by Dexx Peay
Amanda and I were making white chocolate cupcakes. As I turned around to head to the cooking station, Diana, the most flirtatious girl in the entire senior class, was standing so close to me we were practically kissing. She had on red-fitted pants that hugged her best asset, and heels that complimented her long legs. Her full lips were moist from all the gloss, and her silky dark hair, which always poured down her back, set off her blue eyes.
“Can I help you?” I asked. Her hands began to stroke slowly up my arms.
They quivered.
“I just love your body, Dylan, and your curly hair too, Dylan,” she said so seductively.
This was nothing new for Diana. I wanted to tell her to stop but at the same time was interested to see where she was going with it this time. I had to admit she was quite striking. Before and during Jessica, Diana had an on-and-off crush on me. She was the kind of girl who was not afraid to express her feelings. Jessica never cared for her. I’ve never had a problem with her, even though she pushed the boundaries of our friendship.
“I love your golden skin next to mine,” she said.
I laughed it off. Out the corner of my eye, Amanda was still shivering.
“Here she goes again,” Amanda mouthed out. We were starting to gain the attention of some of the other students as they snickered and watched. Our teacher glared but never said a word.
Taking her time to toss her hair so that it rest perfectly against her back, her tone all of a sudden changed from seductive to serious, “…but I hate your blue contacts. When did you get contacts?” she asked, disgusted.
“What are you talking about, Diana? My eyes are brown and I don’t wear contacts.”
“Not today. But…” She gently stroked my face with the back of her hand. “That’s weird … they were just…” she whispered, walking back to her seat.
I was confused. And if I did wear contacts, blue wouldn’t be my color of choice.
Stomach slightly churning at her seriousness, I laughed to mask it. “Diana what are you talking about?”
“Take a seat, Mr. Perry,” our teacher yelled as the class laughed at my semi-demise.
All of a sudden I felt like the chicken sandwich I had for lunch was about to crawl up my throat and jump out of my mouth. I placed my hands on my stomach and hunched over trying to catch my bearings. I could hear Amanda’s voice in the background, like she was yelling from a distance, telling me to sit down and start on the cupcakes. The constant chattering of her teeth unexpectedly brought about one of my migraines.
“Can I please be excused,” I asked, unable to raise a hand. I couldn’t wait for an answer; I left for the bathroom.
My stomach was still doing numbers and my vision was beginning to go blurry. My hand trailed the row of lockers, as I steadily placed one foot in front of the other. The chattering sound of Amanda’s teeth haunted my ear buds. Seeing the goosebumps on her arms as she shivered played over and over in my head like a bad dream. I couldn’t get Diana’s laugh out of my ears. The words blue contacts replayed over and over again.
I finally got to the bathroom and scanned the area to make sure no one else was present.
I scratched my hands as I hesitantly walked to the mirror. And as sure as the sky was blue my eyes were too. I stared in amazement, looking at myself, touching my face, widening my eyeballs, anything to give myself some explanation to the mystery.
I swallowed the bile that rose up my throat.
Turning on the faucet, I took a few seconds to let the relaxing sound of the running water calm me. My hands tightly grasped the edge of the sink and the sweat from my forehead ran down my face, hitting the counter. I splashed some cool water onto my face. I slowly lifted my head, not wanting to look in the mirror but at the same time curious to see. I looked closer and closer into the mirror staring at myself in shock. “No way … no freaking way.”
I was in awe.
I was so in awe, I didn’t even see him walk in.
Chapter 2
Marcus
I glanced down at my phone, my foot constantly tapping. “Ahh—man, come on. Dad, let’s go. It’s 10:45,” I yelled.
Dad was in the back putting away the last of the fruit. “Almost done, Marcus. Give me a few more minutes.”
He knew I had a ton of homework like I did every night. Between track and golf practice and working with my dad in the evenings, schoolwork was always done late at night.
