me, weirdo? I said I will. So lay off. If I catch you hanging out with him again, I’ll spread rumors that you and your little girlfriend over there are lesbo’s. Do you want that?”
“ No one will believe it,” Rose said.
“ They will after I say it. Everyone knows I couldn’t imagine lying. Mark my words, if I hear anything about you having a flirting contest with Grady, I’ll have everyone on campus calling you a dude. Believe me.”
With that, Gina turned around and walked away, getting in one last sneeze.
“ She’s such a horrible person,” Melinda said. “Did you see the green spots on her pullover when she walked away?”
“ You’re seeing Grady Bell?” James asked, wearing a look of utter hurt.
“ Who does she think she is?” Melinda asked.
“ I don’t know,” Rose said, folding her arms. “I’ll get her back.”
“ You’re seeing Grady Bell?” James asked again, incredulous.
“ Technically no,” Rose answered. “Yet we will. Unlike Gina, however, I’m not using self-rationalization and inner psychotic hyperbole to justify my delusions of grandeur. I will meet with him. I just haven’t yet. Er, at least not for any lengthy amount of time. I already have, but it was once. It needs to happen a second time.”
James backed away for a second, staring at the ground in contemplating. He leaned against the row of lockers and folded his arms.
“ You do know what you’re messing with, right?” Melinda gave her a look of concern. “It’s Grady Bell, the son of one of our town’s most successful businessmen. Girls like you and me almost never date people like him.”
“ What do you mean?”
“ Not saying we don’t have the looks. It‘s who we are socially.”
The bell rang. The swarm in the hall began scattering.
“ I’ll see you two later,” Rose said, waving while making her way to class.
“ You’re seeing Grady Bell?” James asked again, pain evident in his voice.
Sitting through the next class period, health, was similar to having a migraine for two hours. When it was over she made her way outside into the drab grey corridors. Much to her astonishment, Grady was standing next to his locker. After he saw her, he turned to one of his friends and said something. His pal moved away. She had to admit that Bell looked good out of his typical uniform, wearing nothing but a white shirt and blue jeans. He held a binder and a copy of Henry Miller’s Tropic of Capricorn in his hands.
“ You’re doing some heavy reading, huh?” Rose asked. “Studying required books for College?”
“ Not really. I have as much interest in excelling in the academic world as a eunuch does in the dating one. Speaking of which, about our date. How does tonight sound? When and where?”
“ Somewhere that’s good for you.”
“ How about Orchid‘s?”
“ Sounds great,” she said, knowing that it was one of the pricier bistro‘s, a cuisine located on the shore front down town. Yet she was flattered he would make that offer.
“ If you don’t mind me asking, where do you live? I can pick you up at four.”
“ Deal.” She took his hand and retrieved a sharpie from her backpack, writing her address down on his palm.
With that, they smiled at each other and went their separate ways, each going off to their next class.
That day in art class rain had begun to fall outside. She had followed weather reports to make sure that a sudden and terrible downpour would not ruin her date. She took a break from her scribbling and stared out the window.
A black cat was sitting on the sill outside. It was the same one she shooed away a few nights ago. Its fur was darker than shadows, and its gaze was as deep as the Atlantic ocean, a pair of amorphous ponds staring back at her like an abyss promising itself to the one about to fall into it a millennia of despair.
An owl was in the tree that the cat climbed up in, and for a second it ruffles its wings before peering at Rose. It had a
“ No one will believe it,” Rose said.
“ They will after I say it. Everyone knows I couldn’t imagine lying. Mark my words, if I hear anything about you having a flirting contest with Grady, I’ll have everyone on campus calling you a dude. Believe me.”
With that, Gina turned around and walked away, getting in one last sneeze.
“ She’s such a horrible person,” Melinda said. “Did you see the green spots on her pullover when she walked away?”
“ You’re seeing Grady Bell?” James asked, wearing a look of utter hurt.
“ Who does she think she is?” Melinda asked.
“ I don’t know,” Rose said, folding her arms. “I’ll get her back.”
“ You’re seeing Grady Bell?” James asked again, incredulous.
“ Technically no,” Rose answered. “Yet we will. Unlike Gina, however, I’m not using self-rationalization and inner psychotic hyperbole to justify my delusions of grandeur. I will meet with him. I just haven’t yet. Er, at least not for any lengthy amount of time. I already have, but it was once. It needs to happen a second time.”
James backed away for a second, staring at the ground in contemplating. He leaned against the row of lockers and folded his arms.
“ You do know what you’re messing with, right?” Melinda gave her a look of concern. “It’s Grady Bell, the son of one of our town’s most successful businessmen. Girls like you and me almost never date people like him.”
“ What do you mean?”
“ Not saying we don’t have the looks. It‘s who we are socially.”
The bell rang. The swarm in the hall began scattering.
“ I’ll see you two later,” Rose said, waving while making her way to class.
“ You’re seeing Grady Bell?” James asked again, pain evident in his voice.
Sitting through the next class period, health, was similar to having a migraine for two hours. When it was over she made her way outside into the drab grey corridors. Much to her astonishment, Grady was standing next to his locker. After he saw her, he turned to one of his friends and said something. His pal moved away. She had to admit that Bell looked good out of his typical uniform, wearing nothing but a white shirt and blue jeans. He held a binder and a copy of Henry Miller’s Tropic of Capricorn in his hands.
“ You’re doing some heavy reading, huh?” Rose asked. “Studying required books for College?”
“ Not really. I have as much interest in excelling in the academic world as a eunuch does in the dating one. Speaking of which, about our date. How does tonight sound? When and where?”
“ Somewhere that’s good for you.”
“ How about Orchid‘s?”
“ Sounds great,” she said, knowing that it was one of the pricier bistro‘s, a cuisine located on the shore front down town. Yet she was flattered he would make that offer.
“ If you don’t mind me asking, where do you live? I can pick you up at four.”
“ Deal.” She took his hand and retrieved a sharpie from her backpack, writing her address down on his palm.
With that, they smiled at each other and went their separate ways, each going off to their next class.
That day in art class rain had begun to fall outside. She had followed weather reports to make sure that a sudden and terrible downpour would not ruin her date. She took a break from her scribbling and stared out the window.
A black cat was sitting on the sill outside. It was the same one she shooed away a few nights ago. Its fur was darker than shadows, and its gaze was as deep as the Atlantic ocean, a pair of amorphous ponds staring back at her like an abyss promising itself to the one about to fall into it a millennia of despair.
An owl was in the tree that the cat climbed up in, and for a second it ruffles its wings before peering at Rose. It had a
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