Along the Lines

My camera whacked my chest as I ran. “Ash tray, that friggin’ ash tray. Nate, you piece of cabbage!” I mumbled to myself. I looked at my watch. 10 minutes. My legs begged for me to slow down but I couldn’t afford to be late to school. Not again. Well, maybe I could stop, just for a little bit. To rest my legs. That piece of crap, not showing up. I took a deep breath and started to run again.

-----

“What’s that matter, Catalina? You look a bit short of breath.” Nate said as the bell rang. I took one of my hands off my knee and shot him the finger. “Oh, Catalina, you know that’s not appropriate for class.” Breathe in, breathe out, I told myself.

I changed to my pointer finger. “First things first, your attempt to poke at my height completely hilarifies me. Thanks. Number two, you fucking asshole, you were supposed to actually wait for me after you dropped me back at home to get my homework.”

His facial expression went from smug to feigned innocence. He whacked himself on the head and watched me while I walked over to my seat, which was in the worst place in the class. Next. to. him. “D’oh! I completely and totally forgot about you the moment you left the car.”

“Dude, I was shouting that you forgot about her the second you started the car again.” Tom interrupted.

“Yeah, and I couldn’t hear you over my music. I am truly sorry, Catalina.” Nate smiled the biggest grin in the world. Like he was proud of himself. I lifted my camera from my neck and positioned it to take a picture. With light coming from the window, it looked like there was just Nate in the picture. His sandy blond hair was looking ever so perfect. Nate turned to his side. “Make sure to get my better side, babe.” he whispered as he repressed a grin. I pressed the button and took a picture of him. The print immediately came out and I waved the paper, trying to get the pitch black square to turn into the picture I took.

“And here is something to remember the time you were an asshole to me - oh wait! That’s all the time. Silly me.” I replied, taping the picture to my photo book. “Nate doing his everyday thing; making fun of me.” I spoke as I wrote.

Nate tried to peek over my shoulder. “Don’t I get a look, snookums?” he asked.

“No. That’s what you get for ‘forgetting’ about me.” I stuck my tongue out at him and closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes, his tongue was stuck back out at me. Well - the stuck part was correct, but his tongue was stuck down another girl’s throat, this one being someone I didn’t even know. Must’ve been a freshman. Really, girl? On your first day of high school you’re making out with him? I scoffed in disgust and turned towards the board. Mr. Manson wasn’t here yet. Funny, he’s usually early. He’s probably got---

A tall man with ruffled clothes came in. He nervously introduced himself as Mr.Tuper.

Bingo. ---a sub. He wasn’t a very tough one. He was more of a laid-back, just-don’t-make-a-lot-of noise-and-you-can-do-what-ever-the-hell-you-want kind of sub. He just asked that we remained quiet for attendance. So I did the right thing. I took out my mp3 player, turned it on, put one of my ear buds in my ear and waited for my name.

“Wittingham, Cat.” Snigger. Snigger. I turned to my left. I knew who it was but I needed to glare at him. “Here!” I shouted, putting my hand in the air. “It’s Catalina.” I said quietly.

“Here.” Nate mimicked quietly. “Cat. Kitty Cat. Well, that’s your new nickname.”

“You know I’m allergic to cats.”

“Exactly.”

“I hate you.”

“I love you, too my Kitty Cat.”

Asshole.

-----

“C’mon, Lina, he couldn’t have been that bad.” Cole inquired as attempted to open my new locker.

“Are you serious? It’s the first day of junior year and it was barely PG-13 in that class.”

“What do you mean ‘barely PG-13’?” Cole asked, cautiously

“It’s so bad to the point where I don’t think you would even want to know.” I replied.

“I don’t get it.”

“Don’t get what?” I jiggled the lock. Nothing.

“What’s up with you and Nate?”

“Nothing. There is nothing going on. He’s just an egotistical bastard.”

“But you talk about him all the time.”

“Because he’s always on my nerves!” He gave me the are-you-kidding-me-girl look. “Okay. So I don’t exactly hate him, but only because it’s hard to hate people.”

“Remember that year he left for 6 months? You moped all the time because you were and I quote ‘extremely bored with this crappy school and its lack of personality.’”

“Well…it’s like graduation in 8th grade. Remember Barry McKinnon?” Cole nodded.

“Remember how he used to put all that gum in Jordy’s hair? But she was still sad to see him go. She was just used to having him around all the time. It wasn’t romantic or anything.”

“Didn’t they kiss, though?”

