Blue Eyes
One
Sweatshirts. Useful things during the winter but in the beginning of October, Jennifer was starting to wish she never wore it. Now, too comfortable to take it off, Jen was sweating under black Tripp pants, a black TMNT-shirt and a black Ghidotti sweatshirt but she ignored the sweat piling on the tops of her Spockbrows (a going away makeover from the cheerleading squad) and lost again on iPhone Solitaire. Lying down in the back seat of her mom’s van, she started a new game as her favourite song came on, George Michael’s “Father Figure”. During the music intro, she looked up front to see her father’s eyes on the road and mouth firing harsh words at her mother. A glance at her younger brother told her that he was oblivious to the fight, his headphones and eyes glued to the cars passing, measuring their owners’ attitudes by how well treated they are and the speed they travel. Jen looked back at Solitaire.
That's all I wanted/something special/something sacred in your eyes/For just one moment/to be bold and naked at your side/Sometimes I think that you'll never/understand me (understand me)/Maybe this time is forever/say it can be…/Oh, whoa.
*bing!* A new message sound temporarily interrupted the song and a message from her brother interrupted the screen where she was about to place a king. “Hey, Jen! Look outside. QUICK!” Jen clicked ignore and placed her king which allowed the queen of spades to be put down, the two of spades on top of the ace of spades…
That's all you wanted/something special/someone sacred in your life/Just for one moment/to be warm and/naked at my side/Sometimes I think that you'll never/understand me (understand me)/But something tells me together/we'd be happy/Oh, whoa, baby!
*bing!* “Hello!?? You can see it really good now!”
This message she replied to, first pausing the song. “FINE!” She gives in and slowly changes position to take her first glance of Los Angeles: a billboard was coming at her, advertising an eighties reunion featuring Boy George and Culture Club, Oingo Boingo, Kajagoogoo, George Michael and Wham!, plus many more. She hit play and started to mouth “Father Figure” as she settled back with a long awaited, rare smile on her face.
I will be your father figure (Oh baby)/put your tiny hand in mine (I'd love to)/I will be your preacher teacher (Be your daddy)/anything you have in mind (It would make me)/I will be your father figure (Very happy)/I have had enough of crime (Please let me)/I will be the one who loves you/‘till the end of time.
“Shut the fuck up and listen to me! You NEVER listen to me!” Jen’s mom punched her dad causing the van to swerve slightly. Her dad corrected the van to angry horns from a red convertible.
“Screw you bastard!” Mr. Billock flipped the driver off, his eyes still on the road and his fight with his wife still taking priority. ”It’s you that doesn’t listen to me! I didn’t want her to go to that party but you let her!”
Do. Do do. Wha-oh (Wha-oh).
“She’s almost eighteen, I want her to have as much fun as possible!”
“Exactly, ALMOST EIGHTEEN. More subject to being prosecuted as an adult!” Jen rolled her eyes and swiped the volume bar, blocking out her parent’s fight for good.
That's all I wanted/but sometimes love can be mistaken/for a crime/That's all I wanted/just to see my baby's blue eyes shine/This time I think that my lover/understands me (understands me)/If we have faith in each other/then we can be strong, oh, baby/I will be your father figure/put your tiny hand in mine/(My baby), I will be your preacher teacher/anything you have in mind/I will be your father figure/I have had enough of crime/I will be the one who loves you/‘till the end of time/If you are the desert/I'll be the sea/If you ever hunger/hunger for me/Whatever you ask for/that's what I'll be.
*bing!* “JENNY! We miss you dah-ling! The cheer squad is NOTHING without you.” Jen sighed and replied to the message unwillingly. She secretly hated C.J. and the cheer squad.
So when you remember the ones who have lied/who said that they cared//but then laughed as you cried/beautiful darling/don't think of me/because all I ever wanted…
“Aw, I miss you too, C.J.! … How is everyone there?”
It's in your eyes (baby, baby)/And love can't lie, no/(Greet me with the eyes of a child)/My love is always telling me so/(Heaven is a kiss and a smile)/Just hold on, hold on/I won't let you go, my baby/I will be your father figure/put your tiny hand in mine/(put your tiny hand in mine)/I will be your preacher teacher/anything (everything you have in mind) you have in mind/I will be your father figure/I have had enough of crime/(I have had enough of crime)/so I (will be the one who loves you) am gonna love you/‘till the end of time/I will be your father/I will be your… (I will be your preacher) father/I will be your father (I'll be your daddy)/whoa/I will be the one who loves you/‘till the end of time.
-We. Have. A. Winner!- *bing!*
“Finally!” Jen muttered as she got a new text and Savage Garden’s “Crash and Burn” came on.
*bing!* “We’re okay. Still sad. We know it was not your fault, love. We still don’t blame you unlike… well never mind. You still have people on your side. We will leave it at that. :)”
“No, I want to know. Who doesn’t believe me now? I NEED to know! I need true friends now more than ever.”
*bing!* “The whole football team is against you now and, well now some of your nerds are thinking twice about the whole situation. Hey, I gotta go, Jenny. Some of us still have a table to set up because they’re not laying down in the back of their mom’s van on the way to LOS ANGELES!! Lucky bitch! ;-)”
“How do you know what I’m doing? ;-) Miss you C.J.!”
*bing!* “H & M are here too!”
“Aww… That’s right! I’m missing Wednesday night sleepover. :( Just like I miss you three and Camille and Eric and even my nerds and the football team and hell even the damn janitor who totally RUINED my locker decoration! I don’t know if I can survive in a new surrounding…”
When you feel all alone/And the world has turned its back on you/Give me a moment please/To tame your wild, wild heart/I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you/Its hard to find relief/and people can be so cold/When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can’t take any more/Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/Lift you up and fly away with you into the night/If you need to fall apart/I can mend a broken heart/if you need to crash then crash and burn you’re not alone.
Jen checked her phone for a new message. Zero. She started a new solitaire game.
When you feel all alone/and a loyal friend is hard to find/You’re caught in a one way street/with the monsters in your head/When hopes and dreams are far away/and you feel like you can’t face the day/Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/Lift you up and fly away with you into the night/If you need to fall apart/I can mend a broken heart/if you need to crash then crash and burn you’re not alone/‘Cause there has always been heartache and pain/and when its over you’ll breathe again/You’ll breathe again.
*bing!* “Jen, you seem sad. Do you miss the house, the school? Your friends?” Jen ignored the message and started playing Paper Toss.
When you feel all alone/And the world has turned its back on you/Give me a moment please/To tame your wild, wild heart/Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/Lift you up and fly away with you into the night/If you need to fall apart, I can mend a broken heart/if you need to crash then crash and burn you’re not alone/Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/Lift you up and fly away with you/into the night/If you need to fall apart/I can mend a broken heart/if you need to crash then crash and burn/you’re not alone/alone.
Jen sighed, turned down her music and replied to her brother, “I miss the house and my friends. The school I could care less about; there are a bunch of idiots there who are jealous of my very existence and feel the need to shun me.”
Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/You’re not alone/Lift you up and fly away with (no, no) you into the night/(not alone)/If you need to fall apart/I can mend a broken heart/(ooh, you’re not alone) if you need to crash/(if you need to crash)/then crash and burn you’re not alone/Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/Lift you up and fly away with you/into the night/If you need to fall apart/(ooh hoo, you’re not alone).
*bing!* Jen paused her music and took out her headphones enabling her ears to pop and adjust to the silence (but for her parents’ argument: “If you’re so worried about her well-being and not getting into that shit again, why did you move us to L.A.?”).
“Oh. I miss the school because you were there with me. I hate this new one where high school and middle school are separated... What if people don't like me? I won't have you to turn to.”
“To show her what could happen to her if she doesn’t stop and stop texting each other when you’re that close!” Their dad yelled, staring between Jen and James by way of his rearview mirror.
“Oh, leave them be. They have to right to have a private discussion!” Their mom stood up for them.
“Like you know the difference between private and public…”
Jen put her headphones back in and turned her music up and noticed that James did the same on his iPhone. “How does he know we’re texting each other? How does he know we’re TEXTING! We have headphones in! ASSHOLE!! … I'm not much help in the making friends department. In case you didn’t notice, I was shunned in GV. You’ll do fine in school. You’re a cool kid.”
”We're heeeere!!! Just ignore your father’s rude comments. I-"
“Hey, grab your bags and choose a room. They are upstairs to the left and right; the one in the center is mine… and your mother’s.” Mr. Billock popped the trunk, which scared James for his phone just alerted him of a new message at the same time.
Jen smirked then jumped over the seat and pushed out the trunk. She put her phone into her pocket, tucking her headphones down her shirt and grabbed the five bags that were hers and started toward the house. Upon entering she saw a tiled foyer with doors leading to a kitchen and dining room on the right and a family room on the left. There was a small closet under the stairs; the stairs led directly to double oak doors that Jen took as the master bedroom. She went up the stairs and looked around. There were smaller bedrooms on the left and right walls each with a bathroom attached also featuring a door from outside the bedroom for guests to gain access.
James ran past Jen and tossed his first box into the room on the right. “MINE!” he shouted then ran back down to grab more boxes.
Jen shrugged and set her stuff down gently in her room. James had come back with two more big boxes in his hands. He tripped on the last stair and toppled over the exploded boxes. “DORK!” She turned around to yell at him, “See why we don’t run inside?” As James ignored her and picked up his fallen goodies, Jen looked around her room to get an idea of its dimensions and where she might want to place stuff. Having a vague idea, she looked up and out her window to see a middle-aged brown-eyed man with brown hair highlighted blonde. He was in jeans and a white t-shirt and was reminiscent of George Michael. Jen saw that right away so she gave him a small smile then bounded back downstairs for her boxes. After ten or eleven trips of maneuvering around the movers as they brought in her bed frame, mattress, dresser, and desk, she finally grabbed the last of her stuff and shut her door. Jen explored the boxes looking for on labeled “IMPORTANT: Clothes (and curtain in case there’s a creeper next door. I mean, c’mon its LOS ANGELES!)”. She ripped it open and pulled out some fabric and a package of thumbtacks. She then grabbed her office chair and pulled it to her window.
She saw the GM lookalike move away from the window as she started to tack the curtain up. She glared at his back and finished her temporary curtains. She went back to the box and pulled out some clothes that weren’t black and a towel. Jen sat those in her bathroom then picked up her box marked “JENNIFER’S TOILETRIES BATHROOM STUFF NOT TOILETRIES!!” and locked both doors to the bathroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. “Well. What do you say, Jenny? Shall we meet the new and improved Jennifer Anne Billock?
***
An old Plymouth Voyager with peeling paint and dusty windows pulled into next-door’s drive. The men who were sitting in the back of the moving van and on the various pieces of furniture on the lawn jumped up to greet the driver and his wife and ask where everything was headed. The trunk of the Voyager opened and a young teenaged girl slid out, grabbed a few bags and made her way to the house. She was about five-foot-four, had brown hair, and an outfit of black and chains.
