Darlings (4 page)

Mike gasped. “Bad word, Gwen!” he said
excitedly, a twinkle in his eye. 

“Yah, bad word Gwen,” Jonah smirked as he
sauntered into the kitchen adorned with his usual iPod and skater
tee.  

Gwen bent down to clean up the
eggs. 

“Thank you captain of all words foul,” Gwen
responded with just a pinch of sarcasm. Forcefully tucking her
Auburn waves behind her ear, she scrubbed up her unintentional mess
and poured Mike a bowl of cereal. “Here,” she said placing the
brightly colored sugary o’s in front of the hungry boy. 

“Yay!” Mike shouted. “I love these!” He
grabbed the spoon with his chunky fingers and dug in, a giant smile
across his face. Gwen hated to give Mike empty calorie filled
cereal in the morning but had no choice when there was no time to
fix him anything else. She threw the dishes in the sink and looked
at the clock. Seven fifty. School began at eight twenty. Great, she
thought still in her bright pink pajama pants and tank
top. 

“Jonah, walk Mike to the bus if Mom doesn’t
wake up for me?” Gwen pleaded already dashing out of the
kitchen. 

“Yup,” she heard Jonah groggily answer from
inside the fridge no doubt looking for the unhealthiest thing he
could find to call breakfast. 

She made her way to her luxurious bathroom.
The self-warming travertine tile was heaven on her freezing, bare
feet. Gwen undressed quickly, her pant leg getting stuck on her
ankle as she hopped on one foot attempting to multitask by turning
on the enormous shower at the same time. 

Finally, she tore off her tank and got in.
She hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before. Thoughts of Pete
consumed her. It was almost if he was now a permanent fixture in
her brain. Something about him intrigued her to the point it was
bordering on all consuming. She poured the silky coconut body wash
into her palm and rubbed it frantically over her ivory skin. She’d
remembered the pumpkin. The pumpkin. The thump. She stopped
washing. Was it a dream? 

The thump on her French doors had woken her
from a restless sleep. Gwen had gotten up and opened them, walking
tentatively out onto her balcony. After looking around, she found
no evidence of the something that caused the noise again. Peering
down at the fountain she had noticed the pumpkin was now gone. Her
pajama pants whipped in the wind as she leaned over the balcony and
strained harder. The sharp night air filled her lungs while she
brushed thrashing hair out of her eyes. No pumpkin. 

Dismissing the thought, she vigorously
scrubbed her long hair and turned off the shower. Grabbing a fluffy
white towel she dried off, wrapped her body in the soft fabric, and
scampered to her bedroom. Conveniently, her favorite pair of worn
jeans lay on the back of her vanity chair. She threw them on over
her pink lacey undergarments and grabbed an oversized sweater from
her closet. Wet hair day today she thought. Thankfully her hair
dried in perfect beach babe waves even when she didn’t have time to
blow dry. Pulling the slimy wet hair from beneath her sweater, she
let it flop to her mid back. Eight ten. She would be late. Gwen ran
down the stairs smelling the coffee her dad was brewing. She saw
him sitting at the kitchen table rambling over the newspaper to her
mother, who seemed not to care, still in her robe. 

“Bye,” Gwen muttered as she made her way to
her jeep. The drive to school was a fast and furious one. She
pulled into the already filled parking lot. Eight nineteen.
Throwing her book bag over her shoulder she headed into the
building. 

Parks Point was decent sized school with
around two hundred in her class. Everyone still somewhat knew
everyone but it was large enough to keep un-noticed if one wanted.
Of course this wasn’t really true for Gwen. With a father in such a
high-profile position, it was nearly impossible for someone not to
know her every move. It also made it difficult for Gwen to have
many close friends, for which for now, she was thankful. Friends
ask too many questions. 

She walked in just in time to hear the bell.
Ugh, the center of attention was never her favorite position to be
in, which she surely would be walking into her first class late.
She took her time at her locker figuring there was no point in
rushing to be met with her nightmarish entrance. Grabbing her
English Lit book, Gwen made her way down the hall and prepared
herself for uncomfortable stares. Thankfully a seat by her friend
Ashton was still open in the middle. Head down and books held to
her chest, Gwen attempted an inconspicuous entry but was stopped
short of her destination. 

