i heard a honk as i was coming down the front stairs, waved to him and got in the car. "good mornin' princess." scott said following a smokey exhale. it smelled so good, he always smoked these apple-flavored cigars in the morning.
"morning." i shut the door and he began to drive. "what is with you guys and that strange nickname?" i laughed.
"makes sense dont it? you're one of 2 girls in our group of friends, and you're the tiniest."
"but kene's there...and you guys new her before me. how come you guys never called her princess?"
"i don't know...i guess because we just don't see her like that. 'cause we all know whether we admit it or not, that kene causes problems, because kene's a fraggen bitch." he laughed. "especially in the morning, so i'm not excited to go to school."
"i'm sorry scotty, don't worry i'll protect you!" i grinned widely.
"haha, that may not be the best idea. i think she's mad at you for some reason."
"i'm not sure how in the world she could be mad at me for somethin', me and her almost never talk."
"i don't know, but i asked her if she needed a ride this morning, she asked if i was getting you, and she said 'whatever i'll pass." like she had a problem. kinda pissed me off because she hung up on me."
"that's kinda wierd...should i talk to her about it or is it too dangerous?"
"i don't really know how dangerous it could be because i don't any damn clue what she's all pissy about. but if you're gonna talk to her, either wait till the afternoon or do it over IM."
"i guess i'll IM her, that seems the safest. but seriously, what could i have possibly done? we don't talk alot but i thought me and kene were cool..."
"i did too." he began parking in his usual spot. "i don't know. kene's just got hella problems. nobody gets her, i definately don't." scott put out his cigar and put the rest back in the case and slid it under the cupholder. we both stepped out of the truck and i saw a head pop up out of the back. Jimmy hopped out of the car and walked with us.
"so what's Kene pissed about?" Jimmy put himself in, his hands dug down in his pockets.
"we don't know yet, but apparently it has to do with me." i said worryingly as i readjusted my messenger bag on my shoulder.
"eh, don't worry about it. it's just Kene."
"yeah, i know, but i hate when people are mad at me..i didn't do anything to her..."
"i'll go with you at lunch to talk to her if ya' wanna. she's my cousin, but i wont let her hurt you if she tries to lash out."
"uh.. alright. i think." i shook my head in disbelief as we walked through the front door. "i'll catch you guys later."
"see ya Kari." they waved at me as i went up the stairs to my locker. it took me 4 tries to get the stupid combo lock open. i always remember my locker combo from last year because they have the same first and last number, but different middle. i always put in the wrong one.
"Gooood Morning Karina-Marina!" my ears rang from the shreaking of Leon's voice into my ears. "How's it goin'!"
"Everything's good for the most part..." i smiled. "Kene's mad at me though and i don't know why."
"but you guys don't even talk. that's a little odd...'ya gonna talk to her about it?"
"yeah, i'm gonna stop by her table at lunch. Jimmy said he'd go with me."
"Bleck. 'Jimmy.' she mocked."
"You're still mad at all my friends because they weren't crushing on you, i know, i know."
"It's not that anymore, i just wish he would trim his hair. he had the coolest faux-hawk thing and now it's all grown out!"
I smiled. "well that's good to hear, it sucks when your beefee hates all your other friends." i took the folding stool out of my locker and stepped up to get my books. "speaking of looks, what's with the cotton candy-fairy-sparkle look today?
"haha, i see that." we giggled. "well i the bells about to ring, i've gotta get to advisory." i folded my stool and put it back in my locker before i closed it.
"oh shit, same! i don't get why the hell they put my locker on the opposite side of building than where my homeroom is! ugh!" she growled. "well, i'll see you in lab. kisses!" we did our secret hand shake and she closed her locker and ran off.
"Hey Kari." Eli sat down at the desk next to mine and waved. "how was your weekend."
"It was mostly okay, sunday especially turned out better than expected." why are you talking to me?
"Haha, sweet. i heard you saw my friend Mark! I went up to the mall apparently just a little after you guys left. sorry i let him swipe your screen name, haha."
"It's cool." i laughed. "we weren't exactly friends so i was kind of mad to get a message from him; but it seems like he's really changed."
"you weren't? damn, i didn't know that, he talked about you like you guys were best friends in gradeschool."
"Best friends? Ha! You're kidding right? He bullied me all of elementary school."
"Well shit, i wish i would have known that, i would have never given him your email."
"It's alright. he's really changed now that we're not kids, so we're cool now. it's fist-bump official." i smiled.
"Apparently, he's really afraid of Leon." he tried not to laugh but bursted out. "He said she's been IMing and E-mailing him non-stop since saturday, he even tried hiding offline and she still got to him!" he laughed.
"That sounds a little stalkery. But it sounds like Leon when she likes somebody."
"That's so awkward, she used to do that to me. She still sort of does...it honestly creeps me out but i know that's how she is, i never thought she 'liked' me though."
"Yeah, that's how she is, alright..." i smiled and shook my head.
"Mark's actually texting me about it now." he laughed."haha, i just—he thinks, she's like, nuts." he laughed as he turned his phone around for me to see.
"hahaha, here's a new one!" he flipped his phone over again.
we were cracking up. "would you say this would count as legit payback for him bullying you in elementary?"
"hahaha yes!? this is hilarious! i feel bad for him, though, but this is just too funny to me!"
--
i met up with Jimmy when lunch time came; nervous, but only slightly about confronting Kene. i don't have the slightest idea what i could have done to her, and i know that she can be kind of ruthless when she doesn't like someone, minus the kinda. "you ready for this?" jimmy asked me as we walked steadily towards her table.
