Our Love

by Sheena Binkley

  "What! I do not believe this! You know you could sue the school for this."

  "Why? My parents were the ones who suggested the transfer."

  "That is messed up. What school are you going to?"

  "Belmont. I'm a Spartan now."

  "Ah girl. I'm sorry for all this. Believe me Theresa is going to get hers."

  "I know."

  "You're starting tomorrow?"

  "Yeah, can't wait." I said in a dull tone.

  "Don't stress over it. You never know, you might like it there."

  I laughed. "I sincerely doubt it."

  "Well, all I can say is keep your head up. Besides, it not like you're moving away. We can hang out on the weekends."

  I smiled. Give it to Eva to make things seem like they're not so bad. That's what I love about her. She always sees the positive in every situation.

  As I pulled my black Ford Mustang convertible into the driveway of my parents' two-story home, I looked at my cell phone and smiled.

  "Thanks girl for the advice. I'm at home now, so I'll give you a call later."

  "Talk to you later."

  "Bye."

  As I hung up the phone, I got out of my car slowly, took out my black Coach tote bag and matching mini clutch, and dragged my feet to the door. As I put my key into the keyhole, I carefully unlocked the door and walked into the house. As I walked into the living room, I saw my parents sitting on our beige loveseat near the TV. I gave them an icy stare as I walked up the stairs.

  "Charlie Marie Perry, bring your ass back here now!" my mother yelled.

  I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling and turned around. I walked back into the living room and folded my arms across my chest.

  "I do not know why you're so upset over what happened. We should be upset with you over what you've done today!" my mom yelled.

  "We were looking out for you by transferring you to Belmont," my dad added.

  "I appreciate that, but you don't understand. This is my senior year! Everything that I was looking forward to is gone now because I'm not going to be there. I'm not going to go to prom with my friends or even graduate with them."

  "We understand that and we feel bad about it, but if your dad did not suggest you go to Belmont, then you would be facing criminal charges."

  I looked at my mom and sighed. I knew my parents had my best interests at heart, so it's not like I could have been upset with them.

  I gave my mom a tiny smile and she gave me a hug.

  My dad came up to us and smiled.

  "We know you're upset baby girl, but this is for the best. Besides, you can still see your friends on the weekends."

  I smiled at my parents and took both their hands.

  "I'm sorry about earlier. I know tomorrow will be difficult, but I'll make it work."

  "That is all we want to hear," my mom said as she kissed my cheek.

  "Besides, you're a Perry. Perrys never give up on anything," my dad said. He kissed me on the forehead and smiled.

  I gave my parents another smile and headed upstairs. As I went into my room, I closed the door and looked around. Everything in my room reminded me of Parker. From the cheer banner, to my red and white pom-poms I had to return, everything in here made me think of what I was going to miss. As I flopped down on my bed, I looked at the ceiling and sighed. I wanted to cry but my heart would not let me. I said I would do this and I will. Because my dad is right, Perrys are never quitters. Never was and never will be.

  ~

  The morning arrived and I was getting ready for my debut at Belmont High. I wish this morning did not come so soon, that way I could stay in my nice cozy bed and think that the last two days were a bad dream. As I went downstairs, I noticed my mom was in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee.

  "Hey. I thought you left already?"

  "I will. I just wanted to see you before I did."

  "Mom, it's not like I'm five and going off to kindergarten. I do not need you to hold my hand."

  "I know baby, but I just want you to know that your dad and I love you so much."

  I smiled at my mom. It is good to hear when your parents tell you how much they love you. Just like I know when I tell my parents I love them, it makes their day.

  "I love you too, Mom." I said.

  My mom looked at her watch and got up from the stool seated near the breakfast bar. She drank the last of her coffee and smiled at me again.

  "I'll see you tonight, okay?"

  "Okay Mom. Have a good day at work."

  "I'll try," she said as she grabbed her purse and briefcase and headed out the door. I know being a lawyer is stressful, so I did not need to give my mom any added stress. As I grabbed my tote bag and purse, I took a deep breath and went out the door. A new day, and a new beginning was approaching, whether I liked it or not.

  ~

  As I drove to the New Oaks section of Sugar Land, I never realized how snobbish this area looked. Just the look of the area gave me the impression that Belmont High wasn't going to be any different. The only thing I knew about Belmont, was that the students were pretty arrogant, but had a very good football team. Even though Parker is considered an uppity area as well, Belmont kids look down on us like we are dog doo on the ground; mainly because of the rivalry of our football teams. So I guess word of advice for me, don't tell anyone I'm from Parker. As I made a left turn toward the school, I remembered the phone call I had with Eva and Ashley earlier that morning.

  "No matter where you are, you're always going to be our girl," Eva said.

  "We got your back no matter what," said Ashley.

  I smiled at the nice things my girls said. I wished I was hanging out with them now, but there was no point dwelling on the past. As I pulled into a parking space, I looked around the parking lot and realized it looked like a scene out of a rap video. Every high priced car you could think of was in the lot. Convertibles, SUVs, and expensive two- seaters were all occupying spaces on the elaborate school grounds. Even though my metallic black Mustang is considered high-quality, it doesn't hold a candle to my dream car: a BMW 528i. As I saw a black one pull up into a parking space a row near my car, I wonder how a teenager could get that type of car.

