The Richardson List

Skye Richardson. It was only a name, two words that created an identity. Yet behind that name was held so much: so much arrogance, hurt, so much hate. All behind a name, where the truth was hidden, twisting and coiling in amusement behind the mask. It was the name that was on everyone’s lips, dancing on everyone’s tongues, that silent whisper you heard when you rounded the corner to find nothing.

He was the new boy in school; usually this title meant that he was disregarded, ignored and invisible to the naked eye. However, he was anything but. No, he was very much seen, the new personality of their grade, constantly drifting behind everyone’s teeth.

In most situations if a new guy waltzed into the school uninvited, any conversation revolving around him would be intertwined with nasty insults and petty mockery, but not for Skye Richardson. He was instantly the boy everyone wanted to know, an ambience surrounding him akin to fame.

Skye strolled into Carter’s school in the middle of April, an ordinary, mundane month by itself. Even though this brought him some attention, he was recognized for something much, much bigger.

On the second day of Rosemount High, that particular boy crafted The Richardson List, capitals very much required. Why, would be the question harboured on the tip of your tongue?

Because it changed everyone in grade ten as they knew it.



Trudging down her street, her converse slapping the pavement, Carter allowed a sigh to escape her lips. The night before she had barely received any sort of sleep, the fluorescent numbers reading four o’ clock the last time she could remember. As a result, her eyelids were threatening to fall shut on her.

Even while staring up at the ceiling for hours on end, slumber was just out of her grasp.

She hadn’t had the faintest clue why sleep was so uncooperative, but it was, and only made for the shrill ring of her alarm clock to be that much more appealing than normal. And when six forty-five had unfortunately reared its repulsive face, she was forced to peel the covers off her body and wake up at that ungodly hour to tame her hair.

As she walked, her raven locks of hair were whipping across her face, courtesy of the chilling breeze sailing by, and blocking her vision as she constantly had to swat it away. It was clear to her that everything only proved to be difficult. The grimace on her face deepened.

Lifting her gaze from the ground, she saw a familiar figure leaning against her destination: the bus stop pole. When the boy realized that Carter was there, he instantly regained his composure, waving to her enthusiastically. She readjusted her backpack and returned the gesture with a slight smile curving onto her lips.

The boy’s name was Cole, and associated with that title came many things, but mostly he was Carter’s best friend of the male persuasion. It had been that way since the beginning of the seventh grade, when the two of them shared a class. They both had been attending the same school for years before but only acknowledged the other’s presence when the teacher had assigned for the two to sit next to each other.

It was only natural that when forced to see the same person for five days a week, six hours a day that some sort of relationship flourished and that it did. At first it had only been trivial small talk during classes or recess that they exchanged, but as the time passed and they got to know the other more, a genuine friendship sprouted. This meant spending time outside of school and such, without it anything forced.

Of course, being as they did spend large amounts of time together, some people were also a little sceptical about their purely platonic relationship, voicing their incredulous assumptions. No matter how much convincing, Carter knew that some people still believed there was something going on between the two, something more then they appeared to be. However, there wasn’t, and as cliché as it was to admit- they were just friends, no romance incorporated.

When Carter had returned his greeting, Cole sent her a thumbs up, accessorizing with a toothy smile. “Nice outfit!” he called with approval.

In any other situation, one would go to believe he was complimenting her. But with one glance at the mandatory uniform they had to wear it was easy to see that it was anything but compliment-worthy. The obligatory outfit consisted of a white cotton shit with a small rose sewed onto the breast, accented by navy dress pants. And no one could pull it off.

Upon reaching the bus stop, the blond boy Carter had deemed her friend buried her into a bone-crushing hug, the power causing for the girl to lose her breath momentarily.

“Cole!” she breathed out with the limited amounts of oxygen residing in her lungs, trying to escape his death hold.

“Why, aren’t you looking quite dainty today, sunshine?” he chided with a cheeky smile, releasing his grip and lowering his gaze to meet hers.

The boy stood at around six-foot-one, tall enough to tower over Carter’s five-foot-six figure easily. He had received a growth-spurt over the winter and seized all the bragging right included.

“I’m tired, no taunts.” She yawned, covering her mouth with her palm and stumbling slightly before regaining her balance. The lack of sleep was apparent.

Scoffing at her lacklustre attitude, Cole ignored her and smiled, lifting his gaze heavenward to the bleak abyss draping above them. “Today will be great, I just know it!” He threw his hands in the air, adding for dramatic effect.

His cheerful aura was no match for Carter on that day however, and in return she cast him a deadpan stare. The optimism that always seemed to be radiating off of him was still present, even when the weather and everything around him demonstrated to be nothing positive about.

