Shattered Dimensions

by Nicole Coverdale

  “Helping him.”

  “Jami. We don’t help.”

  “But why? I’m the one who bumped into him!”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Stacey said, nodding to the jocks who were watching them from the corner. “You want to be popular, right, Jami? Well if you want to be popular, the first rule is that we can’t look weak to the other kids. It’s social suicide.” She grabbed the book from Jami’s hand, throwing it at the kid. “Pick up your own books… nerd.”

  The boy stared at her, tears filling his eyes. “I-I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize to her. You have nothing to be sorry for,” Jami said, glaring at Stacey. “You know, I do want to be popular, but not at the expense of putting someone else down, and bullying is not cool!” She picked up the boy’s books, and rose to her feet, offering him her hand. Josi was right, she thought, as she pulled him to his feet. If I want to be a leader in this school. If I want to be class president, or prom queen, even homecoming queen one of these days, I need a vote from everyone, and that starts with treating everyone with a little bit of respect. She smiled, handing the boy his books back. “Hi, I’m Jami.”

  “Hi Jami,” the boy said, taking the books from her. “I’m Charlie. Thank you for not being mean to me. You’re the first nice person I’ve met today!” He turned and disappeared through the crowd.

  “You know what? Suit yourself,” Stacey said, walking away, and lifting her hands in the air. “You want to be a loser. Fine by me, but I will not let you bring me down with you.” She spun on her heel and disappeared through the crowd.

  “Wow. What did you do to Stacey?” Tori asked, walking up next to her as Jami opened her locker.

  “Refused to bully some kid.”

  “Well, good for you! This school could use someone with a little common decency,” Tori said, nodding across the hall. “But it looks like you caught someone’s attention.”

  “What? Who?” She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes locking with those of a young, blonde boy who was staring at her from the other side of the hall, as he leaned against the wall. He was wearing a blue and white letter jacket, with the letters FH embroidered on the front, right side of the jacket. Various images were patterned along his left sleeve. A basketball, football, baseball, and even a hockey puck. The number twelve was embroidered on the right shoulder of the jacket.

  “Stephen Jacobson. The quarterback of the football team.”

  “He’s cute!” Jami cried, quickly averting her gaze, and placing her books in her locker. She grabbed her math book, and slammed the locker shut.

  “Oh, be careful, Jami. Those baby blue eyes of his have been lethal to every cheerleader in this school.”

  “Even you?”

  “Oh please! I’m too smart for that!” Tori cried, playing with the necklace around her neck as she talked. Stroking the gold cross, dangling from the chain. “Besides, I took a vow. I refuse to give away my virginity until I’m married.”

  “How could I forget?” Jami asked, remembering the speeches on Christianity Tori had spewed at them constantly, throughout the years. How was it, that a girl so devoted to God, was a cheerleader anyways?

  “Does it ever bother you?” she asked, as they walked down the hallway, nodding to the boys staring at them. “Juggling your Christianity along with your duties as captain of the cheerleading squad? I mean, you’re gorgeous! How do the guys even put up with it?”

  “I please them in other ways,” Tori said, winking at her. “So, what’s your first class?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.

  “Math,” Jami said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. “Isn’t there some sort of law against having math first thing in the morning?”

  Tori laughed. “Sorry, Jami. No such thing exists.” She paused at the end of the hallway, glancing over her shoulder at Jami. “Sorry, Jami. I gotta go. I’ve got English first period, but I’ll catch up with you later. And don’t forget about cheerleading tryouts this afternoon!”

  “Oh I won’t!” Jami shouted after her. “I’m looking forward to it!”

  She watched Tori disappear down the hallway, and turned, glancing at the room number next to her as she lifted her class schedule. “Hmm. Room 101. What are the odds?”

  She snuck inside the room, just as the bell rung overhead and slid into the desk.

  “Cutting it a little close there, aren’t you?” A young girl asked, from the seat next to her as she wrote something in her notebook. “You get lost?”