  "Rich parents," I said to myself as I got out of the car.

  Really, I could consider myself a spoiled kid. Even though we're not rich, we're living comfortably. My mom's a lawyer while my dad's an advertising executive at a prestige advertising firm; so my friends always thought we were rich. If they thought I was, they needed to take a look at the scene I was witnessing at Belmont.

  The school could be a duplicate for the rich kids you see on teen soaps. There were kids sitting on the lawn, and kids walking around talking on their cell phones. As I started to walk down the long sidewalk to the actual building, I had several eyes focusing on me. I wanted to ask people what they were staring at, but I did not want to be ignorant; so I kept walking.

  As I approached the building, I looked over and noticed someone staring at me. This person I did not mind staring. He was too fine. He had one of those faces that would make any girl swoon. He had short blond hair that was spiked up a little. He had a nice body and the most beautiful eyes you'd ever seen. I couldn't tell what color they were, but I could tell they were nice. As he looked at me, I gave him one of my sexy smiles and walked toward the building. As I was walking, I did not realize how close I was to the door. Good thing I noticed before I busted my face though it. I opened the door and went inside.

  This could work out after all.

  3. Michael

  "Why do I bother coming to school?" I asked my friend Chris Donavan as I got out of my BMW 528i.

  "Because you have to," he said while hopping out of the passenger seat.

  As I started to walk through the crowded parking lot of Belmont High, I looked around at the same faces and wondered if anything would ever change. It's hard being the most popular guy in school. I am not being cocky about it; it is what people labeled me. As soon as I st
epped onto Belmont's steps, I was considered the guy everyone liked. Every activity Belmont offered, I was in, captain of the football and basketball teams, and student body president. And, I still had time to master a 4.0 GPA. I'm not going to brag, but there is a list going around school claiming I'm the hottest guy at Belmont. So I guess I'm living the good life, huh? I am, but it gets old quick.

  As Chris and I walked to the quad, three girls who looked like sophomores came up to us. They looked at me with huge grins on their faces.

  "Hi Michael," they said in unison.

  "Hey," I said.

  As I walked away, the girls started breathing erratically because I said hi to them. That is what I have a problem with. It seems like I'm a freaking celebrity around here when I'm just an average seventeen year old senior.

  "I don't get you man. Girls are throwing themselves at you and you don't even notice," Chris said.

  "I notice. I'm just not interested."

  "Still having issues with Danielle, huh?"

  I looked at Chris and rolled my eyes.

  Danielle Peterson is my ex-girlfriend. We dated since freshman year and then all of a sudden, this year she broke up with me. Rumor has it that she is dating some guy at our rival school, Bridgewall, but it's not like I really care. I was going to talk to Danielle anyway about our relationship. It seemed like nothing was the same anymore. Danielle always thought she should be the center of attention. I hate that in a girl. It's good to be confident in yourself, but when you take that to the extreme, it's very annoying. I guess that's why girls have been throwing themselves at me, because the whole school knows about the breakup. Belmont is a big school, but word travels fast.

  "No, I'm not still on Danielle. I'm glad things are over between us."

  "Really? You and Danielle were the perfect couple. You two had everyone around here wishing they could be like you two."

  I laughed and sat down on one of the metal benches in the center of the quad.

  "For now on, Chris, don't mention her name to me, okay?"

  "Who, Danielle?"

  I looked at Chris and sighed.

  "Real funny."

  As I looked around at how beautiful the day was, I noticed someone I never seen before walk toward the building. She was gorgeous. She had long dark brown hair that went to the upper part of her back, honey-colored skin, and nice long legs. From the side view, I could tell she had a body on her. As she turned her head, she looked straight at me. I looked at her and gave her a grin so huge, it showed all my teeth. She gave me a sexy smile and walked into the building.

  "Who was that?" Chris asked curiously.

  "I don't know, but I'm about to find out."

  I got up from the bench and ran into the building. I had to find her, whoever she was. I practically ran into five people in the crowded hallway before I saw her turn the corner toward the principal's office. I caught up with her just before she opened the door.

  "Hello," I said to the beautiful girl in front of me.

  "Hey. Were you outside a minute ago?"

  "Yeah, I was."

  "My, my, you move fast," she said in a sexy tone.

  "I do when I'm interested in something. Or someone."

  The girl smiled as she moved away from the office door.

  "Why have I never seen you here before?"

  "I don't know. Maybe because I blend in well with the student body," she said smiling.

  "No way. I would remember every part of you."

  She looked at me and rolled her eyes.

  "If that was supposed to be a pick-up line, you need to try harder."

  "No, it was not. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I guess it came out wrong."

  Her expression softened a little after I apologized. From the looks of it, I could tell she was feeling me, just like I was feeling her.

  "It's okay. Actually, this is my first day here."

