The Red Hot Tamales

Todd

It's Monday. I hate Monday's. They suck. They're generally bright and loud and early. I am all for making mornings illegal.

I normally catch a ride from Copper to school but she sent me a text last night telling me that she couldn't give me a ride this week and how she's so sorry and that she'll talk to me when she can but she doesn't know when that'll be because she's swamped with midterms.

So here I am, walking along the sidewalk of the creepiest, most drug-infested part of town. Stupid Copper.

I came to the main street and glanced behind me before racing across the road, heart beating too fast. I hated that I have to walk through the druggie part of town to get to and from school.

Walking up to the school makes my heart sink but I'm quickly distracted when a thin pale arm encircles my waist. I turn.

“Hey Dehlia.” I said to my bouncy friend from my class.

“Todd Oliver Sherman, my dear sweet fox.” she said. Dehlia is your basic teenage girl, she has her bottom lip pierced, her hair is naturally dark brown. Today she had it up in a clip and the back spikes. Her eyes are also brown but a light honey brown.

She's my age and she's also the funniest girl I've met in awhile. She can make me smile even when I'm in the worst mood ever. And I like her, a little. Because she's not fragile, she's independent. And she understands what I'm saying when I'm talking about being poor and Mom being an alcoholic.

“So I was thinking, maybe you'd want to go to the movies with me and Skyler this Friday.” she asked as we headed up the steps.

“Sure.” I said. She cheered, gaining the attention of some seniors that were hitting on a junior.

“Keep it down, Ms. Charles.” a teacher passed. She flipped him off and we entered the building. I saw Copper and raised my hand to wave. She saw me and peeled off in the other direction. I raised an eyebrow. Strange.

Dehlia and I headed to our lockers.

The blocks passed quickly. It was the end of fourth block before I knew it. I had to walk home. Why was Copper so... distant? She didn't look at me once today. She didn't wave, smile, talk to me. She didn't do ANYTHING! She wasn't my best friend, she was a complete stranger. She never not talked to me. And she told me that she was busy.

Copper may be OCD and all but I can't imagine why she'd just blow me off. Was it because I asked her about the whole bruise thing? Or because she lied about it?

What the hell is going on with her?, I asked myself around the third day of her avoiding me.

By Friday, I was fucking pissed. And do you blame me? I mean, I love hanging with Dehlia, she's hilarious and easy-going. But she's not Copper. My Copper.

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^^ Dehlia