Cliché

I sat in a worn down, creaky booth alone. Hudson had temporarily left to refill our drinks. My hand idly ran over the blood red leather I was perched on. My gaze drifted towards the big, square window on the opposite wall. The yellowing leaves danced in the breeze. A sad realization hit me, summer was over. There wasn’t going to be any more late night talks with hudson. I wouldn’t have any more free time. When school was in session, it consumed me.

A figure blocked my view of the tree outside. I looked up to find a boy with mysterious green eyes and a beanie on his head. Hudson. I smiled up at him and he returned the gesture. He sat down in his booth and slid my drink towards me. “Do you remember how we first met?” I blurted. He did a double take and then answered, “Yeah, why?” The flashbacks came racing back. In the sixth grade, a girl named Nadia bullied me and stole things out of my lunch. She was the new foreign exchange student. She thought her shit didn’t stink so she bullied the outcast of the school; me. I’d never been one for fitting in. Cliques made me want to vomit.

One day, Nadia and her friends ganged up on me. Nadia slapped me in the face because I refused to give her my lunch money this time. That was the first time someone hit me, ever. I threw a punch at Nadia and then her minions started to pummel me. Hudson swept in and saved me. I had a black eye, but if he hadn’t had stopped the fight, I would’ve had worse done to me. Ever since then, we’d been best friends. He’s the one I tell everything to. Surprisingly, he’s not gay. I just get along with guys better than I do with girls. “Just wondering,” I answered. “I wonder why Nadia was so bent on getting lunch money from me, of all people.” I thought aloud. “Maybe to buy condoms.” He suggested. I burst out laughing.

A long-legged blonde strutted up to our table. “Sorry your waitress couldn’t be here to finish her duty. Got sick.” She shrugged as if she got sick all the time. The girl was stunning, but not in the predictable way. She wore dark makeup and looked like she didn’t give two fucks about anything. I wanted to be like that. To let everything I’ve ever felt go.

“Uhh earth to bambi.” The leggy blonde snapped at me. “Huh?” I shook my head. “Do you want a to-go box?” She spoke each word carefully, to made sure I understood. “Sure.” I glared at her. She sashayed away and I stared at her back until she rounded a corner. I heard stifled laughing. My eyes darted over to Hudson. He had a finger over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. “What?” I asked.

“I love a cat fight.” He smirked at me. “That wasn’t a cat fight.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Then what was it?” He asked me. “An unfriendly greeting.” I answered as I took a sip of my drink. Hudson let out the laugh he’d been holding in. Anti-Barbie came back with our bill. “Have a great night.” She looked at me and said in a monotone voice. She looked over at Hudson and said in a happier voice, “There’s a little surprise in there for ya.” She winked and walked off.

Hudson and I looked at each other. He slowly opened the leather pamphlet. He held up the bill. Our waitress had written her number on it. I shook my head and laughed. “Her name’s Dixie.” He said quietly. My laughing stopped. My mothers name was Dixie. Thousands of memories of her flashed through my muddled brain. “It’s not too soon to talk about it, is it?” Hudson asked quietly. “It’s been over a year. I’m fine.” I said as I played with my hands in my lap. “Alright,” Hudson nodded. Let’s get you home.” He said.

^
v

It all happened so fast. The car falling off the bridge. Water filling the car. My mother unconscious in the drivers seat.

I bolted awake. My alarm made sure of that. I slammed my fist down on top of it to shut it up for the moment. I let my arms cover my face. The first day of my senior year. It was going to be tough, but as long as I had Hudson by my side, I’d be alright. I curled up in a ball for the next ten minutes and contemplated whether I should just skip. My dad would come home from work and be furious, so not the best choice. I tried to go through all the scenarios of what I could pull off, but nothing seemed to work. I sighed and rolled out of bed.

I threw on jeans and a cardigan. I swept on some mascara and left my hair tousled. I thumped down the stairs and grabbed a muffin. I hopped in my beat up chevy blazer. She may not be a shiny volvo or a sparkly mercedes, but she was good to me. I patted the dash and backed out of the driveway.

At school, everyone was creating chaos. “Where do we find our schedules?” A girl across the hall screeched. “Oh my gawd! My makeup spilled all over my purse!” A stuck up bimbo yelled to her friends. And throughout the chaos, my world stopped. A boy I’d never seen before emerged from the office.