Dear August

Every school is the same...

We stood in the park for hours taking pictures of the same pose a billion times. Keltie tried to make it fun though, every once and a while she’d make a funny face at me before the picture was taken. Her mom was incessant about it.

We finally got to the dance and this time Jon showed up. He was a little drunk though, drunk, but funny. Well, he’s always funny...Anyways.

Since it was a private school they actually had a real DJ. The remixes made the songs almost ok. I still don’t know if I was in a bad mood because of all the pictures that I had to take or because of the lack of sleep I had the night before (Keltie and I had a movie marathon), but I was feeling pouty. Keltie kept trying to grind on me, her friends were eyeing me up, and I didn’t know anyone except Jon and Cassie. At the time that’s what I thought.

“Let’s get a picture by the veranda!” Keltie shouted into my ear and pointed.

I nodded and smiled. Anything to get me out of that gym. It smelled like hairspray, feet, and sweat. The bass still rocked the floor boards in the cafeteria as we stood underneath the vine covered lattice. The theme this year for their homecoming was “When in Rome”, so the picture behind us was of some famous monument. Keltie paid for the photo and we went to put it by her purse.

She was bent down, so I tried not to look at her skirt that was slowly rising. I rocked on my feet and sighed.

“Ryan?”

“Hm?” I clumsily spun on one foot to see my ex, “Oh, Brent.” I half heartedly chuckled.

“Ryan, you look good.” He was holding a cup of red punch with a napkin under it.

“Thanks.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw Keltie talking to some friends. She was completely distracted, “Yeah...”

“It’s been so long.”

“Auh, yeah.” I tried to brush off the tone of his voice. It made me feel dirty and a little guilty. I wish Brendon would have been my first...I wish I wasn’t such a curious whore.

“Why are you so shy?” He giggled and looked me in the eyes. I glanced away and checked Keltie in my peripheral vision, “I see.”

“She’s just a friend.”

“Hey!” Keltie finally came up behind me and latched an arm around my elbow. It was such a relief. “Who’s this?”

“This is Brent.”

“I’m in your homeroom.”

“Oh, the kid that sits in the back and talks about video games with that Neil guy?” Keltie paused, in fact she sounded kind of disgusted. Brent gave a sour smile and she quickly added with pep: “I never really get a chance to hop back there. It’s really nice to finally meet you!”

“Hi.” He shook her hand delicately while looking at me, “I should be getting back to my date. Do you have a pen?” He asked Keltie.

She nodded and skipped the few feet back to her purse. I was starting to count the moments when we could leave, when I could leave, when all of this could be over. I was even thinking of not going to the November dance, even if Brendon and I went together.

“That’s my catch.” He motioned to the concession stand at a skinny boy with dyed black hair. I rolled my eyes and he started snickering. Keltie’s heels clicked behind me and her arm was halfway extended about ready to give Brent her pen.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” She gave an odd look at the Brent’s snicker.

“No, inside joke.” Brent said she shrugged and handed him the pen. He quickly set down his drink and began writing his number on the napkin. “We should hang out sometime. It’d be...fun.”

“Sure.” I quickly took the napkin out of his hand before he could reach any closer to me.

“Ou Ryan this is a good song!” A fast one came on and she motioned towards the gym.

“I’ll see you around.” Brent said cockily and sauntered back to his gawky, and most likely virginal date.

“What was up with that?” She was walking me towards the gym.

“Just...an old friend. Look I’m going to sit this one out; I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Ok! I haven’t danced with my chicas yet anyways!” She was getting better at Spanish...even if it was small cliche steps. She peeled away and I stood for a moment.

Running a hand through my hair and tugging at my bangs a little I started searching. I needed a secluded bathroom where I could splash my face with some water, think, and maybe even just sit for a second. I found a more private bathroom instead of the one in the cafeteria, where there’d be more boys gossiping. I walked into a some-what cloudy tiled room. The window was cracked and a group was in a sloppy circle. The room froze and then someone joyfully spoke up.

“Ry! Come in, man!”

I focused and it was Jon...and Cassie was right next to him. I laughed and felt a small bit of relief. Still tense, but that sight cracked me up a little. The rest of the group of giggling again.

Without protest I joined the circle. I sat on the other side of Jon. It felt good and the rest of the night went by easily. I don’t know how much more I could have bared without it. I danced, danced some more, dropped Keltie off and went home.

To be short: I was never so thankful for leftovers from KFC or to sleep in my own bed.