Andrew was watching all of this from his bedroom window. He was sitting at his desk attempting to grade papers but was too distracted by his perfect view of Mrs. Gnorsh cheating on her husband in her pristine house across the street. Then the van came and he became interested in the new neighbors he had been conversing with as they settled the paperwork last week. The man looked as strict and mean as his harsh voice sounded over the phone and his wife was as proper as she sounded. Not having heard their children, Andrew had no preconceived opinions about them but could now see the stress in their eyes and posture from having Mr. and Mrs. Josh Billock as parents.
The girl had made it upstairs and had conveniently chosen the room directly across from Andrew’s bedroom – their windows facing each other. Andrew chewed on the end of his red pen as he watched her set her bags down, yell something at her brother, survey the room, then finally catch eyes with Andrew.
Andrew is middle aged, has brown eyes, brown hair with blonde highlights, and a very kind smile. He dresses in jeans and always has a white t-shirt on, occasionally adding another of a different colour over it. Andrew was always the hottest guy in school and even now as a teacher because he is so reminiscent of George Michael, an eighties pop star from the band Wham!
This girl gave him a small smile then bounded back downstairs for more of her stuff. Andrew watched her do this eleven times maneuvering around the movers and her bed frame, mattress, dresser, and desk. She finally grabbed the last of her boxes and shut her door. She explored the boxes then ripped one open and pulled out some fabric and a package of thumbtacks. She then grabbed her office chair and pulled it to her window.
At that moment, Andrew’s phone rang and he ran downstairs to answer it, dropping his red pen on Kyle Spencer’s paper. His phone was on the hook in his kitchen, where he realised the coffee pot was still on.
“SHIT!” Andrew turned off the pot and answered the phone. “Hello?” He grabbed the container and gagged at the smell of burnt coffee. He took it over to the trash and proceeded to dump it as his caller replied. “Mrs. Crookston! Hello! New student? Uh… yes! I remember you mentioning him. Her? Sorry. Nope. Its still okay, not a problem for her to come in this late.” He brought the pot to the sink and ran some hot water into it adding a dribble of soap. “If she wants to wait until Monday, she can but I have no problem taking her tomorrow. If her other teachers are okay with her starting late in the week.” He turned off the sink and transferred the phone from between his shoulder and ear into his right hand. “They said yes? Then she can come tomorrow or Friday or Monday. No later, you hear? Hahahaha! Yes, Mrs. Crookston. I know I am not funny. I apologise.” Andrew rolled his eyes at the wall. “Good day Mrs. Crookston. I will see you tomorrow.”
Andrew hung up and went back upstairs. When he got there, there was a length of fabric across his neighbor’s window. He smirked.
***
“JENNIFER!!!” James burst into Jen’s room as she was brushing her blow-dried hair. “Woah! You are wearing jeans. BLUE jeans. And a green t-shirt. And no makeup. What have you done with my sister?”
Jen smirked and put her brush on her bathroom sink. “This is the new Jennifer. Her name is Jen.” James just stared at her. “It’s a new town, James. I can change how I look, how I act, what kind of crowd I get involved with. NO CHEERLEADING. Never liked that anyway. And the girls are bitches. I want to be friends with the genuine good guys.”
“Good luck with that.”
“What’s that mean?”
“You mourned for five months when Johnny dumped you. In fourth grade. You are still like that. You need lots of time to get over Camille and Eric. You are not going to be able to just say ‘hey, I’m completely different and I’m not going to care what people say and I’m going to throw away all my black clothes and dark make up.”
“I will not throw them out. Just cut down on the dark make up and store the clothes somewhere. Like, in my closet. Be all cliché like that, you know?”
“Cliché?”
“Yeah. Have ‘skeletons in my closet!”
“What ever. Take me to the club.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s a kid’s club called The Club.”
“A club for baby goats?”
“CHILDREN’S club. It has a diner, dance floor, karaoke, and an arcade! And a mini movie theatre. Mom says you need to walk me there. Its only five blocks.”
“Fine.” Jen grabbed her iPhone and put her wallet in her back pocket and clasped the chain. James watched her. “What? It’s a useful security device. It’s the one thing I won’t ever change.”
***
On the way to The Club, it started to sprinkle and by the time they walked the five blocks it was pointless for Jen to have dried her hair. She and James rushed into The Club getting out of the rain as fast as they could. James nearly knocked over a brunette who was trying to get her guy friend to dance.
“Hey, watch it, young man! Or did you glue my feet to the floor and wanted to make sure it stuck?” Jen laughed as James blushed and hid behind her. “My name’s Carry and this is Kyle!” Carry yelled over the ending of Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.”
“Jen… nifer, my younger brother James. We just moved here.”
“Awesome! You’ll love it here. Especially here at The Club. C’mon, we’ll give you a tour.” Kyle grabbed Jen’s hand and started to drag her onto the dance floor.
“Jen! I’ll be in the arcade!” James yelled at her as soon as The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Got a Feeling” came on.
“This is the dance floor! Over there is a karaoke machine. Make sure nobody’s dancing when you cut off the music and start a game!” Carry grabbed Jen’s hand and drug her to the edge of the arcade.
“Arcade games here. Loads of different kinds. Only the most popular ones. Pay using quarters, nickels and dimes.” They both then pushed Jen into a hallway to the side of the diner. Jen caught the sight of a blonde haired man in a white shirt before Carry dragged her hard enough to face down the hall. “Bathrooms are down here and so is—“
“Hey!” Jen yelled at Carry. “The music’s not as loud down here.” She said calmly as the trio walked down the hall. “You don’t have to yell.”
“Sorry. Bathrooms are down here as well as the mini movie theatre.” They peeked into the theatre. Inside were one big screen, ten rows of raised seats and the projector on a stand in the back. “Don’t judge too harshly. They show new movies on opening day and some oldies when they do midnight showings. And you can bring food in from the diner.”
“MOVE!” A tall blonde pushed Jen aside and burst into the girl’s bathroom.
“That’s Julia. A cheerleader and bitch but here they are synonymous. No idea what her problem is. Hey, look!” Carry saw someone at the diner and again grabbed Jen and took her with her down the long hall.
Jen saw the same guy she saw that afternoon across from her. He was looking down at some papers in front of him and finishing a sandwich while his cup was filled with coffee.
***
Andrew finished grading the Spanish 3 papers and found himself deciding to go to The Club, a hot spot for teenagers and young children with an arcade, dance floor, karaoke machine, diner, and small movie theatre.
“ANDREW!!” Everyone in The Club greeted him as he walked in.
“Hey, guys! And gals.” He winked at Julia, a tall blonde surrounded by cheerleaders in uniform. Andrew always comes to The Club to hang out or grade papers. Even on school nights.
Andrew made his way past the dancers on the dance floor, high fived some gamers as he passed the arcade and sat down at the diner’s counter.
“The usual, Andrew?” Carl, an eighteen year old who graduated from Gabriel High last year was working the counter as he did every Wednesday night.
“You know it.” Carl had already started Andrew’s order when he saw Andrew walk in so he had the coffee and hot chocolate mix ready to pour into a mug for Andrew and he already told the cook he needed a ‘cheese sandwich, mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce only on toasted sourdough make sure to melt the three cheeses together – American, Jack, and Provolone.’
Andrew took a sip of his drink, thanked Carl, and reached for his wallet. He pulled out a ten, “Keep the change as a tip, Carl.”
“Thank you, sir. Andrew. Sorry.” Carl walked to the cash register and Andrew pulled out the papers he was grading earlier.
“Hello, Andrew!” Julia came over to him from the dance floor and sat down on the chair Andrew was about to place his book bag; he set it on the other one instead. “What are you doing here on this fine Wednesday evening?”
“Grading your class’ Spanish papers because I was too… distracted at home. And I didn’t want to cook my own dinner. Thank you, Carl.”
Julia watched in disgust at the cheese that dribbled down Andrew’s mouth as he took a big bite out of his sandwich.
“Ew, Andrew. That’s so gross. How can you eat that crap?”
“Its just cheese! What are you up to, Julia?”
“Not much. Peter turned me down for prom. Again.”
“Its only October. You have some time until prom, Julia. Don’t let it get you down.” He took another big bite and some mustard landed on his plate. Julia grimaced.
“Are you going to prom, Andrew?”
“I might be a chaperone, yes.” He picked up the mustard on his finger and licked it off then downed his drink. “More, Carl? Thanks.” Carl poured the hot chocolate mix first then went in search of the coffee pot. “And I will have you know, Julia, that if that was you inviting me to be your date, it’s out of the question. Now, I would like you to tell me what the heck you are trying to say in this essay.”
Julia shook her head and stomped off down the hallway next to the counter. Andrew just went back to marking up the paper with red question marks. Carl came back with the coffee pot and filled it up.
“ANDREW DAH-LING!!!” Carry a hippie in his class slammed her hands down on the counter by Andrew. He didn’t even flinch, being used to Carry’s antics.
“Good evening, Carry. How are you? Frisky as usual I see.”
“Yup. I just made a new friend, Jennifer.” Andrew looked up to see Kyle, Carry’s best friend, picking his fingernails and his new window buddy staring fondly at Andrew. He took her hand in his and kissed it slightly. “Jen, this is Andrew, the coolest teacher at Gabriel High. He loves hanging with us rowdy teens. And he even trusts us enough that he can grade Spanish papers here at The Club. Is that my class, Andrew? He even lets us call him Andrew. So cool!”
Andrew, still holding Jen’s hand and staring into her eyes replied, “No Carry. It’s Spanish 2 not 3. I already have yours done… You have very pretty blue eyes, Jennifer.”
Jen tried to pry her hand from Andrew’s as her face turned pink. “Thank you. You have a nice, strong grip.”
“Sorry.” He let her hand go and tried too obviously to preoccupy it by picking up his red pen and tapping it on the counter.
“It’s ok. I like strong.” Andrew smiled at her.
“Tell me more about yourself, Jennifer.”
“I like the 80s. The music from then inspires me. I like to sing. I love to dance. Y la lengua español es mi lengua favorita porque es muy bonita y romantica. Pienso que tendré gusto de su clase la mejor.”
“Excellente. Quiere bailar y cantar conmigo Srta Billock? Desde usted amor a bailar y todo.”
Jen chuckled and smiled, not bothering to ask how he already knew her last name. ‘He’s one my new teachers. He was told by the principal I’m sure.’ “Si.” Andrew grabbed her hand and brought her slowly to the dance floor.
“Holy mackerel, Andy! I actually understood that! Which song?” Julia ran over to the control booth and turned off some slow song (“You are my fire…”)
“¿Qué canción, mi amore?” Andrew queried as Kyle handed them microphones from the karaoke machine. People in the club started to look at them, gamers turning from their fantasy worlds, Julia glaring from a corner.
“‘Wake me up Before You Go-Go’ por Wham! Solamente si usted puede jitterbug.” Jen said into the microphone.
