Authors: Kelly Mooney
KAT
All I want to do is flop on bed and tackle the two hours of homework I have sitting in my backpack. The note attached to the fridge tells me what I expect, I’m on my own for dinner.
Oh well, looks like a turkey sandwich and chips. That’s fine with me. Homework is easy as usual, every school seems to teach the same exact things. I find it so boring. An hour into biology, my phone startles me, and I am relieved to see who’s calling.
“Hey, Jess,” I say.
“Tell me everything, how is it?” She asks.
“Typical.”
“Anyone cool?”
“Not yet, we’ll see,” I mumble.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be out for the Fourth of July. Did you know there is a huge rib fest that weekend? It’s supposed to be pretty awesome. I read about it on the internet.”
“How do you know more than I do?” I ask.
The half an hour conversation ends when her favorite show is about to begin.
“Talk to you later.”
“Sure. I’ll call you in a few days with an update.” I promise her.
“All right, hang in there.”
Jess has been my best friend for the last seven years in Savannah, it was hard to leave her. She is the one and only person who understands what I am going through. When my mother left, I stayed at her house for weeks. I couldn’t look at my father. I couldn’t look at the kitchen that we used to cook in together. I couldn’t look at anything that reminded me of her. Jess has been the only consistent person in my life, and no one else.
I really wasn’t looking forward to school the following morning, but I felt happy the day has ended. My homework is finished, when I realize it is already ten, and my father is still not home. He’s always worked late, even when my mom was around, but never this late. It wasn’t until recently that I discovered the lipstick stain on his collar. I figured he was probably dating someone, and not working to all hours of the night.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, my Dad dating someone other than my mother, but I guess I can’t blame him for moving on. She certainly did. It has only been six months since she left us, and neither one of us have a clue where she’d gone. It was odd, we lost complete contact with the little family that she has, it’s almost like she doesn’t want to be found. Both my grandparents are dead, and my Uncle Frank, her older brother lives in California. That’s why we moved here. To be close to family on my dad’s side. My Aunt Rachel lives in Naperville. My cousin Lauren, is sixteen and goes to the same school as I do, but she’s a junior, and a cheerleader. I don’t know why it matters so much to him. We haven’t seen them since we got here.
If I ever do see my Mom again, I don’t know what I will say or do. Right now, I hate her. My head and stomach ache just thinking about her. I know I have to switch gears if I don’t want to start crying, so I let my thoughts run back to Savannah and Jessica. For some reason, Cameron keeps popping into my thoughts, my brain keeps bouncing back and forth, Jessica, then Cameron, then Jessica, then Cameron.
The old me, would have jumped at the chance to be with him, the new me, not so much. It’s my fault, I’ve become completely untrusting of people since she left, and I am afraid to get close to anyone. Zach, my boyfriend in Georgia, broke it off right after my mom left, because of that very reason. If he went out with his friends, or didn’t call, I accused him of things he probably never did. I can’t blame him for giving up, I even hated being around myself. Jess was the only one, the only one I trusted with everything.
The next morning, is as cold as the day before. Ugh!!! I want so badly to be back in Georgia, to be putting on shorts and flip flops, instead I’m shoving my arms into a thick parka, and my feet into snow boots. I wish I had gotten a car, walking to school isn’t as fun as I thought, but at least I remember to tuck my jeans in this time.
When I walk into World History class, he is sitting in the back like the day before, and as tempting as that is, I grab a seat in the front. The hard part about being a new girl, other than the obvious, is that all the boys feel like they have some right to hit on you. The new meat in town.
I feel a soft tap on my shoulder. As I look next to me, I see a boy sitting to the right, staring.
“How’s it going’? I’m Matt,” he says grinning, biting on the tip of his pencil.
I had felt his stare earlier, but ignored him. As I turn slightly to answer, I can see Cameron sitting wedged tightly in his chair, glaring at us.
“Hey. I’m Kat,” I tell him.
“Well, Kat. It’s nice to meet you, I heard a few people talking about the new girl,” he whispers. “Who do you have next?”
I bite down on my lip, pulling out my schedule. “Calc, ummm I have Pulver.”
Just as he is about to answer, the teacher is pointing in our direction, telling us to be quiet. I turn back before he speaks again.
It isn’t long before I hear a new voice speaking to me, coming from behind me. “Hi, so you’re Kat right? I’m Gabby,” she whispers.
I lean back and look over my shoulder. She seems nice enough, maybe one friend won’t hurt.
“Yeah, hi. Gabby is it?” I ask making sure to get her name right.
“Yeah, if you have any questions, or anything feel free, okay? I’ve lived here forever so I know everything.”
“Thanks,” I mumble, turning back around.
That comment throws me off for a second. Most girls like Gabby, the ones who have lived in the same town their whole lives would never open up their circle of friends to an outsider.
I’m surprised when class is over, Gabby grabs my arm, and walks me out of class. “What are you doing after school?” She asks.
I must have frowned or made a weird face before she spoke again.
“What?” Gabby asks.
“Oh, nothing. Why?”
“Thought maybe you’d want to hang out,” she says, as she pulls her lipgloss out of her bag and touches up her lips.
I shrug. “Maybe, I’ll let you know.”
She smiles. “Okay, meet me out in the parking lot. I gotta run, see ya later.”
As she walks off, I’m hopeful that maybe I was wrong about girls like her, she seems cool enough.
CAMERON
I don’t want to look up. I see her walk in the room, and quickly look back down. I am a little surprised when she doesn’t sit next to me. Instead she takes a seat in the front row, next to Matt of all people. The one guy she has to sit next to, is now staring at her. He has that expression, like he’s thinking of something to say. This is the one time I wish I had moved up, I can’t hear a thing. I can only see her smiling back at him.
