by Rua Hasan
“Well, I’ll see you at five, Gem.”
He probably knew all too well what I was about to say next.
“Don’t call me, Gem.”
He only shrugged his shoulders and looked at me with a glint in his eye. His mood swings were starting to get annoying but I shoved that thought in the back of my head. He smirked at me before turning around to leave. I made my way past the ocean of students and exited the hall. But instead of walking to the parking lot as usual, I made my way to the field where we played dodgeball earlier today. It was almost empty with only a couple of students playing basketball or soccer.
I walked over to the pole I saw earlier with the interesting poster hanging from it. I smiled in relief when I saw that it was still there and took it in my hand.
The poster declared that there would be a race next month. All the schools from our district would participate in the race and anyone could join. There would only be one winner in each school and the prize was two hundred dollars.
It also read that anyone who entered would have to be trained by someone in their school so that when the time came, they’d be ready. And all I had to do was sign up at the main office. I smiled at the thought of winning. I didn’t really need the money, but I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to earn a little extra cash since I lived alone. Also, it would be fun participating in something like this.
Who knows? Maybe I might just win. And even if I didn’t, it was worth a try.
I retreated from the pole and made my way to the main office. Just one more stop to go.
Chapter 16
After signing up for the competition, which was going to take place in a month from now, I gathered my belongings and headed home. All remaining information like who would train me and when we would start would be given to me by the end of the week, and I couldn’t wait for it to start. Even though I might not win, it was a great opportunity to make some extra cash.
Speaking of money, I really needed to find a job. I’d been here for a week already, and sooner or later I was going to run out of it. I’d been using the savings I’d collected over the years to support myself. It wasn’t that much, but it was enough. After my parents died, their belongings were transferred over to me but I never really got to spend them because I spent so many years living with my grandmother.
I also needed to do something other than slacking off all day and becoming addicted to new TV shows.
I wondered if Matt had any jobs in mind. I didn’t need a tedious one like a doctor or a teacher until I graduated college. I just needed a job that would allow me to buy some food and pay the electric bill. I wouldn’t mind working at McDonald’s or as a waitress but not as a stripper. Then again, I heard that they made good money.
It took me not longer than five minutes to walk home. I was feeling really anxious because I had to go to Tyler’s house later. Speaking of Tyler, why did he have to be so damn annoying? Everything about him made me want to punch his sexy face.
And what was with the name he kept calling me? Gem? Really, was that all he could come up with? When you would think of bullying someone or driving them nuts, you wouldn’t call them Gem! I mean I get it because my name was Crystal but still . . .
I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thoughts and assumptions of what would happen if I came back home from Tyler’s house with his own keys and locked his front door so that he wouldn’t ever have to come out ever again.
I walked into the kitchen and took some bread to make myself a sandwich. I wasn’t that hungry but I was bored.
I walked to the living room and turned my TV on but didn’t even look at it. Instead I took out my phone and scrolled down my notifications on YouTube.
Moments later, my phone vibrated. I looked up at the top of the screen to see a banner that showed Matt had texted me. I exited YouTube and went to my text messages.
‘Hey, the group decided to hang out later today. You up for it?’
I let out a defeated sigh knowing what I was about to reply. Hanging out with my friends now wasn’t a good idea. I had to finish the project before I got too caught up in things like finding a job and practicing for the competition. It was like I could never go a day without worrying about one thing or another.
I always wondered if things would be different if my parents were still alive. I wouldn’t have to find a job at this age even though most people my age would be looking for one. I would just be a normal teenager who snuck out at night, got drunk, and hooked up with strangers. But I didn’t have time for that.
I shook the thoughts off before they turned into something much more and replied to Matt’s message.
‘Sorry, can’t go. I have a meeting with the devil.’
It didn’t take Matt too long to answer back.
‘Devil? Come on! Tyler isn’t that bad.’
I lifted an eyebrow.
‘Really? Let me remind you of the time he replaced the cream of your Oreo with toothpaste.’
‘Yea, right. He is bad.’
I kept on texting Matt to pass the time and before I knew it, it was almost five. I got off the couch and turned off the TV. I walked up to my room and changed my clothes into something less decent. I wore a pair of shorts and a plain blue t-shirt. I went into the bathroom and pulled my hair into a messy bun. Maybe if I looked a little unattractive, Tyler would get so scared he would scream like a girl and lock me out of his house. Okay, maybe that wouldn’t happen but a girl can dream.
I walked down the stairs and to the living room. I grabbed my phone and saw that it was already five minutes past five. Oh well. It wasn’t like he had to wait that long. I headed my way towards the front door and grabbed my converse.
It didn’t take me long before I’m staring at Tyler’s front door. I forced myself to press on the doorbell. After a couple seconds of silence, the door finally opened. I felt my eyes widened at the sight in front of me. My mouth fell slightly opened. All I wanted to do was retreat back to where I came from.