“Ok, Marcus. Let’s just lock up and then we can get out of here and finally head home,” he said, walking to the front.
I sighed, grabbed my book bag and the slice of chocolate cake in the to-go box and followed him out the door.
“Hear anything back from Harvard yet?” Dad said as he started up the old rusty pickup truck.
“Nope.” I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my empty inbox. “Still waiting, Dad. NYU and Vassar, but no Harvard.”
“No matter what, son, just know I’m proud of you for all your accomplishments. You know me and your mother couldn’t give you the best life you deserve but—”
“Please, don’t.” I kept scrolling through my phone.
“I'm just saying, Marcus—”
“Dad, it’s OK. Some people ditched me a few weeks after I was born and you and Mom had enough heart to take me in and raise me as your own. You’ve given me more than enough.”
He left the parking lot and headed south towards home. “I just wish we could give you more and afford to send you to the college of your dreams.”
There were a few minutes of silence. I wished he didn’t bring up Harvard or apologize for his selfless act.
“Do you mind if I have tomorrow night off? I really would like it if I didn’t have to work on a Friday night for once.”
“Sure, you’ve earned it.”
I was adopted before I could even crawl. Mom was starting a new job as a nurse and Dad was working as a cook. They really wanted a baby and had been saving up since Mom always wanted to adopt and didn’t want to take time off for the pregnancy and nursing. That led to me becoming part of the Peterson family. Later on down the line, my siblings Elias and Katie were born and blessed our lives even more.
Our family owns a local restaurant here in town called The Carrot Cake. Just from the name, you can figure out that carrot cake is the specialty along with our real fruit smoothies.
Dad bought the place when I was in third grade after we moved from Brooklyn. I started working here a few days after my sixteenth birthday. Business didn’t take off and we had to close. Years later we reopened. Although business is better the second time around, we make just enough to cover expenses and pay a bill or two.
We got home at exactly 11:20 P.M. I spent the next two hours doing homework. I was exhausted when I finished—eyes red and burning from sleep deprivation. I showered now so that I could get at least an extra half hour of sleep. I snuck around the dark room using the light from my cell phone to gather my things without waking my brother who shared a room with me. I took my clothes off, wrapped a towel around my slim waist and tiptoed to the bathroom.
I let the water heat up as I gazed at myself in the mirror, reflecting on life in general. At times I felt like Atlas—carrying the weight of the world. I remember seeing the statue when I was eight in front of the Rockefeller Center and saying to myself, how do you do it, my friend? I never thought that we’d be one in the same. My life has been one rocky journey from birth until now.
I continued staring at myself, striking a few poses and flexing my lack of muscles. Lately I’ve been in the gym and eating everything I got my eyes on.
The room became engulfed by steam. Entering the shower, the steamy water felt like a relaxing massage as it hit my body. I stayed in a few extra minutes then rinsed and dried off.
I put both hands down on the countertop and sunk my body down. With my head down, I reached for my toothbrush. My heart thudded painfully against my chest, and I popped up as I heard the sound of the toothbrush falling off the ledg
e of the sink. I wasn’t paying attention but maybe the toothbrush was just really close to the edge?
I woke up to Elias blasting music and running around excited that it was Friday. I didn’t know why he had so much energy in the mornings, but then again, all of my family members were morning people. I tossed and turned for a moment, squeezing the pillow over my head, trying to block out all the noise.
“Argh,” I grunted as I continued to toss and turn in my bed. I got up and threw a pillow, knocking him off the bed.
He grunted from behind the bed.
I got up and ran over to his side of the room, jumped over his bed, and began a wrestling match.
I flipped him on his stomach and pinned his arm to his back. “I learned that move from TV,” I breathed. My hold didn’t last long, because for a thirteen-year-old, he was slightly larger than me. Coming in at one hundred and fifty pounds of pure beef and only two inches shorter than I, he was now winning the match.