“¡Por supuesto puedo!”
JITTERBUG!
As the first word of the song blared through the speakers, Jen was shaking, fearing making a fool of herself but then Andrew leaned over and snapped his fingers to the tune and started dancing so close to the moves in the music video Jen was laughing so hard she had to let Andrew take over singing the first verse.
You put the boom-boom into my heart/You send my soul sky high when your lovin’ starts/Jitterbug into my brain/goes a bang-bang-bang ‘til my feet do the same/But somethin’s buggin’ you/something ain’t right/my best friend told me what you did last night/you left me sleepin’ in my bed/I was dreamin’ but I shoulda been with you instead!
Jen joined him for the chorus and started dancing.
Wake me up before you go-go/don’t leave me hangin’ on like a yo-yo/wake me up before you go-go/I don’t wanna miss it when you hit that high/wake me up before you go-go/’cause I’m not planin’ on goin’ solo/wake me up before you go-go/ah/take me dancing to tonight/I wanna hit that high/Yeah, yeah/You took the grey skies out of my way/you make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day/turned a bright spark into a flame/my beats per minute never been the same/’cause you’re my lady/I’m your fool/it makes me crazy when you act so cruel/c’mon baby, let’s not fight/we’ll go dancin’ everything will be alright!/Wake me up before you go-go/don’t leave me hangin’ on like a yo-yo/wake me up before you go-go/I don’t wanna miss it when you hit that high/wake me up before you go-go/’cause I’m not planin’ on goin’ solo/wake me up before you go-go/ah/take me dancing to tonight/I wanna hit that high/yeah, yeah, yeah
People stared to form a circle and clap along. Carry was doing a little jig on the stage by the karaoke machine. Jen and Andrew were airtrumpeting and Julia pushed her way past the nerds and videots and ran outside.
Cuddle up baby/move in tight/we’ll go dancing tomorrow night/it’s cold out there/but it’s warm in bed/they can dance/we’ll stay home instead.
At the music interlude, Kyle attempted the jitterbug with Carry but they failed miserably. On the dance floor, Andrew and Jen were acing the dance as the crowd roared in approval.
Jitterbug/Wake me up before you go-go/don’t leave me hangin’ on like a yo-yo/wake me up before you go-go/I don’t wanna miss it when you hit that high/wake me up before you go-go/’cause I’m not planin’ on goin’ solo/wake me up before you go-go/ah/take me dancing to tonight/Wake me up before you go-go/don’t (don’t you dare) leave me hangin’ (don’t leave me hangin’ on like a yo-yo) on like a yo-yo/I don’t wanna miss it/take me dancin’/a boom-boom-boom-boom/wake me up before you go-go/’cause I’m not planin’ on goin’ solo/a boom-boom-boom-boom/wake me up before you go-go/yeah, yeah, yeah/take me dancing to night/yeah, yeah.
“Jen’s an excellent singer and dancer! Holy crap! Sign her up for a talent show audition.” Kyle told Carry. She nodded her head, mouth hanging wide open and turned down the volume as the song ended. The crowd yelled and cheered and clapped. Andrew couldn’t hear Jen but has been known to read lips so he nodded as she said, “That was amazing, haw?” He bowed to her making her face turn from red to scarlet. “Thank you, Andrew.”
***
Andrew got home that night and crashed on his bed without taking off his clothes. The smell of strawberries was too intoxicating to leave; a big smile plastered on his face.
***
Andrew oversaw homeroom for the freshmen at 6:45 then his Spanish 1 class is right before the school wide lunch break, his Spanish 2 class was directly after lunch and Spanish 3 is his last class of the school day. This drizzly Thursday morning in October was uneventful until Jennifer, Carry, and Kyle came striding into his Spanish 3 class, arguing about Twilight.
“It’s a wonderful story, Kyle, do NOT listen to Jen’s bias.”
“My bias? Excuse me? Just because I believe Dracula is a better rendition of a badass vampire does not mean I have a bias against Twilight. I would have a bias if I were Stephanie Meyer or her daughter or publisher or something. Do not read Twilight, Kyle, if you want your mind to stay sane. Unless you have a thing for perverted hundreds of years old men who sparkle in the sun and know every single thing about your private thoughts.”
The trio sat down in the middle of the second row, Kyle and Carry flanking Jen. “Look, I love you, Jen. You are the first person it has taken less that 48 hours for me to trust with my cell phone number but please. Edward Cullen is not a pervert, he is sweet.”
“He watched Bella sleep at night long before he told her.”
“He was making sure she was safe.”
“This was before any Vultiri or some such nonsense were after her.”
“Jenny, dear. I’m done. No more. I cannot have this conversation until you have read past the first book.”
Jen rolled her eyes and got her notebook ready to take notes.
Andrew cleared his throat and waited for his last two students, Julia and Peter, to enter and sit down. “Welcome, class. I have a new student to introduce to you. Jennifer Billock comes from up north. But south of Forks, Washington right?” Jen glared at Andrew as he winked at Carry. “And I’m sure if looks could kill, that would have been the death of me, Jennifer.” Andrew placed his hands on Jen’s desk and leaned in close to her. “En esta clase hablemos español y sólo español. No atacamos los libros como el profesor tenemos gusto y no pensamos especialmente que somos más altos que otros apenas porque podemos hablar el tiempo futuro. E insúltelos usando palabras que todavía no comprenden.” The class laughed.
Andrew leaned in closer so only Jen could hear him, “Espero que su requisito previo español sea bastante suficiente para mi clase, Srta. Billock porque salimos un pedacito de control.”
***
“So, Andrew likes Twilight. I guess I should be sorry for insulting it in his class.”
“You weren’t insulting it. You were stating basic observations of the plot and characters. If you wanted to insult it, you would say something about the way it was written.” Andrew walked up behind the trio unnoticed. “And I apologise for putting you on the spot.” Jen blushed but before she could reply, Carry’s loud voice rang out in the hall causing a freshman to turn suddenly and drop his books and papers.
“Andrew! Hello! I had a question. The word apenas that you used today…” Carry stepped onto one of the freshman’s papers that he was about to grab. Kyle knelt down and pulled her foot off it, handing the paper to the freshman.
“Just. I said ‘we don’t think we are higher than others just because we can speak the future tense’.”
“Uh-huh.” Carry looked down at her best friend and the freshman cleaning up, saw she was in the way, and ducked over to the wall on Andrew’s left. “And the rest?”
“Carry. Have you been doing the reading? The homework? The listening in class?” Carry shook her head and just before Andrew was about to roughly translate what he said by memory, Jen beat him to it.
“’In this class we speak Spanish and only Spanish. We do not attack books that the teacher likes and we don’t think we are higher than others just because we can speak the future tense. And insult them using words they have yet to comprehend.’ And yes, I wrote the entire thing down.” Jen closed her notebook on Kyle’s nose who had been pulling her book down to see what she was reading.
“Hey. Do you want to give me a paper cut?” Kyle exclaimed.
“Not particularly, you’re a good friend.” She stated this toward the freshman hoping he would hear and thank someone he had Kyle to help him with his papers but the freshman just stuffed the last of his papers into his math book and took off down the hall.
“Hey, listen. I’m done for the day and want to get out of this hellhole. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Andrew watched the kid run away then shook his head, deciding not to tell him off for running in the halls.
“Have a good one, Andrew!”
The trio watched their teacher head out the side door toward the staff parking lot then shoved their way past their classmates to the front of the school.
Out front, kids were waiting for the buses, waiting for rides, sitting in their truck beds while laughing at the lower classmen, and avoiding the football some juniors were tossing around the quad. It landed with a splash in the fountain and barely got Julia the cheerleader wet but she just had to make a scene by jumping up and screaming and trying to get a jock to beat the kid up.
“PETER! Teach this damn freshman a lesson!”
“I’m a junior, bitch!”
“Fuck you! Peter? If you want to take me to prom, wedgie this guy!”
“I never asked you to prom, Jules.”
“Don’t call me that! And we’ll speak later on that subject but PLEASE! Hurt this goddamn kid! He got me we—“
“Kid? I did not realise you were a baby goat.” Jen spewed at the junior.
“Yeah. I got a species change last weekend.” The junior joked with her.
“Age change too.”
“Yeah. But it fits my attitude better so, there’s not much difference.” Jen, Carry, Kyle and the junior cracked up and the junior high fived Jen. “You’re great, new girl! What’s your name?”
“Jennifer. Feel free to call me Jen, though.”
“Jen,” The junior kept saying her name. “Jen. I like the way it just sticks in the air after you’ve said the three small letters. Jen. I’m Colby.”
They shook hands then looked at Julia who was standing with her arms crossed, shrugging off Peter as he tried to hug her and tell her it would be okay, it was just a small bit of water.
“Get off me, Peter! Jen? If you want to survive your time here, I suggest you make friends with the right people.”
“Are you meaning to sound like Draco Malfoy? ‘Cause his evil personality totally fits you so its cool if you do imitate him.”
“Jennifer! The cheerleaders and jocks are the right people. Not this hippie and this gay rod and this… I don’t even know what you are, freshman.”
Colby threw up his hands and thrust the ball at the school. He made that his excuse to get away from Julia. Kyle was looking down at his feet.
“Gay rod? Seriously, Julia? You can’t come up with anything more original? And where do you get the right to call him a gay rod anyway? Last I checked you weren’t his mom with the ability to give him a name!” Carry gave a little neck spin and shook her finger at Julia as though her comment actually made sense. She looked confident though and that’s what got Julia to be even angrier but luckily for Carry, Julia’s ride came at that moment.
“Julia sweetie!” A tall, thin, blonde woman that could have been Julia’s sister but was so obviously older everyone knew it was Julia’s mom was checking her lip gloss in the rearview mirror. She honked the horn a bit and waved her daughter over. Julia stomped to her mom’s convertible bug and got in.
“Don’t call me sweetie in public.” she muttered.
The people in the quad were cracking up as Julia’s mom sped off. Jen, Kyle, and Carry were staring in amazement. “We should go to your house, Jen.” Carry suggested.
“Okay. Its not a far walk from here.”
“Walk?” complained Kyle. Carry gave him a look. “Oh. Okay. It beats the bus.
***
Carry and Kyle didn’t spend much time at Jen’s. They helped her finish unpacking and then made a fruit smoothie and Carry burst into James’ room to bug him. He was embarrassed to see her and apologised again and again for running into her at The Club. Carry was laughing too much to tell him it was okay and her laugh attack got worse when he groveled at her feet.
Then she got a text from her mom. “SHIT! I was supposed to work today! C’mon Kyle. Sorry Jen, we gotta jet.”
Jen saw them to the door, got carry’s digits then went upstairs and turned on her MacBook Pro. She was pleased to see her dad had hooked up their Wi-Fi port and logged onto facebook, myspace, twitter, hotmail, and deviantART.
“Jen!” James had come into her room and was bouncing on her bed.”
