Fatal Attraction

I slipped into my Chemistry class just as the bell rang. I took my seat behind a girl who seemed to do nothing but twirl her hair around one perfectly manicured finger and pop her gum. With my books settled on my desk, I leaned back and sighed. The teacher, who's name I haven't learned yet, was in the process of writing something on the board.

The teacher sighed and capped her green dry-erase marker, placing on the ledge of the whiteboard, "Alright, take out lab thirty-seven and work with your lab partners," she turned her attention to me, "Tony, come here."

I stood up, repressing a groan, and walked over to her. I crossed then uncrossed my arms, not wanting to seem rude. I knew that's what she would've perceived it as, "I want you to work with Mike since his partner is absent."

"Mike?" I questioned, looking around. None of these people looked like they had the face a guy named "Mike".

"Yes. Mike Fuentes, raise your hand!" I watched as a tall, lanky kid with spiky hair raised his hand. His hair was both black and blonde, sort of looking like a skunk. He smiled at me, showing off a set of perfectly white teeth. He did not seem shy in the slightest and waved me over. He reminded me of Jaime in a way, with his friendly looking attitude. It was the opposite for me; I always look so down in the dumps.

I say down in the desk next to Mike's and pulled it over so they were touching, doing this after I got the lab. I wrote my name down in my particularly shitty hand writing and avoided eye contact.

"I'm Mike. It's nice to meet you." He held out his hand, which I declined.

I nodded my head, "Tony." I read over the lab. All the words seemed foreign to me; back at my old school we hadn't started this chemistry lesson yet so I had no idea what it was asking of me, "Do you understand any of this?" I asked, glancing up at him. He was staring at me with a smile plastered to his face.

"Nope. I have no idea what the fuck's going on in this class. I guess you don't either. But that's okay, that's what the Internet is for right?" Mike laughed softly. He was jolly and very soft-spoken, kind of like myself. He looked like the type of guy I would want to be friends with. Maybe I could use him to get the Mayella. I'm sure he knows her.

I offered a half-smile and a shrug, "I guess." I tapped my pen on my desk and looked around. The teacher was squinting at the computer and the room was filled with the buzz of chatter. I hate group work, and it's worse now that I don't know anybody. It was easier at my old school because people would just ignore me and I'd do all the work for them. I assumed that's how it would go here as well.

"Where'd you move here from?" Mike asked, glancing from my face to my pen. He seemed intrigued that I was playing some kind of beat with my pen. Maybe he saw this as an opportunity to make a new friend? With a smile and friendliness like that, though, I doubt he was lacking in the friendship department.

"L.A." I answered bluntly, putting my pen down. My mind flickered to Jaime, who was probably sitting in one of his classes right now. Or, maybe he was cutting class with one of our mutual friends. The only thing that sucked was that I wasn't there with him, and that I was here with strangers.

"Ah a boy from down south, huh? Cool." Mike nodded and watched me for several moments. If we weren't going to do any work, maybe I could ask him a couple of questions for my own personal benefit.

"Do you know that girl... Um... Mayella Dunham?" I asked, trying to play it cool. I didn't want to seem too eager; after all, it was only my second day. And to my surprise, Mike burst into laughter, twisting his pen open and closed. He looked me dead in the eye.

"Know her? Man, I fucked her. We dated during the summer. That girl was wild. She used to be a lot of fun." Mike stared out the window, and I could tell he had a movie playing behind his eyes. This is a movie I would never get to see, but hopefully I would be able to create a movie of my own with the very same girl. His smile began to fade and his gaze drifted towards me, "Why do you ask?"

I shrugged carelessly and looked down at our lab sheet, "No... No reason. She just seems pretty cool, that's all. You don't find a girl like that, anywhere."

Mike smirked and took a sip of his Arizona iced tea, "Got that right." He responded, once he capped the drink, "She's one of a kind, in and out of the bedroom if you know what I mean."

I gave him a nervous smile and didn't respond because, I hadn't known what he meant. I'd never gone all the way with a girl before. Hickeys, blowjobs and handjobs? Sure. I've done that with a girl. I've gone down on a girl but I've never slipped inside her. That's something that you should do with somebody special. Not a one nightstand.

"How long did you guys date for?" I was curious. If Mike were to be a potential friend, I didn't want to cause any tension. Tension within the first week of school here? Nah, it doesn't end well.

"Six months. She dumped me when her parents died. She got all cold and distant. And then people started saying stuff like she would kill me. Maybe she believed it. All the people who were close to her have died. Her parents, her brother, her best friend...." Mike rambled on but my initial reaction was shock, this girl had been through hell and back. If I had lost that many people at only seventeen, I would be a little colder and more distant than I already am.

"Mr. Fuentes? Mr. Perry? Are you working?" The teacher appeared over us. I immediately started to write some bullshit onto my paper to keep from getting caught that we hadn't been working.

"Sure Ms. Slater." Mike sent her a killer smile and the teacher nodded before walking into the back. I glanced up at Mike who looked like he was in his in own world. In my mind, I took back my other statement. I think I'd like to be friends with this guy.