Chapter 10

   For the past couple of weeks, you could say that shit has "gone down." and to be honest, it’s about to go down some more. Doorstep pretty much told off Kene, because after he tried to let her down easy, she (who doesn’t take rejection well) said some mean things about me. So, Scott and puppy are pissed at her too. So are Jimmy and Matt, but Jimmy is her cousin and Matt's like her minion or something so she forbade them of "associating with us." it’s like a gang war are something. All because some girl likes some guy. Not to mention that the "problem" she's going nuts over doesn't even exist. What kind of world do we live in?

   Today was an awesomely awesome fun-filled Saturday, which was about to turn into an awesomely awesome fun-filled saturnight. me, Scott, D and Puppy spent most of the day at the skatepark, of course I pussed out on the half pope...well it's not really that I pussed out, I just know my life-to-death ration is leaning more towards the death. I also didn't know Doorstep could really skate, like *really* skate, but before a few weeks ago, I didn't really know him all that well. Since that day he ran into me at church, we've hung out every Sunday, same time and place. it's not even really planned, we just do it. This week, or well...tomorrow, I finally plan on visiting his church. Kind of nervous, but I hope it'll be fun. Or, as fun as church can be.

   At the moment, Scott and I are having a Pokémon battle via wireless adapter with Pokémon Sapphire, my favorite of the games. Of course, I’m winning. Not only because I have the most bad-ass level 72 Swampert ever, but Scott mostly uses Fire type Pokémon.

   "I win." I smiled at him, setting my Gameboy advance in my lap.

   "Yeah, yeah...” he rolled his eyes and pouted. I noticed Doorstep had walked off into the distance. I wonder why he left...

   Jimmy slid up on his board and looked back and forth at us. "You lost, didn't you...Scottykins."

   "How did you know?" Scott pushed him and laughed.

   "Because Princess is making her 'I beat Scott at Pokémon face.'" he pointed at me and giggled maniacally. "And I know how you're determined that Fire rules all even though she always uses Water."

   He frowned, "you're a meanie," he whined mockingly.

   "Hey, Kari!" I heard Leon call out to me, to my surprise. This is the last place I’d expect her to ever be. "What’s up?!"

   "Just got done playin' some Pokémon," I said as the confusion ensued. My friends sort of just stood by awkwardly. "How 'bout you?"

   "Hanging out with Jack," she swooned. "We're going to get sno-cones then I’m gonna watch him do bmx-ing!" she smiled from ear to ear.

   I laughed, "Sounds like fun..." I could hear my friends mocking her language from behind and made a face at them. "We pretty much skated all day, and then we went to Rally's then came back." ..."do bmx-ing?"

   "I may join Jack in this 'bmx-ing.'" Scott thought out loud. "I have never seen him ride... it'll be a grand ole' time. I’ll be back." he patted me on the back and rode off to the bowl. Leon sat down next to me on the bench.

   "So," I said turning towards her. "I'm kind of surprised to see you here."

   "Huh? Why?"

   "Because only lames, losers and delinquents hang out at skate parks...or so you've said." I laughed. Even though it wasn't exactly funny. When she said that I was actually a little bit offended, and we didn't talk for two weeks.

   "Oh! Yeah, I changed my mind." she smiled. "It’s sort of awesome here."

   I raised my eyebrows; "you don't say." we sat in an awkward silence as Leon stared off into space.

   "We should have a sleepover."

   "Ha-ha, uh, alright."

   "Yea. At your apartment thingy."

   "Okay...I guess. We can do it Friday after I get done working, if you want."

   "Working? You have a job?"

   "Yes...I’m a janitor for the building I live in. you knew that."

   "Oh! Yeah, yeah I remember now." she laughed. "Sorry."

   Leon was acting a little weird. I’m not sure what it is, I just know that it’s not normal. And she's never even been to my apartment before, or had any interest in it before now. We haven't even talked outside of school for weeks because she's been completely caught up with Jack...and they're not even going steady. I’m not sure she knows that though...

   "Dude..." Scott sat down quickly next to me. "Jack Randel is all broad-hype. He sucks..."

   "Oh My God!" Leon gasped, "How can you say that about him? He’s amazing!"

   Scott and I glanced at each other. "She doesn't know what broad-hype means, does she," he asked, sarcastically. I shook my head. He shrugged and sat down at the nearest picnic table.

   "Your friends are so mean, Kari." Leon pouted.

   "Sorry for being so 'mean,' But your friend is not as good at BMX as he, or his groupies, claims to be."

   "You don't even know him like I do," she scoffed.

