O.J.

by Penny Hawking

“Oh Ms. Gredstien…yeah she’s a bitch, no wonder you don’t want advice from her.” She said looking over the papers.

  My mouth practically dropped open. Were teachers allowed to say that? Well she wasn’t a teacher but advisors?

  She must have seen my state of shock when she looked back up. “I’m sorry, did I say that out loud? I don’t think I’ve had enough coffee or spoiled little hormonal young adults today.” She said

  I’m gonna like her. I smiled at her. “Actually no she is a bitch.” I said agreeing.

  Ms. Perth swirled her chair around and clasped her hands together. “So are you going to talk?”

  Oh wow, she didn’t beat around the bush. Was Nico sure this was Andy’s sister? They were nothing alike. I admit, I came here expecting some dreary lady hunched back wearing like a black cape or something. “Actually I didn’t come here for school advice.” I said.

  She squinted her eyes at me and then sat back in her seat and crossed her legs. “Okay that’s good because I have no idea how to advise you on Photography.” She picked up her pencil and twirled it in her hand. “Secondly, they’re not paying me for counseling services, so if you’re having boy issues, or you’re pregnant or whatever, just go down to the student care office located in the SCA building.” She said.

  “Actually it’s about your brother.” I said. You see I could be straight forward too, when I put my mind to it.

  Ms. Perth dropped her pencil and sighed heavily. She put her elbows on her desk and ran her fingers through her hair. “Okay…what did he do?” she asked. All of a sudden I realized she sounded extremely exhausted.

  “Actually---”

  She rubbed her brows. “I’m gonna kill him.” She muttered.

  “He stood up for me in Dr. Mauzzio’s class a couple days ago, and I wanted to thank him but he’s kind of…kind of…hard to approach.” I said sitting up in the chair. I was nervous, and when I got nervous I started talking with my hands. So now I’ve became a conductor.

  “What?” Miss. Perth asked confused. She sat up in her chair and leaned forward.

  “And your brother hasn’t been in school for a couple days. Really you need to check that because they have this new policy where teachers deduct like 50 points each time you miss after 3 excused absences. And well anyways, I had went up to talk to him that same day, but he really didn’t seem in the mood. So when I tried to like see him again he was never there and I don’t know why he wasn’t in school. And then my friend said that he just wants to be left alone. But why? I don’t know why he doesn’t want to be my friend. So I thought----” I started rambling, and my hands started moving

  “Wait a minute---wait a minute, hold up.” Miss. Perth said putting out her hands. “You’re saying Andrew stood up for you?” she asked slowly.

  “Yeah, Dr. Mauzzio was acting like an asshole as usual and he asked me a question that he knew I obviously didn’t know the answer to and he was making the whole class wait till I answered and then Andy answered it and then we all left.” I said, then took a deep breath. I said it so fast, I wasn’t sure if she heard me.

  Ms. Perth put her hand over her mouth as though she was thinking. She looked surprised and confused. She tapped her fingers on her desk as she looked me over. “Okay I’m sorry, what exactly do you want with my brother?” she asked after a brief very strange silence.

  “I want to be his friend.” I said softly. I heard my voice and I didn’t even seem convinced myself. I crossed my arms across my chest. “That’s all.”

  The amusement on Miss. Perth’s face was priceless. She scratched her head and then looked at me again. I had no idea what she was thinking but I could guess along the lines of me being stupid or an alien. That was the look I was receiving.

  She gave a slight puff of air as she leaned towards me. “I’m sorry, have you seen my brother?” she asked.

  “No I haven’t that’s why----”

  “No.” She said cutting me off. “I mean, are we talking about the same Andrew Perth here? Tall, skinny white kid, tight jeans, dark clothing, black hair…”

  “Gorgeous blue eyes.” I added. I probably shouldn’t have because her mouth dropped open as soon as I said it. “I mean, he has nice eyes.” I said quickly.

  Miss. Perth smiled and shook her head. “Look Miss. Jones.”