Now, I am getting pissed. Why in the world is she talking to him of all people? If she hates someone like me, Matt is much worse. For some reason, I find myself hoping she won’t fall for his trap: hook, line, and sinker. That’s his specialty, lure them in, get them into bed, then dump them and let everyone know what they did. He’s such an asshole about it. I like to have fun with the girls as well, but I was never the kiss and tell type.
I am going crazy the entire time, I can’t focus on Mrs. McLaughlin, I can’t focus on Stephanie waving me down from the hallway as she passes. I keep my attention on her and Matt the whole class. Once in a while, I think she may have noticed me watching, if she did, she doesn’t let on. I don’t even know why I am staring, she acts like I don’t even exist. She isn’t interested, why am I acting like she is something? I need to get this chick out of my head.
As soon as the bell rings, she’s off with Gabby. I know I’ll see her in the cafeteria later, and seriously think of what will happen if I approach her. I decide it’s a bad idea.
She sits alone, nibbling on her salad again, not paying attention to anyone. She doesn’t seem as serious today, very little black on, even her nails are colorless today.
Stephanie is a little aggressive, obviously grasping the fact that the “new girl” is interesting to me. Normally I wouldn’t mind a grab here or there, but I wasn’t interested today.
I push her off. “Christ, Steph. Enough,” I yell louder than I probably should’ve.
“Excuse me?” She mutters.
“I’m trying to eat, leave me alone. Go sit with your girlfriends,” I tell her, pointing my finger in the direction of the cheerleaders.
“Fine. Jerk.”
She storms over to the next table, giving me the finger.
I don’t care. I can’t risk Kat seeing the two of us together. I want to approach her, ask her anything, but find myself feeling like I am ten years old again. I am nervous as hell. I usually don’t go for her type, but for some reason she draws me in. I always date blondes, I never even dated a brunette, let alone a chick with jet black hair. I decide it has to be her huge chocolate colored eyes, with eyelashes that take up her entire face. They are simply beautiful.
“Cam, where the hell are you?” Max asks, waving his hand in front of my face.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
He glances over at Kat, rolling his eyes. “Dude, are you serious?”
“What? She’s hot,” I admit, keeping my head down.
“Whatever, man,” he laughs.
I hate the fact that we only have History and lunch together. I have no idea where she is the rest of the day, and I don’t have many options. I can either leave her alone, or follow her home. I know it’s immature, but I can’t resist. I know she’ll be at her locker, and I follow her out to the parking lot, when I spot her with Gabby. I am pumped she doesn’t get in the car, she walks off toward the town center.
I keep my distance. I am surprised when she grabs a coffee at Starbucks, then turns toward the Riverwalk. I mean shit, it’s cold out. Not to mention I don’t know many kids who drink coffee. She has no idea that I am following her, she always acts tough, and today I can’t help but wonder what is making her cry. It feels wrong to be here, watching her now, like I am invading her privacy, but my feet feel like they are cemented to the ground. I can’t walk away. She startles me, forcing me to move, when she jumps up, brushes off her tears, and heads back down Jefferson.
What surprises me more, is watching her walk into the house, the house I know all too well. My friend, Ben, just moved away, leaving the same home that she just walked into. I know it like the back of my hand, I hung out there for the last ten years of my life.
I know the entire layout of the house, exactly where the bedrooms are located, not sure which would be hers. It’s getting dark outside and I can see the light go on in the front bedroom. I am oblivious to everything around me, just focusing on the passing silhouette in the window.
“Can I help you son?” He asks.
I looked over to the man, driving the black Range Rover.
“No, just thought I saw something, it’s nothing.”
There is a moment of silence.
“So you’re new here right?” I shove my fists into my pockets. “I mean my friend used to live here.”
“Yes, the name’s Harper, Bill Harper.” He holds out his hand for me to shake.
I take it. “Nice to meet you Mr. Harper. My name’s Cameron.”
“Nice to meet you too, son. You should get moving, it’s getting dark.” He says.
I shrug, “Yeah, no problem.”
God, I hope he didn’t see me staring up to Kat’s room. I can’t be positive, but I think he might’ve. I watch him pull into the driveway and enter the garage. I can’t get this girl out of my head, and I don’t know why. At least I know how to find her. There is no question in my mind, I like this girl. I have no clue why, but she peeks an interest in me that no other girl has ever come close to.
KAT
School sucks! Chicagoland sucks! I didn’t plan to make any friends, but I figured one was okay. Gabby was quickly becoming a breath of fresh air in my new life. Although it is a life that I can’t wait to change in less than half a year. College is so close I can almost taste it, feel it, and see it. Arizona State is only a few short months away, and the best part, Jess is joining me there.
Arizona is also far enough away from everything. The bonus, I can wear flip flops every day. That thought always put a smile on my face. I have no idea why I’m even going there other than Jess. I need to be with her. I haven’t thought about what I would want to study, or even do for the rest of my life. I’m only seventeen. How can they expect you to know all this crap already?
The upside of History is that it is one of my favorite classes. The downside is Cameron constantly watching me. I admit he stopped speaking to me, like I asked, but he never seems to stop gawking. I usually take my place in front with Gabby and Matt, who is definitely interested, but today I’m choosing the back. I don’t even know why my feet are moving me in his direction, I just keep walking. As I make my way toward the back row of seats, I notice Cameron doodling in his notebook, not looking up at me like usual. I have to admit, he looks good today. The red shirt, played nicely against his olive skin. He doesn’t seem to notice me, and I don’t know why I drop my pencil, but I do. As the pencil hits the floor, I bend over to pick it up, peeking at his face. Of course, dead straight eyes on my ass. What am I doing? I know exactly what I’m doing. I want him to notice me, but why?