A Perfect Tale

The next day I planned to avoid Jared as much as I could. I locked my door before going to sleep so he couldn’t wake me up in the morning, I took longer getting ready, I texted Sam to let her know I’d meet her up in school I was finally going in early enough to have breakfast at school I did not want to eat breakfast at home with Jared.

As soon as I was done I opened my door and peeked both ways. The coast seemed clear so I rushed down the stairs and picked up my book bag by the door.

“Bye Mom! Bye Dad!” I yelled.

“Wait Sher-” I closed the door and ran out. Jared called from the kitchen but I was faster and ran out before he could say anything to me.

I ran down my driveway and walked as fast as I could school was only a few blocks away I could walk it. After the third block I stopped and took a deep breath.

“Man am I out of shape.” I complained seeing as I had a good four to five more blocks to walk. A small blue sports car rolled up besides me a tinted window rolled down revealing Gods gift to the world. Michael Evans.

“Hey Sherlyn.” he smiled his million dollar smile.

“Hey Michael.” I said self consciously tucking a lock of hair behind my ear before walking up to his car.

“Need a ride?” he asked.

My mind stopped functioning for a few seconds before I snapped out of it.

“No its ok I don’t want to be a bother to you its only a few more blocks.”

He smiled. “C’mon Sherlyn its really not a problem. Why walk when I can give you a ride? Don’t shoot me down we’re friends.”

My heart began to thump loudly at the mention of us being friends. “Alright if your sure its not a bother.”

“None at all. Scouts honor.” he said making a silly hand motion which made us both chuckle.

I opened the door to his car and hopped in. “Thanks again Michael.” I said once he began to drive.

“No problem usually I see Jared dropping you off or you walking to school with Cord. What happened this morning?” he asked as he drove.

I swallowed hard. “Samantha had to get to school early to print out something for the paper and Jared and I had a fight.” I said quickly.

His ears perked up at the last part. “You guys fought? About what? If I can know of course.” I smiled what a gentleman.

“I… I kinda found out by someone else what happened between Leila and Rixon that summer.” I said taking a peek at his face.

Michael’s face harden and his jaw set tight. “Oh?” he asked.

“Yeah and he and Rixon didn’t want me too know.” I said quickly trying to defend Rixon’s honor just a little.

“So he yelled at you I suppose.” Michael said.

“Not really Jared never yells at me.” I said.

“Perry? Jared Perry?” Michael asked in disbelief.

“Yeah my brother isn’t mean to me. Yesterday was the first time he ever spoke to me that way.”

“What way?”

“Like in a harsh tone as though he was giving me a command. He wanted to see my phone and I wouldn’t let him so he tried to take it out my hand and we wrestle for a bit. I won and kicked him out my room.” I said.

Michael’s hands tighten on the steering wheel to the point that his knuckles turned white.

“He’s never done that to you?” Michael asked.

“No Jared is the sweetest big brother ever. I’m just a little surprised at him.” I said looking at him weirdly. Michael parked his car and then turned to look at me. He changed his hard expression to a smile.

“I’m sorry about your fight with Jared, Sherlyn. Jared wasn’t always nice to us so it’s a little surprising for me to hear him being so nice to you when he was so different to us. But he’s your big brother and I know he loves you he made that very clear to all of us back then when he was the captain of the football team. I’m sure you two will make up real soon.” he said squeezing my hand.

Michael’s squeeze was gentle and sweet … it was nice I liked it. But I was a little disappointed it didn’t feel like I thought it would. The first time it was nice but now it just felt comforting not hot like when…. Jeremy held my hand, or when he kissed me, or when he rubbed my arm at the beach.

I shook my head what the hell was I saying.

“Thank you Michael.” I said smiling back him and squeezing his hand back. Michael got out his car and opened the door for me. He had a different parking space being the captain of the football team and all. Instead of us walking right up to the school we had to walk through the football field.

“Jeremy and the guys should be by the football field.” he told me placing his hand on the middle of my back to steer me to the right direction.

“Uh its ok I should get inside and catch Samantha before school.”

“Ah c’mon say hi to your boyfriend first.” Michael said pushing me.

FML!

“Oh ok.” I said cursing Santana out in my mind for as long as I could.

When we reached the guys Joel sat on one of the tables throwing a football up and down laughing with Justin sitting next to him arms crossed laughing as well. Across them Jeremy sat with his baseball cap off sipping on his Monster. While Andrew sat down glasses on looking very concentrated helping out a younger kid with sandy brown hair that seemed very familiar to me.

“Sup.” Michael said making everyone look up. Jeremy stopped his arm in mid air and placed his Monster down instead of taking another sip. Everyone froze for a minute then Justin smiled.

“Hey Sherlyn.” he smiled at me.

“Hi Justin.” I said smiling.

“Morning Sherlyn.” Andrew smiled up at me. The boy who had been tutoring looked up at me. My same light brown almost hazel eyes stared back at me.

“Hey sis.”

