Engaged Before My First Date?!

Finally, a month and a half after the accident, my skin had fully healed. There were dark spots left behind, adding to my collection of bruises from ice-skating as a kid. School had started now, which definitely wasn’t exciting. A.J. mostly hung out with his friends, and I didn’t have many- more like acquaintances.

I started to miss home- not my parents, but hating the changes in my life that I had no control over. I don’t have any idea why it took so long for it to hit me, but I didn’t want this. Starting at a new school was even harder- it took me a while to mold myself to my teachers’ temperaments and get onto their good side in order to half-ass and ace the class.

I walked into Ms. Shelton’s class, English. I wore slashed jeans, ankle boots and a black top with my backpack slung over my right shoulder. I dropped it loudly on my desk as someone called, “Hey Kristi!” Sighing, I turned my head lazily to face Darren. He was one of many creepers in the school that are very open about the fact that they just want in your pants. Unfortunately, that is the type of boy I attract- and only that. How lovely.

“What?” I sounded exactly like I felt- bored, uninterested, and like I would not have a problem if someone walked up to him and punched him in the face.

“You doin’ something on Saturday?”

“Yeah, I’m busy.”

“Whatever man, she wants me so much more.” Another boy named Aaron sat next to me.

“Oh yeah, I’d hit that.” I rolled my eyes, imagining the huge waves of sarcasm materializing and shoving them far away from me. He started getting all cocky as I added, “With my car.” A.J. told Carla that I’d “almost” gotten hit by a car and needed one, so I would be getting one within three days. YES!! I caught A.J. watching from the corner of my eye- I wasn’t surprised or anything- and I didn’t care because I was incredibly possessive as well. I winked at him, causing the other two to glare at him competitively.

“You like Demosaic?” Darren raised his voice.

“What do you mean?” I imagined hitting this idiot over the head with a blow-up hammer.

“I saw the way you looked at him!”

“You know,” I narrowed my eyes slightly; “You’d think I actually was your friend or something instead of some guy I’ve only known for a few weeks.”

“You little bitch, I’m gunna-”

“-back the hell off.” A.J. stepped in between us. “Don’t call her that either or you’ll be beyond sorry.”

There were little lightening bolts in the air sizzling between them. Or big lightening bolts, whichever- either way, it was intense. My eyes darted back and forth between the two. I had never had two guys physically fight over me and I didn’t intend to have one. There were plenty of other ways for them to fight, and I did not want to smell shitty-ass hospital in the process while having to explain to his mother what had happened.

I put my hand on A.J.’s shoulder, pulling back a little. Darren had a record for fighting already, but I didn’t care. A.J., on the other hand, had a completely clean slate and I didn’t want to be the one to ruin it for him. “He’s being stupid- let’s just go sit somewhere else.” His face was hard and he wasn’t moving. Like a rock.

I gripped his hand lightly. “Come on, he’s an ass- it’s not worth it.” Just a little more time…I looked up at his eyes and kept my peripherals on the door… He started to turn away and Darren raised his fist—and Ms. Shelton walked in, right on cue.

“Mr. Bakers what do you think you are doing?!” She walked forward quickly and he lowered his hand.

“Ms. Shelton he started-”

Here goes the blame game… “Ms. Shelton, he was harassing me and saying horrible things, and when A.J. told him to stop…well, you saw the rest!” I added a little desperation to my tone, with wide eyes. Okay, maybe a lot of innocence and desperation, but hey I told the truth!

“Mr. Bakers, office.”

“But-”

“NOW!”

“Alright, damn lady.”

“WITHOUT COMMENTS OR YOU’LL HAVE DETENTION WITH ME AS WELL!”

He slammed the door on his way out, and I looked down at my fingers entangled with A.J.’s. “You both take your seats!” I quickly moved my things into the desk next to his and we sat, ignoring the frenzied whispers of the immature boys and girls around us. What was so fascinating about us holding hands? Isn’t that pre-school stuff?

Shelton kept an eye on us for the entire period, and I played my role of the innocent student and did my notes. When it ended, our last class since it was sixth period, a pack of students swarmed over to our desks, pelting us with questions like monkeys flinging shit!

“Are you two dating?”
“Have you kissed?”
“You two like each other?!”
“OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH!” <--- those were the most annoying!
“But I thought you liked me!!!” <---also ranking for most annoying

I answered ‘no’ a million times, and he pretty much just smirked. As if it were any of their businesses! Personally, I would have screamed for all of them to shut their asses, but since there was a teacher in there that I’d just convinced I was a victim, I just smiled sweetly and dragged my smirking fiancé out of the room with me, practically running to our lockers before going to his car. For some reason, he decided to trade his car in for a shiny black pickup truck. I thought it worked well with him, but who knows.

I grabbed his black Adidas hoodie from the seat, pulled it on, and the hood over my head and groaned. “I. Hate. Teenagers.”

He laughed at me. “You are a teenager.”

“Nope, in my mind they are all five-year-olds with mature looks, and I am a normal teenager with normal looks.”

“Normal?”

-------Insert the long pause where no one says anything-------

“Okay fine, not normal but I do not act five.”

“Uhh…”

“If five-year-olds think and talk like me, the world is at a fucking end.”

“Can’t deny that.”

I rolled my eyes and pointed at the road. “Drive.”

------------------------at home---------------------

I followed A.J. inside, then into the little gym.