   Scott looked over to me with slight disgust, "is she for real?" he shook his head, and got up.

   "Hey!" Leon yelled to him, "where are you going?!"

   "Over there." he sat down by the big oak tree and lit up a cigar. I felt really awkward now. Puppy, Jimmy and Matt just sort of stood by with their bikes and boards, Leon sat next to me still, with her arms crossed, and jack appeared not to know how to exit the bowl. Either that or he just really likes it in there.

   My phone buzzed in my pocket. "I’m on my way to the arcade, u guys should meet me" read the text from Doorstep, who'd been MIA for a while.

   I made my way away from the bench of awkwardness and over to Scott. "Hey, Scott..." I pulled my sock full of quarters out from my pocket and dangled it in front of his face as he sat on the ground. "Want to head over to the arcade?"

   He looked up at me with his soft blue eyes, full of curiosity. "How much you got in that sock?" he raised an eyebrow.

   "$28.75 in all quarters." we exchanged smiles.

   "$18.50" he said to me, taking a sock from his pocket as well.

   "Dibs on galaxy pinball. Just saying."

   "Kari, you're a jerk. A short little jerk." he laughed. "Let’s get outta here."

   "Kari!?" Leon called to me as I began walking away, "where are you going?"

   "To the arcade with the guys." I replied, and she looked at me like I had a booger or something. "What?"

   "Nothing. I just don't get why you always hang out with them..." she flipped her hair. "...so much."

   "Because, they're my friends...the same reason you hang out with the people you hang out with." I shrugged. "We have fun."

   "No, we have fun. You guys do stupid crap and boring stuff and hurt yourselves."

   "Leon..." I sighed. "Just, never mind." I started walking to my bike. I know how Leon is, and I don't feel like arguing.

   "no." she ran up and grabbed my arm, "what is it?"

   I clenched my lips together and let out a hot breath through my nose before I turned around to her, knowing she's going to regret asking me that. "You are being a hypocrite." I shrugged. "Okay?" I strapped my board to my book bag and turned on my mp3 player to choose a song to ride to.

   "Umm, no I’m not?" she crossed her arms. "If anyone's being anything here, it’s you. You’re the one leaving somewhere without inviting your best friend."

   "Okay, number one, you're hanging out with someone right now, and number two, you just said we were stupid and boring-"

   "And? You guys are."

    You’ve been hanging out with Jack Randel for weeks. He does the same exact things we do." I sat on my bike as I continued to scroll through my playlist.

   "No he doesn’t...jack is different than them." her eyes shifted as she pouted at the ground. Scott called me from afar.

   "I’ll see you later. I’m holding up the group." I pushed off to ride away.

   "You know," she yelled, "if Jack is so much like you guys, why doesn't he hang out with you and your friends, huh?"

   "Honestly," I turned back and added, "That’s not my business to tell."

   "I think you're just jealous. Stop being a bitch."

   "Leon." I put my hand on her shoulder. "Shut the hell up." she rolled her eyes and looked at me angrily. "I will see you later." I rode away for the last time, and I could hear her saying things as I got farther and farther away but I chose not to listen. I guess Scott was right; she really isn't a very good friend. And I was right that boys are her downfall.

~~

   "Hey! Where’d you go?" Puppy greeted Doorstep as we got to the arcade. "It’s like you teleported out of the park!

   "Sorry," he laughed. "I had a little emergency at home."

   "You gotta do what you've gotta do, man."

   "So who's up for some 2 player?!" Scott proclaimed in his game show-host voice, pseudo announcing the first activity. Everyone crowded around the racing simulators awaiting the showdown. As soon as the first pair sat down, I already knew Jimmy was going to win. I snuck over the pinball machine before anyone else could take it. I probably play Pinball, Pac-man, the Mortal Kombat game and ski-ball more than any of the other games here. When there was a Sonic game here, that was my all-time favorite. Scott and Jimmy are into racing games, Puppy has mastered the claw machine, Doorstep usually gets himself completely in the zone with the shooting games and Matt...He plays everything; he's just not good at anything. I’m kind of the same way; I’m only good at Mortal Kombat and ski-ball.

   "Hey, Kari." doorstep said in his normally quiet and solemn voice as he walked up to me. 

   "Wad up, gangsta?" I smiled widely as I got into the wormhole once again. 1000 point bonuses make me happy.

   He laughed at me, but I don't blame him. "Nothing," he replied with a chuckle. "You still planning on visiting my church tomorrow?"

   "Yeah! totally." my ball slipped through the flippers and my game ended. "I’m actually kind of excited about it."

