The Book Fight

CHAPTER 2: The loner, stoner?

ASTON

The start to my senior year has been like how my school year at Rooksville has been since I started here…a complete s**t-show.

I’ve been high most of the week and earlier when I accidently bumped some big guy and he shoved me, I fought back but it ruined my buzz.

To make matters worse, the school princess drew more attention to me during gym. It my buzz go away completely because I was under Mr. Harrison’s radar.

I have been sobering most of the day and it sucks.

I have a plan to survive high school. It includes, being under the radar and being very-very high during most of my time here.

But I can’t do that when Sekani Rivers talks to me out of the blue.

She is part of the ass-hats that everyone calls ‘popular’ here. They watch everything she does and I mean it in the literal sense. Little Miss Perfect could burp and the idiots at this school would roll around and clap hands for her.

I am not being sarcastic, I actually think they would.

We bump into each other again after school and instead of the nice act I received earlier. She rolls her eyes, picks up her bag and walks away with her little sidekick.

I go straight to my car after that. I’m already smoking a joint on the drive home as The Beatles play on my stereo.

I use forest behind my house to continue to smoke in peace. My mother is only 4months pregnant but she is home all the time now and it’s hard to hide my ways with her ‘pregnancy nose.’

Now on my 2nd joint, I open my bag to get started on homework. I might be a lazy bum but I want to be one in University too, away from Snoreville and a crying newborn.

Instead of my Maths notebook, textbook, pens and whatever crap that was in my bag. I find an AP Algebra textbook, a leather notebook, fluffy pens, way too many lip-stuff, candy and all sorts of girly things.

“This isn’t mine.” I open a side zipper to find a tampon.

Too buzzed to think about it, I lay down on the picnic table and enjoy my high—deciding it’s a later problem.

I’m woken up by the neighbor’s dog barking. The night sky is above me and the warm sun is replaced by the moon. I re-pack the bag and head into the house through the back door.

“Hey honey,” my mother kisses my hair. “Dinner is in the microwave,” she doesn’t even notice the cut on my lip.

I learned fast that short hair won’t capture the odor of a blunt so I keep it that way because of my mother’s affection,

“Thanks.” I stalk to the kitchen and leave her in the dining room.

After grabbing my plate, I go to my room and unpause the episode of Rick and Morty I was watching.

After my shower, I find little Miss Perfect herself sitting on my bed. She is now in a white tube top, blue fitted jeans and white sneakers.

“What the f—”

“Where is it?” Sekani stands to reveal a flat stomach and a denim jacket in her hands.

“Where is what?” I hold the knot of the towel covering my naked lower body.

“My bag!” She throws my bag at me and I barely catch it. “We switched when we bumped into each other earlier today. Where is mine?”

“How did you even get up here?” I look at my closed door like it has answers.

How does she even know where I live?

“Your mother let me in, she called for you and when you didn’t answer she said I could go up. I knocked but you didn’t respond so I assumed you were sleeping.” Sekani frowns, “now my bag!”

“Jeez.” I walk to my closet and exchange the bags before tossing hers on the bed.

She goes through it and sighs in relief when she finds something inside. Pulling it over her shoulder, she looks up at me with an embarrassed expression as if only noticing now, that I am in a towel.

I give her a once over too and realize how beautiful she is.

The light brown color of her upturned doe-eyes are complimented by the wispy field of her lashes. She has a symmetrical diamond face that is framed by her dark braids.

I realize she has makeup on because her eyelids have a shimmery tint on them and her lips are outlined and glossy—as usual.

The strapless top she is compliments the exposed parts of her light coconut skin and the denim blue skinny jeans look great on her narrow thighs and long legs. The body chain under top makes her waist look erotic.

It matches her gold hoops, the multiple studs on her ears and the rings on her fingers. It especially calls attention to her innie belly button that is framed by 11 lines on her abdomen.

Whoa, Sekani Rivers.

I understand why people adore her and why some are even envious. If there was such a thing as a perfect person, Sekani comes extremely close.

She has pearly white porcelain cap teeth, defined cheek structure and her body looks like it belongs on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. Add her height, pimple free face and even tone and she could be a doll.

She clears her throat and my eyes move to her mouth, I realize what I am doing and clear my throat too.

“I’m heading to party at Lena’s.” She moves her hand over her as if to explain why she looks like this. “Do you—do you want to come?”

I nearly laugh.

“What?” I walk to my bathroom to change.

“Lena’s Party? Everyone will be there, it’s a back-to-school thing she does.” She continues till I step back into my room.

I stare at her to analyze if she is being serious and I think she actually is.

“I know you have this loner thing going on and it’s pretty cool, don’t get me wrong. I love being alone too sometimes but maybe you want to—”

“Pass.” I open my plate on the desk to find Lasagna and roasted vegetables.