“Yes, Jamesy-poo?” Jen used James’ ex-girlfriend’s nickname for James.
James glared at her but otherwise ignored the name. “How are your classes?”
“Boring. I have, like, no classes.” She pulled her schedule from her bag and let him look at it.
“I’d ask someone about this. Mine were boring too. English just had a test and so did math. Science was okay. Biology so a little uninteresting but… I shouldn’t have said that. Please no bio rant, Jen!”
“Only if you leave so I can call Carry.”
“You just saw her!” Jen stole Carry’s look at aimed it at her brother. “I’m leaving!” He slammed her door.
Jen sent carry a quick text and then found her school’s website. “Classes. Spanish. Teacher. Contact.” She clicked on his email and it opened a new message in her mail app with Andrew’s email in the to bar.
From: jennyb@thebillocks.com
To: afields@gabrielhigh.com
Subject: Wassapnin?
HI! I found your email on the school site…
I was wondering… Is my schedule screwed up or something? I don’t have English or science. Just Government/Economics, Spanish, homeroom, and lunch (which I am grateful for, last school you had to find your own lunch time and I had none… D:). And some soccer thing I have to go to tomorrow after school. Is this because I am new or are all seniors this special?
-J.B.
Jen tapped her fingers on her laptop and jumped when Carry’s text made her phone vibrate. She checked it and smiled. Carry had no idea why Jen’s schedule was so weird but she did explain the soccer thing.
‘Another email? Oh my gosh, I’m so popular!’ Her inbox called her back to the computer screen.
From: afields@gabrielhigh.com
To: jennyb@thebillocks.com
Subject: RE: Wassapnin?
Hello, Jennifer,
You can easily ask this same question to Carry and Kyle. In fact, I’m sure you already have. But I shall explain for you anyway in case you have a learning disability you have yet to tell me of.
You are special. Don’t worry, Sylar is nowhere in the vicinity.
You already took college level English at your previous high school and you have fulfilled all requirements for history. And seniors don’t need a science class. The ‘soccer thing’ you mentioned is a mandatory soccer tryout. Each season is a new mandatory tryout depending on gender and grade. Next spring, you will try out for the tennis team. As will every other female senior in attendance at Gabriel High.
Andrew Fields
Spanish Teacher
Gabriel High School
afields@gabrielhigh.com
[No cell number given]; [House phone is private]
“Sweet! That early college high school paid off!” Jen typed him a quick reply that didn’t make her sound too stakerish in emailing her teacher then continued to surf the web. She barely had any real friends on facebook and myspace because people had deleted her after the accident. On twitter, she was following all celebrities and some people who were fans of Michael Jackson and Wham! and other eighties related stuff.
From: jennyb@thebillocks.com
To: afields@gabrielhigh.com
Subject: RE: RE: Wassapnin?
Ooh, fancy, fancy your signature is, yes. (That was my best Yoda impression incase you were so wondering)
Thank you for clarification, and you are correct, I did already ask Carry and Kyle. And the principal, Mrs. Crook is it? :P
I just wanted to bug you. ^_^
Hey, have you perchance… oh I don’t know… looked at yourself in the mirror and seen George Michael staring back at you? Because, honestly, that would be a cool experience. And, hey, call me when you do. I want his sex. ;)
-J.B.
She saw a tweet from an Inkpopper and remembered to check that. As she clicked enter, her email inbox rang out again.
From: afields@gabrielhigh.com
To: jennyb@thebillocks.com
Subject: RE: RE: RE: Wassapnin?
I love Yoda. I love Star Wars. I think I’m handsome like Han. What do you think?
Oh, Mrs. Crookston is her name. She’s… yeah.
And, my god, child! Are you old enough to know that song? Do you know what that song suggests? Do you realise that might be a great theme song for Edward Cullen? :P (Well, on second thought “Every Breath You Take” by The Police would be a better song…)
So, about our dance last night… you are very good. You know, every spring GHS has a talent show. I would love to see you in it. ;)
Andrew Fields
Spanish Teacher
Gabriel High School
afields@gabrielhigh.com
[No cell number given]; [House phone is private]
From: jennyb@thebillocks.com
To: afields@gabrielhigh.com
Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: Wassapnin?
You? Han Solo? No. You are George Michael. Now gimme his sex. Oh shit. Did I just say that to a teacher?
*glares at the Cullen mention*
=D Thanks but it’s a hobby. Nothing I want to show off. Though I guess I did last nite... XD Ah well, it was fun. And great to see those smiling faces, and the cheers. For me. It was a nice break from my old school. They were jerks there. They always booed me off the stage…
-J.B.
From: afields@gabrielhigh.com
To: jennyb@thebillocks.com
Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Wassapnin?
The people here at GHS are good people, even for living in the heart of Los Angeles. The students here truly ARE angels. Speaking of, have you seen the movie City of Angels? Do you own it? I would love to borrow. People tell me its great.
Oh and the George Michael thing… I’ve been told of our similarities. I actually met him once. Well saw him. At a Wham! concert. I am old school. I will let the sex thing slide. I am quite sexy and students through the years have flirted with me. Girls AND guys.
Andrew Fields
Spanish Teacher
Gabriel High School
afields@gabrielhigh.com
[No cell number given]; [House phone is private]
Andrew tapped his fingers on his desk, anxious for a reply. When the doorbell rang, he was reluctant to leave his computer to answer it; he didn’t want to keep Jen awaiting a reply for too long. When the bell rang again, Andrew heaved himself from his chair and plodded downstairs in his socks, boxers, and a white, unbuttoned, collared shirt. He reached the door and opened it.
“I wait all day, just hoping for one more minute with you, and I don't even know you.” -Maggie Rice, City of Angels
A small note attached to a DVD of the movie stared Andrew in the face. “What’s this?”
“The movie you requested, sir. Oh.” Jen had lowed the DVD and saw what Andrew was wearing… and what he wasn’t. She quickly raised the DVD again.
Andrew chuckled. “Come in, Jennifer.” He stood aside so she could walk into his foyer. He closed the door and ran upstairs to put on pants and button up his shirt.
“This is laid out exactly as my house is!” He heard Jen call from downstairs. He ran back out to the top of the staircase.
“Yes, all houses on this street are the same. Well, on this side. The ones across from us are different. So is it a good movie?”
“Yes, extremely. Your buttons are off a bit, by the way.” Andrew corrected his mistake then reached out his hand to accept the DVD. “I recommend you have a box or six of tissues handy when you decide to watch it.”
“I think that I would like to watch it with you.” his words stopped Jen on her way to the door. “Are you available this weekend? Or right now, even? How long is this movie?” Andrew pretended to read the back of the DVD case.
“Here.” Jen snatched the DVD back on searched the small print on the back for the running time. “One hundred fourteen minutes.” She checked the clock on her iPhone. “And my parents won’t be home for another one hundred twenty minutes.”
They both smiled. Andrew plucked the DVD from Jen’s hands and walked into the living room. He had a big screen television, a velvet couch, and orange shag carpet. “Nice carpeting.” Andrew turned and shot Jen a look. She clutched at her chest, gasped and fell onto the couch face first. Andrew shook his head as he loaded the DVD into the player.
He turned to see Jen making herself comfortable on the couch and stroking it. He sat beside her and pressed play. Jen snatched the remote and pressed pause. “What did I tell you?”
Andrew rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom for some tissues. He sat them down on the stand beside the couch then fell onto the couch next to her, his eyes pleading for her to start it soon. Jen watched him as he did this then pressed play with her eyes still on him. “Prepare yourself, Andrew Fields, for a world you may think is ours but this world has kind folk and good hearts. I’d take a tissue out now if I were you.” She smirked at him and they both settled back for a journey in the arms of an angel.
***
Andrew grabbed hold of the header of his front door and leaned outside. Jen walked down the three steps to the pathway, swinging City of Angels between her thumb and middle finger of her right hand. She turned around at Andrew’s voice.
“That was an excellent movie, Jen. Thank you for showing it to me.”
“Oh, c’mon, Andrew. Be a man and cry. You know you want to.”
“Would I be a man if I cried over this movie?”
“Yes. You would be. My dad cries every time he sees it, every time it is mentioned, and every time the song “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan comes on.” Jen lied.
“Your dad is a wimp.”
“No, Mr. Fields, you are.” She winked at him and ran across the lawn separating the pathways to their houses. She reached her door and opened it, looking back at Andrew watching her. “If you don’t cry, I’m telling the whole school. They will shun you. This movie is a classic. Everybody cries during it.” With that she walked inside and closed the door.
Andrew scoffed and closed his door. He walked to his living room and started to pick up the box of tissues to return it to the bathroom but as he reached his hands to it, it went blurry. Andrew went down on the couch hard, hand groping inside the box. He pulled one out and sat there, curled up like a bunny, tissue in hand, tears flowing freely onto it and his hands. He didn’t bother to wipe his nose or get more comfortable. His neck was cramping and his belt was digging into his side but he didn’t care. He just wanted to cry until he couldn’t cry any more. Then he was going to cry again.
He turned onto his back; feet curled to his stomach still, and placed his palms over his eyes, hands squeezing his shaggy hair, the now soggy tissue dripping down his arm. Andrew lay there for some time. Banishing the last of his tears from his system.
“Damn it’s been some time since I’ve cried like this. Or even at all!” He thought aloud. “God damn memory. You’re going to make me flashback aren’t you?” Andrew picked up his right and with eyes closed, smacked himself upside the head, Gibbs to DiNozzo style.
But the images still came. A bloody knife. A torn wrist. Tears of pink and screams of terror. Footfalls on the wooden stairs of this very same house. Phone ringing: “Is everything okay?” No. It is not okay. Chaos and sadness consumes the house. Little Andrew of five, fatherless. Young Andrew of 12, sisterless. Adult Andrew of 21, motherless.
Now, Andrew of 45 gains new tears and a refreshed look at his horrible past.
***
The Billocks sat around their dinner table eating pizza from a box. ‘Am I livin’ in a box? Am I livin’ in a cardboard box?’ Jen thought to herself. She snorted.
“Jenny. We do not snort at the dinner table.” Jasmine said.
“Sorry Mom. But you know, ‘it ain’t what you do it’s the place that you do it and that’s what gets results’ so I did it at the dinner table to get you to pay attention to me and ask me how my day was.”
Jasmine smiled at Jen. “Okay. James? How was your day, dear?”
“Uneventful.” James shoveled in a piece of pizza and took his time chewing it. His mother’s face twitched a bit then she turned away from him and toward her husband, totally passing Jen in the middle.
“Honey? Your job? Did you transfer in alright?”
“Yes, dear. I would like to hear what Jen has to say about her day.”
“Really? That’s a first for you Dad.” John glared at Jen as if to say ‘speak now for I am never asking for your voice to be heard by my ears ever again’.
“I have made three new friends, my Spanish teacher is an absolute doll, and the queen cheerleader hates my guts! The whole school is impressed by my standing up to said queen, I think I am the best in my Spanish class, and friends are totally cool! They came over briefly this afternoon. We made a smoothie, unpacked my boxes, and James drooled over Carry.”
