Love from the Drumming Neanderthal: Chapter 16
so I've been spending the last few days writing a myth for Latin Convetion, and then rewriting the myth because I didn't think it was good enough. Well, I finally read the entire instructions that came with the latin convention pamphlet, and it turns out they needed the myth before june 1st! It's not fair! I was almost done with that stupid thing! ARGHHHHHH! sorry, it's my own fault, I should have got writing it sooner.
After leaving Linda Morthen’s office, I make my way down to lunch. Instead of sitting with Clark, Jacob and the rest, I situate myself at an empty table far from their glances. Of course, before long, one of them finds me.
“Remundo. Are you alright? Why did Morthen need to take you away?” Jacob weaves his way through the crowd and plops down his plate of food right next to mine.
“Oh, it was nothing.” I try to ignore his questioning stare by stacking my peas in the mashed potatoes.
“Alright.” Jacob grunts and begins to work on his chicken. I feel too sick to eat. What if Linda Morthen didn’t come to get me? Would I have had to take off my clothes in front of everyone?
“You know, if you keep stabbing your chicken, I think it will turn to mush.” says Kyle. He pushes his bangs out of his face and sits on my other side. “Why so glum, Remundo?”
“I dunno.” I shrug. “Hey Jacob, are you really the headmaster’s son? That’s kind of strange.”
Jacob freezes, holding his fork up to his wide open mouth but not moving to take a bite.
“That was random. And yes, I am the headmaster’s son. Why do you ask?” He puts down his fork and looks at me evilly.
“Linda Morthen told me. She said that your father had told her about the Neanderthals and was wondering if I was going to join. I was just thinking, how does she and your dad know all this stuff about the band, but I don’t know anything.” Kyle laughs and Jacob looks grim.
“So that’s what this is about.” Kyle smirks. “Well, since I started the band, I officially claim that Remundo Gonzales is the Drumming Neanderthal!”
“You’re kidding me.” I say nervously.
“Nope, you’re in pal. We’re having practice at Jacob’s house on Friday, right?”
“Yeah,” says Jacob, who slowly begins to chew his potatoes. “I’ll tell Madeline.”
“What!” Kyle shouts. “You two are still together.”
“Not exactly.”
“What happened?”
Jacob starts stacking the peas as well. I give Kyle a dirty look.
“Sorry,” he says. “Guess you don’t want to talk about it.”
Jacob sighs. He doesn’t look at either of us, but just keeps playing with his peas.
“I called Madeline,” he begins. “I tried to apologize, but she just hung up on me. I really didn’t mean to hurt her.”
“Women,” Kyle remarks, “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.” He laughs and claps me on the shoulder. “Anyways, I’ll see you guys on Friday. Seven o’clock, right?”
“Yeah, see you then.” Jacob waves to Kyle as he leaves.
We sit in silence for a few moments before I finally get the courage to say something.
“I didn’t mean to offend you with the whole headmaster thing.”
“Well, you did. See you on Friday Remundo.” He grabs his unfinished lunch and leaves the dinning hall without another glance back.
“Yeah, see you Friday.” I mumble under my breath.
I barely spoke to anyone for the remainder of the day. Clark kept bugging me to tell him what was wrong, but I just ignored him.
As soon as I get home, I snarf down my favorite food, (marshmallow and chocolate chip sandwich with peanut butter) and slump down in front of the computer.
Dear Jeff,
I’m sorry that I haven’t written to you yet. London is pretty cool. We have a huge apartment, nearly as big as my house back in Long Island. School is okay. The classes are awesome, but the kids are kind of strange. Today, I said something a little meaner than I should have, and this guy totally snubbed me after that. I tried to apologize, but I guess he just didn’t understand. Right now, I wish I was back home with you and my parents.
Miss you!
-Sasha.
I press the “send” button on the email screen and watch the monitor download.
“Something wrong Sasha, you are upset? Hmm?”
“Oh, hey Lila. Yeah, I had a pretty crummy day at school.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“No, no it was just some guy being mean.”
“Really, which guy?” She raises an eyebrow and sits down next to me.
“His name’s Jacob. He got mad at me, but I guess it was kind of my fault.”
Lila nods her head and looks me over for a moment.
“You know, I do not like this Jacob. Who is he?”
“Oh, Jacob Bigginz. He’s the headmaster’s son, believe it or not.”
“Really?” She raises both eyebrows. “He sounds kind of grumpy. Stick to boyfriend Jeff, kay.”
“Huh? Lila, it’s not like that.” My cheeks blush a little.
“Oh, I knows you is liking this Jacob boy. You is upset with him being mad.”
“But, Lila, I’m a boy now! I can’t like Jacob.”
“Then no Jacob as boyfriend.” She exclaims. “You can be friend with him, but not dating.”
“LILA!”
“I’m just saying, you no want to get close to some boy who thinks you is boy, hmmm?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Of course I right. You want something to eat?”
“No thanks.”
“Okay, I make noodles. You want them plain or with sauce.”
“Lila, I’m not hungry.”
“Nonsense, noodles I make now.”
Lila skips off into the kitchen, humming some unknown tune. The computer gives off a small bing.
“You’ve got mail!” says the mailbox icon. I click on it and realize I’ve gotten a letter from Jacob himself.