You might be thinking that this was one of those cliché moments when the guy would open the door half naked. No. The only reason I wanted to go back home was because of Tyler in general. Trust me, he was standing right in front of me completely covered up in clothes. It was just that I hated the sight of his face that looked like he was going to have so much fun today.
“Why, hello neighbor,” he said smirking.
I narrowed my eyes at him as I crossed my arms under my chest. “Is that all you ever call me?”
Okay fine, I got that the universe hated me and wanted me to see the face I despise the most everywhere. They even paired me up with him at school, like being neighbors wasn’t enough! But did he have to keep shoving it in my face?
“No. I also call you Ge—”
“I know that! Geez. For once I want to hear something other than that stupid nickname.”
“Okay fine. I’ll just start calling you babe,” he said.
I groaned and rolled my eyes. Yea, I would probably prefer Gem over babe, but I wasn’t going to admit that.
He stepped aside, welcoming me into his house. I walked inside but not before bumping into his shoulder which I knew he did on purpose!
Tyler closed the front door and walked me into the living room. His house wasn’t that different from mine. It had two floors which I could see because of the staircase, and it wasn’t too big or small. I noticed that the place was pretty quiet when I sat down on the couch.
“Where is everybody?” I asked.
He grabbed the laptop he had sitting on the table while I took mine out from the bag I brought with me.
“My mom’s working. She won’t come back for another two hours,” he said making me curse inside my head.
Great. Just great.
“So. We’re all alone?” I asked.
“Babe, if you wanted us to hook up, then all you had to do was say so,” he said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
I picked up his arm as if it was some k
ind of disease and put it to his side.
“Yea like that would ever happen. I just know you have something up your sleeves. That’s all.”
Tyler put his hand over his heart and faked a hurt expression.
“You don’t trust me?”
“Nope,” I answered, popping the p.
I was surprised that we actually began working and for once he wasn’t slacking around or bothering me. I didn’t want to ask about his father because I remembered him telling Paul about his dad being gone. Besides, it was none of my business.
Anyway, things went by smoothly. We decided to do a presentation instead of a poster. Tyler made the design while I searched for useful information on the internet and confirm it using our textbooks.
I guess I spoke too soon about peace because Tyler switched of his business mode and returned to his playful yet annoying self. You know that annoying sound the computer makes when you press on the keyboard when you’re not supposed to? Yea well, apparently Tyler decided he wanted to become a musician because he kept pressing the keyboard as if he was playing the piano.
I ran my hands over my face and through my hair, trying to block out the annoying sound. I couldn’t let myself get distracted. I had to finish this project without murdering someone but I couldn’t keep my hands to myself. I reached over and pinched Tyler’s shoulder. He stopped what he was doing and looked at me as if I just hit him in the nuts.
“Will you stop that and concentrate on the project for once?” I hissed but he ignored what I said.
Like always.
“Ouch!” he yelled dramatically and then put his laptop on the coffee table beside him.
“That hurt, woman!”
He fell to the ground while clutching his shoulder. I rolled my eyes and pinched him again. He had it coming. He was acting like a big baby. Or wait, make that a drama queen.
“Ouch!” he yelled again, pretending to be in pain. “When did you become so violent?”
“Don’t be such a baby,” I said.
“Don’t be such a baby? How do you expect me not to act like this when you’re trying to kill me?”
He pretended to wipe away an imaginary tear.
“What would my mother say or do if she found me dead by your hands?”
“Oh trust me. If I really wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t leave any evidence behind.”
“Damn, babe. I didn’t know you hated me that mu—”
“Don’t call me babe!”
“Gem it is, then!”
He got off the floor and sat next to me.
I silently moved a couple inches away from him and looked at the screen of my laptop. I glanced at Tyler, who was starting right at me like he was lost in space.
“What?” I asked.
His face leaned in a bit closer as he kept staring. I became a little uncomfortable so I leaned away but he just moved closer. There was moment of silence as we just sat there awkwardly. I lifted an eyebrow curiously. What was up with him? He was starting to freak me out with his silence.
He finally spoke in a whisper, “You have a zit that is begging to be popped.”
I grabbed the pillow next to me and threw it at his face, which made him laugh hysterically. I rolled my eyes and tried to keep my fists to myself.
It’s okay, Crystal! Killing him isn’t worth it. You don’t want to end up behind bars. Just count to ten and relax. Yea, that’s it. Just ignore him. He’s trying to get to you.
“You should have seen the look on your face.”
Okay that’s it. I jumped on him and tried to punch him, but he held my hand back. I could see tears coming out of his eyes which made me even more pissed. Why on earth was he laughing so much? This wasn’t even funny!
“Stop laughing!”
I punched him in the chest with my free hand. Oh, but that was such a bad idea because his chest was as hard as a rock. What did he take? Steroids?
I kept punching his chest taking all my anger out on him. Damn, that felt good even though it didn’t really affect him at all. I had always wanted to do this.
The couch wasn’t big enough to support us, we fell down on the floor with him on top of me.