“Did not! We saw her last night at The Club and I accidentally ran into her. I was apologising.” James defended his manly man honour.
“That’s great. Can we eat in peace now?”
‘Yeah, then you can rest in pieces, dad.’ Jen thought angrily.
***
That's all I wanted/something special/something sacred in your eyes/For just one moment/to be bold and naked at your side/Sometimes I think that you'll never/understand me (understand me)/Maybe this time is forever/say it can be…/Oh, whoa.
*bing!* A new message sound temporarily interrupted the song and a message from her brother interrupted the screen where she was about to place a king. “Hey, Jen! Look outside. QUICK!” Jen clicked ignore and placed her king which allowed the queen of spades to be put down, the two of spades on top of the ace of spades…
That's all you wanted/something special/someone sacred in your life/Just for one moment/to be warm and/naked at my side/Sometimes I think that you'll never/understand me (understand me)/But something tells me together/we'd be happy/Oh, whoa, baby!
*bing!* “Hello!?? You can see it really good now!”
This message she replied to, first pausing the song. “FINE!” She gives in and slowly changes position to take her first glance of Los Angeles: a billboard was coming at her, advertising an eighties reunion featuring Boy George and Culture Club, Oingo Boingo, Kajagoogoo, George Michael and Wham!, plus many more. She hit play and started to mouth “Father Figure” as she settled back with a long awaited, rare smile on her face.
I will be your father figure (Oh baby)/put your tiny hand in mine (I'd love to)/I will be your preacher teacher (Be your daddy)/anything you have in mind (It would make me)/I will be your father figure (Very happy)/I have had enough of crime (Please let me)/I will be the one who loves you/‘till the end of time.
“Shut the fuck up and listen to me! You NEVER listen to me!” Jen’s mom punched her dad causing the van to swerve slightly. Her dad corrected the van to angry horns from a red convertible.
“Screw you bastard!” Mr. Billock flipped the driver off, his eyes still on the road and his fight with his wife still taking priority. ”It’s you that doesn’t listen to me! I didn’t want her to go to that party but you let her!”
Do. Do do. Wha-oh (Wha-oh).
“She’s almost eighteen, I want her to have as much fun as possible!”
“Exactly, ALMOST EIGHTEEN. More subject to being prosecuted as an adult!” Jen rolled her eyes and swiped the volume bar, blocking out her parent’s fight for good.
That's all I wanted/but sometimes love can be mistaken/for a crime/That's all I wanted/just to see my baby's blue eyes shine/This time I think that my lover/understands me (understands me)/If we have faith in each other/then we can be strong, oh, baby/I will be your father figure/put your tiny hand in mine/(My baby), I will be your preacher teacher/anything you have in mind/I will be your father figure/I have had enough of crime/I will be the one who loves you/‘till the end of time/If you are the desert/I'll be the sea/If you ever hunger/hunger for me/Whatever you ask for/that's what I'll be.
*bing!* “JENNY! We miss you dah-ling! The cheer squad is NOTHING without you.” Jen sighed and replied to the message unwillingly. She secretly hated C.J. and the cheer squad.
So when you remember the ones who have lied/who said that they cared//but then laughed as you cried/beautiful darling/don't think of me/because all I ever wanted…
“Aw, I miss you too, C.J.! … How is everyone there?”
It's in your eyes (baby, baby)/And love can't lie, no/(Greet me with the eyes of a child)/My love is always telling me so/(Heaven is a kiss and a smile)/Just hold on, hold on/I won't let you go, my baby/I will be your father figure/put your tiny hand in mine/(put your tiny hand in mine)/I will be your preacher teacher/anything (everything you have in mind) you have in mind/I will be your father figure/I have had enough of crime/(I have had enough of crime)/so I (will be the one who loves you) am gonna love you/‘till the end of time/I will be your father/I will be your… (I will be your preacher) father/I will be your father (I'll be your daddy)/whoa/I will be the one who loves you/‘till the end of time.
-We. Have. A. Winner!- *bing!*
“Finally!” Jen muttered as she got a new text and Savage Garden’s “Crash and Burn” came on.
*bing!* “We’re okay. Still sad. We know it was not your fault, love. We still don’t blame you unlike… well never mind. You still have people on your side. We will leave it at that. :)”
“No, I want to know. Who doesn’t believe me now? I NEED to know! I need true friends now more than ever.”
*bing!* “The whole football team is against you now and, well now some of your nerds are thinking twice about the whole situation. Hey, I gotta go, Jenny. Some of us still have a table to set up because they’re not laying down in the back of their mom’s van on the way to LOS ANGELES!! Lucky bitch! ;-)”
“How do you know what I’m doing? ;-) Miss you C.J.!”
*bing!* “H & M are here too!”
“Aww… That’s right! I’m missing Wednesday night sleepover. :( Just like I miss you three and Camille and Eric and even my nerds and the football team and hell even the damn janitor who totally RUINED my locker decoration! I don’t know if I can survive in a new surrounding…”
When you feel all alone/And the world has turned its back on you/Give me a moment please/To tame your wild, wild heart/I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you/Its hard to find relief/and people can be so cold/When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can’t take any more/Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/Lift you up and fly away with you into the night/If you need to fall apart/I can mend a broken heart/if you need to crash then crash and burn you’re not alone.
Jen checked her phone for a new message. Zero. She started a new solitaire game.
When you feel all alone/and a loyal friend is hard to find/You’re caught in a one way street/with the monsters in your head/When hopes and dreams are far away/and you feel like you can’t face the day/Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/Lift you up and fly away with you into the night/If you need to fall apart/I can mend a broken heart/if you need to crash then crash and burn you’re not alone/‘Cause there has always been heartache and pain/and when its over you’ll breathe again/You’ll breathe again.
*bing!* “Jen, you seem sad. Do you miss the house, the school? Your friends?” Jen ignored the message and started playing Paper Toss.
When you feel all alone/And the world has turned its back on you/Give me a moment please/To tame your wild, wild heart/Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/Lift you up and fly away with you into the night/If you need to fall apart, I can mend a broken heart/if you need to crash then crash and burn you’re not alone/Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/Lift you up and fly away with you/into the night/If you need to fall apart/I can mend a broken heart/if you need to crash then crash and burn/you’re not alone/alone.
Jen sighed, turned down her music and replied to her brother, “I miss the house and my friends. The school I could care less about; there are a bunch of idiots there who are jealous of my very existence and feel the need to shun me.”
Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/You’re not alone/Lift you up and fly away with (no, no) you into the night/(not alone)/If you need to fall apart/I can mend a broken heart/(ooh, you’re not alone) if you need to crash/(if you need to crash)/then crash and burn you’re not alone/Let me be the one you call/if you jump, I’ll break your fall/Lift you up and fly away with you/into the night/If you need to fall apart/(ooh hoo, you’re not alone).
*bing!* Jen paused her music and took out her headphones enabling her ears to pop and adjust to the silence (but for her parents’ argument: “If you’re so worried about her well-being and not getting into that shit again, why did you move us to L.A.?”).
“Oh. I miss the school because you were there with me. I hate this new one where high school and middle school are separated... What if people don't like me? I won't have you to turn to.”
“To show her what could happen to her if she doesn’t stop and stop texting each other when you’re that close!” Their dad yelled, staring between Jen and James by way of his rearview mirror.
“Oh, leave them be. They have to right to have a private discussion!” Their mom stood up for them.
“Like you know the difference between private and public…”
Jen put her headphones back in and turned her music up and noticed that James did the same on his iPhone. “How does he know we’re texting each other? How does he know we’re TEXTING! We have headphones in! ASSHOLE!! … I'm not much help in the making friends department. In case you didn’t notice, I was shunned in GV. You’ll do fine in school. You’re a cool kid.”
”We're heeeere!!! Just ignore your father’s rude comments. I-"
“Hey, grab your bags and choose a room. They are upstairs to the left and right; the one in the center is mine… and your mother’s.” Mr. Billock popped the trunk, which scared James for his phone just alerted him of a new message at the same time.
Jen smirked then jumped over the seat and pushed out the trunk. She put her phone into her pocket, tucking her headphones down her shirt and grabbed the five bags that were hers and started toward the house. Upon entering she saw a tiled foyer with doors leading to a kitchen and dining room on the right and a family room on the left. There was a small closet under the stairs; the stairs led directly to double oak doors that Jen took as the master bedroom. She went up the stairs and looked around. There were smaller bedrooms on the left and right walls each with a bathroom attached also featuring a door from outside the bedroom for guests to gain access.
James ran past Jen and tossed his first box into the room on the right. “MINE!” he shouted then ran back down to grab more boxes.
Jen shrugged and set her stuff down gently in her room. James had come back with two more big boxes in his hands. He tripped on the last stair and toppled over the exploded boxes. “DORK!” She turned around to yell at him, “See why we don’t run inside?” As James ignored her and picked up his fallen goodies, Jen looked around her room to get an idea of its dimensions and where she might want to place stuff. Having a vague idea, she looked up and out her window to see a middle-aged brown-eyed man with brown hair highlighted blonde. He was in jeans and a white t-shirt and was reminiscent of George Michael. Jen saw that right away so she gave him a small smile then bounded back downstairs for her boxes. After ten or eleven trips of maneuvering around the movers as they brought in her bed frame, mattress, dresser, and desk, she finally grabbed the last of her stuff and shut her door. Jen explored the boxes looking for on labeled “IMPORTANT: Clothes (and curtain in case there’s a creeper next door. I mean, c’mon its LOS ANGELES!)”. She ripped it open and pulled out some fabric and a package of thumbtacks. She then grabbed her office chair and pulled it to her window.
She saw the GM lookalike move away from the window as she started to tack the curtain up. She glared at his back and finished her temporary curtains. She went back to the box and pulled out some clothes that weren’t black and a towel. Jen sat those in her bathroom then picked up her box marked “JENNIFER’S TOILETRIES BATHROOM STUFF NOT TOILETRIES!!” and locked both doors to the bathroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. “Well. What do you say, Jenny? Shall we meet the new and improved Jennifer Anne Billock?
***
An old Plymouth Voyager with peeling paint and dusty windows pulled into next-door’s drive. The men who were sitting in the back of the moving van and on the various pieces of furniture on the lawn jumped up to greet the driver and his wife and ask where everything was headed. The trunk of the Voyager opened and a young teenaged girl slid out, grabbed a few bags and made her way to the house. She was about five-foot-four, had brown hair, and an outfit of black and chains.
Andrew was watching all of this from his bedroom window. He was sitting at his desk attempting to grade papers but was too distracted by his perfect view of Mrs. Gnorsh cheating on her husband in her pristine house across the street. Then the van came and he became interested in the new neighbors he had been conversing with as they settled the paperwork last week. The man looked as strict and mean as his harsh voice sounded over the phone and his wife was as proper as she sounded. Not having heard their children, Andrew had no preconceived opinions about them but could now see the stress in their eyes and posture from having Mr. and Mrs. Josh Billock as parents.