   "Sweet, me too. I think you'll really like it. It’s not like normal church."  We exchanged grins and began messing with the claw machine.

   "What is it like?" I asked curiously. "I’m actually not sure that I’ve ever been to another church before."

   "It’s, different. Like, I don't know how to explain it...we do what you do in normal church, but in a different way. Like we still do sermons and worship music and stuff, but we get the people in the church involved, and use guitars instead of organs and stuff like that."

   "That sounds interesting...like a rocker church, or something."

   "I guess so," he laughed. "And our youth room has some awesome stuff in it I think you'll like."

   "Can you be specific?" I raised an eyebrow.

   "Nope. You just gotta see it for yourself...if I tell you everything then there'll be nothing to see."

   "Oh, ok...gotcha." I smiled.

   "Slut." I heard an unfortunately familiar voice mutter under their breath. What is with it with girls trying to ruin my day today?

   "Will you please go away, already?" Doorstep replied in frustration.

   "No." Kene smiled and crossed her arms.

   "Kene, you don't even have a reason to be calling people names. I don't like you, and I’m not going to."

   "Why? You have no reason not to like me...unless you have a girlfriend." she stepped towards me and pointed at me. "I just saw you ask her out."

   "Dude..." I rubbed my hand on my face. "He asked me to visit his church."

   "Yeah, seriously. Do you want to come to my church too? I mean really. We all hang out. Why is this all of a sudden a problem for you?"

   "Because I like you, asshole. And little-bitch over here isn't following girl code."

   "Okay, I’m not doing anything wrong, and even if I was, we're not even really friends in the first place." I shrugged. "And what the hell is girl code?"

   Scott and the crew made their way to where we were. Eyes were rolling. "What's going on?" Scott asked us as the group migrated.

   "Oh, nothing" Kene said with her usual attitude. "Just whores not knowing when to stop." I just rolled my eyes. I love how she keeps calling me a slut and a whore, since I’ve never even kissed anyone before.

   "Talking in third person, are we Ken?" Scott said with a mean look on his face. It was rare, but it was there. Our friends were oo-ing and snickering at his statement.

   "Fuck you, faggot!" she yelled in his face.

   "Hey, I’m not the one who likes dick in my ass." all of our jaws just drop. now everyone was cracking up...not because it was funny (well, it kind of was) but because no one ever says stuff like that to Kene except for Scott, a.k.a. the only guy who's ever dumped her. She started yelling and trying to hit him but Jimmy and Puppy held her back.

   "Guys," said a pissed off cashier. "Take it outside!" Our tiny crowd calmed down and Kene jerked from their grasp, then left.

  

    We all walked out of the arcade, practically segregated. Doorstep, Scott, Puppy and I walked together, and Jimmy, Matt and Kene walked together.

    "Is it...'okay' that you talked to her like that?" doorstep asked Scott, who was attempting to light up, despite the wind. "I mean, she's still a girl..."

    "No," Scott said after he inhaled. "She’s a bitch."

    "This is true...but she's like, still a female..."

    "Doorstep, my man," he swung his arm over his shoulder, "there are 7 types of females in this world. There are girls, chicks, women, babes, dykes, bitches and broads." he took another hit of his cigar. "Kene falls into the bitch category...and also the broad category."

    "So, because she's a bitch, you can just do whatever you want to her?"

    "Hmmmm...No, you can say whatever you want to her, but you can't hit her."

    "What if she hits you first?" I asked.

    "Then you stop her, but don't hit her. I don't think a dude should ever hit a lady. Not even if it's a ...rabid...squirrel."

    "Who hits rabid squirrels?" doorstep was mind-boggled.

    "You get my point..."

    "I disagree." I stepped back into the conversation. "I think if a girl hits a guy with the intent to hurt him, he should hit her back." the guys looked at me like I was crazy.

    "You don't think guys shouldn't hit girls?" Scott asked, looking almost offended.

    "I think it’s wrong for anyone to hit anyone. So think no matter who hits you, you should hit them back. I’d fight a boy if he hit me first just like I’d fight a girl if she hit me first."

    "I guess it makes sense...” doorstep rubbed his chin. “I guess..."

    "It’s fair."

    "I don't know..." Scott pondered. "I guess you are right in a way, but I would feel terrible if I ever hit a girl."

     "So," Kene had walked back up to us, yet again. "I’m just waiting."

     I rolled my eyes. "Waiting for what?" I shrugged.

     "To give a shit." she grinned.

      I just gave her the finger and continued walking home without a word to anyone. I’ll give a shit alright. Just you wait.