Too Young to Care

“Eve O’Connor, how was your summer?” A boy named Jason Aitken asked as he slung an arm around my shoulder.

I shyly grinned at his attention. I wasn't interested in him but didn't want to be rude so I didn't remove his arm even though I wanted to.

“It was good. Went to L.A. for a few weeks to see my mom, then got a job as soon as I got back. It's been pretty busy actually,” I briefly explained then went on to ask him the same to be polite “How was yours?”

Jason shot me a large smile through his pearly white teeth. He was the poster boy for teen heart throb. Dark curtain hair that stopped just below his chin, bright blue eyes and an overall symmetrical look to show he had won the generic lottery. His masculinity extended from his looks to his athletic abilities, as he was on the football team. Jason Aitken was officially a walking, talking cliche.

“Any interesting summer flings?” Jason playfully asked me.

I tried to read his face as he asked me this loaded question. I wasn't sure whether he was digging for information because he was hoping I’d say no, or whether he was just trying to make general conversation.

Either way I’d have fun with this.

“Now, now Jason. I don't kiss and tell.” I playfully scolded him, quickly wagging a finger at him as we continued to walk down the hallways.

I was completely full of shit. I had no interesting summer flings. I was a complete pariah in the shitty part of L.A. my mom lived in and when I got back I was too busy working to meet any boys.

I had moved to the Bay Area exactly a year ago after sixteen years in L.A. My mother was so sick of the constant bickering that occurs between teenage daughters and their mothers, so she sent me packing to go live with my father near Berkeley. “You’ll be back in two weeks” she had told me at the time. Fifty four weeks later and I hadn't looked back. Well, except for a forced two week visit by my father who was trying to ensure I had some sort of relationship with my mother, even if it was strained and awkward.

I liked life in the Bay. Life in L.A. really sucked for me. I had become a target for bullying in elementary school due to how outgoing and eccentric I was. As I went to school with the same kids for middle and then high school, this outcast label had followed for my entire school career. I didn't really have any friends. The few who let me sit with them during lunch normally only did so to find out things about me to spread around nastily, or to find ways to mock and humiliate me later on. They would then run away if I ever tried to join in activities. Or if seated they would all get up and sit at an empty table if I sat with them. That would always sting.

This all changed when I moved up here. I was no longer Evelyn O’Connor the weirdo. I had escaped that stigma. Girls wanted to be my friend and learn about my “glamorous” L.A. lifestyle and fashion. Boys didn't seem to mind my quirky personality. For the first time in my life I had things I never dreamed I’d ever have. Friends, encouragement, support and self esteem. Life was finally worth living.

“Oh yeah? If you don't kiss and tell, what do you do then?” Jason asked me using a seductive undertone. As his arm was still slung around my shoulder he was able to stop me in my tracks and pull me closer to him. I was now so close to him I could feel his warm breath on my skin.

I felt my face heat up and I suddenly felt self conscious as I eyed those around me nervously. I could see quite a few pairs of eyes on me. I was outgoing and enjoyed attention but every now and again I would seize up as the previous bullying effects on my self esteem would hit me. I eyed Jason who was still grinning but was looking at me in an expectant fashion. I decided to bite the bullet and continue to follow his flirty lead. Those around me be damned.

“I bite. Hard.” I smirked, crunching my teeth together for an added effect.

This was the kind of relationship Jason and I had. We flirted casually, but that was it. We weren't together- we’d never even gone on one date. He was usually seeing someone from another school but he’d still joke around or be touchy feely around me. In turn I got attention from one of the most sought after boys in school and didn't have to bother with a draining relationship dragging me down. It was a win-win.

I'd only ever had one official boyfriend before. Thomas. He was quite a bit older than me, in hindsight the age gap was quite creepy. It was another reason my mother had sent me away and why my father had taken me so willingly. They wanted me to end things with Thomas. Their plan worked. Two weeks into my move I broke up with him. It made me realise I was only with him in L.A. because I was desperate and had no one else. I didn't actually care for him. Nor should I have - he was far too old for me.

Dating and then subsequently dumping an older guy helped me establish my popularity here. No one ever met Thomas but I was asked about my relationship status when I first started. I made sure to only tell people he was an older guy. I left out that he was a high school dropout, who exaggerated his disabilities to cheat the welfare system and who happened to still be living in his mom’s basement.