“Hold it, Ms. Darling,” her English teacher,
Mrs. Jenkins stated in an unpleasant scratchy voice. Mrs. Jenkins
peered over her huge thick plastic glasses positioned on the tip of
her large nose.  Oh, this day keeps getting better she thought
before turning around to meet the disapproving eyes

of the graying, middle-aged instructor. Gwen
could feel her body begin to sweat as her classmates peered into
her as if awaiting the juicy part of a horror movie. She turned to
meet her disastrous fate. 

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Gwendolyn, but you
do know what time class begins? Am I wrong?” 

Of course, Gwen knew what time class started
she’d not been late one day in her whole high school career
especially to any of Mrs. Jenkins classes. Having witnessed the
mortifying scene, in which she had not been the main character
before, Gwen knew it was no position she’d wished to be in. Too
late now. Her cheeks were going to burst into flames in seconds,
she knew it. At that moment, being burnt to death didn’t sound so
bad.  

“Yes, I, err- I do know what time class
starts, sorry.” Okay, maybe that was the worst of it and the old
bat would go on with today’s lecture and let it go she thought. She
couldn’t be so lucky. 

“Why don’t you inform the class as to why you
decided to disrupt these fine eager students learning by gracing us
with your presence now six minutes late?” She tapped her watch
impatiently. Gwen swore she had to be in hell. 

Just before Gwen could think of an excuse,
any excuse, someone in the back piped up. “Mrs. Jenkins. Gwendolyn
here was helping me with my schedule before class.” Gwen turned to
meet the devious grin of Pete. He continued flashing Mrs. Jenkins
that boyish smile. Positioning his elbows on his desk he continued,
talking with his sexy thick hands. “She was kind enough to explain
directions to all of my classes for the day. I’m new here so it
really was nice to have someone as sweet as Gwen help a guy
out.”  Gwen was sure her heart had stopped beating. Did he
just call her sweet? Surely for effect, she thought. After all,
Gwen was the only person Pete knew there aside from his
cousins.  A smile came over the pompous instructors face. Gwen
swore she saw Mrs. Jenkins bat her beady eyes. 

Pushing her bulky glasses up on her nose as
if to get a better look she continued, “You must be Mr. Pancast?”
the rather large instructor waddled nearer to the front rows of
desks as if to get as close as she could to Pete without seeming to
obvious. Ha. Too late.

“Yes ma’am, I’m Pete. It’s very nice to meet
you and I am pleased to be in your class…Mrs. Jenkins.” His voice
was smooth and seductive. Gwen was sure every girl in the room was
melting in their seats just listening to him, not to mention
looking at him. 

“Sit down, Gwendolyn,” Mrs. Jenkins waved as
she scoured Gwen’s way. In awe Pete’s tactics had worked, she sat
down. Embarrassed, Gwen rummaged through her back pack attempting
to look busy and avoiding eye contact with Pete. She was
humiliated. Not that it mattered now she though, every girl in the
class was swooning over Pete. He’d have his pick of anyone here,
and Gwen was not anyone. 

“Pete why don’t you tell us a little about
yourself,” the old woman prodded. Gwen wondered why Mrs. Jenkins
didn’t just come out and say, Pete, I’m a middle aged awful woman
who really would love to know more about you, but know I can’t ask
such a thing, so I will force you to tell everyone your life story
to satisfy my curiosity. Yuck. Gwen was curious and felt her cheeks
redden again as she realized she was just as interested as old Mrs.
Jenkins. 

“I’m Pete.” He said. Still smiling. 
“I’m from Baltimore. Here with my cousins. Love outdoors
and…love…English.” He said it in almost a whisper. Mrs. Jenkins,
obviously more flattered than she should have been took a deep
self-conscious breath and sat down behind her desk. 

“Well it is wonderful to have such
an...eager…student in our class,” Mrs. Jenkins stated in her best
flirtatious voice. Gross. Yet Gwen was still thankful. 

“You better dish after class,” Gwen heard
Ashton whisper from her right. Ashton Johnson and Gwen had been
friends since they were in diapers. Her father, a big-time
scientist, and Gwen’s father attended high school together and both
ended up in Parks Point. Ashton was a short extremely tan girl with
plump pink lips and long blond silky hair, well long blond silky
hair extensions. For being so short, Ashton was extremely
proportional, curvaceous, and not lacking in the chest department,
an area Gwen had always wished she could trade her. Nail salons and
lip glosses were no stranger to Ash. Perky and adventurous pretty
much summed her up, a far cry from Gwen, but as they say opposites
must attract.   