  “Ornelia, or you could call me O.J... A lot of people call me O.J..., but not orange juice, I hate the name orange juice and only Nico says it though I’ll strangle him one of these days----”

  “Ornelia.” Miss. Perth said smiling as she cut me off. “Let’s see.” She said staring up at the ceiling for a minute and then looking me straight in the eyes. “We’re both adults here, so I guess there’s no need for me to sugar coat anything so, obviously you see that you and Andrew aren’t really in the same crowd. Though he’s not really in any crowd, I wish he was. At least not with those weird creeps he has a tendency of hanging with, but that’s beside the point.” She said shaking whatever thought she had away. “You seem like a pretty normal nice girl, I would love for you to have some influence on my kid brother but, I love him and all but, don’t.” she said simply.

  “What?” I asked softly. Is she really deterring me from my goal?

  She looked me over and sighed. “Look Ornelia, Andy is in his own little world and he likes it there. Without people all in his face and his business and trying to get him to become popular or social, he doesn’t like it.”

  “I don’t want to change him.” I said defensively. “I don’t mind him being all weird and shit, that’s him.”

  “Lots of girls have said that and changing him was their number one goal in the end, though obviously it hasn’t succeeded. You’re not the first girl to come to me in this college asking for the 411 on my baby brother. Look sweetheart, I appreciate you trying to think outside the box with Andy, but don’t. He wants to be left alone. ” She said patting my hand.

  “Why does everybody say that?” I asked her. “Nobody truly wants to be alone. I know people say they want to be left alone, though that might be true at the moment, it’s not true their whole life. I mean we’re humans we’re born with the need to be around people to be loved. Nobody wants to be alone. Do you want to be alone?” I asked her. “Because I sure as hell don’t want to be alone and I don’t think anybody else does.”

  “No I don’t want to be alone.” Miss. Perth said nodding. “But the fact of the matter is---”

  I slumped in my seat. Great I failed. I’m such a fucking failure. Did I really think this was going to work? Man I just want to go home, this is so embarrassing.

  “Oh what the hell.” She said throwing her hands up. “If you want to befriend Andy then by all means go right ahead. More power to you, just don’t expect a change.”

  I sat up straight, a big grin on my face. “Really.”

  Ms. Perth looked at me like I was strange and chuckled. It’s okay I’m used to it, that didn’t mean anything. “You’re something else. You don’t need my permission.” She shook her head. “College kids, I’ll never understand them.”

  “What?” I said. “You look like you’re straight out of college.”

  “Good genes…I’m 48.” She said getting back on her computer.

  “What! No way.” I said leaning forward on her desk. “Are you serious?”

  “No.” she said simply. “29.”

  “Wow…that’s still pretty good.”

  “Flattery gets nowhere in our family.” Miss. Perth said smiling. “Word of advice, Andy hates compliments…especially compliments on his eyes.”

  “What! But that’s his best feature!” I protested.

  Miss. Perth nodded. “I agree.”

  Miss. Perth and I got off the topic of Andy and started discussing other things such as school. It felt weird having another adult telling me what steps I should take or how to handle my ADD without medicine. When I told her I didn’t have ADD she gave me a very skeptical look. At the moment we were going over my status sheet. Fo
r somebody that knew nothing about my major she was actually more help than my actual advisor.

  “Let’s see and next semester you can just tack physics because they offer it every semester and it’s a dead end class. Meaning no other class in your major requires it.” she said showing me the flow chart. “But switch to VCAR 431 because you need that for 445 which is only offered during the spring semester if you want to graduate in time.” I nodded as I looked it over. She was pretty good at keeping my attention, she didn’t linger on something for too long and she talked fast.

  “Hey sis, I need your keys, I left mine inside the house again.” A very familiar low voice spoke behind me.