  As she said those words, I realized that I had seen her before, mainly at football games. She was a cheerleader at Parker.

  "Now that you said that, I have seen you around. You were a cheerleader at Parker, were you?"

  She looked nervously at me when I mentioned Parker. I guess she would since Belmont and Parker hate each other.

  "Correct; head cheerleader to be exact."

  "Michael Collier," I said as I extended my hand out to her.

  "Charlie Perry," the beautiful girl in front of me said. She took out her soft hand and placed it in mine. The look she was giving me made me want to know more about the mystery girl named Charlie.

  "Charlie. Nice."

  "Thanks. Usually people wondered why my parents named me that."

  "It's different."

  "Yeah."

  "Well since you're new here, I could show you around campus if you want."

  "I will keep that in mind."

  The school bell rang and everyone began to go to first period. Fine time for the bell to ring! As I looked at Charlie, she smiled and put her hand on the doorknob.

  "I better go so I can get my schedule."

  "See you around, Charlie."

  "I hope so," she said as she went into the office.

  I watched Charlie go into the office with a longing look. I turned around and started to walk to class.

  Maybe Charlie was the change I've been looking for.

  4. Charlie

  After getting my schedule, I noticed I had English first period. The principal's secretary, Renee, asked me if I needed someone to escort me to my class. I told her no, since I needed to know where everything was.

  "I can find it on my own. Thanks though," I said as I walked to the door.

  "I hope you have a great day today," Renee said in a happy tone.

  "I'll try," I said as I opened the door.

  Although I met Michael today, I know that Belmont is still a horrible choice for a school. After seeing all the rich kid rejects, I know this is not the school for me. I missed my old school and my friends. As I continued to walk, I noticed the room number that was on the schedule and knocked on the door. A second later, a woman, who I assumed was Mrs. Waters, the English teacher, opened the door.

  "Hello, Ms. Perry. I was expecting you."

  "Hi, Mrs. Waters," I said while walking into the room. As I walked toward the rows of student desks, Mrs. Waters stopped me and put me in front of the class.

  "Attention class. We have a new student with us today. Her name is Charlie Perry and she just transferred from Parker High. Please make Charlie feel welcome this school year."

  I looked around the room at the not too anxious kids and smiled.

  Thanks, Mrs. Waters, for saying I'm from Parker, I thought as I walked toward the back row of desks. As I walked, I could tell people were giving me piercing stares because I was from Parker. As I sat down, I looked over at the person I was sitting next to and smiled. The girl looked at me and gave me a smile back.

  "Your literature assignments are due this week, so I want everyone to pair up with someone to read each other's papers. Charlie, I'll give you the assignment after class, but you can help someone proofread their paper if you like."

  "Sure," I said. I glanced over at the girl sitting next to me. She was a pretty, light-skinned girl with medium length brown hair. Her eyes were the lightest shade of brown, which could probably pass off as hazel.

  "You mind if I looked over your paper?"

  "Not at all," the girl said.

  I looked at her and she handed her paper to me.

  "So is this how Belmont High students act every time a new student arrives?" I asked the girl.

  "You mean the stares? Don't feel bad. They even do that to people who actually go here. If a person does not fit into their perfect world, they consider them trash."

  "I see you do not like it here either."

  "I tried to like it, but I have no choice," the girl said in a low voice.

  "Now I wish I was back at Parker."

  "Why did you leave?"

  "Long
story, that I do not want to get into," I said as I looked at the girl's paper.

  The girl nodded her head in understanding and looked at the ground.

  "By the way, I'm Charlie," I said as I extended my hand out.

  "Brandy," the girl said as she shook my hand.

  We smiled at each other and I started to correct her paper.

  A few minutes later, I finished reading Brandy's paper. I gave the paper back to her and smiled.

  "Great paper."

  "Thanks. English is my favorite subject."

  "It shows."

  "So have you talked to anyone around here or you keeping to yourself?" Brandy asked.

  "I have. Do you know Michael Collier?"

  "Who doesn't know Michael? The boy is a freaking celebrity around here."

  "Really," I said. After hearing that piece of news, I wanted to know more about the handsome Michael Collier.

  Brandy looked at me and smiled. She leaned over to me so no one could hear what she was about to say.

  "You want to know some things on Mr. Collier, do you?"

  "Why you think that?"

  "Because of the look on your face. One thing no girl can deny is that he is hot. Every girl at Belmont tried to get with him."

  "Have they succeeded?" I asked.

  "Well one girl has. Her name is Danielle Peterson," Brandy said. She turned her head over to the right. I glanced over at a girl who was sitting near the door talking to another girl. Although she was beautiful with glowing ivory colored skin and long blonde hair, she clearly had the word "bitch" written across her forehead.

  "That's Danielle?" I asked.

  "Yeah. She is such a snob. I never knew what Michael saw in her."

  "Saw. So they're not together?"

  "Nope. She dumped him for some guy at another school. I heard he was going to break up with her anyway, so no love lost. Anyway, Michael is such a sweet guy. He would help you in a second if you needed it. And he is so considerate. I guess that is why everyone likes him so much. "