O.J.

by Penny Hawking

  Miss. Perth shrugged and sat down. "He's leaving." she stated simply as she began to type something on her computer.

  "Right." I said. I quickly grabbed my purse from the chair and the status sheet on the desk. "Thanks for, yeah, for this and the other thing." I rushed out the door.

  Okay what do I say now? Apologize? Well I really didn't want to apologize but it seemed like the best sort of action if I ever wanted him to speak to me again. Shit. There! Andy has been spotted. He was walking slowly down the hallway with his headphones on. I jogged to him. Yes, I jogged, I never jog, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  "Hey!" I said remembering to take off his headphones. He calmly took his headphones from me and was about to replace them back on his ears but I grabbed his arm.

  "Could you not be a jerk for one minute and just listen to me?" I said. Was he a jerk? Probably not. Was I? More than likely, but the key to getting somebody to talk or listen to you was to guilt them into it. And it worked because he paused his action. No he didn't look at me, but the fact that he wasn't moving was encouraging.

  I gave a sigh of relief. I got in front of him. "Okay before you go back to your loud head banging music, I just wanted to say---" Blank. Shit my mind went blank. I had no idea what I wanted to say. I turned around in disbelief. This could not be happening to me right now what?

  "Look." I said quickly. "I don't remember what I wanted to say but it was important and now I know I just look weird and strange just standing here talking about nothing, but it's not nothing, I'm trying to stall until I can remember...." I trailed off. No matter how hard I thought, nothing came to mind. I had to give him credit for standing there while I made a complete ass of myself.

  I slumped my shoulders and sighed as I took a step back. "Never mind, I don't remember, but your hair's not shaggy though, I actually really like it. I just wish we could see your face more, or never mind, ignore me." I said stopping myself from rambling out of nervousness.

  "I'm gonna go now okay." Andy said slowly. I took note that it was the second time, he’d actually directed words towards me.

  I nodded. He might as well, I was just wasting his time. He gave me another quick look before he put his headphones back on. I stepped to the side and let him pass. Yeah Ornelia, you screw up a lot don't you? It might not seem like a big deal, but I hate it when things like that happen to me. It’s like a million things are processing in my head and then in a snap, nothing. And then I get sad.

  I leaned against the wall. No wonder he thought I was weird. I looked towards the direction Andy had walked away. My friendship was quickly fading into the distance. I watched him. He has a nice walk, strong and confidant. But why was his head always down?

  Andy turned the corner and right before he disappeared, he flicked his black hair away from his face and looked behind him. His eyes falling on mine gently. I froze. And just like that he disappeared. Wait he willingly looked at me? I opened my mouth in shock. Wait what's that in my heart? What is that? A flicker of hope? I smiled.

  "Yes." I whispered as I pumped my fist into the air.

  Jeanie walked by and rolled her eyes at me. She flung her beautiful hair back and scoffed. Don't ask me what her problem is, I've been wondering the same thing for three years. I've just concluded that she loves to roll her eyes and scoff at people. Me in particular. She switched her hips as she walked away with her leopard print high heels, her too short grey skirt and white blouse. Was she a tramp? No, though I would love to say she was, and she could dress, and she was gorgeous. Why did she not like me? Again, no idea. I nodded my head. Those shoes were hot.

  "Get a life Ornelia." She said in that raspy voice that boys fell over for. Me I personally thought she had an everlasting cold, which bugged the mess out of me. I kept insisting she go get that checked. I was starting to get real concerned.

  I didn't answer because...because, I was a punk. She intimidated me. I know, I know, I'm all this and that and blah blah and I talk a big game, and I'm getting all buck with some kid I don't even know. Hey believe it or not folks we all have our insecurities. Jeanie is a bitch, I don't ever want to cross, not that she'd let me. I was too plain, too annoying, too much of a pest and just way beneath her for that. Don't ask how we managed to have the same group of friends. Mysteries above mysteries.

  "I like you shoes." I said. Suck up? Who cares?

  She stuck up her middle finger at me and disappeared. I sighed, sometimes I truly wish I was as cool as her. You know it takes a lot to be such a badass bitch, but then I smiled. I wouldn't have half the fun I'm having now...a.k.a Andy. I giggled to myself as my phone vibrated.

  "Hey babes." I said happily holding onto my purse as I walked off in the opposite direction of where Andy and Jeanie had disappeared.

  "I'm hungry!" Nico said into the phone.

  "Boy when are you not hungry?" I asked laughing.

  "Meet me in the courtyard. Let's get some pizza at the Shack." He said.

  My stomach growled. "Roger that...and guess what handsome?" I said playfully as I skipped down the stairs.

  "Hey hun." Dylan said at the bottom of the stairs, his arms stretched out for a hug.

  I grinned as I hugged him.

  "I was---."

  "Gotta meet up with Nico." I whispered to him as I patted his arm.

  "Who's that?" Nico asked.

  "Next time then." He said.

  I didn't hear him as I walked out the double doors. "None of your business nosey McPhee...but anyways, the eagle has landed." I said almost skipping down the hallway. I said almost...I didn't skip, that would be so, gosh....would I do something like that?