"i guess so..." we approached from a distance and it felt like an hour to walk the whole 10 feet she was away. she's not so hard to spot, and there she was, Kendura Nakahara, a.k.a. Kene, pronounced "Kenny." She had bright blonde hair with burgundy streaks that had now faded to a pale pink, always spiked out and teased. Asymmetrical haircut and jet back eyebrows like her natural hair. Stitches in one ear from her plug getting torn from her lobe, and she had piercings all up the rest of her ears, she had a thing for colorful jewelry, yet isn't normally caught without black clothes on unless she's naked or at work. she has slanted dark brown eyes, not surprising for an asian girl. she accentuates them with black cat-eye make up and light mauve eyeshadow to match her hair. i never could, but if i could, i would swap her bodies any day. we finally made our way up to her. she was sitting with 2 other people who left as soon as we came up. "Hey Kene."
she rolled her eyes and took a deep bite into her sub. "rut?" she said with a mouth full of salami, lettuce, mustard and peppers. "clant ru se im breatin'?" i could barely understand her through all that food.
"sorry..." me and jimmy looked at eachother as his eyes told me to go ahead. "i heard you were pissed at me...i just wanted to know what i did."
"hah."she swallowed. "as if you don't know. and you're not even going to apologize are ya."
"how can i apologize when i don't know what i did, or if i'm even sorry." i squinted at her in frustration.
"oh." she laughed. "so we're playing that game." she smiled at me before she got up and grabbed my arm, leading me hastily to the girl's restroom. i looked back at Jimmy who marked the catholic prayer over his body and shrugged, looking at me as it my fate was about to be revealed. i wasn't really scared, just a little confused. she pushed me into the stall and locked it. "so you really don't know?" she leaned against the wall and looked at me with a brow raised.
"no, i seriously don't have the slightest idea. we don't even talk, so what could i have possibly done to you..?"
"ilikedoorstep." she said both quickly and quietly as she dug around in her pockets.
"alright, 1, you're always mean as shit to him, and 2, what the hell does that have to do with me?"
"are you guys together?"
"No?! what the hell." i messed around with my earlobe in frustration. my face scrunched up into an angry, squinty pout; i felt like i looked like a raisin.
"Sounds to me like it. i heard about your little fucking date yesterday."
"Date? you're kidding right? we just ran into eachother and we went to eat."
"i read his blog. looks like you guys had 'so much fun.' what the fuck ever, princess. i bet he paid for you too."
"yeah, he did pay for me." i reached into my pocket and peaked out the few dollars i had. "i'm paying him back today." she rolled her eyes and crossed her arm, shifting the weight of her body onto her left hip. i raised my eyebrow in assurance.
"yeah, sure. what-the-fuck-ever."
"i don't get it. you pick on him all the time and try so hard to make him mad, just for the sake of pissing off someone." i shook my head. "i don't even think you like him, i think you just want something to be pissed about and cause some problems."
"yeah? and i don't give a fuck what you 'think' shofu." she pushed me and my back hit the stall door. before i knew it i had impulsively pushed her dead in the chin. i swear on the ashes of my dead hamster that there was fire in her eyes and i bolted out of the bathroom.
"What the hell did you do?!" Jimmy exclaimed as he saw me run out with Kene close behind me.
"She thinks i'm da-"
"Don't you dare say anything!!" Kene yelled from behind me as she nearly grabbed the hood of my sweater. i kicked out my leg and she tripped foreward on her face, exclaming the word "shit" so loud that my ears rang. i ran as quick as i could and bolted through of the lunchroom doors, really wishing the grip on my shoes wasn't so worn down from skating. i saw an open locker and my heart was aflutter. i was saved! i quietly stepped in and lightly latched it shut. I heard her big clunky shoes bounce against the ground as she ran past the locker i was in. she paused slightly before she sped up again. "i will find you Kari, quit fucking hiding!" i sighed in relief and drooped down a little in the locker, frustratingly grabbing my beanie from the hook that had stolen it from me. after about 15 minutes, the bell finally rang and i was all of a sudden set free. a girl opened the door, standing about 5 foot 1 with medium brown skin, yet unpredicably blue eyes and blond hair. she looked just as surprised as i was.
"i hope my bookbag doesn't mind you stealing his spot." she said bluntly with a confused smile on her face.
"ah, um... i'm just gonna go—" i hopped out of her locker and scurried off.
"wait, don't go yet." i looked back at her as she pulled a tiny notebook out of the inner pocket of her jacket and walked up closer.
"what is it? if i broke your baghook i'm really sorry 'cause my hat got stuck and i kind yank—"
"shush" she put a finger over my mouth as she flipped through the pages in her little book. she took away her finger then pulled out a pen and started to write something.
"i'm really confused."
"Congraaatulations! You have completely #31 on my high school bucket list."
"...what."
"read here." she pointed to the number 31 on the page and showed it to me. "number 31 out of 50, find a person inside of my locker." she held out the book and pen to me, pointing to a line with her pinky finger. "just sign here."
"hah, uh alright..." i signed my name on the dotted line and she closed her book and put it back in her pocket.
"it was nice doing business with you, Karina Rivera." she shook my hand.
"you too, i guess." i laughed.
"how did you end up inside of my locker anyhow?"
"well.. it's sort of a confusing but really story."
"shall we discuss this over IM?" she handed me a small business card. "we're both about to be late. my SN is on there. i'll t-t-y-s."
"alright, see ya." i read the card as i began walking to class. Cordelia Willows. that's a pretty name.
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