  “More like I got a little sidetracked,” Jami said, as she pulled her notebook from her bag, and picked her pen up.

  “A boy?”

  “Sort of.”

  “What’s his name?” the girl asked, grinning. “Come on, you gotta give me something!”

  Jami laughed. “Apparently he’s the quarterback of the football team.”

  “You mean Stephen?” the girl asked, leaning her hand against her cheek and leaning forward. “You know half the girls in this school have slept with him, right?”

  “So I’ve heard,” Jami said, grinning. “But he would look great on my arm at homecoming!”

  “You want to be popular?”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  “Well, me for one,” the girl said, glancing up as the teacher walked into the room, then back to Jami. “But then again, you do have that vibe.” She grinned. “By the way, I’m Maggie.”

  “Jami,” Jami said, glancing over at Maggie. “So, what’s the deal with this teacher. Is he hard?”

  “Nope. From what I’ve heard, he’s super easy, if you can get past his monotone voice that is.”

  “Even his tests?”

  “Yup.” Maggie leaned in close. “Apparently, he believes in open book tests.”

  “Oh! That is such a relief!”

  “The total opposite of Miss Nichols across the hall. I guess she gives pop quizzes all the time.”

  “Oh! Thank God I don’t have her!”

  “You and me both,” Maggie said, giggling. “So, are you any good at Math, Jami?”

  “Sort of,” Jami said, wincing at the lie. Now why had she just said that? She was horrible at math!

  “Liar,” Maggie said, laughing. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you out. I love math!”

  Great, Jami thought, rolling her eyes. The first girl I meet is a nerd. What are the odds? She flipped the page in her math book, and winced, as the page sliced her finger. Ouch!

  She stared at the paper cut on her finger, and her eyes suddenly widened as gold sparkles danced along the cut. Healing the wound almost instantly. What the hell?

  “Jami!”

  Jessi spun around, racing down the pebbled sidewalk, and shouting at Jami as she disappeared through the crowd. “Don’t you dare leave me!” she shouted, fear clutching her, as she gazed around at the kids surrounding her. None of them paying the least bit of attention to her. “I don’t want to do this alone!”

  She sighed, watching as Jami disappeared through the door. So much for sticking together, she thought, glancing to her left where the cheerleaders were standing in a huddle. Their gorgeous hair pulled back in neat, perfect buns, wearing their blue and white cheerleading uniforms. One of the girls glanced up, narrowing her eyes on Jessi. “What are you looking at, loser?”

  Jessi rolled her eyes. Well, that wasn’t predictable at all.

  She shoved her way through the crowd, her gaze trailing up the steps to where six young boys were leaning against the railing, wearing their blue and white letterman jackets. And there are the jocks, she thought. It’s like every school is the same. You’ve got your popular kids, the jocks and the cheerleaders. Then you’ve got your goths… she glanced over her shoulder at the boys and girls huddled next to the building, wearing black clothing. Black lipstick was plastered across their lips, black eyeliner, circling their eyes, and spiky hair sat on top of their heads. I wonder what it would be like to be like them.

  She pushed the thought to the side, stopping and staring longingly up
the steps. Come on, Jessi, don’t be scared. It’s just a school, and you have been through way, way worse.

  The thought crossed her mind, and she frowned, scratching the side of her head. She’d been through worse? The only bad things she’d been through in her life was foster care and juvie! Truth be told, neither one had really been bad. What was wrong with her? It was like she was forgetting something… but what?

  “Whoa… who are you?”

  A young, dark-haired boy slid up next to her on his skateboard, cocking his head as he stared at her. “I don’t know you, do I?”

  “Doubtful,” Jessi said, giggling, as he tucked his skateboard under his arm. “I’m one of the new freshmen this year.”

  “Ah. Lucky you.”

  “Lucky my ass. I think I’d be less scared facing a pack of lions,” Jessi said, shuttering. “I hate first days.”

  “Ah, it’s not that bad,” the boy said, laughing. “Say cheese!” He swung around, snapping her picture before she could even blink.

