There's a Playground

“Skye! Come meet my new friend!” Craig announced as we walked into the room. The only other person in the room was a girl with blonde hair that made me think of the cheerleaders once more. However, hers was “elegantly” styled in a more scene style. Her longer bangs brushed over the right side of her face and framed it quite nicely. Instead of curled or styled meticulously perfect, she had it slightly messy, the long locks hanging straight. It was rather nice to see someone who didn’t look like she’d spread her legs at a moment’s notice…

“This is Wendy. She’s Max’s friend that just moved back,” Craig informed her as I walked over to the teacher’s desk. I handed him the piece of paper with my schedule on it and watched as he wrote down my name on a sticky note. “From…Denver, right Wendy?” Craig asked and I turned to look over at him as my schedule was handed back to me, nodding quietly.

The girl smiled warmly, definitely one of the nicer people that I had the feeling I’d know here. “Oh, that’s cool. I’m Skye, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.” I smiled back at her, tentatively and remaining quiet as I walked back slowly over to Craig.

“You, too…” I stated, unsure of what else to say at this point. Weaving my way through the desks, I stood awkwardly around as I waited for Craig to take a seat somewhere so I knew where to sit. He sat in the desk next to his blonde friend Skye and I sat down in front of him, turning to face the two of them in case they wanted to talk to me or anything. Which I didn’t really think they’d want to, but whatever.

“So Denver, huh? That’s a pretty cool place, I’ve heard. Why’d you move back?” She asked, sounding genuinely interested. I was glad that she didn’t start up on assumptions like my friend’s girlfriend. She was smiling at me, but it looked a little forced. I wondered what she was hiding as I answered her.

“I can’t really say… My mom got a job opportunity or something here, I guess. And…yeah. That’s pretty much it.”

“Max said you moved back. Why’d you move away in the first place? If it’s okay that I ask, that is.” Craig added, leaning forward in his desk towards me. He was watching me with a pretty genuine interest in his face and I couldn’t help but to smile. It was then that I noticed that he had the middle of his upper lip pierced. Why I hadn’t noticed that earlier, I had no idea…but yeah.

“It’s fine. You aren’t a bitch as far as I’m concerned,” I mumbled and Skye blinked at me, a brow arching into her forehead.

“What now?”

“Max’s girlfriend.” Was all that Craig had to say for the girl to understand. She made an ‘oh’ with her mouth and nodded quietly, rolling her eyes after she shut her mouth. “Yeah, shit like that happens. Just ignore Madison. Everyone else does, trust me. Besides, Max will probably break up with her soon as it is. Anyway, why’d you move away?”

“My parents got divorced. And my grandma got sick around that same time, so my mom decided that it was just better if we moved to be with her.” I stared at my nails quietly as I spoke, trying to act like it didn’t bother me at all.

“I’m sorry…” Skye piped up, and I looked up at her. She had her chin propped in her hand and elbow propped up on her desk. I shrugged.

“It’s fine. My dad wasn’t really in my life at all as it was… Ask Max, he grew up with me…” I shrugged again and sighed, frowning as the bell rang. Damn. Time to get back into the school mode. But hey, at least my anger was gone towards Max’s girlfriend. For the most part…

----

“What’s your next class, Wednesday?” Craig asked me as we sat around waiting for the last five minutes of class to end. For the millionth time that day, I took out my schedule.

“Um…I have a free period.”

“Lucky bitch…” Craig muttered and I smirked as I looked over at Skye, who was grinning slightly.

“I do, too. Wanna hang out?” I nodded eagerly, glad to take the offer to get to know someone that didn’t seem like they smoked pot all the time and someone who seemed like she was actually relatively non-slutty.

Apparently, Vegas could have its good people as well as foreign a concept as that seemed to me at this point.

“Sure.”

And with the final bell ringing out, we all stood and gathered our things. Craig was grumbling about how he didn’t want to go to Calculus next and I smirked at him, pitying him for having to go through that class. I’d opted out of taking that class in general. By the complaints that Craig was making as Skye and I walked with him to his class, I was glad that I’d decided upon that.

