The One For Me

The One For Me

By: Layla James

Dedicated to Greg, who is
the one for me.

Chapter One

“This isn’t funny,” my dad yells.

No, no it’s not
. I lean against the kitchen table and shovel in the rest of my eggs, desperate to leave the dining room and get away from my parent’s bickering. I wish I could crawl into the aquarium on the far wall and drown myself. I’m sure I would be decimated
before my parents would notice.

My parents are at it again, for the seventeenth time this week. I lean up in my seat to glance over into the laundry room, watching Dad. He is standing in front of Mom, his hand clenched around a pair of frozen boxers. Mom’s face is emotionless, paying him no attention.
She has one killer poker face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mom says, laying the shirt she is holding, on the ironing board in front of her. She presses lightly, twirling the iron around in circles, slowly.

“This,” Dad says, waving the pair of frozen boxers in her face, “you froze all my boxers, Kathy.”

Mom sighs, shrugs her shoulders and smiles.
She smiles
. I have to look away. It’s too risky. It’s almost funny.
Almost.

Dad laughs. It’s loud and hysterical. I would glance back to see if Dad’s vein in his head is popping out, but I don’t. I already know it’s there. His laughing like a coyote comes to an abrupt stop.

Time to go.

I slip out of my seat and up to my room before things get ugly. Not that it could get much worse, anyway. This has been the worst week of my life. Not only have my parents been down each other’s throats because Dad got caught doing some heavy making out, by Mom, with his receptionist, but Hayden broke up with me. We’ve been dating for the last year and I gave him all of me. He hadn’t even given me a real reason why, only that he didn’t feel the same about me. I thought everything was fine, but obviously, I have zero talent when it comes to reading people.
Like my dad.

I tried so hard to get out of school every day this week but my parent’s made me go. I have to go to school and watch Hayden with Holly. Together. Touching. Like he used to do to me. That is the real reason. Holly with her huge rack and little waist. That was the real reason ‘he didn’t feel the same way about me anymore.’ Because he ‘felt’ that with someone else now, tossing me to the side like I was a piece of nothing. I shake the thoughts out of my head.
I can most certainly do this. I can put on my big girl panties and get through one more day of this.

Thank God it’s Friday. I can have the weekend to myself. I can’t handle much more than one day of this.

I fight back tears that are threatening to stream down my face; grab my bag and push it over my shoulder. I don’t say bye to my parents, I don’t want to see their fake smiles. I slip outside and get into my Honda. I turn on my radio so loud I know that my mom would be giving me a disappointing head shake right about now. I head toward school. I used to love school. Not only did I get to see Hayden, but I like to learn. I like to know that I know things. Now, my grades are still great, but I don’t care about learning. All I think about it getting the Hell out of dodge.

I’m deliberately late, like I have been every morning this week. I stalk down the empty halls, not having to look at anyone. I can’t risk seeing Hayden or Holly anymore than I have to. It hurts too much. It’s like a car crash. You can’t help but look and can’t make yourself look away. It’s mentally tiring. Not only seeing them together sucks but everyone else looks at me with these pity stares. It’s aggravating and pathetic.

I walk into biology and glance at the board.
SEX
is written in a large cursive on the chalkboard.
Oh no.
I’ve dreaded this day since the beginning of the semester. The sex talk. Not only any sex talk but a sex talk in front of a class full of seniors and our teacher Mr. Fringe that is a total hottie. I fight the urge to turn around and go back home but Mr. Fringe looks up, his handsome face calm, showing a row of white teeth beneath his enthusiastic smile.

“Are you coming in, Katy?” Mr. Fringe asks, his eyes secretly hypnotizing me to walk into class. That’s the real reason Mr. Fringe got this job, he has secret super powers that with one look he can make anyone walk into class
. Who doesn’t want to see that for an hour every day? This girl does.

“Um, yeah of course,” I mumble and walk back to my table where, my best friend, Jennifer sits twisting her gum around her finger.

“I see you noticed the forbidden word on the board.” She wiggles her dark eyebrows. “Let’s learn some moves,” she says, moving her hips back and forth.

“Stop being gross,” I say, taking out my books. Not that Jen has ever had sex, or wouldn’t freak out if someone tried to. But, she loves to make people think she isn’t just as scared as the next virgin. Her mother would kill her and bury her in her backyard.

“You look tired,” Jen says, tossing back her black hair from her shoulder. “I’m the Asian; I’m supposed to have squinty eyes, not you.” She smiles but it fades when I don’t return it. “Your parents again? Or is it Hayden, because you deserve better than that asswipe.”

I shrug. “Both. But my parents today. They’ve been down one another’s throats. Ever since Dad got caught, it’s been hell. She froze his underwear, Jen.” I widen my eyes. “They were fighting when I left this morning.”

Jen tries her best to hold back a laugh but it slips. She hits the table with her fist. “Damn, I love your Mom.”

“This is serious,” I whisper, giving her my best
serious
face. She rolls her eyes and twist her gum some more.

