Life as we Knew It
Chapter 1: Fresh Start: Growth
I had promised him yesterday that I would pick him up from school on his first day, and as of right now I was running late. I needed to be there in ten minutes, but I didn't have a car and was almost seven blocks from his high school. He was gonna kill me if I didn't show up, mostly cause he didn't know how to get home.
We moved this past weekend, which was difficult in itself. I couldn't afford movers; so, we had to pack all our stuff, sell things we couldn't keep, rent a truck, load the truck, unload the truck, and on top of that, get Dean ready for his first day of high school. Thank moon that my mother's brother and my cousin helped us out some. This weekend was as close to hectic as anything could get. This was a lot harder because we were trying to deal with Grandmother Akonna's death as well.
I closed the record books and grabbed my jacket from the closet. I locked up and headed toward the school, he's gonna be upset, I could feel it. I broke out in a sweat as I reached the corner of the second block, it was pretty humid out for August. Wiping sweat off my forehead with my sleeve, I headed past Sharon's Diner. We used to eat there all the time; Sharon was real nice. She would let me and my brother play pool as long as we wanted, but it wasn't like Dean was any good anyway. Sharon's husband, Blake, taught me how to play real good. I missed them a bunch. Maybe I would stop by and say hello one of these days.
I was three blocks away now and five minutes late. I felt my shirt sticking to my back, damn. I was going to have to dry clean this one too. I decided that I'm gonna keep an extra set of cloths at work, or I'm gonna get sweat all over my nice blouses and pants every time I have to go out. I watched a mustang roar down the road with music blaring and no care for any stop signs. One of these days, someone was gonna die because of them. I have seen them around a lot near the office. I worry that one day they won't just wiz past.
I rounded the corner and saw the big old building standing there like some important government office. There were so many people; it was real intimidating. Kids were standing around talking, kids getting on and off buses, kids sitting on the rails, kids just…everywhere. Most were the upper class folk, folks that didn't like my people. Most wouldn't even think that I was a Native. Not to blow my own horn, but I had "flawless caramel beige skin" as Sharon had told me once. That's because my father was white, and my mother was Native, so it just looked like I had a really good tan.
I didn't see Dean anywhere; I hope nothing happened to him. Dean was on the darker side, and his features were a little sharper, more like mom; I envied him, he just didn't know. I have watched American High School movies and the first year were always bullied. I walked up to the stairs, hoping that he would be near there somewhere. But he wasn't, taking a deep breath I walked inside the school. I got a few stares from girls, more like sneers really. I am used to it so, I wasn't really phased, it's as if they smelled something bad. I headed towards the main office to see if he was there or if they knew where he was.
There was an older, librarian looking lady at the front desk. She seemed approachable and kind, with blond gray hair, tan glasses with a silver chain and a very nicely made cardigan. How was she wearing that she was still burning up standing there. She looked up as I approached and a welcoming smile spread across her face, "Hello Dear, did you need something?"
"Hello Ma'am, My name is Renee Harding, my brother enrolled here today. I was wondering where he was, he was supposed to meet me outside about fifteen minutes ago."
"What is his name?"
"Dean Harding, 9th grade" I fidgeted with my collar, it sure was getting uncomfortable in here.
"Oh yes, His math teacher came to me at lunch, he said he will be testing for a grade higher because he did very well in his preliminary math exams"
"Oh, ok, do I just wait here or can I go to his class room?" I was relieved; he was doing something productive, something good. He wasn't lying somewhere hurt. I had taught him math, it was one of my best subjects even though I loved English more.
"You can wait in here dear, "She said with a slight nod towards the chairs.
I noticed three boys slouched in the chairs as if they didn't want to be there, maybe they got in trouble. They were staring at me, but when I looked over they hurriedly looked away. It's as if I was some carnival attraction really. I ignored it, lifted my chin a little and went to go sit down in the only seat left, the one right between the really greasy haired one and the second greasy haired one.
Funny thing was, all three of the boys had really greasy hair. It was as if they slathered coconut oil all over their hair like the women did in the Res to help with hair growth. One had a real mean look to him, as if he would cut me if I went near him, thank goodness I didn't have to sit next to him. He looked the other way as I approached, but the other two who I had to sit next to ogled at me. The boy in the white shirt next to the mean looking boy was very handsome, like movie star handsome. He would be perfect for some prince movie or I don't know some romance movie in France. He would sweep the girl off her feet and they would live happily ever after. I haven't really been to France, I didn't know too much except what I read in school and all my romance novels.