Mother’s cooking is great for munchies.

“Okay.” She drops her bag on my bed and wears her denim jacket to cover herself up. “Can I at least use your bathroom before I go? It’s number 1, I promise.”

She raises her hands and I cough to hide my laugh.

“Over there,” I point at my bathroom.

A shiny thing blinds me from her bag when I sit on my bed with my food. I pull it out in attempt to put it back in but I realize it’s the leather notebook I saw earlier. I panic when I hear the toilet flush and I hide the book under my pillow for some reason.

I don’t want her thinking I went through her stuff and stole her diary.

Seconds later, my bathroom door opens and Sekani walks out air drying her hands. It makes the bracelet on her wrist hit her watch, creating a small jingling sound.

She pulls out a post stick from her bag and uses the pen on my desk to write something as I eat and watch her.

I was annoyed with her earlier but now I’m oddly fascinated.

I raise a brow when she stretches the note to me, “it’s Lena’s address. In case, you change your mind.”

Instead of rejecting the note like intended, I stand and take the paper from her, my hand brushing hers swiftly.

“There are drinks and people from school, there’s even a pool and…joints.” My eyes move up. “I went through your bag and saw the rolling paper and lighter. Add your blood shot eyes and I put two and two together.”

I stick the note to my beside table and resume eating.

“There is no judgment, I just thought you’d enjoy—”

“Why did you give me Lisa’s number?” I cut off her jabbering.

It’s no secret I smoke and it’s no secret I don’t care what people think. At least I’m not doing hard drugs—like meth.

Not yet anyway.

“It’s Lena and the number is mine,” I look up from my plate. “It’s just in case you need someone to pick you up or rudely return your schoolbag,” she nervously smiles making something weird happen to my chest.

I could have sworn this girl annoyed me earlier.

“Got it,” I stab a roasted carrot with my fork.

“See you at school the.” She pauses by the door and I salute her.

I hope she didn’t expect me to walk her out. It was weird enough she was in my room, there is no need to make things weirder.

I wait to hear her car start on our driveway before pulling out her notebook from under my pillow. I expect to find juicy secrets of her talking s**t about the people but instead I find something called basic instructions.

Monday.

I walk into school the same way I usually do. With the world tuned out as music blasts into my ears through my headsets.

But something feels different today, I feel different…almost lighter.

I couldn’t put down Sekani’s notebook. I read most of it during the weekend and it gave me a lot of insight on her and how she lives her life.

Little Miss Perfect wrote a self-help book and as joke I used some of the tips on the ‘how to heal and move on’ chapter.

Yes, the notebook has chapters.

How OCD is that? But I looked at some of Peetah’s photos like it suggested and it sort of worked.

I expected the sight to add to the constant pain clutching to my heart and maybe to remind me of how sad I’m supposed to be but it made me smile instead.

I actually smiled.

Seeing my brother’s face made happy tears rush because it was nice seeing him. My parents didn’t put up his pictures on the new house, so it was refreshing.

I don’t get what Sekani couldn’t have possibly lost but the chapter was really helpful and very well written.

“Hey dude.” Buck says when I open my locker. “Look, I didn’t know my dad worked for your father’s firm. My bad about Friday, I thought you did it on purpose.”

A thousand sarcastic remarks bounce around my mind, like how he’s apologizing because his ‘daddy made him’. Or how stupid it would be to bump him on purpose, but none make it out my mouth.

“It’s no sweat, my father doesn’t even know.” I change out my books and don’t bother to look at him.

“Cool.” He turns to walk away but stops. “Do you want to eat lunch with us today?”

“What?” I can’t help but make a face as I finally face him.

“I thought you were going to be an ass about the apology but you were not. So do you want to eat with us or not Parker?” He chips his head to his friends down the hall.

I want to say no.

The only answer available should be no because having lunch with the rugby team? A bunch of meatheads I have nothing in common with doesn’t make sense.

‘The only way to make friends, is to let people in. No man is an island.’ A quote from Basic Instructions runs through my mind.

For some reason, reading that stupid notebook is changing my outlook on things and I guess people because I see Buck with new eyes.

“I have a dentist appointment today at lunch.” He is about to walk away when I add, “maybe tomorrow?”

I surprise us both and he nods in agreement.

The bell rings and I find myself looking for Sekani. I’m waiting for her to ask me about her self-help book but the only class we share is gym because most of her classes are AP.

Later when I’m home, I find myself using her studying tips for my Math and History homework. They help me understand the work and some of the notes I have.

I get a 94% on Math and 89% on History when the teachers return it. It surprises everyone including me because I’m an average student—at best.

The surprises continue after classes because I ask for extra work to pick up my GPA. I have never asked for extra work ever in my life but all my teachers agree and give it to me.