“No talking, ladies. Let’s get class started. Today we’re going to talk about sex.” Someone lets out a wolf whistle from the back and Mr. Fringe shakes his head. “Knock it off. This is very important science, not a two minute feel good moment for you guys in the back of your mother’s minivan.” Mr. Fringe rolls his eyes. He is only twenty six and always knows what we’re doing. Whether it be cheating, passing notes or making
googly
eyes at one another, he always knows. He also is never afraid to call us out on it.

“I last longer than that,” someone yells from the back.

Mr. Fringe lifts an eyebrow and smiles. “Highly doubtful.”

The class burst into laughter.

“I’d like Mr. Fringe to take a little two minute break with me,” Jennifer whispers.  I swat at her.
Jeez. This girl is hopeless.

“Ms. Chang, do you have something you would like to share with the class?” Mr. Fringe asks, cocking and eyebrow.

“I just said--,”

“She said nothing,” I interrupt her, shaking my head.  “Nothing at all,” I grumble. She laughs behind her hand.

Mr. Fringe straightens out his button down shirt and leans back against his desk, crossing his arms. He eyes Jen and me suspiciously.
He always knows
. “Tell ya what. All of you have had the same lab partner all year. It’s time to switch it up.” Everyone groans. “I know, life is so horrible. Everyone on the left move up a seat, we need a change of venue.”

Jennifer crosses her eyes then grabs her things, scooting up to the lab station in front of us. I hear the chairs being scrapped against the tile floor.
Who sits behind me? I never look back there.
I keep my head down anyway, writing useless things in my notebook until I hear the stool next to me move.

I glance over. He sets his books down and looks over to me. His dark gray eyes slice into mine but he is smiling, the corner of his lips moving up slowly.
Oh no
. I sigh.
It’s Liam
. “Great,” I mumble. “Perfect. Just perfect.”

“Ouch,” Liam says his voice deep and slow like velvet. He rubs his large hand over his chest and shakes his head. “That might have hurt a little if you were anyone else, and I actually cared.”

I narrow my eyes and he lifts a black eyebrow. “Mr. Fri
nge,” I say, raising my hand.
“Well, look who didn’t graduate Kindergarten, still raising their hand like a five year old.” Liam laughs to himself, leans back and shakes his head, his black hair swinging with each move.

Mr. Fringe turns toward me. “Yes, Ms. Taylor.”

“I need a new partner.” I give him my
best please help me; Liam is a mean, horny, teenage boy
look.

“No trading.” He shakes his head. “It wouldn’t be fair.”

“But, Mr. Fringe, Liam---,”

“None,” he says, sternly. He turns his back toward me and begins to write on the board. I fight the urge to throw my pen at the back of his perfectly quaffed head.

“Looks like you’re stuck with me, sweetheart.” Liam wiggles his dark eyebrows.

“Don’t call me that. In fact, don’t call me anything, just pay attention.”

“Like I would call you. You probably don’t date, anyway, too busy studying, right?” He slaps his forehead with his open palm. “Wait, no. That’s right. You date that Hayden guy, don’t you? He is an ass, toots.” Liam picks up his pencil, twisting it in-between both of his palms.

I grit my teeth. I write what Mr. Fringe is writing. “What? You don’t? Did pretty boy break up with you?”

“Shut up,” I yell, slamming my pen on the desk.

Liam throws his hands in the air in surrender. “You don’t have to be mean,” he says. “I’m very sensitive. You might hurt my feelings if you keep throwing things.”

Is this kid serious?
I groan and continue to write. I’m going to stab him with that pencil.

“Okay, your assignment for the weekend is to get to know your partner. Write a list of things that you like and don’t like about the person. Monday morning you will need to have a paper stating what the other person could use to attract the sex of their choice with. Every person uses something to attract their mates, just like in animals. That is what sex is all about attraction…well and making babies, but it starts with attraction.” A few students snicker.

Are you serious?
I close my eyes and shake my head. “We have to get together with our partner. Are you being serious right now?” I screech. “Because, I feel like someone is out to get me.”

Jennifer looks back at me, her small eyes widened. “Shit,” she mouths, looking over at Liam.

He winks and gives her a dark grin.

“Yes, Mrs. Taylor, I’m being very serious,” Mr. Fringe says. “Why would I not be?”

“I think that is a great idea, Mr. Fringe. Getting to know our partners, until late hours of the night,” Liam says, wiggling his eyebrows.

A few boys yell their agreements.

Mr. Fringe gives me
I get it now
look. “Cut the crap, Liam. The only
getting to know one another
that will be done is asking questions that obtain to this subject. Does anyone have any questions about the assignment?”

Yes, why the hell is this happening to me? Why him? Why my parents? Why Hayden?

“Spend the last few minutes of class asking your partners some questions to get you started on your papers.” Mr. Fringe turns around and starts looking through a stack of papers on his desk.

When I glance over, Liam is smiling at me, his arms gracefully placed on desk in front of us. “So, sweetheart, let’s get this over with.” Liam leans forward. “I know you’ve been dying to get to know me. So, ask away.”

“That’s completely untrue but whatever.” I tuck my brown hair behind my ear and look down at my notebook. “What’s your whole name?”