Status: over.
Deception
Kaleb "Fagner"?
"I heard from someone that you hurt yourself on some glass." Lori smirks, grabbing my wrist. She flips my hand over. "What's with the three band aids? ...Oh, jeez, that looks awful!" Lori bites her lip. "Wow. I'm really sorry, babe. That looks gruesome!"
"I had Annie draw a realistic gash on my hand. No worries." Handed her a red Sharpie and a ballpoint pen and asked her nicely to draw something ugly during Physics. She didn't mind, and actually had fun doing it. The gash looks realistic enough if glanced at. If someone scrutinized it...well, that could be a problem.
"I heard you were hanging out with Gaskarth." She nudges me. "How was it?"
"Who the hell is 'Gaskarth'? I don't know any 'Gaskarth's." I push the bathroom door open, and someone is already occupying stall numero dos. I'm slightly agitated; I'm on my lunch break, and I hadn't been in there since last Friday. I'm aching to read some gossip. Lisa Wendling struts out, flipping her copper hair over her shoulder. She reapplies her lip gloss. Peach flavored, I guess. She bumps me out of the way, and I glare at her. We never talked to each other before, and we were never on bad terms.
What the hell was that for?
I step into the stall and squat, reading the newer ones:
"Tanya's being a bitch. She's going to get jumped after school."
"RANDAL SUCKS."
"Andrew McMahon has cancer! Please support him!"
"God, theez secretz suck monkey ballz. Y'all need livezzz."
"Alex Gaskarth and Kaleb Fagner have got something going on."
"Kaleb Fagner's going down."
Wait a minute..."Kaleb Fagner"? Is this what people call me behind my back? Why? It's not like I go around shoving kids into lockers and stuff. I'm not an overall bitch to the majority of the school population, last time I checked.
I wipe off the blue and pink writing with my left hand, and exit the stall. I glance over at Lori, who's reapplying her mascara, wiping off the black, smudged stuff with a damp paper towel. I wash my hands and drag her outside. "Hey! Couldn't you have done that after I finished my makeup?" She gets a glimpse of my expression. "Wow, you don't look happy. What's up?" Lori rubs strawberry/vanilla balm on her lips. "Some secret about you? ...And Gaskarth?"
"Do people really call me 'Kaleb Fagner'?" I frown. I didn't know I'm hated by the student body.
"Behind your back? I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, you're on track and cross country, so people assume you're a dumb ass." My "B" average is decent; I have some "C"s, and I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm getting by. However, my "D" in Calculus might destroy me. "That, and the whole Gaskarth thing."
"What 'Gaskarth thing'? I don't know what you're talking about." Christy and Evelyn glare at me as I waltz into the lunch room. I raise my eyebrows. "And why am I suddenly receiving the death glare from cheerleaders and chorus girls?"
"Hello! Alexander William Gaskarth is the reason! I've been saying it for the last few minutes." Lori ties back her blonde hair. "Look. You went out and had fun with one of the most notorious man sluts at Dulaney. Kales, careful with whom you hang around. We're still in high school, remember?"
"It was a one-time thing. Won't be happening again." We sit across from Riley, who scowls. I pull my brown, paper bag lunch from my backpack and take a bite out of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "What?"
"I heard about you and Gaskarth." He glares at Lori. "May I remind both of you of the ever-climbing STD rate in America?"
How fast is this news spreading?
"Listen, Doctor Phil. We're not here for lectures. And it's more than likely Kaleb and the Gaskarth won't be seeing each other again." Lori stands up. "I'm going to buy lunch. Don't eat each other while I'm gone." With her pink wallet in her hand, Lori marches off to the lunch line.
Riley takes in a deep breath. "Kale, I care. I don't want you to make bad choices in your high school career," Riley claims, devouring his sandwich. "Look--"
"Thanks, mom, but I think I can handle myself." I chew my food silently until Lori comes back, holding a tray of nachos.
"Whoa. What happened just now?" Lori bites her lip.
"Tell Captain Stupid next to you to mind his own business."
"I had Annie draw a realistic gash on my hand. No worries." Handed her a red Sharpie and a ballpoint pen and asked her nicely to draw something ugly during Physics. She didn't mind, and actually had fun doing it. The gash looks realistic enough if glanced at. If someone scrutinized it...well, that could be a problem.
"I heard you were hanging out with Gaskarth." She nudges me. "How was it?"
"Who the hell is 'Gaskarth'? I don't know any 'Gaskarth's." I push the bathroom door open, and someone is already occupying stall numero dos. I'm slightly agitated; I'm on my lunch break, and I hadn't been in there since last Friday. I'm aching to read some gossip. Lisa Wendling struts out, flipping her copper hair over her shoulder. She reapplies her lip gloss. Peach flavored, I guess. She bumps me out of the way, and I glare at her. We never talked to each other before, and we were never on bad terms.
What the hell was that for?
I step into the stall and squat, reading the newer ones:
"Tanya's being a bitch. She's going to get jumped after school."
"RANDAL SUCKS."
"Andrew McMahon has cancer! Please support him!"
"God, theez secretz suck monkey ballz. Y'all need livezzz."
"Alex Gaskarth and Kaleb Fagner have got something going on."
"Kaleb Fagner's going down."
Wait a minute..."Kaleb Fagner"? Is this what people call me behind my back? Why? It's not like I go around shoving kids into lockers and stuff. I'm not an overall bitch to the majority of the school population, last time I checked.
I wipe off the blue and pink writing with my left hand, and exit the stall. I glance over at Lori, who's reapplying her mascara, wiping off the black, smudged stuff with a damp paper towel. I wash my hands and drag her outside. "Hey! Couldn't you have done that after I finished my makeup?" She gets a glimpse of my expression. "Wow, you don't look happy. What's up?" Lori rubs strawberry/vanilla balm on her lips. "Some secret about you? ...And Gaskarth?"
"Do people really call me 'Kaleb Fagner'?" I frown. I didn't know I'm hated by the student body.
"Behind your back? I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, you're on track and cross country, so people assume you're a dumb ass." My "B" average is decent; I have some "C"s, and I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm getting by. However, my "D" in Calculus might destroy me. "That, and the whole Gaskarth thing."
"What 'Gaskarth thing'? I don't know what you're talking about." Christy and Evelyn glare at me as I waltz into the lunch room. I raise my eyebrows. "And why am I suddenly receiving the death glare from cheerleaders and chorus girls?"
"Hello! Alexander William Gaskarth is the reason! I've been saying it for the last few minutes." Lori ties back her blonde hair. "Look. You went out and had fun with one of the most notorious man sluts at Dulaney. Kales, careful with whom you hang around. We're still in high school, remember?"
"It was a one-time thing. Won't be happening again." We sit across from Riley, who scowls. I pull my brown, paper bag lunch from my backpack and take a bite out of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "What?"
"I heard about you and Gaskarth." He glares at Lori. "May I remind both of you of the ever-climbing STD rate in America?"
How fast is this news spreading?
"Listen, Doctor Phil. We're not here for lectures. And it's more than likely Kaleb and the Gaskarth won't be seeing each other again." Lori stands up. "I'm going to buy lunch. Don't eat each other while I'm gone." With her pink wallet in her hand, Lori marches off to the lunch line.
Riley takes in a deep breath. "Kale, I care. I don't want you to make bad choices in your high school career," Riley claims, devouring his sandwich. "Look--"
"Thanks, mom, but I think I can handle myself." I chew my food silently until Lori comes back, holding a tray of nachos.
"Whoa. What happened just now?" Lori bites her lip.
"Tell Captain Stupid next to you to mind his own business."