  Chapter three

  Oh my fucking g--- Wait don't use the Lord's name in vain. Oh my fuck. I didn't know whether I should turn around or if I should sit facing Miss. Perth. I wanted to turn around so badly that my palms were itching. Has that ever happened to you? Do you ever get so anxious that your palms itch? Well I do and it's so annoying, that's why I always try not to be anxious about anything. But now I couldn't help it. Shit.

  "Andy, I'm with a student?" Ms. Perth said smirking up at him. She leaned forward in her desk.

  Was it just my imagination or did she seem amused? Actually she looked really amused. Don't turn around, don't turn around. Shit I never listen to myself, that's why I get myself in all this trouble. I turned my torso in the seat so I was facing him. Unfortunately as usual his head was down and his bangs were in front of his face. You know that urge you get to fix a total stranger's hair? Yep, I wanted no, I needed to push his bangs out of his face so I could see his eyes. I actually clasped my hands together to refrain from doing so. I don't need him to think I'm any weirder than he probably thinks I am.

  "Sorry." He muttered shoving his hands in his pockets.

  His jeans were so tight, I had no idea how his hands fit in there. Once again he was so skinny. I looked him over. He seemed to be wearing the exact same thing from the last time I saw him. But he had a plain black shirt. Tight skinny jeans. No longer was the chain there, he had his dirty black converse. Where was this child's jacket? It was pretty chilly out there for October. I looked him over again and noticed that he still had the spiky collar on his wrist. I cocked my head to the side to see his face as best as I could. Yep he still had that lip ring...man nice set of lips for a white boy. I leaned my head over further, tilting my chair. I guess I was amazed at the fact that this boy never looked up from the floor, not even once. Wasn't he at all curious to see what was above ground level?

  "Shit!" I yelled grabbing Miss. Perth's desk to stop my fall. My heart was pacing, my face almost slammed the dirty carpeted floor of the advisors office. I sat back in the chair embarrassed, I'd been so busy trying to look at his face that I hadn't noticed that my chair was leaning over along with me.

  Miss. Perth raised an eyebrow at me.

  "No need to panic guys, I'm fine." I said raising my hands in some sort of reassuring posture. "Sometimes I have a tendency of moving with the earth and neglecting gravity." Shut-up. Shut-up...man I'm such a dumbass. Where did that come from? I don't know, words just come out my mouth like a fucking popcorn maker.

  "Right...." Miss. Perth said dragging out the word and giving me that same indescribable look. Yep she definitely thinks I rode the short bus to grade school.

  "Wait hold up there baby brother." Miss. Perth said standing up. She moved around the desk. "I want you to meet somebody." I turned around to see Andy's back towards me about to leave the office. Man this kid moves fast. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and turned him around and ushered him back towards her desk.

  "Susie, I gotta go home." Andy mumbled.

  I've come to the conclusion that this kid barely speaks above a loud whisper. It seems I have to strain to hear him. Every time he says something, I’m trying so hard to hear? I sat up straight. Oh man, she's going to introduce us...breath...breath...why is he not looking in my direction?

  "Andy, do you know Ornelia Jones?" Miss. Perth asked stretching her arm out to me as though she was presenting some sort of prize.

  Andy looked up, his beautiful eyes focusing on mine. Oh finally. I smiled at him. He blinked two times and looked away. There was nothing on his face. No recognition, nada, zilch. Is this kid for real? Wait does that really make me a stalker?

  "Not really." He said turning back to his sister. My jaw dropped to the ground. Well if I was a cartoon character and my jaw had the ability to do that, it would have. I was in utter shock. Come on Andy we go way back! Well not way back but hey...

  "Well." Miss. Perth said pushing him forward. And yes she did push him. She put her hands on her little brother's back and pushed him and he stumbled towards me. "She's in your English 463 with Dr. Mauzzio.

  "I know." Andy said in that low just above a whisper voice he has going on.

  Oh so now he knows! He didn't know something 3 seconds ago. I crossed my arms across my chest.