  "Am I supposed to pretend I know what that means?" He asked.

  His voice sounded closer than before. I looked up and saw he was against the other set of doors.

  "Buddy!" I said happily as I hung up the phone. I grabbed his arm as he pushed the door open. "He said hi!" I said excitedly. "And then he said. I'm gonna go now. But he talked to me!"

  Nico rolled his eyes. "And why would you think I give a fuck what he did? Whoever he is?" He asked.

  I pouted. "Because you love me and you want to know everything that makes me happy." I said grinning at him.

  "Well fuck you." Nico replied, pinching my side.

  I laughed as I walked faster to the Shack. "Come on, I'm starving, let's go slow poke."

  Chapter four

  I looked at my phone and sighed. I had 3 minutes before Dr. Mauzzio would mark me absent. Hastening my steps, I pulled open the double doors and raced up the stairs. "Shit." I forgot the class was on the third floor. Faster.

  "Oh hey O.J.., I was wondering..."

  "Hi. Bye." I said quickly to whoever was talking. Don't worry, I didn't forget to give a nice smile, I just didn't have time for distractions. I bounded up the third floor. Just a little more. Right before I was going to open the door, the door flings open and proceeds to hit the side of my face. My mouth throbbing painfully. Fuck.

  "Oh my God, I am so sorry." A petite Asian said.

  I touched the side of my face. That fucking door hurt. I blinked several times, I could've sworn I saw little black birds flying around. "Birds." I said.

  She put down her adorable Prada bag. Yes in the midst of my pain, I had time to admire her big beautiful yellow bag. She put her hand on my shoulder. "What?" She asked confused. She had such a concerned look on her face, I wanted to reassure her that I was okay.

  Oh no, I'm going to be late. "I gotta go." I said quickly. I put my hands out because I stumbled a bit. Whoa dizzy…Maybe I got hit harder than I thought. Who cares, I gotta go now...can't be absent.

  "Wait your lip is bleeding----“

  "Its okay thanks, bye." I said waving her off. Did I hear what she said, nope? I didn't have time, I have a tendency to have a one track mind, and yes I'll admit it. I do, I do.

  I ran to the classroom and yank the door open and stumbled in. I know, it might have been better to try to sneak in and be more
subtle about my entrance. But I can assure you that I wasn't really thinking at the moment. I took a deep breath and let it out. The whole class was staring at me. It was too be expected. It was kind of unnerving to say the least, not to mention I had to blink several times to stay focused. I made my way to my seat slowly.

  "You okay?" The person at the desk I was currently standing by asked. I nodded.

  "You know this is an absent right Ms. Jones?" Mr. Mauzzio asked looking away from the Smartboard and finally fixing his attention on me.

  I gave him a shaky smile. "No, I'm pretty sure, I have a minute left." I said.

  He gave me a puzzled look.

  I shrugged and turned and bumped my knee into another desk. "Shit."

  "Are you okay?" Mindy asked reaching out for me. Oh Mindy, she's such a sweet girl. She gossips a lot, but she's really sweet. But why, why was there two of her? I brought my hand up to my head.

  "Ms. Jones are you high...again?" Dr. Mauzzio asked. Yeah again, let's not address that and say we did. I was having a rough week that time.

  Nico got up from his seat. "What happened to you?" He asked concern pouring out his voice.

  Oh my friend, I've been looking for him, couldn't quite remember where my seat was. I made my way to him. "Nothing why?" I asked.

  "Because you're bleeding." He said coming towards me.

  Wait was Andy in class? ----Bleed---bleeding? "What?" I said dumbly as I brought my hand up to my face. The class was silent as I wiped my face. Even Dr. Mauzzio didn't say anything. I felt something wet and brought my hand in front of me to see. Dark red. Blood. I wavered a little bit. It wasn't a lot, but I didn't do blood. For some reason if it wasn’t coming out my vagina it completely unsettled me. That's why I could never be a doctor.

  "Blood." I said slowly. I felt my body grow weak as everything around me started to become black.

  "Shit, she's going to faint." I heard Nico say as he moved towards me. I heard scrambling of desks.

  "No, I'm not." I said right before I fell into total blackness.

  I was later told by Nico that Dylan had grabbed me right before I plummeted to my death. I had hoped in some miraculous way that maybe Andy had jumped out his seat and tried to rescue me, but no. I was even more annoyed when Nico said Andy was the only one in the class not to even react. Even Dr. Mauzzio showed some sort of concern and this teacher hated my guts. But dammit, he still gave me an absence, a reluctant excused absence I must say. Now I was sitting on the couches on the third floor of the library, nursing my pride more than the small cut on my lip. How embarrassing is that? To faint in front of all those people over a small trickle of blood. I was so mad at Nico, he knew better than to tell me there was blood on me or something. Of course I would faint, that asshole. I sank further in the couch. And that other asshole called Andy didn't even have the decency to be concerned, not even a little? I hate him.

