Runaway Mortal

by Kant, Komal

  Then the awkward question: “So what made you move here?” Emily asked me. Kenzie elbowed her. It was a clear sign Emily asked what she wanted. Kenzie tried to curb that impulse, but Emily seemed to not have a have an idea about social graces. But I might as well tell them because it was going to come out anyway.

  “My sister and I moved here. Fresh start.”

  “Fresh start from what? Do you have a mysterious past?” Emily asked eagerly.

  Kenzie elbowed her again.

  “My parents were killed in a car accident. Jesse wanted to get out of Canton, and we came here because she got a job. So here we are.” I tried to sound as nonchalant as I could, but I could hear the strain in my voice.

  “Sorry,” Emily said. She looked at Kenzie and shrugged her shoulders. Kenzie rolled her eyes and tossed her hands up a little off the table.

  “Next time, take the hint, Em. The elbowing? It meant stop.”

  “Oh. Sorry, Kate.”

  It seemed like this was a normal practice for them.

  Elise jumped in to change the topic. “Guess who checked out Kate today in English?”

  “Who?” asked Emily.

  “Colton.”

  Emily gave me a beaming smile. “Really?”

  “It’s not a big deal,” I said. While Elise had changed the topic, I preferred it to get it completely off of me.

  “Oh no,” Lisa said. “It’s totally a big deal. Colton hasn’t checked anyone out since he started dating JCru.”

  “The cheerleader?” I asked. Lisa nodded. “Yeah. Taylor Villa, but we named her Cruella DeVille Junior, but to her face we call her JCru. She thinks it refers to J Crew, because she’s an idiot. Nothing better than calling her evil to her face and her being too stupid to get it.”

  “Listen, I would like nothing more than for Colton and JCru to break up. I miss my best friend. She’s not a big fan of me, however, since you’re new, and I know you don’t know me, but I would avoid Colton. Not that he’s a bad guy. He’s actually a good guy, but she’s mean. Like ruin your life mean.” Kenzie was clearly the voice of reason.

  I was going to take her advice. “OK, but what do you mean ‘ruin your life’?” I asked. “I mean, I get it. Colton’s not up for the taking.”

  “You, my friend,” Elise started, “have aligned yourself with the rejects of JCru.”

  “That means?”

  Emily continued, eager to tell me. “It means, in the last three years, she has socially ruined us, all of us, at some point.” She didn’t even give me the chance to ask how. “I got drunk at a party when I was a freshman and passed out. OK, not smart, but her ex–boyfriend and I were talking, and she told everyone I overdosed, and when I went on vacation the following week, she told everyone I had been committed. So now people think I’m crazy.”

  “Lisa here is a genius and in place to be valedictorian. But guess who else is?”

  “JCru.”

  “Yep, so Lisa sleeps with all of her male teachers to get better grades. That’s how Lisa is still maintaining her GPA. A teacher resigned because of the rumors.

  “Kenzie here was BFFs with Colton and JCru didn’t like that. She spread the rumor that Kenzie was in love with Colton. That little brigade of cheerleaders bullied Kenzie until she just walked away from the friendship.” Kenzie was looking over at Colton with an angry look on her face.

  “And, well, Elise here, well, Elise might be the only one whose rumor was true.”

  Elise cut her off. “I may have slept with a few members of the football team in a really short time period. And my best friend thought it was a really good thing to spread around the school because I had just been named head cheerleader.”

  “You were best friends with her?” I asked.

  “Oh, yeah. Well, when the rumors started spreading, people got nasty at the games and I quit the team.”

  “Yikes. I’ll avoid her.”

  They didn’t need to tell me twice.

  “I would also like to add I have since changed my ways when it comes to guys and associating with that bitch.”

  “Hey, whatever gets you off,” Emily said as she stood up. Everyone burst out laughing.

  The rest of the day went great for a first day of awkwardness. I had Kenzie in my math class, Lisa and Emily in my phys ed class, no sign of the evil cheerleader, and then I went to my chemistry lab period to end the day with Mr. Reyda.

  I sat at a lab table and when I looked up, Colton Wright was staring down at me. I smiled at him politely then looked down. I was hoping it came off as rude or I wasn’t interested in him.

  “Can I sit down?” Clearly, he was not into reading social cues like Emily.

  “It’s not taken.”

  “So, I’m Colton.”

  “Kate.”

  “I know.” I refused to look at him. His interest was clear. Maybe he thought he was being subtle. I was not going to take that avenue.

  “Stalk much?”

  “Curious is all.”

  “If that’s what you want to call it.”

  “You’re going to need a lab partner, and since I transferred late into this class, and don’t have one, you and I can be partners.”

  “Awesome,” I said sarcastically.

  “You don’t like me much,” he stated.

  “I rubbed my hands over my face. “Listen, Colton, it’s not that. I already got the 411 on your girlfriend. I don’t need any trouble on my first day.”

  “Oh, Taylor? She’s not that bad.”

  I snorted.

  “Really. And hey, I just want to be friends.”

  “You mean like you were with Kenzie.” I had hit the mark on that one. His smile disappeared. “Listen,” I felt bad. “I’m not saying I know all that happened, but I have got wind about what your girlfriend does when she’s not happy with someone. I would like to remain under the radar.”

  He was quiet. “OK. But we are still going to have to be lab partners.”

  “Fine,” I conceded. I wanted him to go sit somewhere else until it was time to start the lab. He didn’t and I had been rude enough. I’m pretty sure my mother would have been furious with how I just treated someone who had been nice to me on my first day. But the laws of girls were clear: Tangle with mean girl and socially bad consequences would come your way.

  Colton was polite the rest of class and so was I. I could carry on like this. If people saw us only speaking politely and only about chemistry, JCru might leave me alone and not be her main target. At least I hoped not.

  And then it went all to hell. I got off the lab stool, my foot got tangled in my carrier bag, and I tripped, right into Colton’s waiting arms. He righted me and then gave me the brightest smile I had ever seen on a guy. He was so attractive with his sincere smile and I completely smiled back, a clear sign I wanted to be friends by his standards. By mine, it was a moment of teenage stupidity because of a hot guy.

  Awesome.