“You actually think that’s going to hurt me?”
I glared at him and gave him one last punch.
“You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met in my entire life. You think you’re that awesome, but guess what?”
“What?”
“You’re a nincompoop!”
He stared at me for a moment before he broke into laughter once again.
“Nincompoop?”
“Yes, and I have many other names up my sleeve!”
I realized our positions and tried to hide my embarrassment. I used all my strength to push him off me. He noticed my discomfort and went serious. I coughed awkwardly as I got off the floor and checked the time on my phone. I wasn’t going to stay here any longer. I guess we’d have to finish this next time.
“I’m going to go,” I said as I put my laptop in my bag.
“Now?”
“Yea. You’re too annoying to actually spend some time with.”
I said this with a teasing smirk plastered on my face to get rid of the awkwardness. This seemed to do the trick because he gave me a grin and then rolled his eyes.
I wasn’t expecting my day to go like this. I didn’t really know what I was expecting. Tyler was so strange in so many ways. One minute he was all serious and the next he was like a little child who loved to piss me off so many years ago. Maybe I wasn’t really expecting to meet him in the first place. Deep inside I knew that some things would have changed, and others would just stay the same.
“Oh, but you do know you like it.” He winked.
“Goodbye, Tyler. I hope I never see you again,” I said as I walked to the front door. I opened it and started down his front porch, not looking back.
“Have a nice day too, Gem!” he yelled playfully before closing his front door
Chapter 17
There were so many times in my life when I thought of myself as a patient person. In fact, everyone else thought so. I never let anything get to me or pop a nerve. Every time I wanted to say or do something risky, I’d wait. I’d wait till the last drop of rain or till the last person came out of school. I’d wait for the right time, for that perfect moment, and when it finally came, I’d feel like I accomplished something extraordinary.
I was always patient.
Yea, well, until I met Tyler.
I tried to remind myself of the person I used to be as I walked down the hall. I passed the crowd of hungry teenagers and went into the cafeteria with Tyler by my side. It wasn’t not like I wanted him to be there. It was just that he was as clingy as a crazy girlfriend and I’m not even kidding.
I got out of our fourth period class like it was on fire. I was so ready for this day to end because it was Friday―a day I’m pretty sure everyone loves. Well, not the ten-year-old me. I used to think that Fridays were my bad luck days. Everything unpleasant would happen on that day; like getting bullied by Tyler―even though that happened constantly when I was a kid and spilling ketchup all over my white dress.
I just wanted to go home in peace and start looking for a job. I asked Matt to help me after school and he was more than delighted.
I was trying to find him and the others, but having Tyler follow me everywhere made it difficult. His behavior didn’t surprise me. What surprised me was that he hadn’t done this since the beginning of last week. I never saw him during lunch. Never really cared before but now that I thought of it, my curiosity got the best of me. Where did Tyler go during lunch?
My thoughts were cut off when he opened his stupid mouth. His pink lips moving apart. Wait! Why on earth was I paying attention to his lips?
“So where do you and your buddies hang out?” He asked as he dropped his arm around my shoulder as if we were best friends.
“That is none of your business.”
“Yea, I almos
t forgot everything isn’t my business.”
I stopped dead in my tracks and glared at him as I crossed my arms under my chest.
“Why are you following me?”
Tyler’s face brightened. Clearly because I was letting him get to me.
“I’m not following you. I’m just tagging along,” he said as he raised his hands in surrender.
What if I threw a ball in the opposite direction? That could distract him, right? And then I could flee and meet up with my friends. That sounded like a great idea, but there was just one problem. He was not a dog! But the way he was acting like a lost puppy sure made me want to try.
“Well then, stop tagging along.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
I groaned to myself and decided to just ignore him. Like always.
It’s okay, Crystal. He’s not here. He’s just a ghost. An annoying ghost who wants to haunt you for the rest of your life.
I might as well have grown old with him by my side because he wasn’t leaving at all. I began to walk to the lunch line when my stomach grumbled. Not too loud where everyone could hear it but loud enough for me to know that my body was begging me to have something in my system. I wasn’t too surprised when Tyler stood behind me. But what really made me lift an eyebrow was that he didn’t even grab anything to eat.
Why was he in the lunch line if he wasn’t going to, and I quote, ‘get lunch’?
“Why aren’t you getting anything?”
Oh, but I knew the answer far too well. He was just trying to annoy me and he was doing a perfect job at it.
“Aw, Gem! Do you care about my health that much?” He cooed as he pinched my cheek playfully, but I swatted his hand away.
“No! I just want you to get lost. That’s all!”
I took a step back and was about to walk away when I looked back at him.
“Oh, and for the hundredth—-no, make that the millionth time! My name isn’t Gem!”
I turned around with my lunch in my hands and walked to my usual table with Tyler not too far behind. I wasn’t surprised when I saw the look of shock and confusion written all over Matt’s face when he saw us. Everyone became silent as Tyler and I sat next to each other.