High School Life

Carla was running with Chris. Something was wrong with Shauna, and Chris wouldn’t tell her what it was.

“Chris!” Carla yelled after him. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with Shauna?” Chris didn’t answer her. He just kept on running.

Teachers screamed after them to stop running, but Carla didn’t care. All she cared about was Shauna. They kept running. Carla had no idea where they were running. When, suddenly, they were outside of the girl’s bathroom.

“Why are we here?” Carla asked. “Is Shauna in there?”

“Yeah,” Chris answered. “She texted me, telling me she needed you. See?” With that, Chris pulled out his hand-me-down cell phone, and showed her the text message.

hey, carla wont anser n e of my txts n i need her. tel her 2 cum 2 the grls bthroom on the 1st floor. i need her.

“Then,” Chris started, “I texted her asking if anything was wrong, and she said this.” He went to the next text message.

kinda. listn i need carla. jst tel her 2 cum pleez

“Then I came to get you,” Chris said. “I don’t know what’s wrong, but she really needs you.”

Carla walked into the bathroom. “Shauna,” she said. “Are you here?” Suddenly, Rachael, the cheerleader who showed her where the gymnasium was, came out of the last stall.

“Yeah,” Rachael said. “She’s in here. She said she wanted you.”

Carla walked into the stall. “Thanks,” she said to Rachael.

“No problem,” Rachael responded.

Carla looked down to see Shauna, eyes puffy and nose running. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and she was sniffling.

“Shauna,” Carla said. “Are you okay?” Shauna turned her head in Carla’s direction, reavealing a black eye and a busted lip. “What happened?” Carla asked.

“Why didn’t you answer my text messages?” Shauna asked, completely avoiding Carla’s question.

"I had it on silent," Carla replied. “I’m sorry. But I’m here now.”

“Thanks, Rachael,” Shauna said, looking up and past Carla. Suddenly, Carla heard a door clicking, meaning Rachael had shut the stall door, leaving them alone in the bathroom together.

“What happened?” Carla asked again.

“Frankie happened,” Shauna answered.

“Frankie?” Carla asked. “Your boyfriend?”

“Ex-boyfriend now,” Shauna replied, putting emphasis on the ‘Ex’.

“Did he do this to you?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“He didn’t do it just because, Shauna. There had to have been a reason behind it.”

“Because I wouldn’t have sex with him.”

It was suddenly quiet. Carla didn’t know what to say. She was thinking about it. She had to say something to make her feel better. When it suddenly came to her. Something her mother had said to her a few years ago before she died.

“You know, Shauna,” Carla started. “There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the drama and hurt and surround yourself with people who make you happy enough that you forget the bad, and focus solely on the good. After all,” Carla smiled a little, “life’s too short to be anything but happy.”

“But,” Shauna started, “Frankie makes me happy.” It was silent, until Shauna said, “What happens when he’s you’re Prince Charming, but you’re not his Cinderella?”

“Well,” Carla started. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve never been there before.”

“He said he wanted me to be happy,” Shauna said.

“And are you happy now?”

“Well, no.”

“Then he didn’t do a very good job, now did he?” To that, Shauna smiled.

“You do better,” she said. “Friends forever?” Shauna held her pinky out.

Carla took her pinky, and wrapped it around Shauna’s. “Pinky promise.”

And, with that, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

“What do you have now?” Shauna asked Carla.

“Spanish I,” Carla answered. “You?”

“Same,” Shauna said as she smiled.

So, the two best friends stood up, Shauna dried her face, and they, arm in arm, walked through the hallway and up the stairs and to room 210.

Tyler was going to fifth hour American History. He was excited, because History was one of the only subjects he did well in.

Tyler walked through the door, only to see Rachael Bertacheli sitting next to the only available seat.

What’s she doing here, he thought. She’s a junior.

So, he walked down the rows of chairs until he got to the seat next to Rachael’s. And he sat down.

“Hey,” Tyler said to Rachael, hoping to try to make a not-so-embarrassing conversation.

“Hi, Tyler,” Rachael responded, not looking up.

“You know my name?” Tyler asked. Rachael looked at him like he was an idiot.

“Of course I do,” Rachael said. “I’m not stupid. I’ve known you since I was in, like, first grade. Remember? You always invited me to your birthday parties. I’m just glad you stopped. No offense.”

Well, Tyler thought. There’s one invitation I don’t have to send.

“Oh,” Tyler said. “Yeah. Totally. I don’t have birthdays anymore. That’s little kid stuff.”

“Mmmhmm,” Rachael said, looking uninterested while she worked on her nails.