The girl had made it upstairs and had conveniently chosen the room directly across from Andrew’s bedroom – their windows facing each other. Andrew chewed on the end of his red pen as he watched her set her bags down, yell something at her brother, survey the room, then finally catch eyes with Andrew.
Andrew is middle aged, has brown eyes, brown hair with blonde highlights, and a very kind smile. He dresses in jeans and always has a white t-shirt on, occasionally adding another of a different colour over it. Andrew was always the hottest guy in school and even now as a teacher because he is so reminiscent of George Michael, an eighties pop star from the band Wham!
This girl gave him a small smile then bounded back downstairs for more of her stuff. Andrew watched her do this eleven times maneuvering around the movers and her bed frame, mattress, dresser, and desk. She finally grabbed the last of her boxes and shut her door. She explored the boxes then ripped one open and pulled out some fabric and a package of thumbtacks. She then grabbed her office chair and pulled it to her window.
At that moment, Andrew’s phone rang and he ran downstairs to answer it, dropping his red pen on Kyle Spencer’s paper. His phone was on the hook in his kitchen, where he realised the coffee pot was still on.
“SHIT!” Andrew turned off the pot and answered the phone. “Hello?” He grabbed the container and gagged at the smell of burnt coffee. He took it over to the trash and proceeded to dump it as his caller replied. “Mrs. Crookston! Hello! New student? Uh… yes! I remember you mentioning him. Her? Sorry. Nope. Its still okay, not a problem for her to come in this late.” He brought the pot to the sink and ran some hot water into it adding a dribble of soap. “If she wants to wait until Monday, she can but I have no problem taking her tomorrow. If her other teachers are okay with her starting late in the week.” He turned off the sink and transferred the phone from between his shoulder and ear into his right hand. “They said yes? Then she can come tomorrow or Friday or Monday. No later, you hear? Hahahaha! Yes, Mrs. Crookston. I know I am not funny. I apologise.” Andrew rolled his eyes at the wall. “Good day Mrs. Crookston. I will see you tomorrow.”
Andrew hung up and went back upstairs. When he got there, there was a length of fabric across his neighbor’s window. He smirked.
***
“JENNIFER!!!” James burst into Jen’s room as she was brushing her blow-dried hair. “Woah! You are wearing jeans. BLUE jeans. And a green t-shirt. And no makeup. What have you done with my sister?”
Jen smirked and put her brush on her bathroom sink. “This is the new Jennifer. Her name is Jen.” James just stared at her. “It’s a new town, James. I can change how I look, how I act, what kind of crowd I get involved with. NO CHEERLEADING. Never liked that anyway. And the girls are bitches. I want to be friends with the genuine good guys.”
“Good luck with that.”
“What’s that mean?”
“You mourned for five months when Johnny dumped you. In fourth grade. You are still like that. You need lots of time to get over Camille and Eric. You are not going to be able to just say ‘hey, I’m completely different and I’m not going to care what people say and I’m going to throw away all my black clothes and dark make up.”
“I will not throw them out. Just cut down on the dark make up and store the clothes somewhere. Like, in my closet. Be all cliché like that, you know?”
“Cliché?”
“Yeah. Have ‘skeletons in my closet!”
“What ever. Take me to the club.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s a kid’s club called The Club.”
“A club for baby goats?”
“CHILDREN’S club. It has a diner, dance floor, karaoke, and an arcade! And a mini movie theatre. Mom says you need to walk me there. Its only five blocks.”
“Fine.” Jen grabbed her iPhone and put her wallet in her back pocket and clasped the chain. James watched her. “What? It’s a useful security device. It’s the one thing I won’t ever change.”
***
On the way to The Club, it started to sprinkle and by the time they walked the five blocks it was pointless for Jen to have dried her hair. She and James rushed into The Club getting out of the rain as fast as they could. James nearly knocked over a brunette who was trying to get her guy friend to dance.
“Hey, watch it, young man! Or did you glue my feet to the floor and wanted to make sure it stuck?” Jen laughed as James blushed and hid behind her. “My name’s Carry and this is Kyle!” Carry yelled over the ending of Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.”
“Jen… nifer, my younger brother James. We just moved here.”
“Awesome! You’ll love it here. Especially here at The Club. C’mon, we’ll give you a tour.” Kyle grabbed Jen’s hand and started to drag her onto the dance floor.
“Jen! I’ll be in the arcade!” James yelled at her as soon as The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Got a Feeling” came on.
“This is the dance floor! Over there is a karaoke machine. Make sure nobody’s dancing when you cut off the music and start a game!” Carry grabbed Jen’s hand and drug her to the edge of the arcade.
“Arcade games here. Loads of different kinds. Only the most popular ones. Pay using quarters, nickels and dimes.” They both then pushed Jen into a hallway to the side of the diner. Jen caught the sight of a blonde haired man in a white shirt before Carry dragged her hard enough to face down the hall. “Bathrooms are down here and so is—“
“Hey!” Jen yelled at Carry. “The music’s not as loud down here.” She said calmly as the trio walked down the hall. “You don’t have to yell.”
“Sorry. Bathrooms are down here as well as the mini movie theatre.” They peeked into the theatre. Inside were one big screen, ten rows of raised seats and the projector on a stand in the back. “Don’t judge too harshly. They show new movies on opening day and some oldies when they do midnight showings. And you can bring food in from the diner.”
“MOVE!” A tall blonde pushed Jen aside and burst into the girl’s bathroom.
“That’s Julia. A cheerleader and bitch but here they are synonymous. No idea what her problem is. Hey, look!” Carry saw someone at the diner and again grabbed Jen and took her with her down the long hall.
Jen saw the same guy she saw that afternoon across from her. He was looking down at some papers in front of him and finishing a sandwich while his cup was filled with coffee.
***
Andrew finished grading the Spanish 3 papers and found himself deciding to go to The Club, a hot spot for teenagers and young children with an arcade, dance floor, karaoke machine, diner, and small movie theatre.
“ANDREW!!” Everyone in The Club greeted him as he walked in.
“Hey, guys! And gals.” He winked at Julia, a tall blonde surrounded by cheerleaders in uniform. Andrew always comes to The Club to hang out or grade papers. Even on school nights.
Andrew made his way past the dancers on the dance floor, high fived some gamers as he passed the arcade and sat down at the diner’s counter.
“The usual, Andrew?” Carl, an eighteen year old who graduated from Gabriel High last year was working the counter as he did every Wednesday night.
“You know it.” Carl had already started Andrew’s order when he saw Andrew walk in so he had the coffee and hot chocolate mix ready to pour into a mug for Andrew and he already told the cook he needed a ‘cheese sandwich, mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce only on toasted sourdough make sure to melt the three cheeses together – American, Jack, and Provolone.’
Andrew took a sip of his drink, thanked Carl, and reached for his wallet. He pulled out a ten, “Keep the change as a tip, Carl.”
“Thank you, sir. Andrew. Sorry.” Carl walked to the cash register and Andrew pulled out the papers he was grading earlier.
“Hello, Andrew!” Julia came over to him from the dance floor and sat down on the chair Andrew was about to place his book bag; he set it on the other one instead. “What are you doing here on this fine Wednesday evening?”
“Grading your class’ Spanish papers because I was too… distracted at home. And I didn’t want to cook my own dinner. Thank you, Carl.”
Julia watched in disgust at the cheese that dribbled down Andrew’s mouth as he took a big bite out of his sandwich.
“Ew, Andrew. That’s so gross. How can you eat that crap?”
“Its just cheese! What are you up to, Julia?”
“Not much. Peter turned me down for prom. Again.”
“Its only October. You have some time until prom, Julia. Don’t let it get you down.” He took another big bite and some mustard landed on his plate. Julia grimaced.
“Are you going to prom, Andrew?”
“I might be a chaperone, yes.” He picked up the mustard on his finger and licked it off then downed his drink. “More, Carl? Thanks.” Carl poured the hot chocolate mix first then went in search of the coffee pot. “And I will have you know, Julia, that if that was you inviting me to be your date, it’s out of the question. Now, I would like you to tell me what the heck you are trying to say in this essay.”
Julia shook her head and stomped off down the hallway next to the counter. Andrew just went back to marking up the paper with red question marks. Carl came back with the coffee pot and filled it up.
“ANDREW DAH-LING!!!” Carry a hippie in his class slammed her hands down on the counter by Andrew. He didn’t even flinch, being used to Carry’s antics.
“Good evening, Carry. How are you? Frisky as usual I see.”
“Yup. I just made a new friend, Jennifer.” Andrew looked up to see Kyle, Carry’s best friend, picking his fingernails and his new window buddy staring fondly at Andrew. He took her hand in his and kissed it slightly. “Jen, this is Andrew, the coolest teacher at Gabriel High. He loves hanging with us rowdy teens. And he even trusts us enough that he can grade Spanish papers here at The Club. Is that my class, Andrew? He even lets us call him Andrew. So cool!”
Andrew, still holding Jen’s hand and staring into her eyes replied, “No Carry. It’s Spanish 2 not 3. I already have yours done… You have very pretty blue eyes, Jennifer.”
Jen tried to pry her hand from Andrew’s as her face turned pink. “Thank you. You have a nice, strong grip.”
“Sorry.” He let her hand go and tried too obviously to preoccupy it by picking up his red pen and tapping it on the counter.
“It’s ok. I like strong.” Andrew smiled at her.
“Tell me more about yourself, Jennifer.”
“I like the 80s. The music from then inspires me. I like to sing. I love to dance. Y la lengua español es mi lengua favorita porque es muy bonita y romantica. Pienso que tendré gusto de su clase la mejor.”
“Excellente. Quiere bailar y cantar conmigo Srta Billock? Desde usted amor a bailar y todo.”
Jen chuckled and smiled, not bothering to ask how he already knew her last name. ‘He’s one my new teachers. He was told by the principal I’m sure.’ “Si.” Andrew grabbed her hand and brought her slowly to the dance floor.
“Holy mackerel, Andy! I actually understood that! Which song?” Julia ran over to the control booth and turned off some slow song (“You are my fire…”)
“¿Qué canción, mi amore?” Andrew queried as Kyle handed them microphones from the karaoke machine. People in the club started to look at them, gamers turning from their fantasy worlds, Julia glaring from a corner.
“‘Wake me up Before You Go-Go’ por Wham! Solamente si usted puede jitterbug.” Jen said into the microphone.
“¡Por supuesto puedo!”
JITTERBUG!
As the first word of the song blared through the speakers, Jen was shaking, fearing making a fool of herself but then Andrew leaned over and snapped his fingers to the tune and started dancing so close to the moves in the music video Jen was laughing so hard she had to let Andrew take over singing the first verse.