“Good Morning Andrew… and Trev what are you doing here?” I asked him.

“I come early every Friday. Andrew tutors me.” he told me. I ruffled my little brothers hair and he punched me on the thigh.

“Since when?” I asked.

“Since the beginning of this year that I discovered I couldn’t do algebra.” Trevor said and I laughed.

“Sup Perry.” Joel said.

“Hi Joel.”

“Jeremy your such a horrible boy friend.” Michael said slapping him on the back and sitting next to him.

“Huh?”

“For one you haven’t properly greeted your girlfriend and for another she was stranded this morning and you weren’t there for her.”

“Uhh yeah…. Hi baby.” Jeremy said coming up to me and giving me a quick tap on the lips. A quick electric jolt shot from his lips to mine. He gave me a crocked smile and I smiled back.

“You were stranded?” he asked.

“Not really I just had to walk to school but Michael was driving by and he offered me a ride-” Jeremy cut me off.

“What were you doing by Sherlyn’s block?” Jeremy asked. Surprising me with the jealousy I heard in his voice.

“I was driving to school.” Michael said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You live on the other side of town.” Jeremy said folding his arms across his chest.

Michael stared at him for a minute then smirked.” I had to drop off something at Valentine’s house who’s Sherlyn’s neighbor right, Sherlyn?”

“Yeah Scott’s my neighbor.” I said in a small voice. Jeremy gave him a look that made it plainly obvious he didn’t believe him.

“Girlfriend?” Trevor said. My eyes widen in realization that Trevor now knew which meant my fake relationship would be discovered and everyone in my house will know.

“I’ll talk to you later ok Trev? For now don’t tell anyone what you just heard.” I said rubbing his head. Trevor smiled at me and nodded his head ’yes.’

“Thanks Andrew I suck in math I wouldn’t have been able to help him.” I said realizing I hadn’t thanked Andrew yet he smiled at me.

“Not a problem Sherlyn. I actually like the kid.” Andrew said pushing Trevor’s whole head down affectionately.

“I’m actually trying to encourage him to join the football team.” Andrew said.

“Really?” I asked surprised.

“Yeah but I don’t know.” Trevor mumbled.

“Aw c’mon kid we’d love to have another Perry on the team.” Joel said in a tone I didn’t like.

“Why miss the first one so much?” I asked Joel and watched as his face change just like Michael and Jeremy’s had at the mention of Jared’s football days.

“Hardly.” Justin mumbled but smiled up at me.

“Sorry.” he said.

I shook my head. “I have to go. Trev if Jared calls you haven’t seen me and don’t mention me and Jeremy to him.” I said awkwardly.

“Got it.” he said. I ruffled his hair a little and then left to find Samantha.

I made my way to the cafeteria and got some breakfast then made my to Samantha. I found her in the computer room typing away.

“Sup.” I said sitting down next to her.

“Hey you made it can you look over what I wrote?” she said.

“Uhh my grammar isn’t exactly up there Sam.” I said and she laughed.

“Oh I know that.” I slapped her on the arm.

“BUT! You have a way with words that is out of this world.” I rolled my eyes at her exaggeration. I looked over her article and suggested some change to it.

“See great team work.” she told me once she sat back down with her newly printed article.

“Yeah I’m the writer and you’re the editor.” I told her and she laughed.

“I should get paid more I do the actual work!” she complained. She and I had a plan if all else fails I’d become an author and she my editor.

“Hell no I came up with it, I wrote it-” she cut me off.

“I’m correcting it.”

“So I’m the worker and you’re the pencil pusher so push pencil beeetch.” I said and she and I laughed.

“What the hell does that mean?” she asked.

“I have no idea its way to early for me.” I said dropping my head on the table. She busted out laughing.

Someone cleared their throat cutting off all laughter. I pushed my hair out of my view.

“See you two are having a great morning.” Said Scarlet.

“I would say so.” Leila said coming up behind Scarlet.

Samantha and I stared at each. “ Good morning and yes I would say we are.” Sam said.

Scarlet gave me a tight smile. “Have your article ready Samantha?”

“Yeah here it is.” Samantha said handing it to her.

Scarlet gave it a quick look over and smiling. “Good.”

“So what did you two do yesterday?” Leila asked.

Since when did she care? “We went to the beach.” Sam answered.

“What a small world…. Leila weren’t we at the beach yesterday as well?”

“Yes we were.”

“Yeah I think I saw you guys.” I said awkwardly what were they getting at?

“I saw you too. You were rolling around in the sand with Jared right Samantha?” she asked.

“No we were wrestling for a spot.” Samantha’s squeaky voice shot up a few octaves.

“And if I remember correctly you were getting rubbed by Jean- I mean letting Jean do you the favor of putting sun screen on your back.” I felt my cheeks flame. They saw that?

Samantha and I looked at one another. What were they trying to do purposely embarrass us? If so Leila should be the last one talking.

“Yeah Jean is a friend of mine why wouldn’t he do me the favor?” I asked.