But I had remained single since then. I flirted here and there and had been on a few dates but nothing ever came out of it. I was picky about guys I liked now I could be. I also wasn't attracted to any boys at my school. I didn't like pretty boys like Jason. I liked stocky guys who could hold their own. There was nothing sexier than a guy with broad shoulders and a bit of meat on his arms to hold you close to him protectively.

But I still liked canoodling with boys my age for a bit of fun. I just wasn't expecting what Jason was going to do next.

With his arm still around my shoulder he suddenly pulled me in and planted a big dramatic kiss on my lips. It was only a peck, but when he pulled away he was smirking and looking pretty pleased with himself.

“Well uh, no need to kiss and tell this time as the entire school witnessed that one.” I stammered out sounding quite flustered.

It was true. Whilst I may have just been paranoid before of people looking on with Jason’s arm around my shoulder, they were definitely looking now. I noticed people had stopped in the middle of the hallway to look on, some even craning their necks nosily to get a good glance.

“C’mon. Let's go to homeroom.” Jason instructed. He let go of my shoulder for the first time since greeting me but instead placed his hand on the small of my back to help guide me through the sea of students who were onlooking.

I noticed Jason wave and send head nods acknowledging people in our circle as we made our way to homeroom. These were all people I knew as well. Kim and Stacey from the cheer team, Brock on the football team, Zoe the hippie chick who was lots of fun, Greg, who's father worked with mine and was quite wealthy.

The acknowledgement that stood out was the one that Jason gave once we reached homeroom, to a small and scrawny guy who was seated in the front row with two of his other friends.

It took me a second to recognise him. His red hair from the previous year had been dyed an unnatural shiny looking black that came straight out of a bottle. He was wearing black jeans with rips, which I couldn't tell if they were intentionally done for a fashion statement or whether the jeans were old and ratty. A quick glance at his oversized shirt showed he was sporting a shirt for either an obscure band or clothing label. I had nothing against this kid but his appearance contrasted darkly against the squeaky clean teen heart throb image that Jason prided himself on.

“Since when have you been friends with that Billie Joe guy? I've never seen you talk to him once in your life.” I asked Jason quietly.

I'm not sure whether I was too loud and he heard or whether he was looking over for other reasons but moments later the Billie Joe kid flashed his green eyes onto Jason and I who had now sunk down next to our friends.

I'd never paid much attention to Billie Joe Armstrong or his two remaining friends Michael and Sean. We’d never had a reason to converse and he certainly wasn't on my attraction radar - short, thin, red hair (previously anyway) with a weak jaw and crooked smile.

But there was one thing I had overlooked. He had the most charming bright green eyes I had ever laid eyes on. In my opinion it wasn't enough to overcome the rest of his features but I found myself burrowing my blue eyes into his emerald coloured orbs for quite a while before I flashed my eyes back onto Jason for his response.

“I speak to him. Sometimes,” Jason explained before lowering his head down to speak quietly “Normally no one else is around as I purchase what I need from him. If you get my drift.”

“Ahhhh I getcha. You purchase hemerrhoid cream on the regular from him.” I mocked Jason loudly.

I realised I had gone too far in my joke when Jason hissed and shot me a filthy look. Some of the people in our circle would receive that joke well and play along. But I miscalculated. Jason Aitken was not one for jokes at his expense. I felt self conscious and went to stutter an apology, tail between my legs until I heard a chuckle.

I looked up to the front of the room and saw Billie Joe laughing heartily. His friend Mike was sniggering too. I flashed them a smile in appreciation as I felt confidence re-enter my body. The positive reaction seemed to have an effect on Jason too as seconds later he dropped his snarl and was smiling once more.

“You’re funny, Eve. Always liked a girl with a sense of humour.” Jason stated.

I only flashed him a small smile before I looked towards Billie Joe and his friends. Billie Joe had his head lowered as he was speaking to the Mike and Sean kids as I seemed to have lost his attention. Just as quickly and unexpectedly as it had arrived, my first interaction with Billie Joe Armstrong was over.

During that moment Billie Joe Armstrong was just some kid in a few of my classes I had never spoken to. I had absolutely no idea the impact he would have on the upcoming year.