My alarm clock buzzes annoyingly. First day of school, and I'm already tired. Such drudgery is only worthy of those whose minds are like machines. Yeah, I read books. I get dressed slowly, agonizingly, wanting to stay in my room. Beige khiakis and a Queen shirt. My attire is so last year, Lukie, my thirteen year old sister informs me. Jodie's and Gabe's summer break has ended. They will be going back to college. Jodie will be living and sharing rent with Joe, my eighteen year old brother who skipped a grade and is going to attend college in the fall. They decided this shortly after our grandfather died. It makes sense. They always got along the best, always shared little jokes the rest of us didn't get. My parents think it's a good idea. Guys won't be coming around if her brother is there, is my father's reasoning, and my mother thinks it's about time that some of her kids learn independence. Charlie is crushed. We all know that Joe is his best friend, and although he assures him that he will be around a lot, this does not make up for the fact that he will not be living with him. Joe assures Charlie that when he graduates this year, they'll have much more time for each other. I just hope they don't come back. Eight people in one house is amazingly crowded, even if the house resembles a small mansion. In the morning, there is only Gabe in the kitchen, making scrambled eggs. Naomi, our housekeeper who is more of family that works for us, has been given the week off to visit family. More like my father had to force it upon her. This is a time to test Gabe's culinary skills, considering he's the only one that can make something that isn't the creature from the black lagoon on a plate. He took home ec. He looks up. "Want some?" "Sure. I'm starving." "I'm sure you are." he replies with a smirk. I raise an eyebrow. His hair is perfect, and his eyes are rimmed with red. He's been crying again. I say nothing. He dishes out a plate and hand it to me. I sit down at the table to eat. Lukie is walking out of the living room with a Poptart hanging from her mouth. I roll my eyes. "Hey Teddybear! Hi Gabby!" she says happily. "Hi Luka." "Hello Lucas." Gabe says as he sits down beside me, fork in hand. She shakes her head. "I'm a girl, Gabby." "And I'm a man, your point, Lucas?" Ah, a standoff. Who will win? I don't care because I will be late for school. I hear the familiar wheezing beep of Roy's Junkpile. "I'd love to be impartial third party, but I have to head to school." I say, and I bolt through the door, backpack on back, keys in pocket, phone in pocket, and... wallet in pocket. Dan is in the passengers side so I slide in the back. He tells me that Bella, his fraternal twin sister, prefers riding with his older brother and his 'amazing, cultured friends'. Roy is...somewhat of a control freak. His car is ridiculously clean. We are not allowed to eat in it, and we have just now been allowed to breathe. I call it a junkpile because it is one. It's his brother's old car. It's purple, it smells like a can of Lysol threw up, it's old, it's horn sounds like a goose with something stuck in its throat, and it's totally, and completely Roy's style. As you can imagine, he gets laid a ton. He drives carefully, keeping his eyes on the road, hands at ten and two, precisely. Dan cannot sit still. I think he is thinking of Quinn. When Dan falls for a girl, he falls hard. He fell for her so hard he sees stars. I don't mind. Jamie would slit my throat and drink my blood if I did. We pick up Tyler and Quinn, but Cody drives with his girlfriend, Aiden. Quinn sits beside me and the car is full of chatter. Roy, Dan, and Quinn start a random conversation, with her yelling in Spanish, Roy sweating buckets because he's bad with distraction and driving, and Dan practically crying because he's laughing too hard. Only me and Tyler do not participate in the shenanigans. We are still fighting. I realize that Roy is pulling into the parking lot. He parks in one of the free spaces. Time to enter high school again. Quinn takes my hand and squeezes. Today will be a good day.
One thing. One little thing can upset the balance of your life, one thing can change the course of your life. Nothing is an accident, in my opinion. Things happen because they were meant happen. So I try to not question what happens, because I'd rather go on in life. Quinn makes this difficult. I sit by Roy and Dan at lunch, going over my calculus text book. God really hates me. Roy thinks I'll do fine, but Roy will be valedictorian and he will be a doctor or a CEO or a tycoon with so much money, he won't know what to do with it. He's the kind of person that strides into success. He's my parent's favorite of my friends. He's the quiet, studios, intelligent friend that doesn't cause trouble and my parents love that. Adults seem to love him in general. Dan, on the other hand, seems to attract females. Lots and lots of females. Adults, not so much. I think it's because he's Asian. Roy thinks they like him because they are attracted to d-bags, and he's the kind of guy that isn't really one, but he acts like it. Dan thinks girls are crazy. Well, most of them. Cody thinks its because he's Asian too. Cody sits across from me. Quinn walks in with three other girls while we are discussing first person shooters, yay or nay? Quinn and her three friends descend on us, the three girls looking nervous. Freshmen girls sitting with strange sophomore guys? Interesting. Especially when two out of four are staring at you and your friend like two hungry dogs, i.e me and Dan. Me because those shorts are WAY too short and that shirt barely covers her, and one of them is wearing a tight miniskirt and the other is barely wearing a shirt, (did I mention I love stupid freshmen girls?) and Dan because he does that to intimidate them, make them feel translucent. Easy to say, the one barely wearing a shirt and the one with the shirt shorts, are blushing furiously. But one of them, the Korean looking one with fire in her eyes, sits beside Dan, and doesn't look at him. I don't even think he knows it's driving him crazy. He's rubbing his leg and scratching his neck and staring at her. It amuses me. This girl will give Quinn a run for her money in Dan's heart. Then I heard a quick, angry yelp, and the next thing I know, there's ketchup and fries in my face. Vinegar burns. "WHAT THE FUCK YOU CRAZY BITCH?!?" I scream as I try to wipe ketchup from my eyes. "You kissed that little whore right there, DIDN'T YOU?" she pointed, not at Quinn, but at short shorts girl, whose name is Annette.
Needless to say, we got sent to the principal's office. The principal, Dr. Burmiester, was not a kind man. He was rather tall, with light, evil eyes. His hair is cut close to his skull, and he seemed to always be staring directly into your soul. He sits there in his big suit, his big hands folded neatly atop the desk. "You two got into a little spat, during lunch period, did you not?" "Yes." we reply simultaneously. "Here in Tannard Central, it is not acceptable for people to be screaming at each other. Is this clear?" "Yes." "Good. Both of you will have detention for a week. This is a warning. If this happens again, both of you will spend time in in school suspension." He replies, scribbling on the little pink sheet of doom. I walk slowly for the rest of the day. Detention. Not going to be fun with that crazy bitch. Finally, last period. AP English. Mrs. Davis. She's very pretty. She's slender, with short red hair and blue eyes. She talks with a Nebraskan accent. She loves Robert Frost and Shakespeare. She's a kind woman, I can tell. As she goes over our summer reading list once more, I think that detention with her might not be so bad. Unfortunately, my detention is with Mrs. Nguyen. She is the math teacher, and she is a very odd, spastic woman. She has long blonde hair and doll features, with creamy porcelain skin. She is boring. She drones on and on and on and I just tune her out. I sit there, wishing I was outside. Jamie sits three seats away. She is the bane of my existence. She was jealous of every girl, she was rude to my parents, and she was an awful, sloppy, wet kisser. I don't know why I liked her. Maybe just to piss off the poor losers who liked her, including Tyler at one point. The time ticks and runs into the hour. Silence is our friend. I get out a book, finally. How to kill a mockingbird. I'm absorbed into this world until Mrs. Nguyen tells us we may leave. There aren't any other people, because no one get detention the first day of school. Except, of course, us. Sorry it's short.