Jealous Orchard

I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection. I brushed my hair more to the right side of my face.

I sighed and pulled down my t-shirt and shook my head. It was pointless to even try to make myself look better. It was my Senior year and I felt pathetic.

"Brendon, sweetie you look fine," my mom said leaning against my door frame.

After she had lunch with Mrs. Lee she gave me a look of disappointment, but never brought it up. I haven't been able to look my mom in the eyes since, because I knew she heard what really happened between Morgan and I.

God, Morgan. I let out a sigh as her face danced across my mind. Her perfect smile was no longer smiling at me, but it was confused frown. Her bright green eyes that could make your breath catch in your throat, were filled with sadness. She had no idea why I hated her.

Her face, her body, her voice, even her smell haunted me. In the day when I let my mind wander, at night when I had no control over my dreams. I had given up on trying to stop them. Waking up multiple times in the night to stop her from completely undressing herself in my mind was proved pointless. I would fall asleep just to have the dream pick up at the place I stopped it.

Morgan was my parasite. Or perhaps the idea of having Morgan was my parasite. To be able to call Morgan mine was clearly the only thing I wanted. And the idea was eating away at my mind. When I think of her everything else that I was thinking about was gone. The number I was going to call, if I was going to turn right or left on the road, even if I was planning on going to bed.

When Morgan was on my mind nothing else mattered and I didn't care.

"Brendon, sweetie, Adam is here," my mom said.

She was now in my room and her hand squeezed my shoulder. She looked at me in the mirror and smiled.

"It's going to be fine," she said with a forced reassuring smile.

We both knew she wasn't talk about school.

I sighed giving her a look, letting her know I didn't believe her.

"Bye mom," I said moving out from under her hand.

I grabbed my bag that was laying on my bed, and bounded down the stairs.

I threw the door open and saw Adam sitting in his Camry smiling at me.

He acted like this summer had never happened, and I was grateful for that. For his silent kindness of saving my mind for the small amount of time I saw him. But it was never enough. With him getting serious with Taylor, who had to be Morgan's best friend, it's sometimes harder not to think about Morgan, when all he is a link in my chain that connected me to her.

It seemed like everyone I knew was had an attachment with Morgan. But I should have realized that was a given. Everyone wanted to be next to her because she was just so nice. I knew my mom resented me though, because Morgan couldn't stand to be in her house when my mom went over. My sister told me mom said Morgan doesn't want to be reminded of me.

It seemed everyone resented me though. Even Ryan was pissed at me for a few days. When he had gone up to visit his college he had asked Morgan to help him set up his room, but she said she couldn't. We all knew she didn't want to see me. Ryan finally got over it when I guess Morgan drove up and surprised him.

"Hey, man. You sure you're going to be okay?" Adam asked.

We were already parked in the car filled lot. Kids were pouring into the doors of the high school. Some with smiles, and some with frowns. Girls were comparing tans, guys were comparing stories about their girlfriends.

"I'm going to be fine," I mumbled.

I reached back and pulled out my empty backpack and set it on my lap.

"Only one more year," Adam said laughing sarcastically.

"That's too long," I said pushing my door open.

I hooked the backpack over my shoulder and started to walk to the front of the school with Adam. I could already see Susan standing twenty feet away from me. She had a smile on her face as she had her arms wrapped around a binder.

She had seemed to be bouncing on the heels of her feet.

"Hey, baby," she said smiling while wrapping one arm around my neck.

She kissed my cheek and pulled away.

"Hey," I mumbled wrapping one arm around her waist.

She pressed her hips closer to mine, and I fought back a smile.

"You excited?" she asked wrapping her arm around mine.

"Not really," I mumbled walking toward the door.

Adam had already started walking toward Taylor. I didn't see her but I knew, because he always wanted to spend time with her. I couldn't look for her because I knew where ever she was so was Morgan.

Susan was talking next to me, as I completely zoned out.

"Baby?"

"Mhm?" I mumbled looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"I asked you when you had lunch," she said smiling.

"Um, fifth," I said looking at my schedule.

"Oh, rats. I have fourth," she said frowning.

"Yeah, too bad," I said as we stopped where the hallway split.

"I have to go this way," I said pointing to the left.

"I'm going this way," she said pointing to the right.

She stood on her toes and pressed her lips against mine as she let me go of my arm.

"See ya," she said skipping down the hall.
________________________

"You've got to be kidding me," I mumbled under my breath.

I listened to all the girls sigh around me as he entered the classroom. Apparently this the new kid replaced all the talk about summer. It was very rare for us to have new students joining our school. We've all been together all our lives. It's strange for people to move to Nevada. So when people found out that a new boy was joining during his last year of high school, many people were almost in hysterics. But it got worse when people actually saw him. Then every girl in school started to marvel at him, like he was so rare piece of art that people thought to be destroyed.

"I heard his name is Will."

"I bet you anything his family is in the Mafia."

"Gosh, I hope he doesn't have a girlfriend."

"Class, settle down. I know everyone is excited about our new student but please have some respect," our teacher Mr. Miller said.

"Would you like to tell use anything about yourself, Will?"

The kid stood with one arm wrapped around his torso and his hand scratched his arm.

"Um, I don't have anything to say."

He looked over at the teacher, clearly pleading to be shown his seat. Mr. Miller understood and pointed to two seats to my right.

"There's your seat. Right next to Lauren uh Lauren Kelly. Can you raise your hand please?"

I don't think that she needed to raise her hand considering that was the only empty desk in the class, but she did anyway, and shot him a smile. I felt bad for the kid because I knew that Lauren would be staring at him and trying to catch his attention all through out class.

I sighed in realizing this school year was going to go by too slow. This Will kid is going to be the only exciting thing to happen, and that's just pathetic. After fifty five minutes of the same lecture every teacher gives on every first day, the bell rang. It shook me from my dazed stare I held on the the swaying tree outside.

"He must be gay. I did everything and he didn't even look at me," Lauren mumbled, clearly upset that she had not won over the new heart throb of school.

I laughed to myself as I grabbed my bag and started to leave the class. I was right behind Will as we left and I saw he had a map of the school in one hand, and his classes in another. I felt bad for the kid. I haven't seen anyone with a map of the school since probably ever. Even the freshmen now knew where everything was. I guess it was just common sense. Everyone seemed to have an older brother or sister that went to this school, or even their parents. It was a given that everyone knew everyone, and knew were everything was.

He walked off to the side of the hall and stopped to look at his map. Again I laughed as a swarm of girls rushed to his aid.

"Do you need help finding your class?"

"I can take you there. I have a free period now."

"No, I'll take him. My next class is two halls down."

I looked frantic as these girls grabbed at his map huddled around me.

"Um, I think I'll be fine. Thanks though," he said squeezing through the circle and making his way down the hall.

"You're going the wrong way!" one girl shouted pointing in the opposite direction.

He quickly turned around and walked in the direction she pointed. He flashed her a smile and she waited till he was gone to let out a shriek.

"He's so going to ask me to Home Coming," she said fanning herself.

I quickly walked to my math class as I prayed silently the day would somehow go faster than normally.