We went at it trying to get the other to tap out until we heard the door swing open. It was Mom standing in the doorway, wearing her scrubs and shaking her head with a big grin on her face. Katie had her arms wrapped tightly around Mom’s leg with her teddy bear clinched to her waist. Elias was the spitting image of Mom. They both had tan skin and dark hair. Mom’s came down to her chin and Elias had a short crew cut. It was the round jaw, fat nose, and perfect teeth they both shared that really made them twins.
“Not too bad for an eighth-grader,” I taunted.
“Just wanted to tell my two boys good morning before I head to the hospital,” Mom said.
Mom was a nurse who worked the morning shift so she could be at home with Katie and Elias while Dad and I worked at night.
“Come on, Mom, you know we aren’t boys anymore. We’re men.” Elias pounded his chest then rubbed it.
“You’re right, I’m so sorry. Good morning, my two handsome young men.”
Katie let go of Mom’s leg and ran to Elias. He scooped down and picked her up, lifting her into the air. She giggled. Elias might have been Mom’s twin but Katie was Dad’s. Blond hair covered their heads and their pointy elf ears would make anybody think Dad birthed her alone.
“High-five, Kate?” I said.
She ignored me and buried her face into Elias’s chest. Elias was her favorite. She wanted me depending on her mood and day.
“Before you leave, can you grab that chocolate cake from the kitchen and take it to Mrs. Perry? She asked for some yesterday, so she’ll be expecting it,” I said.
“Sure,” she said, kissing me on my forehead.
“Elias, take Katie to Dad and get ready for school,” I said.
We got dressed, ate, and headed out the door when Dylan, my best friend, came to pick us up.
When we got to school, I turned invisible. Dylan was a celebrity as we walked the halls, waving to his groupies along the way. Everyone made it a priority to speak to him or to give him a high-five in the morning. I guess good looks, a star basketball career, and parents with well-established careers will give you that status in high school.
When the eight o’clock bell rang, we left homeroom and went to our lockers to grab our books. Right as I was closing my locker, I felt a pair of hands around my waist slowly rising up to my chest, taking my shirt for one wild ride. My lips slowly formed a smile. I already knew who it was. Her head gently laid down on my back as if it was the perfect piece to my broken puzzle. Her perfume rushed from her body to mine like a wave crashing to shore. The hairs on my arms rose. My heart skipped a beat, maybe two, and suddenly my body went numb.
Her reserved voice whispered to me, “You’re so warm.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly only to have her arms still wrapped tightly around me. I missed this so much, but I wouldn’t dare say it out loud.
“Monica,” I said as I turned my head slightly to the right to try and catch a glimpse of her face before she moved away. She ran her hands back down from my chest to my waist and moved away from me.
“Mar-cus,” I heard from a distance. It sounded so faint, yet so clear. I wanted to savor the moment.
“Marcus … hola, Marcus.” The voice called out to me again but this time it sounded closer, clearer.
“MARCUS!”
I snapped around and there she was.
“Marcus, are you OK? I’ve been calling your name for like three minutes,” she said.
I must have been daydreaming of her.
Again.
Monica and I dated my junior year, her sophomore. We broke up because she said she wasn’t ready for a “real” relationship. Since then we remained good friends just as we were before the breakup. She walked up and interlocked her arms into mine right as Dylan walked up.
“Look at the lovebirds,” he joked.
Monica laughed it off. “Whatever, Dylan.” Her smile was flawless and captivated my soul every time. She walked us to our English class like she did every day. A friendly hug signaled goodbye.
I stopped by the vending machine when class let out to grab some chips before my next class started. I walked in and took my seat at the front of the class.
“Geek alert,” I heard from the back of the class. By the screeching sound of her voice I knew it was Jessica — my rival, my archenemy, my ultimate contender bent on making my life hell on Earth — right away. We’ve never gotten along ever since I moved to Poughkeepsie. In Mrs. Gregory’s third grade class, we were building gingerbread houses for Christmas. Jessica replaced my frosting with glue, and when I went to eat it, tears started to run down my face. In sixth grade as I went to take a seat, Jessica moved my chair and laughed as I hit the ground. That was on more than one occasion.