Hey Remundo,
I’m really sorry that I snapped at you today. I know you didn’t mean to sound rude. I don’t want to lose your friendship like I lost Madeline’s. See you soon,
-Saxophone_playing_neanderthal
Well, I think to myself, Lila didn’t say I couldn’t have a crush on Jacob.
After leaving Linda Morthen’s office, I make my way down to lunch. Instead of sitting with Clark, Jacob and the rest, I situate myself at an empty table far from their glances. Of course, before long, one of them finds me.
“Remundo. Are you alright? Why did Morthen need to take you away?” Jacob weaves his way through the crowd and plops down his plate of food right next to mine.
“Oh, it was nothing.” I try to ignore his questioning stare by stacking my peas in the mashed potatoes.
“Alright.” Jacob grunts and begins to work on his chicken. I feel too sick to eat. What if Linda Morthen didn’t come to get me? Would I have had to take off my clothes in front of everyone?
“You know, if you keep stabbing your chicken, I think it will turn to mush.” says Kyle. He pushes his bangs out of his face and sits on my other side. “Why so glum, Remundo?”
“I dunno.” I shrug. “Hey Jacob, are you really the headmaster’s son? That’s kind of strange.”
Jacob freezes, holding his fork up to his wide open mouth but not moving to take a bite.
“That was random. And yes, I am the headmaster’s son. Why do you ask?” He puts down his fork and looks at me evilly.
“Linda Morthen told me. She said that your father had told her about the Neanderthals and was wondering if I was going to join. I was just thinking, how does she and your dad know all this stuff about the band, but I don’t know anything.” Kyle laughs and Jacob looks grim.
“So that’s what this is about.” Kyle smirks. “Well, since I started the band, I officially claim that Remundo Gonzales is the Drumming Neanderthal!”
“You’re kidding me.” I say nervously.
“Nope, you’re in pal. We’re having practice at Jacob’s house on Friday, right?”
“Yeah,” says Jacob, who slowly begins to chew his potatoes. “I’ll tell Madeline.”
“What!” Kyle shouts. “You two are still together.”
“Not exactly.”
“What happened?”
Jacob starts stacking the peas as well. I give Kyle a dirty look.
“Sorry,” he says. “Guess you don’t want to talk about it.”
Jacob sighs. He doesn’t look at either of us, but just keeps playing with his peas.
“I called Madeline,” he begins. “I tried to apologize, but she just hung up on me. I really didn’t mean to hurt her.”
“Women,” Kyle remarks, “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.” He laughs and claps me on the shoulder. “Anyways, I’ll see you guys on Friday. Seven o’clock, right?”
“Yeah, see you then.” Jacob waves to Kyle as he leaves.
We sit in silence for a few moments before I finally get the courage to say something.
“I didn’t mean to offend you with the whole headmaster thing.”
“Well, you did. See you on Friday Remundo.” He grabs his unfinished lunch and leaves the dinning hall without another glance back.
“Yeah, see you Friday.” I mumble under my breath.
I barely spoke to anyone for the remainder of the day. Clark kept bugging me to tell him what was wrong, but I just ignored him.
As soon as I get home, I snarf down my favorite food, (marshmallow and chocolate chip sandwich with peanut butter) and slump down in front of the computer.
Dear Jeff,
I’m sorry that I haven’t written to you yet. London is pretty cool. We have a huge apartment, nearly as big as my house back in Long Island. School is okay. The classes are awesome, but the kids are kind of strange. Today, I said something a little meaner than I should have, and this guy totally snubbed me after that. I tried to apologize, but I guess he just didn’t understand. Right now, I wish I was back home with you and my parents.
Miss you!
-Sasha.
I press the “send” button on the email screen and watch the monitor download.
“Something wrong Sasha, you are upset? Hmm?”
“Oh, hey Lila. Yeah, I had a pretty crummy day at school.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“No, no it was just some guy being mean.”
“Really, which guy?” She raises an eyebrow and sits down next to me.
“His name’s Jacob. He got mad at me, but I guess it was kind of my fault.”
Lila nods her head and looks me over for a moment.
“You know, I do not like this Jacob. Who is he?”
“Oh, Jacob Bigginz. He’s the headmaster’s son, believe it or not.”
“Really?” She raises both eyebrows. “He sounds kind of grumpy. Stick to boyfriend Jeff, kay.”
“Huh? Lila, it’s not like that.” My cheeks blush a little.
“Oh, I knows you is liking this Jacob boy. You is upset with him being mad.”
“But, Lila, I’m a boy now! I can’t like Jacob.”
“Then no Jacob as boyfriend.” She exclaims. “You can be friend with him, but not dating.”
“LILA!”
“I’m just saying, you no want to get close to some boy who thinks you is boy, hmmm?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Of course I right. You want something to eat?”
“No thanks.”
“Okay, I make noodles. You want them plain or with sauce.”
“Lila, I’m not hungry.”
“Nonsense, noodles I make now.”
Lila skips off into the kitchen, humming some unknown tune. The computer gives off a small bing.
“You’ve got mail!” says the mailbox icon. I click on it and realize I’ve gotten a letter from Jacob himself.
Hey Remundo,
I’m really sorry that I snapped at you today. I know you didn’t mean to sound rude. I don’t want to lose your friendship like I lost Madeline’s. See you soon,
-Saxophone_playing_neanderthal
Well, I think to myself, Lila didn’t say I couldn’t have a crush on Jacob.