“We’ll see you later, Craig. Have fun,” Skye noted, looping arms with me before dragging me down the hall and to one of the doors that lead outside onto the campus. The dry heat of Vegas hit me and I almost started coughing. I was going to have to get used to that again…

Sighing, I followed Skye quietly as she dragged me off campus and down the block slightly. We stopped at a little park, a swing set being the only thing in the expanse of grass. Skye let my arm go, smiling as she skipped over to the swings and sat down on one of them. I smiled, following her quietly and sitting down in the grass near her.

“So how are you liking Vegas now that you’re older?” Skye asked me, smiling as she began pumping her legs quietly. Her blue eyes were watching me quietly as I leaned back on my hands, my legs outstretched in front of me. I shrugged, not really sure how to answer that. I’d only been back three days…it wasn’t like I could really say anything about it…

“I don’t know. It’s…everyone is so different.”

“You mean Max?” I was surprised at how quickly she guessed. She slowed at her swinging and watched me a little more closely. I nodded quietly and she shrugged, hopping off the swing to go sit next to me. “What can I say? People change…”

“What’s everyone like?” I asked, looking over at her nervously.

“Well, Craig’s really sweet. And Max…he’s sweet when he’s not high or drunk. Him and Craig are the biggest dorks in the world, though. Just a little pre-warning. As for Bryan, he’s pretty quiet and reserved.” She shrugged and I nodded, making mental notes. “Robert is pretty chill…kinda perverted, but what guy isn’t?” She chuckled and I laughed at that, nodding in agreement. “As for Omar, he’s a big teddy bear. One of the sweetest guys in the world at all times. And Ronnie is a…well, Ronnie is Ronnie…” She blushed when she said his name and I smirked.

“You like him, yeah?” I asked and Skye nodded quietly, smiling shyly as she looked down at the grass. “You should tell him…” At that suggestion, she looked up at me and shook her head fervently, obviously not liking that idea. I smirked and nodded. “I don’t blame you…” I sighed, laying back and staring up at the clouds.

We stayed quiet for the next few minutes, but I didn’t mind the silence. It was rather nice to be able to hang out with someone that didn’t have to have noise in the midst to be content. It was wonderful to have that quiet company.

My phone buzzed once in a long stream, signaling that I had a new text message. Which was rather strange, I hadn’t told anyone my phone number. My mother was the only one that knew my new cell number.

Wednesday ;;
Your dad wants to have you over for dinner tomorrow night.
What should I tell him?
Mom

I sighed, blinking a few times as I read it.

“Everything okay?” Skye asked from beside me and I nodded slowly, not quite sure what to tell my mother.

“Yeah…I guess my dad wants to have dinner with me…”

“Is that weird?” I nodded in response.

“I haven’t seen or spoken with my dad since I moved nine years ago…” I stated, sighing and frowning to myself. Skye nodded quietly, not really saying anything.

“Are you gonna do it?” Well that was certainly a good question. Slowly, I nodded, sighing and biting down on my lower lip.

“Yeah…I think so…” I stated, hitting the ‘reply’ button on my phone.

Mom ;;
Tell him I’ll do it…
Why…never mind.
I’ll talk to you tonight.
;; Wendy

Hitting the ‘send’ button, I signed away tomorrow’s evening. I wondered how he learned that I was back in town… Sighing, I ran a hand through my bangs, pushing them to the sides of my face and taking a deep and calming breath.

“Can I see your phone?” Skye asked and I looked over at her as I handed over the dreaded piece of technology. Just a side note. I hate cell phones. They’re evil and eat people’s souls. And yet…I couldn’t live without mine.

I know, I’m such a hypocrite…

After a few moments of the blonde girl tapping away at my screen, my phone was set on my stomach. “There. Now you have my number. And I have yours.” She smiled at me softly and then lay back on the grass and fell into silence once more. I sighed, closing my eyes and sinking down into the grass. After a full day of school, I was feeling pretty damn tired…