Paint My Skies Black, I Never Wanna See The Sun Again

GUESS WHAT!?
Was the hastily scribbled note that landed on my desk the moment Mrs. Castly began talking. Obviously, it was from Lynne.

WHAT!?
I wrote back.

Drew invited me 2 go away w/ him this summer!
I flashed a smile at her.

RLLY?! Thats amazing! Wait. Hes the Denny’s guy right? :P
She rolled her eyes and nodded.
I scratched the last line out and began again.

Where?

Hawaii!!!
She was bubbling over with excitement. I chuckled at her.

No way! :D When r u leaving?

Day after grad. Already packed!

“Is there something you’d like to share with the rest of the class, ladies?” Mrs. Castly’s nasal voice interrupted us.

“Uh, no,” I replied quickly, “Is there something you’d like to share though?”

Lynne bit back a fit of giggles. Mrs. Castly looked aghast. Normally, I was a teeny bit more polite, but the prospect of graduating in less than a week had just hit me, and I could’ve cared less. I wasn’t worried though. There was nothing that I said that would constitute to me getting detention.

___________________________________________________________________________

Class ended just in time for me to avoid sticking pencils in my eyes.

As soon as Lynne and I stepped out of the doors of room 15B, we burst into a fit of laughter.

“So you’re leaving this Saturday?” I asked.

“Yeah, but don’t worry. We’ll be back at the end of summer!”

“All summer!? Shit! We have to see each other before you go off to college though.” I could feel tears springing in my eyes.

“Oh, don’t go all weepy on me just yet, Sunday.” She said, giving me a hug.

Mrs. Castly suddenly peeped out from inside the classroom, “Language, Miss Parker.” she reminded me sternly.
“Sorry,” I replied sheepishly.

“Go to your classes girls.”

We rolled our eyes and scurried off to class.

_______________________________________________________________________

Lynne rode with me on the way back. It was tradition. We left the top down and let the wind play with our hair.

“I can’t wait to get out of that damn hell hole.” I mused.

“Me either.” she murmured, “So what’s the game plan? I’m so glad they aren’t being bitches and still giving out homework. I’m thinking...we make some cookies.”

“Hungry already?” I teased. She just shrugged.

“Oh fuck! I forgot!” I suddenly shouted.

“What?!” she screamed back, eyes open wide.

“Calm. I just forgot to tell you, we won’t be alone in the house.”

“Your mom’s back?”

“No. Well, yeah, but that’s not it. I have some visitors.” I smirked at her.

“Okay...? Are you gonna tell me who anytime soon?”

I let her wallow in that question for a while.

“Sunday I will hate you if you don’t tell me!” she whined.

“Okay. So, you know how you introduced me to All Time Low’s music?”

“Yeah.” She nodded slowly, not knowing where the conversation was headed.

I pulled into the driveway, “Wouldn’t you just love me forever if I introduced you to the band itself?”

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes grew wide, “Fuck no.”

“Fuck yes.”

“Fuck nu-uh.”

“Fuck yeah-huh.”

“I’m so glad I’m your best friend!” she said strangling me in the world’s tightest hug.
“Um, I was under the impression that she was my biffle.” A voice said from behind.

Lynne froze.

“Lynne,” I said jokingly, “you should turn around very slowly or else you will have a heart attack.”

“So this is Lynne?” Jack asked.

“Yeah. This is her.” I answered.

“Hi.” He greeted her brightly.

Lynne stood there dumbfounded.

“Uhm, hello?” Jack said confused. He began waving a hand in front of her face.

I giggled, “Lynne’s a big fan.” I explained.

“Ah. So, the complete opposite of what you were a few days ago?”

“You say that like now you’re my favourite band ever.” I teased, poking him.

“Well, aren’t we?” He feigned offense.

“Yeah.” I laughed.

“C’mon, Lynne.” I pulled her along. She was still speechless and frozen to the spot.

_________________________________________________________________________

“I liked your friend.” Rian said later that night.

“Of course you did. You have to be at a certain level of cool to hang out with me.” I replied.

Jack threw a pillow at me.

“But I do make exceptions – in this case, Jack.” I tossed the pillow back at him.

“Hey!” he cried, his voice muffled by the pillow which had landed on his face.

“She was cool though,” Zack observed, “not fan girly and creepy.”

“I’ll make sure to tell her that. She’ll be jazzed.”

Alex sauntered into the room, “So, how was school?”

“It was okay, mother.” I joked and rolled my eyes.

“Ah, how great does it feel to be outta high school.” He reminisced.

“Well, I’m graduating.”

“Oh yeah! When is that?”

“This Friday.”

A smile crept on his face.

“No!” I exclaimed, “No more parties!”

His face fell, “I wasn’t thinking a party,” his eyes went distant for a moment, maybe thinking about the last party, “I was thinking more like...a celebration!”

“Which to you, equals a party.” I said, my voice flat. I was not caving this time.

“No, I get what Alex is saying,” Rian put in, “and I think I know exactly what he’s thinking!” His face was animated and excited now.

“Jack, do you know what’s going on?”

He gave me a look. “I barely know what’s happening half the time when they’re talking out loud. Now they’re using telepathy? I’m no batman babe.”

Matt cut in, “Batman didn’t have superpowers.”

“Then how was he a superhero?”

“Just ‘cuz he fought bad guys, had a spandex outfit, and also wore his underwear outside his pants.”

“Don’t forget the cape.” Zack said reclining on the lazyboy.

“Or the Bat mobile!” Alex chimed in.

“Robin was pretty cool too.” Rian mumbled, “Poor Robin. They always forget the sidekick.”

“Oh! You know who was awesome?” Jack asked. He didn’t wait for a response and proceeded to answer his own question, “Spiderman!”

“No. Superman owns all.” Alex retorted, “That’s why he’s called Superman. And he gets the big S on his chest.”

“Wonder Woman.” Zack said simply.

All the boys fell silent, and then a murmur of agreement washed over them.

Boys. All it took was a beautiful woman – cartoon or not – clad in spandex, and they were hooked.

“Wait!” Flyzik broke through the peace, “Mickey Mouse!”

A stream of profanities, pillows, and maybe even food was the response he received for that comment.

“Um, what were we talking about again?” Jack asked.