You put the boom-boom into my heart/You send my soul sky high when your lovin’ starts/Jitterbug into my brain/goes a bang-bang-bang ‘til my feet do the same/But somethin’s buggin’ you/something ain’t right/my best friend told me what you did last night/you left me sleepin’ in my bed/I was dreamin’ but I shoulda been with you instead!
Jen joined him for the chorus and started dancing.
Wake me up before you go-go/don’t leave me hangin’ on like a yo-yo/wake me up before you go-go/I don’t wanna miss it when you hit that high/wake me up before you go-go/’cause I’m not planin’ on goin’ solo/wake me up before you go-go/ah/take me dancing to tonight/I wanna hit that high/Yeah, yeah/You took the grey skies out of my way/you make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day/turned a bright spark into a flame/my beats per minute never been the same/’cause you’re my lady/I’m your fool/it makes me crazy when you act so cruel/c’mon baby, let’s not fight/we’ll go dancin’ everything will be alright!/Wake me up before you go-go/don’t leave me hangin’ on like a yo-yo/wake me up before you go-go/I don’t wanna miss it when you hit that high/wake me up before you go-go/’cause I’m not planin’ on goin’ solo/wake me up before you go-go/ah/take me dancing to tonight/I wanna hit that high/yeah, yeah, yeah
People stared to form a circle and clap along. Carry was doing a little jig on the stage by the karaoke machine. Jen and Andrew were airtrumpeting and Julia pushed her way past the nerds and videots and ran outside.
Cuddle up baby/move in tight/we’ll go dancing tomorrow night/it’s cold out there/but it’s warm in bed/they can dance/we’ll stay home instead.
At the music interlude, Kyle attempted the jitterbug with Carry but they failed miserably. On the dance floor, Andrew and Jen were acing the dance as the crowd roared in approval.
Jitterbug/Wake me up before you go-go/don’t leave me hangin’ on like a yo-yo/wake me up before you go-go/I don’t wanna miss it when you hit that high/wake me up before you go-go/’cause I’m not planin’ on goin’ solo/wake me up before you go-go/ah/take me dancing to tonight/Wake me up before you go-go/don’t (don’t you dare) leave me hangin’ (don’t leave me hangin’ on like a yo-yo) on like a yo-yo/I don’t wanna miss it/take me dancin’/a boom-boom-boom-boom/wake me up before you go-go/’cause I’m not planin’ on goin’ solo/a boom-boom-boom-boom/wake me up before you go-go/yeah, yeah, yeah/take me dancing to night/yeah, yeah.
“Jen’s an excellent singer and dancer! Holy crap! Sign her up for a talent show audition.” Kyle told Carry. She nodded her head, mouth hanging wide open and turned down the volume as the song ended. The crowd yelled and cheered and clapped. Andrew couldn’t hear Jen but has been known to read lips so he nodded as she said, “That was amazing, haw?” He bowed to her making her face turn from red to scarlet. “Thank you, Andrew.”
***
Andrew got home that night and crashed on his bed without taking off his clothes. The smell of strawberries was too intoxicating to leave; a big smile plastered on his face.
***
Andrew oversaw homeroom for the freshmen at 6:45 then his Spanish 1 class is right before the school wide lunch break, his Spanish 2 class was directly after lunch and Spanish 3 is his last class of the school day. This drizzly Thursday morning in October was uneventful until Jennifer, Carry, and Kyle came striding into his Spanish 3 class, arguing about Twilight.
“It’s a wonderful story, Kyle, do NOT listen to Jen’s bias.”
“My bias? Excuse me? Just because I believe Dracula is a better rendition of a badass vampire does not mean I have a bias against Twilight. I would have a bias if I were Stephanie Meyer or her daughter or publisher or something. Do not read Twilight, Kyle, if you want your mind to stay sane. Unless you have a thing for perverted hundreds of years old men who sparkle in the sun and know every single thing about your private thoughts.”
The trio sat down in the middle of the second row, Kyle and Carry flanking Jen. “Look, I love you, Jen. You are the first person it has taken less that 48 hours for me to trust with my cell phone number but please. Edward Cullen is not a pervert, he is sweet.”
“He watched Bella sleep at night long before he told her.”
“He was making sure she was safe.”
“This was before any Vultiri or some such nonsense were after her.”
“Jenny, dear. I’m done. No more. I cannot have this conversation until you have read past the first book.”
Jen rolled her eyes and got her notebook ready to take notes.
Andrew cleared his throat and waited for his last two students, Julia and Peter, to enter and sit down. “Welcome, class. I have a new student to introduce to you. Jennifer Billock comes from up north. But south of Forks, Washington right?” Jen glared at Andrew as he winked at Carry. “And I’m sure if looks could kill, that would have been the death of me, Jennifer.” Andrew placed his hands on Jen’s desk and leaned in close to her. “En esta clase hablemos español y sólo español. No atacamos los libros como el profesor tenemos gusto y no pensamos especialmente que somos más altos que otros apenas porque podemos hablar el tiempo futuro. E insúltelos usando palabras que todavía no comprenden.” The class laughed.
Andrew leaned in closer so only Jen could hear him, “Espero que su requisito previo español sea bastante suficiente para mi clase, Srta. Billock porque salimos un pedacito de control.”
***
“So, Andrew likes Twilight. I guess I should be sorry for insulting it in his class.”
“You weren’t insulting it. You were stating basic observations of the plot and characters. If you wanted to insult it, you would say something about the way it was written.” Andrew walked up behind the trio unnoticed. “And I apologise for putting you on the spot.” Jen blushed but before she could reply, Carry’s loud voice rang out in the hall causing a freshman to turn suddenly and drop his books and papers.
“Andrew! Hello! I had a question. The word apenas that you used today…” Carry stepped onto one of the freshman’s papers that he was about to grab. Kyle knelt down and pulled her foot off it, handing the paper to the freshman.
“Just. I said ‘we don’t think we are higher than others just because we can speak the future tense’.”
“Uh-huh.” Carry looked down at her best friend and the freshman cleaning up, saw she was in the way, and ducked over to the wall on Andrew’s left. “And the rest?”
“Carry. Have you been doing the reading? The homework? The listening in class?” Carry shook her head and just before Andrew was about to roughly translate what he said by memory, Jen beat him to it.
“’In this class we speak Spanish and only Spanish. We do not attack books that the teacher likes and we don’t think we are higher than others just because we can speak the future tense. And insult them using words they have yet to comprehend.’ And yes, I wrote the entire thing down.” Jen closed her notebook on Kyle’s nose who had been pulling her book down to see what she was reading.
“Hey. Do you want to give me a paper cut?” Kyle exclaimed.
“Not particularly, you’re a good friend.” She stated this toward the freshman hoping he would hear and thank someone he had Kyle to help him with his papers but the freshman just stuffed the last of his papers into his math book and took off down the hall.
“Hey, listen. I’m done for the day and want to get out of this hellhole. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Andrew watched the kid run away then shook his head, deciding not to tell him off for running in the halls.
“Have a good one, Andrew!”
The trio watched their teacher head out the side door toward the staff parking lot then shoved their way past their classmates to the front of the school.
Out front, kids were waiting for the buses, waiting for rides, sitting in their truck beds while laughing at the lower classmen, and avoiding the football some juniors were tossing around the quad. It landed with a splash in the fountain and barely got Julia the cheerleader wet but she just had to make a scene by jumping up and screaming and trying to get a jock to beat the kid up.
“PETER! Teach this damn freshman a lesson!”
“I’m a junior, bitch!”
“Fuck you! Peter? If you want to take me to prom, wedgie this guy!”
“I never asked you to prom, Jules.”
“Don’t call me that! And we’ll speak later on that subject but PLEASE! Hurt this goddamn kid! He got me we—“
“Kid? I did not realise you were a baby goat.” Jen spewed at the junior.
“Yeah. I got a species change last weekend.” The junior joked with her.
“Age change too.”
“Yeah. But it fits my attitude better so, there’s not much difference.” Jen, Carry, Kyle and the junior cracked up and the junior high fived Jen. “You’re great, new girl! What’s your name?”
“Jennifer. Feel free to call me Jen, though.”
“Jen,” The junior kept saying her name. “Jen. I like the way it just sticks in the air after you’ve said the three small letters. Jen. I’m Colby.”
They shook hands then looked at Julia who was standing with her arms crossed, shrugging off Peter as he tried to hug her and tell her it would be okay, it was just a small bit of water.
“Get off me, Peter! Jen? If you want to survive your time here, I suggest you make friends with the right people.”
“Are you meaning to sound like Draco Malfoy? ‘Cause his evil personality totally fits you so its cool if you do imitate him.”
“Jennifer! The cheerleaders and jocks are the right people. Not this hippie and this gay rod and this… I don’t even know what you are, freshman.”
Colby threw up his hands and thrust the ball at the school. He made that his excuse to get away from Julia. Kyle was looking down at his feet.
“Gay rod? Seriously, Julia? You can’t come up with anything more original? And where do you get the right to call him a gay rod anyway? Last I checked you weren’t his mom with the ability to give him a name!” Carry gave a little neck spin and shook her finger at Julia as though her comment actually made sense. She looked confident though and that’s what got Julia to be even angrier but luckily for Carry, Julia’s ride came at that moment.
“Julia sweetie!” A tall, thin, blonde woman that could have been Julia’s sister but was so obviously older everyone knew it was Julia’s mom was checking her lip gloss in the rearview mirror. She honked the horn a bit and waved her daughter over. Julia stomped to her mom’s convertible bug and got in.
“Don’t call me sweetie in public.” she muttered.
The people in the quad were cracking up as Julia’s mom sped off. Jen, Kyle, and Carry were staring in amazement. “We should go to your house, Jen.” Carry suggested.
“Okay. Its not a far walk from here.”
“Walk?” complained Kyle. Carry gave him a look. “Oh. Okay. It beats the bus.
***
Carry and Kyle didn’t spend much time at Jen’s. They helped her finish unpacking and then made a fruit smoothie and Carry burst into James’ room to bug him. He was embarrassed to see her and apologised again and again for running into her at The Club. Carry was laughing too much to tell him it was okay and her laugh attack got worse when he groveled at her feet.
Then she got a text from her mom. “SHIT! I was supposed to work today! C’mon Kyle. Sorry Jen, we gotta jet.”
Jen saw them to the door, got carry’s digits then went upstairs and turned on her MacBook Pro. She was pleased to see her dad had hooked up their Wi-Fi port and logged onto facebook, myspace, twitter, hotmail, and deviantART.
“Jen!” James had come into her room and was bouncing on her bed.”
“Yes, Jamesy-poo?” Jen used James’ ex-girlfriend’s nickname for James.
James glared at her but otherwise ignored the name. “How are your classes?”
“Boring. I have, like, no classes.” She pulled her schedule from her bag and let him look at it.
“I’d ask someone about this. Mine were boring too. English just had a test and so did math. Science was okay. Biology so a little uninteresting but… I shouldn’t have said that. Please no bio rant, Jen!”