“Oh no reason we just thought you would ask your boyfriend Jeremy instead.” Scarlet shot.

“Yeah.” Leila agree.

“Yeah maybe I should have but….my boyfriend at the time was a little busy talking to someone so I asked Jean instead… of course I could have asked Rixon, or even Sebastian to do it.”

Leila’s face paled at the mention of Rixon while Scarlet cocked an eyebrow.

“Sebastian?” she asked.

“Yeah Sebastian King you know him right, Scarlet?” She and I had a mini stare for a few seconds before she clear her throat.

“I do. I guess we should be leaving now Leila we have allot of work to do for the pep rally. Thanks for the paper Cord. See you around Perry.” Scarlet and Leila scurried off. Perry? No longer was I Sherlyn huh? Funny how bitchy Scarlet turned out to be.

“What the hell was that about? Were they trying to intimidate us?” Samantha asked once they left.

“I think so.”

“Why I thought we were cool.”

“No Sam we were never cool we just weren’t a bother to her so she had no reason to be a bitch. Now I’m Jeremy’s girlfriend and in her social circle and she doesn’t like it.”

“How do you know?”

“I was told all of this before by the boys and I never really believed it till this little stunt she pulled right now. Did you see how fast she and Leila ran after I mentioned Rixon and Sebastian.”

“Why Sebastian? Leila fuck him to?” I couldn’t help but laugh a little after that.

“No nobody knows so keep your mouth shut Sam.”

“I will.”

“Sure?”

“Yes.”

“Pinky swear?”

“Dude!”

“Okay okay Sebastian spilled to Jared last night that he and Scarlet made out before he left to college and at that time if you think about it Scarlet and Michael were still together.”

“So she CHEATED on him?” Samantha exclaimed.

“Shhh yes!”

“Wow… What a whore!” I laughed.

“Lets get going to class.” I said getting up.

Samantha and I tired to stay low the whole day, but it hardly worked. Every class we were in someone said hi to us, people who never before even acknowledged our existence.

On our way to lunch Samantha grabbed my arm. “The hell is going on?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” I asked picking out a granola bar, a bag of chips, and a bottle of water. I paid my 3 bucks and head over to our table Samantha followed with a salad and soda.

“Everyone is saying hi to us.”

“I know I have no idea what’s going and I really don’t care.” I said. Sam shrugged and dug into her salad.

Suddenly I felt a little shake. I lifted my head up from my hand and realized it was my arm shaking and my fingers began to ache and my wrist hurt really bad. A burning sensation made its way down my nose.

“Oh shit.” I whispered loudly. Sam looked up.

“What?” She asked staring at me.

“Sam.” My voice shot up in alarm. I placed my finger under my nose just in time to catch the drop of blood coming out.

“Your irons low… where are your bars?” Sam asked rushing around looking through my bag.

“I gave my last ones to Jeremy these past few weeks and with everything that happened with Jared I forgot to stock up.” I said grabbing a handful of napkins and closing them over my nose.

“Get up. Nurse’s station.” Sam ordered and I got up slowly trying to get my bag.

“Forget it. I’ll get it. Do you think you can make it on your own?” I nodded my head.

“So go I’ll catch up.” she said in a rush. I ran out the cafeteria with everyone staring at me strangely.

I made it up the stairs to the main hallway when I became to dizzy to hold myself upright, relying on the lockers to keep me up became much more difficult when I began to lose the feeling of the cool metal beneath my fingers, and my vision became blurry.

“Sam.” I crocked hoping she had finally caught up. What was taking her so long?

My legs gave out and I slide down the lockers till I landed on my butt. My head lolled sideways and became to heavy for my neck to support. A faint laughter caught my attention as feet approached my direction.

“You missed the catch D-bag.” I heard a strong male voice say.

“Fuck it. Let Joel’s lazy ass catch something.” A higher pitched male voice said, while more laughter.

Suddenly all laughter seized. “Oh shit, Sherlyn?” said the deeper voice of the two.
A hand landed on my cheek and picked my face up gently to face their’s. I was staring at the deep dark brown eyes of, Andrew.

“What’s going on? What’s wrong?” he said holding the tissue tighter around my nose.

“My iron is too low and I don’t think I can make it to the nurses station.” I mumbled.

“What’s going on? What did she say? Is she dying?” said the higher pitch voice I later recognized as Justin.

“No she’s just anemic. Get Cord, then Jeremy and bring them to the nurses station, Justin. I’ll take her myself.”

“Alright. Cord and Jeremy, cool.” Justin said nervously racing down the stairs.

“I’ll take you to the nurse’s station ok, Sherlyn?” Andrew said softly.

“No don’t. I’ll get blood on your shirt.” he responded with a soft chuckle.

“That should be the least of your worries. Come I’ll be gentle.” Andrew said slowly putting his arms around my shoulders and underneath my knees picking me up bridal style. Andrew cradle me to his chest and took me to the nurses station.