She really had to give him the credit though; most others would usually stray from such a pessimistic person Carter found herself to be. But he still managed to hang around.
Finding herself too drained to compose an argument, the girl nodded her head in a somewhat agreement. Even so, somewhere deep down in the cavities of her mind she was feeling quite the opposite- deficiency of slumber aside.

Since the moment her mind had become aware of her surroundings she felt that something was going to go wrong, a small taunting in the back of her head, continuously whispering doubts into her ears.

Carter shook it off nonetheless, plastering a smile across her face as the bus rolled up. “After you,” Cole gestured to the doors, an accent laced in his voice.

She climbed onto the bus, the smile never falling from her lips. “Why thank you, sir.” Carter tried to fake the British accent too, failing quite horribly and chuckling afterward. Cole’s delight was beginning to rub off on her; she was yet to determine if this was a good or bad thing.

Slipping into one of the vacant leather seats, Carter threw her bag onto her lap, watching as Cole followed suit and dumped his being beside her. “Anything for you, Milady.” A grin stretched across his face as Carter shook her head.

The bus ride as on most days was uneventful, occupied with chatter that revolved around Cole’s girlfriend, Lily. As cliché as it was, Carter had to admit she did not take a liking to the girl. Her personality in general was off-putting, and the fact that the feeling was mutual did not help the situation at all.

Lily saw Carter as a “threat” to her relationship, as dubious as Carter thought this out to be, and did everything in her power to shove her out of the picture. Thankfully all attempts were fruitless and Cole was much too oblivious to notice a thing.

Cole and Lily had both begun dating around the dawn of grade ten, the first time Lily even gave the blond a second glance.

Over the summer he had visited his family down south to help with their farm, and there he managed to grow out his hair, all the blemishes had vanished and he gained a few freckles that sprawled across his nose, which Lily seemingly adored.

But Carter just kept her lips pressed tightly together in a smile, the words on her tongue confined to her thoughts. She didn’t want to upset her friend, and got through any forced interaction quickly and smoothly.

Once the two of them arrived at their school, they both bid the other goodbye and parted ways to reach their lockers. Carter quickly got her needed books for Math and trekked down the hall to her first class.

She cursed the person whoever created her schedule for putting such a horrid subject at the opening of her day, so early in the morning where her brain was still trying to function how to walk.

When she had arrived at her class she saw that most of her peers were already at their seats, chatting amongst themselves. She paid them no mind as she trudged to her seat and dropped her books on the top, plummeting down into her chair. Carter allowed temptation to take over and rested her head on the hard cover books, eyes falling shut.

“Carter!” Abruptly, a familiar voice called her name. When she snapped her gaze at the owner of said voice, she had been right on who it was. It wasn’t an easily forgotten voice.

Her friend Audrey bounded up to where Carter had been peacefully resting moments before, a broad grin infecting her face. Carter thought it should be illegal to be that cheery in the morning, or she should at least get better friends.

Nonetheless, she waved her hand in acknowledgement with a blank stare.

“I’ve got some fabulous news!” Audrey informed her friend with the utmost joy, gaining the attention of most their classmates. Many appeared irritated by such energy that early in the morning, Carter mimicking their thoughts, but held no notion of telling her so.

After the Patricia incident, involving flying textbooks and many punches, they had learned that she was not a force to be reckoned with.

Through weary eyes Carter saw that she was beaming with delight. “Fantastic,” she drawled with sarcasm tainting her words, reaching for the blue pen settled on her desk in search for something to chew on, a habit she had developed along her high school education.

Audrey had grown accustomed to Carter’s negativity and paid no mind to her apathetic expression. “Well, you know that book I’ve wanted for forever? Well, I finally got it! You’ve got to read it sometime, it’s fantastic!”

Carter nodded her head, knowing that she wasn’t planning on witnessing the supposed amazing novel in the near future. But as long as Audrey was happy, she was pleased.

More rambling ensued and Carter made an effort to keep up; however her mind was still set on the uneasy feeling residing in her stomach. And no matter how much enthusiasm was drowning her, she wasn’t able to rid herself of the sensation.

The teacher, Mr. Wyler, entered the room as the bell signified the beginning of class; however this time was accompanied with a boy trailing after him. Noticing the arrival, a hush fall upon the class as they gazed with curiosity at their new visitor.

Carter turned her head when she detected the abrupt silence, finding the cause to be the boy standing at the front of the room. When her gaze landed on him, her stomach immediately clenched. His eyes were not on her, but scanning the entire room with a calculating edge.

Deep down she was trying to ignore the fact that something wasn’t right. She wasn’t able to pinpoint the exact cause, but something just wasn’t right.

“This class, is Skye Richardson.”