“Only if you leave so I can call Carry.”
“You just saw her!” Jen stole Carry’s look at aimed it at her brother. “I’m leaving!” He slammed her door.
Jen sent carry a quick text and then found her school’s website. “Classes. Spanish. Teacher. Contact.” She clicked on his email and it opened a new message in her mail app with Andrew’s email in the to bar.
From: jennyb@thebillocks.com
To: afields@gabrielhigh.com
Subject: Wassapnin?
HI! I found your email on the school site…
I was wondering… Is my schedule screwed up or something? I don’t have English or science. Just Government/Economics, Spanish, homeroom, and lunch (which I am grateful for, last school you had to find your own lunch time and I had none… D:). And some soccer thing I have to go to tomorrow after school. Is this because I am new or are all seniors this special?
-J.B.
Jen tapped her fingers on her laptop and jumped when Carry’s text made her phone vibrate. She checked it and smiled. Carry had no idea why Jen’s schedule was so weird but she did explain the soccer thing.
‘Another email? Oh my gosh, I’m so popular!’ Her inbox called her back to the computer screen.
From: afields@gabrielhigh.com
To: jennyb@thebillocks.com
Subject: RE: Wassapnin?
Hello, Jennifer,
You can easily ask this same question to Carry and Kyle. In fact, I’m sure you already have. But I shall explain for you anyway in case you have a learning disability you have yet to tell me of.
You are special. Don’t worry, Sylar is nowhere in the vicinity.
You already took college level English at your previous high school and you have fulfilled all requirements for history. And seniors don’t need a science class. The ‘soccer thing’ you mentioned is a mandatory soccer tryout. Each season is a new mandatory tryout depending on gender and grade. Next spring, you will try out for the tennis team. As will every other female senior in attendance at Gabriel High.
Andrew Fields
Spanish Teacher
Gabriel High School
afields@gabrielhigh.com
[No cell number given]; [House phone is private]
“Sweet! That early college high school paid off!” Jen typed him a quick reply that didn’t make her sound too stakerish in emailing her teacher then continued to surf the web. She barely had any real friends on facebook and myspace because people had deleted her after the accident. On twitter, she was following all celebrities and some people who were fans of Michael Jackson and Wham! and other eighties related stuff.
From: jennyb@thebillocks.com
To: afields@gabrielhigh.com
Subject: RE: RE: Wassapnin?
Ooh, fancy, fancy your signature is, yes. (That was my best Yoda impression incase you were so wondering)
Thank you for clarification, and you are correct, I did already ask Carry and Kyle. And the principal, Mrs. Crook is it? :P
I just wanted to bug you. ^_^
Hey, have you perchance… oh I don’t know… looked at yourself in the mirror and seen George Michael staring back at you? Because, honestly, that would be a cool experience. And, hey, call me when you do. I want his sex. ;)
-J.B.
She saw a tweet from an Inkpopper and remembered to check that. As she clicked enter, her email inbox rang out again.
From: afields@gabrielhigh.com
To: jennyb@thebillocks.com
Subject: RE: RE: RE: Wassapnin?
I love Yoda. I love Star Wars. I think I’m handsome like Han. What do you think?
Oh, Mrs. Crookston is her name. She’s… yeah.
And, my god, child! Are you old enough to know that song? Do you know what that song suggests? Do you realise that might be a great theme song for Edward Cullen? :P (Well, on second thought “Every Breath You Take” by The Police would be a better song…)
So, about our dance last night… you are very good. You know, every spring GHS has a talent show. I would love to see you in it. ;)
Andrew Fields
Spanish Teacher
Gabriel High School
afields@gabrielhigh.com
[No cell number given]; [House phone is private]
From: jennyb@thebillocks.com
To: afields@gabrielhigh.com
Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: Wassapnin?
You? Han Solo? No. You are George Michael. Now gimme his sex. Oh shit. Did I just say that to a teacher?
*glares at the Cullen mention*
=D Thanks but it’s a hobby. Nothing I want to show off. Though I guess I did last nite... XD Ah well, it was fun. And great to see those smiling faces, and the cheers. For me. It was a nice break from my old school. They were jerks there. They always booed me off the stage…
-J.B.
From: afields@gabrielhigh.com
To: jennyb@thebillocks.com
Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Wassapnin?
The people here at GHS are good people, even for living in the heart of Los Angeles. The students here truly ARE angels. Speaking of, have you seen the movie City of Angels? Do you own it? I would love to borrow. People tell me its great.
Oh and the George Michael thing… I’ve been told of our similarities. I actually met him once. Well saw him. At a Wham! concert. I am old school. I will let the sex thing slide. I am quite sexy and students through the years have flirted with me. Girls AND guys.
Andrew Fields
Spanish Teacher
Gabriel High School
afields@gabrielhigh.com
[No cell number given]; [House phone is private]
Andrew tapped his fingers on his desk, anxious for a reply. When the doorbell rang, he was reluctant to leave his computer to answer it; he didn’t want to keep Jen awaiting a reply for too long. When the bell rang again, Andrew heaved himself from his chair and plodded downstairs in his socks, boxers, and a white, unbuttoned, collared shirt. He reached the door and opened it.
“I wait all day, just hoping for one more minute with you, and I don't even know you.” -Maggie Rice, City of Angels
A small note attached to a DVD of the movie stared Andrew in the face. “What’s this?”
“The movie you requested, sir. Oh.” Jen had lowed the DVD and saw what Andrew was wearing… and what he wasn’t. She quickly raised the DVD again.
Andrew chuckled. “Come in, Jennifer.” He stood aside so she could walk into his foyer. He closed the door and ran upstairs to put on pants and button up his shirt.
“This is laid out exactly as my house is!” He heard Jen call from downstairs. He ran back out to the top of the staircase.
“Yes, all houses on this street are the same. Well, on this side. The ones across from us are different. So is it a good movie?”
“Yes, extremely. Your buttons are off a bit, by the way.” Andrew corrected his mistake then reached out his hand to accept the DVD. “I recommend you have a box or six of tissues handy when you decide to watch it.”
“I think that I would like to watch it with you.” his words stopped Jen on her way to the door. “Are you available this weekend? Or right now, even? How long is this movie?” Andrew pretended to read the back of the DVD case.
“Here.” Jen snatched the DVD back on searched the small print on the back for the running time. “One hundred fourteen minutes.” She checked the clock on her iPhone. “And my parents won’t be home for another one hundred twenty minutes.”
They both smiled. Andrew plucked the DVD from Jen’s hands and walked into the living room. He had a big screen television, a velvet couch, and orange shag carpet. “Nice carpeting.” Andrew turned and shot Jen a look. She clutched at her chest, gasped and fell onto the couch face first. Andrew shook his head as he loaded the DVD into the player.
He turned to see Jen making herself comfortable on the couch and stroking it. He sat beside her and pressed play. Jen snatched the remote and pressed pause. “What did I tell you?”
Andrew rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom for some tissues. He sat them down on the stand beside the couch then fell onto the couch next to her, his eyes pleading for her to start it soon. Jen watched him as he did this then pressed play with her eyes still on him. “Prepare yourself, Andrew Fields, for a world you may think is ours but this world has kind folk and good hearts. I’d take a tissue out now if I were you.” She smirked at him and they both settled back for a journey in the arms of an angel.
***
Andrew grabbed hold of the header of his front door and leaned outside. Jen walked down the three steps to the pathway, swinging City of Angels between her thumb and middle finger of her right hand. She turned around at Andrew’s voice.
“That was an excellent movie, Jen. Thank you for showing it to me.”
“Oh, c’mon, Andrew. Be a man and cry. You know you want to.”
“Would I be a man if I cried over this movie?”
“Yes. You would be. My dad cries every time he sees it, every time it is mentioned, and every time the song “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan comes on.” Jen lied.
“Your dad is a wimp.”
“No, Mr. Fields, you are.” She winked at him and ran across the lawn separating the pathways to their houses. She reached her door and opened it, looking back at Andrew watching her. “If you don’t cry, I’m telling the whole school. They will shun you. This movie is a classic. Everybody cries during it.” With that she walked inside and closed the door.
Andrew scoffed and closed his door. He walked to his living room and started to pick up the box of tissues to return it to the bathroom but as he reached his hands to it, it went blurry. Andrew went down on the couch hard, hand groping inside the box. He pulled one out and sat there, curled up like a bunny, tissue in hand, tears flowing freely onto it and his hands. He didn’t bother to wipe his nose or get more comfortable. His neck was cramping and his belt was digging into his side but he didn’t care. He just wanted to cry until he couldn’t cry any more. Then he was going to cry again.
He turned onto his back; feet curled to his stomach still, and placed his palms over his eyes, hands squeezing his shaggy hair, the now soggy tissue dripping down his arm. Andrew lay there for some time. Banishing the last of his tears from his system.
“Damn it’s been some time since I’ve cried like this. Or even at all!” He thought aloud. “God damn memory. You’re going to make me flashback aren’t you?” Andrew picked up his right and with eyes closed, smacked himself upside the head, Gibbs to DiNozzo style.
But the images still came. A bloody knife. A torn wrist. Tears of pink and screams of terror. Footfalls on the wooden stairs of this very same house. Phone ringing: “Is everything okay?” No. It is not okay. Chaos and sadness consumes the house. Little Andrew of five, fatherless. Young Andrew of 12, sisterless. Adult Andrew of 21, motherless.
Now, Andrew of 45 gains new tears and a refreshed look at his horrible past.
***
The Billocks sat around their dinner table eating pizza from a box. ‘Am I livin’ in a box? Am I livin’ in a cardboard box?’ Jen thought to herself. She snorted.
“Jenny. We do not snort at the dinner table.” Jasmine said.
“Sorry Mom. But you know, ‘it ain’t what you do it’s the place that you do it and that’s what gets results’ so I did it at the dinner table to get you to pay attention to me and ask me how my day was.”
Jasmine smiled at Jen. “Okay. James? How was your day, dear?”
“Uneventful.” James shoveled in a piece of pizza and took his time chewing it. His mother’s face twitched a bit then she turned away from him and toward her husband, totally passing Jen in the middle.
“Honey? Your job? Did you transfer in alright?”
“Yes, dear. I would like to hear what Jen has to say about her day.”
“Really? That’s a first for you Dad.” John glared at Jen as if to say ‘speak now for I am never asking for your voice to be heard by my ears ever again’.
“I have made three new friends, my Spanish teacher is an absolute doll, and the queen cheerleader hates my guts! The whole school is impressed by my standing up to said queen, I think I am the best in my Spanish class, and friends are totally cool! They came over briefly this afternoon. We made a smoothie, unpacked my boxes, and James drooled over Carry.”
“Did not! We saw her last night at The Club and I accidentally ran into her. I was apologising.” James defended his manly man honour.
“That’s great. Can we eat in peace now?”
‘Yeah, then you can rest in pieces, dad.’ Jen thought angrily.
***
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Update December 20