“So,” Tyler said. “Maybe we could, you know, hang out some time? I know it’s the first day of school and everything. But, the homecoming dance isn’t too far away. Just about two months or so. Maybe we could go.”

It was silent for a moment while Tyler and Rachael looked at each other. She looked as if she were going to tell him no by using some lame excuse like, ‘Oh I’m washing my hair,’ or the popular, ‘I’d love to, but my dog died,’ when she stopped herself.

“Sure,” she said.

“Oh,” Tyler said, hanging his head. “It’s okay. I mean, I wasn’t expecting you to say yes. I mean, a girl like you with a guy like me doesn’t mix very well, does it?”

“Tyler,” Rachael said. “I said yes. I’d love to go with you.”

“Oh!” Tyler exclaimed, looking up. “In that case, I guess I’ll see you there.” Rachael nodded her head. “Great,” he said.

Then, the bell rang, and he took out his notebook and started doodling something. ‘Mrs. Rachael French,’ he doodled. He smiled to himself. He thought it couldn’t get any worse. But, oh boy, was he wrong.

Rachael thought this was the best way to make Scott jealous. And she didn’t have to think it up. Tyler thought it up for her.

After about an hour in American History, which she flunked last year, Rachael walked out the door and into the hallway, where she ran into her friend, Staci. They got to talking.

“Hey, Staci,” Rachael said. “Guess what.”

“What?” Staci replied.

“I have a date to homecoming.”

“Already?”

“Yeah.”

“Who is it?”

“His name’s Tyler French.”

“You mean, the sophomore?” Staci got a look of disgust on her face.

“Yeah,” Rachael said. “But there’s more. This way, I could possibly try and make Scott jealous. You know, he’ll see me with another guy, want what he can’t have, because, as you know, that’s how it works with him, and ask me to go back to his place. He always asks the girls he like to go back to his place.”

“Oh,” Staci said. “Devious.”

As Staci and Rachael were standing in the hallway, it started getting more crowded, and people started bumping into them.

“I know that when a door closes,” Rachael started, “another one always opens. But, man, these hallways are a bitch.” Staci laughed.

“Where do you come up with all these saying?” Staci asked.

“I honestly have no idea,” Rachael replied. As Staci brought it up, she couldn’t help but think about all the thinks she had said to her new-found freshman friend, Shauna. Things like, ‘Life is about trusting our feelings and taking chances and losing and finding happiness and appreciating the memories and learning from the past,’ and ‘If he’s stupid enough to let you go, then you need to be smart enough to walk away and not look back.’ Both of these were words of wisdom her mom had told her when she broke up with her first boyfriend for cheating on her. Oh, how she missed her mom.

“Okay,” Staci said. “We need to get to class. See ya later.”

“Yeah,” Rachael replied. “See ya.”

Scott was headed to sixth hour when he saw Carla at the end of the hall. So, he decided to go up and say hi.

“Hey, Carla,” he said when he got up to her.

“Oh,” Carla said. “Hey Scott. What’s up?”

“I was wandering,” Scott started. “How do you get home from school.”

“I walk,” she said simply. “I’m not old enough to drive and I don’t like buses. Why?”

“Well, maybe I could be your ride?” Scott was hopeful. Carla looked at him for a second.

“No,” Carla said. “I’m not allowed to ride in cars with boys. Especially if it’s just me.”

“Oh,” Scott said. “May I ask why not?”

“I don’t know,” Carla answered. “Ever since Mom died a few years back, Dad’s been totally overprotective of me.”

“Oh,” Scott said. “I’m sorry.” Her mom’s dead? Scoot thought to himself. He was upset. He didn’t mean to bring it up. He didn’t want to hurt her in any way.

“Please don’t say that,” Carla said. “If it’s not your fault, don’t say sorry.”

“What do you want me to say then?” Scott asked. He had to say something. If he couldn’t say sorry, what could he say?

“Nothing,” Carla said. “Just don’t say anything. I don’t want pity.”

“Alright then,” Scott said confused. Most girls Carla’s age would want some attention every now and then while trying to fit into new surroundings.

“Well,” Carla said. “I don’t want to be late for English.”

“Yeah,” Scott said. “If I don’t see you after school, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Carla mumbled. She walked off, and down another hallway.

Scott couldn’t describe how close he had gotten to Carla in a day. He really thought he liked her. But how was he suppose to know her better if her father wouldn’t let her go on a date. He thought about calling him. No, Scott thought. That won’t do. Santoni. Well, that’s not a very popular name. I’ll just look in the phone book, and get his address. No, too stalkerish. Ugh! Why is this so hard? I’ll think of something, Carla. Don’t you worry. I’ll have you soon enough.

And, with that, Scott Heron walked down the hall to his sixth, and last, hour of the day.