  “Hey!” Jessi startled, blinking at the sudden brightness. “What was that for?”

  “For my article in the student newspaper. I’m going to be doing a piece on the new students in the school.”

  “But you can’t just take my picture without my permission!”

  “Sure I can. It’s not like you’re famous or anything,” the boy teased, grinning at her. “I’m Nathan, by the way.”

  “Jessi,” Jessi said, still a little blinded by the flash of the camera. “You could have at least given me a warning.”

  “Now what’s the fun in that?” Nathan asked, laughing again. “Plus I like keeping people on their toes.” He linked his arm through hers. “Now come on. Let’s stomp this fear of yours, and get our butts in there!”

  “Why are you being so nice to me? I thought you people didn’t like talking to freshmen.”

  “I’m different than most people,” Nathan told her. “Plus, a year ago, I was just like you. Why are you so afraid, Jessi?”

  “I’m not a big people person,” Jessi admitted, as they started up the steps. “They make me kind of claustrophobic.”

  “You’re not a people person? Well, we’ll just have to change that!” Nathan cried. “But first, let’s find your locker, and figure out where your first class is.”

  “History, with Miss Beckerman.”

  “Hmm. I had her last year. She’s not too bad, if you can get past her crazy costumes.”

  “She wears costumes?”

  “Yup. Says it makes teaching more fun,” Nathan said, as they walked through the doors. “You should have seen her dress up like George Washington last year for her lesson! I think it was her best costume yet.”

  “Ooh. Now I’m excited to get to this class,” Jessi said, laughing. “I love school, and I love learning. My sister always calls me a nerd for it.”

  “Why are you a nerd, when you’re just enjoying something you love?” Nathan asked, pointing. “Hey, look. There’s the marching band!”

  Jessi glanced up, staring down the hallway, at the kids with instruments strapped to their chests. “Are they any good?”

  “Are they good?” Nathan laughed. “You’re kidding, right? They won nationals last year!”

  “No way!”

  “Do you play?”

  “Oh, heck yeah I do!” Jessi cried. “I love music! I have a guitar, a clarinet, a flute, and I just got a saxophone! I also play the piano pretty well.”

  “Ooh. Sounds like we have our next Beethoven.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  “How do you afford all of this stuff? You’re a foster kid, aren’t you?”

  Jessi startled. “How’d you know?”

  “Takes one to know one,” Nathan said, nodding to her hand me down jeans, her faded t-shirt, and ratty backpack. “I remember what it was like, wearing clothes that weren’t my own, because it was the only thing the foster family would give to me. The crappiest of clothes.”

  “Were you adopted?”

  Nathan nodded. “Yes. By a great family.”

  “You’re lucky.”

  “Some of us are,” Nathan said, as they weaved through the masses. “Which locker is yours?”

  “This one.” Jessi stopped at it, quickly dialing the combination, and opening the dark blue locker. “And you asked how I could afford the instruments?”

  Nathan nodded.

  “I stole them.”

  “What!”

  “Yup. I’m a foster kid, with a dark side. It’s the reason I spent six months in juvie.”

  “You were in juvie!”

  “Yup, but that is a story for another time,” Jessi said, taking her books from the locker, and slamming the door shut. “When I know you a little better.”

  “So you think we’ll be friends?”

  “Maybe,” Jessi said, sending him a smile. “But then again you are the only person I know in the school. Besides my sisters that is.”

  “That is true.”

  “Hey, Nathan!”

  The loud shout sounded down the hallway, and Jessi turned, watching as the crowd parted. A big, broad shouldered kid striding down the hallway, and grabbing Nathan by the shoulders. Slamming him back against the locker.

  “Hey, Pete,” Nathan gasped out, wincing, as his head smacked against the locker. “How was your summer break?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me, Sophomore!” Pete shouted, waving the newspaper in Nathan’s face. “Do you have any idea what your story did to me? To my family? To my mother?”

  “Hey! Let him go!” Jessi cried, pulling at Pete’s arm. “What did he ever do to you?”