  "Good, because apparently you're some kind of hero." Miss. Perth said. I detected the humor in her voice. This lady thought it was funny. Andy looked at his older sister as if she was crazy. Miss. Perth shrugged. Andy scratched the back of his head. He gave a quick glance in my direction, but it never landed on me. He looked afraid to glance in my direction.

  "Can you give me your keys?" He asked her, totally ignoring the conversation that had just sprung up. Did this kid really not like me? Well he had no reason not to. You would think after his blatant refusal to acknowledge me that I would now get up and go cower in a corner, nope not I. I don't do things like that. In fact, he motivated me more. If I had doubts before that our friendship wouldn't succeed, they flew right out the window. Oh Mr. Andy, sir, we are going to be best friends in deed. Call me a pushover if you want. I call it determination. I got up from my seat.

  "Oh come on, Andy where's your manners? Excuse my brother Ornelia. This is Andrew, Andrew, Ornelia." Miss. Perth said.

  "Hey Andy." I said happily. I grabbed his right hand and shook it before he could react. "For a minute there I thought you might be avoiding me." I said sweetly. You know in that tone, that just screams, but of course that's not true.

  Andy looked at his sister for help. I wanted to laugh. This was quite amusing. Maybe he was just shy, surprisingly a lot of people are shy. You see I knew it! People mistook his shyness for loneliness. I have the perfect solution. I leaned my head in front his face to block his view of his sister. I squeezed his hand. Yeah I know I'm bad, I was still holding it, and his palm was warm and manly, yet comforting. I felt him trying to gently pull his hand away but I pretended not to notice. He looked down at our hands and then finally for the love of God, looked up at my face. Oh beautiful blue eyes, how I have longed for thy gaze. I would like to say that I believed Andy was determined not to acknowledge me ever in his life. But I, yes I broke it, because after a long awkward silence of shaking hand, he finally opened his mouth.

  "Hi." He said barely audible. But it was there, I swear I'm not making this up, he said it...he said hi.

  "Yeah!" I said happily. Victory is mine! My shout must have startled him because he took a step back and looked at me nervously. Ignoring it, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. No he did not hug me back or even attempt to. I took note that his hands remained by his side at all times. I didn't know what I expected him to smell like, but he smelled nice. Whatever scent it was, I liked it.

  "You smell good." I said.

  Miss. Perth laughed as Andy scooted away from me. Shit, did I say that out loud? "I mean, well you do."

  "Sis can I have the keys?" Andy asked turning away from me to his sister. I didn't mistake the urgency in his voice, it was there alright.

  Miss. Perth went around her desk and pulled out her purse. "Isn't Ornelia the sweetest?" She asked, as she dug in her purse.

  Say yes. Say yes, and I'll be your best friend forever. I thought happily. But he did not say yes...no. I don't even think yes is in his vocabulary.

>   "She's weird." He whispered leaning into his sister. Yes he whispered it, as in he didn't want me to hear, but I heard. What a traitor?

  I put my hands on my hips. Oh no he didn't pull the weird card on me. "I'm weird?" I said in an incredulous tone. "I'm not the anti-social guy in skin tight jeans with a lip ring and shaggy hair that covers more than half my face." Believe me when I say that I don't think sometimes. And believe me when I say, as soon as the words were out of my mouth I regretted it. You see what I mean, words just come out.

  "I mean..." I said softly. I cracked some of my knuckles. I know, I know bad habit, arthritis.

  "Thanks." Andy said taking the key from his sister's hand and putting it in his pocket. Miss. Perth gave me a look, I couldn't quite explain. I guess it was in between shock, amusement, and encouragement believe it or not. Or I could just be seeing what I wanted to see.

  Without another word, Andy turned and left the office as quietly and swiftly as he'd came. Not once glancing in my direction. I would have felt better if he'd cussed me out or something, but for him to just not say anything was unnerving. Now it was my turn to look at the dirty carpet. I rubbed a piece of lint that I found on the floor with the heel of my shoe. "Not the best way to start our friendship huh?" I said with a guilty half smile.