I Had To…
By: Jade Holt
"Godamnit, Vernon! Get your fucking hands off me! What the hell is your problem!?"
John Bender looks up from his greasy black boots at a girl who looks about his age, decked out in black leggings, a grey denim miniskirt, a WhiteSnake concert tee, and dirty grey spiked combat boots. She looks mad enough to spit rocks.
"You. You are my problem, Miss Kylie. And spit your gum out."
"It's Kyle. And here."
She spits a wad of purple bubblegum at the teacher, and it lands square between his eyes.
"That will be another Saturday detention, Miss Kylie."
"FUCK YOU IT'S KYLE!"
"There's another one right there." With that, the man turns on his heel and marches out of the room. The girl sinks down in a chair and slams her grey backpack on the desk next to her.
"Fuck…"
John chuckles to himself, and decides to examine the girl more closely. She's slender, with hazel eyes that seem oddly familiar, and a sloppy black bowl cut that is a little longer around the nape of her neck. She sports dark, plum-colored lipstick, black nails that have been either filed or bitten to little more than nubs, and lots of dark eye makeup. Pfft, John thinks, she probably thinks she's tough-
"Got a name, boy?"
"What's it to ya, bitch?"
"Hey! What the hell did I do to deserve a name like that!?"
John sneers and blows a smoke ring around Kyle's face, causing her to cough. She narrows her eyes at him and gives him the bird.
"Fine. Be that way. Hmph!"
"And you honestly think I care about that little hissyfit thing you got goin' on there?"
All she does in response is light up a cigarette and blows a bunch of smoke over her shoulder. John coughs and in doing so, spits out his own cigarette. Kyle leans over and grinds it out with the toe of her boot.
"HEY! I wasn't done-"
"How do you like it, huh? Now what's your name, boy?"
"I gotta take a piss, I'm leaving."
"Sure you do," she replies, smirking.
He glares at her, and she just blows more smoke at him.
"I expect you to have a name when you get back. Something nice."
The aggravated teen gets up and leaves, kicking over a stack of books near the door on his way out.
John glances in the mirror hanging over the sink, then does a double take. His cheeks and ears are flushed a deep shade of red. Shit, did I blush in front of her? Godamnit that's why she made that face at me!
"Fuck…" he says aloud. He turns on the faucet and splashes some cold water on his face. The color in his face returns to normal. John sighs and lights up a joint.
When he reenters the library, Kyle has a Walkman laid on her desk and has her head bent over a piece of paper, drawing something. He leans over her shoulder to see the image and it's a boy… leaning back in a chair… smoking… with a peculiar likeness of himself. He shakes his head. You're seein' things, Johnny. For some fucked up reason, you like this girl, and so you're seein' things…
He gently takes the earbud out of her ear, and whispers, "Whatcha drawin'?"
She jumps, gasping, and flips the page over.
"Something! Why do you care!?"
"Oh, no reason, just curious," he responds, dragging a chair next to hers and plopping down in it. Kyle looks at him, and realizing how close they are, blushes a light pink color. She attempts to concentrate on her sketch. She's pretty cute… Wonder how old she is. John reclines in his seat, propping his feet up on the desk and causing Kyle's pencils to scatter everywhere.
"Damnit!" she murmurs under her breath.
"Oh, please Miss, I beg of you to accept my sincerest apologies for disturbing your array of drawing utensils."
"Those are some eloquent words for such an illiterate teen as yourself, John."
"Wha- How in the name of Sam Hell do you know my name?!"
"Oh, pity, the child doesn't remember the little girl who saved his ass all those years ago. You took a certain little ten-year-old under your wing after that, remember?"
"Oh my God, little Kay?"
"I ain't little anymore, Johnny. And if I had a nickel for every time I had to tell someone I'm Kyle, I'd-"
"Holy shit, I can't remember the last time someone called me Johnny! THAT brings back memories! So how old are you now?"
"Fifteen. And you?"
"Sixteen. As of today, actually…"
"Oh, happy birthday!" she exclaims. She then looks at him absentmindedly for a moment, and throws her arms around him. She feels him recoil, so she murmurs in his ear
"Sorry. It's been five years. I had to.
At that, she feels his arms wrap around her waist. Kyle buries her face in his shoulder, and John pulls her onto his lap. They stay like that for a while, then Kyle gasps as she feels the light pressure of his lips on her jawline. She pulls away from the embrace and looks at him.
"Sorry. It's been five years. I had to."
She bites her bottom lip and smiles at him. He looks at her for a while, then asks, "Where should we go when we get outta here?"
This causes her to smile even more and she replies, "Uh… I don't know. But I have eight hours to think sooo…."
