Finding Sloane Winters Crazy

Eliza Bess Osztreicher
Too many kids

“How many people are at this school?” My face screwed up as Sloane and I tried to bump our way out of the corridor.

“I honestly don’t know,” Sloane mused, “Tim did some research on the internet last night on Xavier College, told me there’s apparently a bit less than a thousand students here, on the other side of the campus is the primary school part with the ten year old girls that you're mum's so fond of, and we’re in the secondary school.”

“Tim?” I asked, “Your cousin? I thought you said he was in Bangladesh on a honeymoon with Wendy or something.”

“Bahamas,” Sloane laughed lightly, “They came back three days ago, I forgot to tell you.”

I followed Sloane out of the school, and snorted when I saw Sarah hanging onto the stocky blonde guy we saw earlier, she was tossing her golden hair back dramatically, her mouth shaped in surprise, before bursting into giggles, making the blonde feel particularly smug about himself.

Sloane only smiled amused, and we walked across the parking lot, “I give them two weeks.”

“Two weeks? Probably three days.” I scowled, hoisting my bag up on my shoulder.

She shook her head, “No, she’s going to want to keep him. Intense steamy intercourse and a hot boyfriend.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Hasn’t she had a heap of them before? They only lasted for a night or something like that.”

“He’s a Xavier boy, Bess.” Sloane murmured, like the guy attending Xavier College was a good enough reason for Sarah to stick around for fourteen days, she grinned at my bemusement, “Trust me B, she’ll be hanging onto him for quite a while.”

As we crossed the parking lot I saw Riley, in his perfect manly splendour, tanned skin, chocolate brown eyes, dirty blonde hair, his lean six foot figure, and cheeky smile, get into the passenger seat of an old Ford Falcon. Getting into the driver’s seat was the tall pale guy with the tattoos and Converses that Sloane had talked to at Lunch earlier, and yet she still hadn’t told me what they talked about.

I blushed, my head dipping down so my hair would cover my eyes.

As we passed them, they both paused, hands on the door handles, glancing at us. I could vaguely see the tattoo guy staring intensely at Sloane. Whatever they talked about, I was sure that Sloane had made quite an impression on this guy.

I looked away quickly, avoiding Riley’s warm gaze, my shiny black school shoes moved forward, along with my hunched body.

And behind me—
“Hey, good luck for the music competition.”

I stopped in shock, and turned around.

Sloane had said it softly, but just loud enough for them to hear. It was the kind of tone you’d use with strangers, polite, cool, almost indifferent yet so genuine at the same time.
I waited for what they were going to say, they both seemed to stare at her, Riley seemed stunned, while the other wasn’t so open about his surprise of Sloane’s kind words. I bit my lip, embarrassed.

Then she smiled the ‘Sloane Winters’ smile.

I can’t really explain the ‘Sloane Winters’ smile, except to say that I love it, and absolutely wished that that smile was mine. When you receive that smile for her it makes you feel special in some way, honoured—even—to get it, like you’re a somebody, as if you’ve been accepted.

It seems like a flash of beauty, no deceit, lies, the smile was pure honesty, but if felt like there was a deeper motive behind that smile. There’s something ironic about it, like an almost raising of her eyebrows at the rules that require us to smile, but at the same time it’s a little shy, and cautious. It’s warm, generous, vulnerable and real smile, and it lets you straight into her heart, while still feeling like you don’t know a thing about her.

I love that smile, especially since it was so rare.

And then Riley spoke, “Thanks.” He grinned, seeming to already feel friendly with Sloane, “Me and Teak appreciate it.”

It made me jealous, how easy it was for Sloane to make friends, get on good terms with even the most strictest and rudest people, how nearly all the kids, teachers, parents and practically everyone couldn’t help but love her, how she could talk to the outcasts without looking like a complete idiot.

I was also jealous that Riley already liked her; I wanted myself to be the first one to be friendly with Riley, although I knew that Sloane would never harbour any romantic feelings towards him, because only I myself knew that she would never date a blonde guy, and she liked cold-like eyes, and brown seemed too warm for her. The tattoo guy, apparently named Teak, had grey eyes, and they seemed stormy, and emotionless, but currently flashing with gratitude towards her.

Sloane had always been appealed to dangerous and bad boys, she would never admit it, but I knew it all along. And Teak seemed particularly dangerous with cold eyes too.

I noticed Riley’s incorrect grammar, but didn’t bother to correct it, I didn’t want to seem like an uptight bossy know it all, even though Sarah said it all the time, while Sloane told her to shut up and always said, ‘Sarah if you don’t have a single nice thing to say, then shut the fuck up.’

Ah, Sloane, Sloane, Sloane.

Always straight forward, honest and blunt.

Sloane walked away then, she passed me, ahead, and I lagged behind her, feeling unexplainably light-headed.