  I crossed my arms and sighed. He didn't even know me, and I only had like a couple drops of blood. I bowed my head. Why the hell do I overreact so much? I just made a complete fool of myself. I wanted to cry but I was too aware of the people walking around the computer area to ever do something like that. The only person that's ever seen me really cry was....my mom, when I was 8 and got my last beating. I never ever cried meaningful tears in front of people. That was a big no-no for me. No matter how much you'd hurt me or how angry I was, I'd always wait till I was alone. But it wasn’t just me even my tears boycotted falling down my face when something truly mattered to me. Don't misunderstand; I cry. I actually cry a lot during sad parts in movies. I like ball my eyes out every time, let me not even get started on the Lion King.

  I ran my tongue over the cut on my lip. I was so glad that my lip hadn't swollen up to look like I had fucking herpes or something. It had a small little red line that I could deal with. I'll just call it my battle scar. Oh mom please tell us the story of the cut on your lip. Well kids, this was years and years before you were born. One day I was racing to go save the world before the clock struck 12 when Bam! A ninja pops out of nowhere and demands to fight. So we pull out our swords and we go at it, we're flipping over stairs, climbing on walls, pow pow pow....when she distracts me with a shiny bag and slice...she cuts the side of my face but I turn around and stab her right in the heart, and poof. She disappears, like a cloud of smoke. Victory is mine kids...and so is the scar. I smiled as propped my legs on one of the tables. Who am I kidding, this little cut will be gone by tonight.

  "Well if it isn’t the fainting black Barbie." Somebody said behind me.

  Damn, news travels fast. I looked up at Jeanie and smiled. "Whatever are you talking about?" I asked happily. Get out my face please and thank you.

  She looked at me repulsed. Man that hurt.

  "Eeewww you look like an ad for a battered wife." She said shaking her head. She turned around in her pointy white heels and walked her little tosh down another part of the computer lab.

  My jaw dropped. I brought my hands up and touched my face. Did I look that bad? No she always does things like that, no I'm fine...I'm---- I got up and raced to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror. Liar, you could barely see anything. I scolded myself for believing her. I don't know why I always let her have the last word. One of these days I swear, one of these days, I'll stick it to her. I smiled.

  I walked out the bathroom. Shouldn't class be over? I didn't have another class for 2 hours. Maybe I should go home, but parking was hell and I didn't want to lose my space. I looked up and smiled at the crowd of people that started walking by. I'd left my stuff on the couch. I was sure nobody was going to steal it but at the same time, I wasn't too sure. There were some pretty shady people at this school. I weaved my way around the crowd occasionally saying hi to acquaintances I met over the years. I raised my head high as I made my way to the couch. I'm not cocky or anything, I'm just confidant, especially the more people talk and compliment me, the more confidant I feel and the more cocky people believe me to be. Uh life, nobody understands.

  I gasped and smiled. "Hey Andy!" I waved happily, to my favorite person currently walking on the face of the earth.

  "Oh hey Ornelia, how are you? I'm so sorry about your lip, are you okay?" He asked concern written all over his blue eyes. I nodded and smiled as he lifted his hand and gently caressed my cheek, his thumb rubbing back and forth.

  "It hurts a little." I said softly.

  "Oh sweetheart." He said gently. "Maybe I should kiss it and make it better?" he suggested leaning in towards me.

  Yeah right. And then I woke up from my daydream. More like he kept walking, not even lifting his head to acknowledge my presence, and the thing is this time he didn't even have his headphones on.

  "Andy." I said making my way behind him. I tugged his shirt, since there were no headphones to pull off. I ended up pinching his side since his grey shirt fitted him perfectly. Not an ounce of fat on him...seriously this kid was too skinny.

  He gave me a quick glance but didn't stop walking.

  I stopped walking and held on to the edge of his shirt. "It's rude to keep walking when somebody's talking to you." I said.

  He stopped and looked around uncomfortably. I think he might have kept walking away if it wasn't for the stares that more and more people were throwing in our direction. He walked back to me and took his shirt out of my hand. "Do you always have to make a scene?" He asked.

  I grinned. "I can make it worse." I said teasingly. "But really, it's always comforting to know that you're so concerned for my wellbeing." I said sarcastically. “Do you treat all your friends like this?”

  Andy turned and started walking away again. "You weren't going to die." He said.

  I followed, keeping up with him. He had long legs, and even though he was walking variably slow, I had to still keep up the pace. "You know this is the most you've ever said to me in your life." I said grinning. "Keep it up and we'll be virtually inseparable."

  I guess he couldn’t take a joke because his face bla
nched.

  "Hey buddy, I'm just joking." I said reassuringly as I stepped closer to him. I wanted to move out of the way of the crowd, but secretly I liked walking close to him. I noticed if I got close enough I could get that amazing particular scent off of him, I liked it. I didn't even know what kind of scent he had, but Axe should really look into making an ad on him.

  He stopped abruptly, which caused me to bump into his back. "Ow." I said putting my hand on his forearm I know you don't have to tell me. I'm clumsy, I really should pay more attention to where I'm going.

  He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down on the floor. What was he looking for? He sighed, and to my surprise he turned to face me and gently touched my elbow. What? What is this...physical contact? I was surprised.