Class seemed to drag on. Gwen could feel
Pete’s eyes on her the whole time. What an idiot he must think she
was. She noticed some of her female class mates attempting to take
nonchalant peeks at the handsome new boy. Even the guys would catch
a glimpse and flex their muscles, trying not to be
outdone.  

The bell rang and Gwen rushed for the door.
She looked back and realized she forgot her notebook. Damn.
Thankfully, Mrs. Jenkins was on her way out to satisfy her coffee
fix.  As Gwen turned around to retrieve the book, she noticed
Pete, cornered by a group of the schools most popular girls. Mostly
cheerleaders, Gwen’s ex-posse.  Figured. Who was she to think
she could get a guy like Pete in the first place. He belonged with
girls like them. Perfect Barbies with perfect figures and perfect
lives. Fighting back tears, she grabbed her notebook and began to
walk to her next class. 

“Gwen. Wait up,” Pete caught her just before
she reached the door. He gently pushed aside his mob of adoring
estrogen. Shocked, the girls stomped out of the room, clearly
offended. A whiff of perfume lingered in an invisible smoky trail
behind them. 

“Hey,” Gwen began. “Thanks for coming to my
rescue, well again.” 

Pete grinned. “What class do you have
next?” 

His scent was intoxicating. “Gym,” Gwen
groaned. “You?” 

“Lucky for you I am P.E. bound as well.
Flying balls, flag football, archery? You’re bound to need some
rescuing there.” He winked. Little did he know, Gwen was horrible
at sports.

“Really, why are you being so nice to me?”
she asked blue eyes slanted. 

“What do you mean?” Pete looked honestly
concerned opposed to his normal cool demeanor. 

“I just don’t get it. You find me bawling my
eyes out in the woods, and you don’t even ask why and even manage
to make me feel better. Most people just don’t do things like
that,” she explained. 

“Well, I guess I’m not most people.” Pete
shrugged. Gwen was so confused. No one had ever given this much
attention to her. Sadly, her thoughts were interrupted.

Tina appeared in the doorway. Wonderful. The
day was just not going to get any better. Noticing Gwen, Tina still
managed to take an aggravated breath through her look of urgency.
“Pete. We have a...” she looked down the hallway behind her.
“Problem,” she finished. Just then Ashton walked in behind Tina
holding her own pink sparkly gym bag as well as Gwen’s muted black
and white plaid one. 

“Hey, we’re going to be late, you ready?” she
asked, eyeing Pete. 

“Ash, this is-”  “Pete, from Baltimore
who loves outdoors and…loves English, yah I heard,” Ashton
interrupted with a giggle.

“Sorry to interrupt this friendly
get-together but seriously Pete, I need to talk to you.” Tina
looked nervous, almost scared for a split second as she peered
behind her once more, brushing her bright blond bangs out of her
stunningly vibrant, blue cat-like eyes, adorned with a delicate
diamond eye brow piercing. Ashton turned to meet Tina’s gaze. They
were exactly the same height. 

“Who are you?” Ashton asked with a tough girl
tone. 

Tina rolled her eyes, “Pete?” she
prodded. 

“Listen here miss thing-,” Ashton began.
Great. A battle of the short people. 

Gwen intervened, “We don’t really have time
for any more introductions Ash, let’s go before Mrs. I think I’m
greater than thou returns and gives us all detentions.”

“Ms. Darling!” the scratchy voice boomed.
Gwen flinched. “Greater than thou has returned, sadly you will
indeed be spending the rest of the day in detention and your
parents will be called.” Mrs. Jenkins huffed as she made her way
back to her desk to set down her large coffee mug. “The rest of you
get to your next class before you find a seat right next to her.”
Gwen shuttered. How. Extremely. Embarrassing. Detention was served
in the administration’s office, right in front of a large window
enabling all who pass through the main hallway to the cafeteria to
witness who has found themselves incarcerated. 

“Let’s go Gwendolyn, follow me,” Mrs. Jenkins
barked. Gwen grabbed her things and reluctantly followed the old
grouch down the walk of shame to the office. Thankfully the bell
rang and most of the other students were scuttling into their next
classes. She’d be safe from degradation for now. She turned and saw
the others circle down the opposite hallway toward the gym, Pete,
looking over his shoulder the whole way. Gwen swore she saw him say
“be careful.”