The boy who would be sitting on the other side of me grinned real wide, as if showing all his teeth was some mating call here. He wore a grey cut off shirt with a big face with big ears on it and dark blue jeans, there wasn't anything too remarkable about him, just his big ole silly grin. I had my keys in my back pocket, wallet in my bra, and a knife in my boot, just in case. I sat down with my hands in my lap and legs crossed. Didn't want to give them any mixed messages, I didn't want to talk to them.
"Well hello there pretty lady, I'm Two-Bit, what's your name?"
"It doesn't matter, please leave me alone"
"Oh come on now sugar, there ain't no need to be all mean, now is there?"
I turned and looked at him straight in the eyes, "I said, please leave me alone" moon he was gonna attack me when I leave. Shit.
"Aww Two-Bit, up to your old schemin, leave the poor girl alone"
"Aw Soda, a pretty thing like her don't know how to be nice to people" he crossed his arms and sat back in the chair leaning his head against the wall.
The one called Soda turned to me now, these punks just would not leave her be, "Hi I'm Soda-Pop, He don't mean no harm, he just don't know when to stop"
I nodded in his direction in acknowledgment. What if these boys where in Dean's class, they would pick on him if they found out they were brother and sister. Maybe I should be nice. Be nice Renee, be nice, you're not a mean person. Don't act on your fears, didn't poppa always tell you that. I heaved an enormous sigh "I'm Renee, nice to meet you"
Soda flashed a grin brighter then the sun, he was very handsome, "You new to this school, never seen you around here"
"My brother goes here, ninth grade. We just moved to the neighborhood a few blocks down" She was offering too much information, it was none of their business.
"What's his name?"
"Dean, Dean Harding"
"Oh ok, cool. I have a younger brother too, and an older one. These two right here are like my brothers too. We grew up together" He said motioning to the mean looking one and the one called Two-Bit.
I nodded and smiled a little so I didn't offend him, "Why are you guys in here?"
He gave a sheepish grin her way, running his hands through his hair, oh what I would do if we were alone. Oh my, I need to get my head out of the clouds. "Well, we kind of got in a fight, we didn't start it, it was one of those Socs, Randy's buddy, Chase something or other"
"Right" I didn't know what a Soc was, so I pretended I did. I looked forward away from the boys next to me. The next think I knew, the mean lookin boy was yellin at me. Maybe I tone of voice came out all wrong.
"Hey, don't judge us, that's all you been doing since you got here. We didn't do nothing to you, stop judging us" he spoke words that utterly stunned me. He was right. I was judging them. I was judging them before I got to know them, thinking that I was better than them, but I'm not. Thinking they were gonna attack me, when here I am the one carrying a knife. I felt guilty, oh how insensitive of me. My mother always taught me to be open and kind, and here I was treating these boys the way I was afraid to be treated.
"I, I'm sorry"
"Oh Steve, cut it out. Renee, he ain't mean nothing by it" he is a peace keeper, ain't that the sweetest. He was a sweet, handsome, peace keeper.
"No, he's right. That's what I was doing. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." I turned forward and just waited for Dean to show up, what was taking him so long. Just as I was about to get up to go pace in the hallway, Dean and his math teacher popped their heads in the office.
" Ms. Harding?"
"Yes?" I stood to go meet them outside in the hallway, before I left, "Good luck" I said to no one in particular, and followed him outside.
"Ms. Harding, Mr. Samuth"
"Renee, nice to meet you sir"
"Renee, let me tell you, Dean here is a genius, he leveled up twice, so he will be doing 11th grade math.
"Oh wow" I looked at him, I was so proud, "that's great" I grinned wide.
"I thought I would meet with you and let you know"
"Thank you Mr. Samuth" Dean looked so proud of himself, all puffed up in his new collared shirt "Let's go mister"
He walked next to me, wanting to hold my hand I knew, but this was a new school, he didn't want people to think he was a sissy. So, we walked slowly next to each other not saying anything. We were just basking in the good news. Once we were a few blocks away from the school he grabbed my hand, still walking in silence, and we swung our arms back and forth. Something we used to do when we were younger.