Over and over she did stupid things to torment me and the worst part of it all is that she’s a girl. How embarrassing is it for a guy, at any age, to be bullied by a girl. I would rather get hung on the flagpole by the football team than be publicly humiliated by Jessica. Over time I started to build a resistance to her taunting and immature games.
I ignored her and went on with the day’s lesson. When the bell rung, I gathered my things and headed towards the door, but before I could make it through, a tug at my elbow hindered me.
It was Jessica.
At that moment I felt as if a malevolent force possessed me. I had so much built up anger, anger that over the years turned into rage. I looked down and my fist clenched without me telling it to. My heart raced as if I was on ecstasy. I tried to calm myself down, but this force wouldn’t hear what I had to say.
“Listen!” I snapped. “I know you don’t like me, and if you haven’t noticed, I don’t like you either.” With each word I took a step forward as she took one back until she backed into a desk. “And I know that as long as Dylan and you are together, I have to put up with your immature, hair twirling, gum smacking stuck up—” I stopped and froze in place. This wasn’t me. I was on her level for a moment and I didn’t like it. I turned around and walked towards the door. I stopped before I made it out and turned back around. “You know, I used to feel sorry for myself. Sorry that I didn’t have the money or sorry that I have a family who I look nothing like. Sorry that I’m not the most popular guy in high school. I was sorry for everything including having to be associated with you. Anybody who has to make someone else feel bad about themselves is hiding some kind of insecurities of their own.”
I looked around and about half the class was standing, staring at me, even the teacher had a dazed look on her face. I must have really sparked up a fire because sweat gradually rolled down from underneath her brown bangs. She pulled a note out from her book and looked at me stunned.
“Could you give this to Dylan?” Her words trembled. Then she smiled liked my reaction excited her.
I snatched the note and left everyone in the class speechless.
I met up with Trey and Dylan later on and delivered the note. I didn’t want to tell Dylan about the encounter I had with Jessica right before that note was hande
d to me. I’m sure she would let him know later, that is, if I hadn’t shaken her up too much. We grabbed some lunch and departed to our separate schedules.
I had one more class with Jessica, fifth period AP Biology. She didn’t say a word or even look my way. After Biology, it was AP History for me.
I went to my locker to grab my last book. Right when I put the first number of my combination in my lock, a swarm of jocks came running down the hall. I turned around when I heard all the commotion and one pushed me into my locker. “Urgh,” I fell to the ground.
I watched as they continued to run. No one even looked to see if I was injured, not even my other classmates in the hall. I got up and dusted myself off. I opened my locker right as the bell rung.
“Great, now I’m late.” I slammed the locker. “Might as well use the bathroom now.”
I ran down the hallway humming the tunes to a song I heard on the radio this morning. I wasn’t paying any attention to where I was going when I crashed into Ava from third period and knocked her books everywhere. “Sorry,” I whispered.
“What?” she yelled. “Just watch where you’re going next time.” She bent to gather her things.
“L-let me ha-help you?” I stuttered. It never failed.
“Ugh,” she moaned. “No. I am already late, Macchiato.”
“Just trying to be nice,” I sighed. She glared at me and stormed off.
I went into the bathroom. Dylan was staring hypnotically at himself in the mirror right when I walked in. His face was pale and wet.
“No way … no freaking way,” he whispered to himself. I don’t think he even realized I was in there with him. I feeling of uncertainty hit me in the gut.
“Uh … Earth to Dylan,” I laughed waving my hands so he could see my reflection in the mirror. I got no response, not even a look in the mirror. I calmly walked up to him and placed my hand on his shoulder, his clothes drenched in sweat. He gasped, like my touch snapped him out of a trance.
Chapter 3