suddenly. “You know, after everything…”
Vic was staring at my breasts. So much for my attempt at being serious. Blushing, I slunk in my seat pushing the corner ends of my blouse together. “Leave me alone,” I muttered, embarrassed. “Is it so bad to like people looking at me? I know you love it.”
“I was just wondering why I didn’t notice that this morning.”
I decided to change the subject. “So did you break any hearts yet?”
He gave me that shit-eating grin of his. “Give me time. English isn‘t exactly full of beautiful babes ripe for the picking.”
I laughed. “You got stuck with Miss Craille. I’ve already heard horror stories about her.”
He nodded, not hiding his disgust of the woman “She’s worse.”
I sort of pitied her. Not only did she have to contend with Vic in her class but he actively disliked her. This would be a long year for her.
A familiar face surrounded by a main of honey blond hair strolled through the door and I tried my hardest not to glare. “Are you still dating her?”
He turned to look. She gave him a little smirk before dropping herself into a chair in the back, making no effort to hold her legs together beneath her tiny skirt. He turned back to the front. “No, and I don’t want to talk about her.”
I’d gotten the feeling he was done with her at the funeral, but I had to ask. Vic was the one person who never ceased to surprise me. She’d been sitting on the far side of him away from our group bawling her eyes out. Vic had kept his mouth shut staring straight ahead, not making the least bit of effort to comfort her. Some part of me had been happy about that.
I must really be a horrible person.
Jimmy
I yawned, struggling to stay awake as the teacher prattled on in French I. She had a really soft voice and it was difficult to understand what she was saying. I wasn’t sure which I regretted more. Staying out till three in the morning practicing with Richie’s band, or taking French to begin with. It was times like these I needed Vic in the class to keep me awake.
For the last month I’d spent nearly every evening in Richie’s garage after he got off work practicing with him and the rest of Bloodberry Jam. It served as a nice distraction. Richie had actually asked if I wanted to join the band. It blew me away that he really thought I was good enough when I was only fourteen. Richie was nineteen and everyone else in the band was either his age or older. I’d told him “Hell yeah!”
But that was just one more thing to add to the list of changes in my life since summer started. My step-father had moved out, followed by Bobby’s death. Now I was starting high school and joining a band. And I’d hardly seen Vic lately. Or as Mom called him, my other half. Bobby had been our ringleader, the glue that held us all together. I didn’t know what to say to Vic when we’d hung out back in August. I didn’t know how to act around the girls anymore. So many things were happening in such a short span of time but I don’t think I’d changed. Vic, Kella, and Sarah certainly had. Kella was quieter, Sarah more spastic, and Vic… Something was going on with him. Something he wasn’t telling me. And that really had me worried, because Vic told me everything.
My head dropped to the desk but the teacher didn’t seem to care. I didn’t even catch what her name was. The girl next to me smiled and turned back to the front. She was pretty. Her teeth were white and straight, but for two on the bottom that sort of overlapped. And I once again noted internally what a freak I am because I always notice teeth first. I turned my head the other way and closed my eyes. If I should happen to drool I didn’t want her to see it.
A hand was shaking me. “Wake up,” I heard a soft voice say. “The bell rang.”
Breathing deep I sat up and looked at my personal alarm clock. It was that girl from before. “Thanks,” I said awkwardly.
“Do you not sleep at night?” she asked.
“I’m really a vampire. Come here, I need a snack.” Why the hell did just say that?
She giggled and started walking. “I have to get to my next class. I’ll see you tomorrow, James.”
James? I mustn’t have said anything during roll. The only time I ever got called James was by Vic when he was trying to make me mad.
The classroom was empty. I picked up my books and my bag and headed out, and wondered momentarily what her name was. It was probably something stupid like Chloe or Muffy. She looked like she was with the popular crowd. Our mortal enemies.
My next class was World History, a sophomore class. Me and Kella had gotten the chance the year before to take a few 9th grade level classes and were subsequently in a couple advanced courses. And we had this next class together. It would be nice to finally see a familiar face. So far my classes had been filled with strangers.
She was already there when I arrived, sitting in the front row next to the wall. She waved, pulling her back pack off the desk behind her she was saving for me. Sitting down, I said, “You look happy.”
“I’ve had a good day so far. Haven’t run into Genni yet. She didn’t tell me this morning not to talk to her in school like when I was in sixth grade.”
“As if you can’t tell you two are related anyway.”
The girl from French came into the room then and I watched her walk towards another blond already seated on the other side of the room. She smiled when she noticed me.
“You know her?”
“She’s in my French class,” I explained.
“She looks out of your league.”
I kicked her chair. “Gee, thanks, Kell Bell. It's nice to know that in the worst of times I would still have a friend like you to support me.”
She shrugged. “Just being honest.”
“Stop looking over there, Kell. I mean it.”
“I ran into the other girl in the bathroom earlier. She was staring at me before you came in. I wonder why.”
“Maybe she likes you.”
Kella grimaced. “I hope not. I prefer things that have a penis.” She turned to face the chalkboard as the bell rang.
I was still snickering. I think I might’ve snorted. The teacher stood from the desk and I noticed that he was our teacher. He was young. Real young. Had to be fresh out of school. He held himself with a casual nonchalance that grasped my respect.
“It’s probably his first year teaching,” Kella muttered, reading my mind.
“Is there something you would like to share with us?” he asked.
Kella shook her head quickly, staring at her desk.
He moved to the front of the room. “I want everyone to stand up and form a circle. Most of you don’t know each other so we’re going to play a little game to learn each others names. I want each of you to think of an adjective that alliterates with your name as well as describes you. For example, I would call myself Delightful Derek.” He smiled, looking at Kella. “And you’re going to start.”
“Ummm…” she was fiddling with the buttons on he shirt. I hoped she didn’t accidently pop one of them open. “Cunning Kella, I guess,” she finally said.
“Now you,” he pointed at me. “Repeat her name, then add your own.”
“Cunning Kella, and I’m….Jaunty Jim.” It was the first thing I could think of that started with J. The pretty blond smiled at me. When it finally got to her on the other side of the room she called herself Marvelous Mary Jane. The leggy bitchy looking girl next to her was Terrific Traci. Kella caught me staring at Mary Jane and elbowed me in the side. “Way out of your league.”