*****
Katelyn pulled up to school just as the warning bell sounded. Dropping off Brianna at school had cost her a few minutes, but it was part of the bargain of driving the car. She wasn’t supposed to have anyone else in the car while she was on the school permit, but her mom didn’t seem to think driving her sister was a major violation.
Brianna took the bus for the most part. There was some new boy she was after who rode both before school and after. Apparently, Brianna was trying hard to get this week. When they pulled up to the school, Brianna wouldn’t get out of the car right away because her new crush was standing outside of the school with another girl.
“Oh, too bad, Brianna. Looks like your plan backfired,” Katelyn mocked.
“Shut up,” Brianna said. “That skank is straight up ugly. She’s doing me a favor.”
“Come on, Brianna, get out. I have to go.”
“One more minute,” she mumbled, her eyes intent on the couple.
“Go on,” Katelyn was impatient and tired. The long morning drive with her dad was taking its toll on her. “You’re too young for a boyfriend anyway.”
Brianna finally pushed her way out of the car. Before she shut the door, she leaned in. “You’re just jealous ‘cause I can get more guys than you.” Brianna slammed the door and turned around to flip her off. Katelyn ignored her and turned the corner to go to the high school down the block.
Katelyn ran as best she could into the school. Her hips didn’t agree with running and she was slightly self conscious about the rise and fall of her plumper parts. She skipped her locker and came up to her first class as the tardy bell rang.
“Shit,” she muttered, but slid in through the door to try a stealth entry. No go. Mr. Montgomery didn’t even turn around.
“Katelyn, assignment in the basket or go get a tardy.”
Katelyn smiled. She flipped open her bag and pulled out her notebook. She turned to the page with last night’s problems, ripped it out, and dropped it in the basket. They wouldn’t be all correct, she knew, but she just had to pass. Montgomery taught the easy algebra class and he had a deal for his first period students. She wasn’t the only one who had a problem with being late. As long as the homework came in, he wouldn’t count a tardy within the first few minutes.
Math went by. Next, modular technology never seemed to be long enough for her to get bored being on the computer. Then, there was science, the doomed class. Luckily, she was seated next to Kristi McGuire, a girl she worked with at Scoop’s in the summer.
“I always thought you tried to get in trouble, ya know, like you were some kind of rebel,” Kristi McGuire said to her on break one afternoon before the dinner rush. “But, I think you’re kind of misunderstood.”
Kristi wasn’t exactly a friend. She was one of those girls who didn’t swear, went to church with her parents, and probably never had a beer, let alone went to a party. But, Kristi was nice to Katelyn and she took great notes. Any time Kristi wrote something down, Katelyn would make her own notes. After the first few weeks, Katelyn found she didn’t need to wait for Kristi to write notes before she wrote her own. She didn’t understand it all, but the open-note tests didn’t come back with an F on them any more.
“Hey, Katelyn,” Kristi said as she sat down at the table next to her.
“Hey,” Katelyn replied.
“Wow, you look tired. You okay?” Kristi was the type to actual notice other people’s well being.
Katelyn tried to perk up, “I’m okay, just tired.” She wondered how Kristi would react if she told her she’d been driving her paroled father to his drug therapy all morning. Katelyn decided against confiding in her. In fact, she was surprised Kristi hadn’t said anything about her dad. Everyone else knew about him.
Katelyn noticed Kristi’s hair was different, shorter, more cropped. She didn’t know how long it had been like that, but decided to still comment. “I like your hair cut.”
“Thanks,” Kristi said and for the slightest moment she thought she saw Kristi look to her hair before she looked away. The black dye job had faded and Katelyn hadn’t had a cut in months. Money was tight again now that she wasn’t working and her dad’s income was gone. Her mom usually hated to have Katelyn get her hair cut. “Your hair is so pretty long,” she’d claim. But maybe since she hated the dye job, her mom might pay for a cheap Great Clips cut.
The science teacher was apparently done with the conversation he was having with another teacher in the hallway and walked in sipping his customary cup of coffee.
“You all look so comfortable, but up out of your seats. New unit, new partners.”
A collective groan went up except for one sarcastic “YES!” screamed by none other than Tommy Turner, who had front row seat assignment. He got up with a jump and almost skipped to the back of the room. He high-fived another wrestler like he had just made a takedown.
Katelyn looked at Kristi with a sad look.
Kristi shrugged and they joined the rest of the students in awkward silence waiting for their new seating assignment. All had their own thoughts—either hopes or worries. Katelyn’s was more of a panic. She didn’t want to lose Kristi. She didn’t have much time to worry about her next partner since her name came up first.
“Katelyn Wells,” the teacher said as he pointed to the corner front row seat. She made her way toward her new table as he called the next seat. “Tommy Turner.” A few laughs came at the placement, some directed at his misfortune at being back in the front row, and some likely at him being paired with her.
“Aw, man,” Tommy protested and slumped back to the front row. Katelyn moved over as far as she could so he wouldn’t be near her. Tommy sat down with a plop and didn’t acknowledge her. Instead, he turned and watched everyone else get seated.
After the teacher went back to the front of the room and wrote more notes, Katelyn turned to look at Tommy. He looked her way for a moment and snorted before he sprawled his elbow between them and laid his head on his arm.
Katelyn looked back to see Kristi paired with another church girl. They were already chatting away, showing each other the contents of their pencil bags.
Katelyn sighed and sank into her seat. She took out her own paper and started on notes, but her mind quickly lost interest. Her mind went to thoughts of Tim like it often did.
Katelyn wondered if all the things her dad had said that morning about meth and addiction was how Tim felt. Maybe, Katelyn convinced herself, maybe Tim just needs someone to believe in him, too.
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