  “What did he do?” Pete asked, glancing over his shoulder at her. “He wrote about my Mom’s affair, that’s what he did! Why is that even school news? It’s my Mom! It’s meant to be private, not shared with the whole school!”

  “But you’re part of the school, aren’t you, Pete?” Jessi asked, propping her hands on her hips.

  “Well, yeah.”

  “And whatever happens to you is school news, isn’t it?”

  “I guess so.”

  “Then, Nathan was well within his right to write it,” Jessi said, shrugging. “Plus, everyone loves drama, don’t you think?”

  Pete glared at her. “You know, I don’t like you very much. You’ve got a mouth on you. Who are you, anyways?”

  “Jessi. Jessi Kensington. Now, let him go!”

  “Why? You want to take his place? Because I definitely feel like punching someone in the face today!”

  “Jessi, be careful,” Nathan gasped out, wincing as Pete’s thumb dug into his throat. “He’s beat up a lot of people in this school. Even girls. He’ll have no problem tossing you in the dumpster in the back, along with me, or anyone else who gets in his way.

  “I’m not afraid of him!”

  “Well you should be!”

  “What is this girl thinking?”

  “Is she suicidal?”

  “Does she not know what Pete has done to the other kids in this school? The kids he’s put in the hospital? Thrown in the dumpster? He’ll kill her!”

  “Remember the last girl who stood up to her?”

  “I think her name was Stephanie. She’s been missing for months.”

  “Who does she think she is?”

  “She shouldn’t be talking to him like that.”

  “She’s signing her own death certificate.”

  The voices echoed around her, and Jessi gazed at the crowd, her eyes widening when she didn’t see their lips moving. What was going on?

  She pushed the thought aside, instead glancing back over at Pete. “So, you’re the bully of the school, huh, Pete?” She asked, raising her chin and staring into his stony, gray eyes. “You’ve even beat up girls? Wow. You must really feel good about that, huh? And what about Stephanie? What did you do to her?”

  Gasps sounded around her.

  “How did she know about that?” a young girl asked, glancing at her frie
nd standing next to her. The girl shrugged, “Who knows?”

  “You think I had something to do with her disappearance?” Pete asked, dropping his arms from around Nathan, and striding toward her. “You don’t know anything about me!” He lunged forward.

  “Peter McCallister. My office, now!”

  The loud voice boomed through the hall, and everyone jumped. Parting, as a small, plump man with dark, gray hair raced down the hallway, grabbing Pete by the arm. “For Christ sakes. Did you not learn anything this summer?” he shouted, dragging him down the hall. “I cannot keep doing this, Pete!”

  They disappeared through the door to the right, the door slamming shut behind them, and Jessi glanced at Nathan. “Who was that?”

  “His father,” Nathan said, rubbing a hand against his shoulder, and wincing. “He’s the principal of the school.”

  “The school bully… is the principal’s son?” Jessi asked, arching a brow. “Whoa, that’s messed up!”

  “And you have some balls,” Nathan said, eyeing her. “What were you thinking? Goading him like that? He could have snapped you like a twig!”

  “I faced bullies meaner than him when I was in juvie,” Jessi told him. “I can handle my own. Come on. Let’s get some ice for that shoulder, then you can walk me to class.”

  “I think you should be the one walking me to class,” Nathan muttered under his breath.

  Jessi laughed, glancing down the hall at the people staring at her.

  “Whoa! That girl has some balls!”

  “She stood up to him like it was nothing!”

  “Wasn’t she in juvie?”

  “She’s going to be trouble. I can just feel it.”

  She wrapped her fingers around Nathan’s hand, pulling him to a stop. “Hey, Nathan. Before we go, can you do something for me?”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  “Well, it’s going to sound a little weird,” Jessi said, softly. “But I need you to pick a number between one and ten for me.”

  “You what?” Nathan stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “You’re kidding, right? You want me to do that… now?”

  “Yes,” Jessi said, propping her hands on her hips, and regarding him. “Please?”

  Nathan sighed. “Fine.” He closed his eyes.