Undressing the Words.

“Re-meeting” friends is always an awkward situation I believe. Either you drifted away from that person on purpose because at the time you weren’t interested in being associated with them any longer. Or you drifted apart for reasons you could not control. Either way, seeing your friends who hadn’t seen you in a couple years because your mysteriously disappeared out of no where is beyond nerve racking. What if while you were gone they had decided that they no longer wanted to be friends with you? What if they were so upset with you that they wanted nothing to do with you? I became more nervous with every step closer we go to the boys messing around a group of cars. Kenny squeezed my hand reassuringly as we reached the group of boys who didn’t seem to take any particular interest in the two of us. That is until Jared turned and caught sight of us, lingering at the edge of the group, “Hey Kenny.”

Soon the eyes of everyone were on us, Kennedy nodded in acknowledgement, “Guys this is Destiny.”

I smiled meekly, as I waved my hand, not knowing if they knew about my speaking problem. The shortest one of them all was just about my height, I knew this was Pat, moved quickly over to standing right in front of me, smiling rather largely, “How have you been?” he asked screaming at me, I twitched not sure as to why he was yelling at me.

“Pat, you dip, she’s mute, not deaf!” Jared scolded the boy hitting him over the head with his hand, “I’m Jared, if you don’t remember,” he told me, flashing a friendly smile at me. I returned the smile, as the second shortest of the two, drew my attention, “Garrett, or Gar bear, you called me both,” he said as he too flashed a smile. I remembered him, he was my favorite out of all of the guys besides Kenny. He, Pat and I were closest in age. Which from times I can remember made us the most annoying group of kids you could imagine. Releasing Kenny’s hand I walked the few steps over to Garrett and pulled him into a hug, wrapping my arms around him it was a few seconds before he held me to him, “Missed you too Des.”

Staying close to Garrett I stood there, there was still two others who hadn’t said anything, one I knew was John, he just stared at me, not even acknowledging me before he grabbed his bag off the hood of the car he had been leaning against, and headed off towards the school.

“Don’t mind John, he’s just bitter that his eye is still black,” the remaining boy said, I looked over to see Pat’s older brother, Tim. I smiled excitedly before running over and running into his arms, as he hugged me tightly, “How’ve you been little sister?” I smiled, some days I would spend so much time over at the Kirch household that Tim and he family would joke about me basically being family. From then on, I was part of the family, I was like a daughter to Pat and Tim’s parents and the annoying little sister to Pat and Tim. For once in the longest time I felt like I was home, here in Arizona, with those I loved, and those who loved me.
[--]

I for one had never been that close with Destiny. We were friends, I cared for her and looked out for her because Kennedy one of my best friends was head over heels for her. She hung out with the same people I did although she was a year younger than us, but she kept close ranks with Kenny, Garrett and Pat. So when she disappeared out of sight, and out of mind, leaving Kennedy in a heap on the ground, my feelings towards the girl turned harsh. I’m sure you’ve all had to watch one of your close friends get hurt by someone they loved, so you can understand that I didn’t understand why everyone was so welcoming to her homecoming. Especially Kennedy, I don’t think I would ever understand that. His feelings obviously had not faltered with her time away I noted as I adjusted my black sunglasses that covered the now black eye Kennedy had so kindly given me last night. I still couldn’t believe that he had decked me, all over her, the girl who left him without an explanation, without a word, without anything. Taking the friends he still had here months to get him to stop moping around the fucking town every day. So I’m sorry if I’m not exactly warm to the idea of her coming back and possibly tearing one of my best friends apart again. I’m sorry.

[--]

Tim walked me into the office to assure that I got my schedule and everything fine. I’m glad I had people like Tim around in my life, I sure had missed him and Pat. Comparing classes the only period we had together was lunch, which all the boys turned out to have first lunch, and not second. Sad that I wasn’t going to have the company of Tim in any of my classes he escorted me to my first class before he ran off headed towards his first period. Though Tim and I had been a year apart in age and in education, during my leave of absence I had been credited three years of school, which made me ahead of Garrett and Pat in classes. Meaning I had a better chance of having a class with Tim, Kenny, Jared or John. Although I hoped I had no classes with John, I was sad to find out by walking into my first class seeing John lounging in the back of the classroom. Cursing my luck mentally I took my note that I was supposed to have every teacher sign to the teacher who sat at the desk going through papers. I set the note down on his desk pulling his attention away from the stack of papers. Just glancing up to look at me briefly he turned his gaze back down to the small piece of paper, reading the note, signing it, and handing it back to me, “Uh, I believe there should be a seat empty next to Mr. O’Callaghan,” he told me, “O’Callghan, raise your hand.” Stuffing the note into my bag I looked to the back of the room to see John rolling his eyes as he put his hand into the air. “You’ll be sitting next to John for the remainder of the year,” he informed me before he returned his attention back to the set of papers on his desk.

Slightly dreading reaching my desk I took my time reaching my desk. John didn’t even look at me, but moved his bag that had been sitting in my chair to the floor. At that moment I knew that these last couple months of my last year of high school would push me to the limits. I pulled out my cellphone as I set down my bag onto the desk next to John to see that I had a text message from Kenny, it read, I hope your classes go well<3 See you at lunch. Shutting my phone shut without replying to the message I knew that Kennedy alone would be my saving grace throughout these upcoming months. Class went by rather slow, the teacher gave us a list of books we would need to read by the end of the quarter in two months. And the guidelines to a project due at the end of the year, that we would be working on with our seating partner. Just my luck, not only to be stuck sitting next to John, but to also have to work on a project with him. Reading over the list of books I noted that I had already read some for my previous schooling. Glad to have less of a work load than others I was surprised to hear John speak, and to find that it was actually aimed towards me, “So I guess we’re partners.”

Turning to the left, John sat there looking down at his phone that he was trying to conceal underneath the desk, never looking at me, I nodded, but realized he wouldn’t have seen it I went about my business, putting the two sheets of paper into my bag beside the note. I soon realized I had nothing to do but sit and wait for class to end, which it would do in about ten minutes I noted taking a glance from the clock. Strumming my fingers on the top of the desk I tried passing the time, taking in my surroundings of the class room enclosing me, when someone’s hand tightly grasped mine. Trailing the hand back to the arm that connected it to the body, I saw John’s piercing stare boring into me, “Could you please not be so annoying?”

My eyes bulged slightly, mouthing a “sorry” as he released his hand from mine, and standing up grabbing his bag just as the bell rang, making a quick exit out of the room. Was it me or did John seem to have a secret vendetta against me?