“Yeah, but then they both wiped their mouths and yelled “GROSS!” at the same time.”
Cole looked down the hall where Mr. McManlypants was laughing with his jock friends. He leaned against his locker and sighed dramatically. “I still think there’s something going on. You’re lucky, if only he would pay attention to me like that.” he swooned.

I looked at him quizzically. “Nicole Francesca Dalton, do you have something to say to me?”

“Oh, Mama, I didn’t mean it like that.” he said in a southern drawl.

“I didn’t know you played for that team.” I answered with a grin.

“He doesn’t.” Natalie, Cole’s girlfriend, interrupted. I wrinkled my nose at her scent. Chlorine. Gross. “I didn’t know your first name was actually Nicole. Or that your middle name is Francesca.”

Cole chuckled, “It’s not, Nat.”

“Well, he was named after his grandmother, whose name happens to be Nicole.” I added. I could play this game. I wasn’t losing. I’ve known Cole since kindergarten. No way could Natalie win this one.

“Well, Catalina, thanks for the info, but no one asked you.” she spat. It was a much known fact that she hated me. Why? I’m not exactly sure. “Let’s go, sweetie.” she told Cole.

“Actually, Nat, I’d like to talk with Lina for a bit longer. You go ahead to the refectory first, okay?” he said with that innocent smile on his face.

“Oh. Okay.” she sounded disappointed. I grinned smugly.

“Wipe that smile off your face.” Cole said angrily once Natalie left.

Had I angered him? “I’m sorry.”

“For....” he started.

“For being mean to your girlfriend.”

“I…you…she…just…I want you to at least try to get along with her. Please?” He asked, with that stupidly irresistible puppy dog look on his face.

Reluctantly I said, “Fine,”

His face lit up and he scooped my up in a hug. “Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you. You’ll love her once you get to know her.”

“Um…yeah…you might wanna let go and go catch up with your girlfriend. She’s walking extra slow so you can walk her to the refectory. She’s trying to kill me with her eyes.”

“Really?” He whipped his head around and there she was, just down the hall. But she wasn’t looking at me anymore, of course. Nate took one look at my locker combination and opened my lock like it was the easiest thing in the word. “Bye.” he waved as he ran after her. “Nat!”

Jordy stepped up from behind me. “You are so in love with him.” she said.

“What?”

“I can tell. The way you look at him. The way you’re jealous of his girlfriend. That’s why you don’t like her. ‘Cuz she’s got your man. And plus, look at how he opened your locker for you. He’s your knight in shining armor.” Jordy teased.

“I am not in love with Cole. He’s just my friend.”

“Your best friend. Haven’t you seen those movies? The girl always ends up with the best friend.”

“Are you fucking with me?”

“Who’s fucking who, now?” Mai asked as she joined Jordy in standing around my locker.

“Cole and Lina.” Jordy replied.

“Ooh, I totally saw this coming!” Mai squealed. “Don’t they look super cute together?”

“Exactly! See, Lina?”

“Whatever, guys. Let’s go to lunch.” I said was I closed my locker and walked down the hall towards the refectory.

Jordy entangled my hand in hers. Mai took her other hand. “C’mon wifeys!” Jordy shouted. I laughed as she swung her hands back and forth; Mai’s and mine along with them. And then I felt her nails dig into my hand.

“Owie! Jordy are you okay?” I asked.

“He’s just so…cute!” she squealed.

“Who, Nate?”

“Yes!” Mai and Jordy said in unison.

“You guys are gross. He was sticking his tongue down some girl’s throat this morning. It was vomit-inducing.”

“What I wouldn’t do to be that girl.” Jordy swooned.

“Hi, Nathan.” the girls spoke in unison.

“Hey there, ladies.” and cue the swoon. “Cat.”

I gave him my best death glare. “Nate.”

“How come you get to call him Nate?” Mai questioned.

“I don’t know. I’ve always called him Nate.”

“You’re so lucky. He actually talks to you on a daily basis.”

“And he actually remembers your name!” Jordy added.

“We just carpool together. And plus he’s an asshole.”

“A perfectly sculpted asshole.”

“I wish I didn’t live so close to school. Then I could carpool with him and see that face everyday.” Mai whined.

“He used to put spiders in my desk!” no reaction from the girls. “He pushed me into a lake that had snakes in it!” and still no reaction. I sighed, “You really want to be left behind in carpool every other day? And sit outside his house in your car and wait for about 10 minutes while he does his hair?” I spat, but it was no use. I could tell by the look on their face that they were in Nate dreamland. I shook my head in disgust.

“C’mon. They’re gonna run out of pasta.” I said as I dragged both of them to the refectory.