The New Guy
I sat starin' out the bus window, watchin' the rain. I was so bored. I sighed deeply; I had a feeling that today was going to be terrible. I woke up this morning early and even had a whole fifteen minutes before I had to go to the bus stop. Normally, a morning like this would "rock my face off" as my youth pastor would say; to be honest I felt like crap.
"Sparkman?" The bus driver asked. It was half way through the school year, why would he be asking that? "Well, get on then. It's raining." I looked up to see who had gotten on the bus.
After the bus came, there were no empty seats so I had to sit with some girl. She looked real ticked off – or rather, like she was lookin' for a reason to be ticked off. I felt her stare as I walked toward her. "Can I sit here?" I asked.
"Sure," she shrugged.
I could feel her watchin' me. I knew what she was thinking. She was thinking I was cute. Not surprising. I heard that thought everywhere we went. I stared ahead.
By the time we reached the academy, she hadn't figured out why she was in bad mood. She sighed heavily and flung her back pack over her shoulder and followed all the other freshmen off the bus.
First bloc was quite interesting. We got a new guy – the cute mystery dude from the bus. We now had fifteen guys and only seven girls. Which, to be honest, I was perfectly okay with. I had always gotten along better with guys than most girls simply because, I had three older brothers. All the girls started whisperin' with each other as soon as he and a school counselor walked into Mrs. O' Dale's classroom.
After much persuadin' by Ms. O' Dale, he stood at the front of the classroom and told us a little about himself — and I mean a little. He seemed very . . . secretive. His name was Ben Rays and he had just moved into town from Winchester. He didn't seem to be afraid of public speaking, but seemed to not want to talk about himself. It was intriguing. . . . kinda. . . . maybe it was just my over-active imagination. . . . .
By the time lunch had come, nothin' completely awful had happened yet. I was really ticked off. "I hate today," I grumbled as I sank down into my normal booth.
"Why? Other than the rain, it's a practically perfect day. And did you see the new guy. Oh my gosh! Even you have to admit he's drop dead gorgeous. " My best friend, Lexi, asked pickin' up a chicken strip and dunking it in bar-b-q sauce. She knew I thought all the guys here were morons or perverts – which was exactly why I didn't even think about what they looked like.
"I guess so. But, I feel like crap," I complained. "I woke up and knew today would suck." I glanced at her; she cocked her head in disapproval. "Sorry, I meant I knew today would be really bad." Her parents had raised her that "suck" was a not-so-good word. I mean, my parents had too but, sometimes it's the only word that fits how you feel. "Anyways, so far, today has been, like you said, perfect. I am so confused!"
"Ahh, don't worry. I'm sure fourth bloc will ruin your day. I mean, just walkin' past Ms. Grabowski's class ruins mine." Such an odd thing to say to try to comfort someone; but hey, it kinda worked.
I grinned. "Thanks Lexi."
She grinned back. "Anytime Janie May. But hey, you are so lucky. Ben is in every one of your classes. I—" She stopped mid-sentence and looked down.
I walked into the lunchroom and deliberately looked for the girl's table. When I found her, I approached her table shockingly nervous; I hardly ever got nervous – why should a normal girl like her make my heart to race like it was. As soon as I set my tray down, she introduced herself as Janie May Preston and her friend as Alexis Johnson more popularly known as Lexi. I introduced myself as well. I picked up my chicken strip and dunked it in sweet and sour sauce and asked, "Do y'all know where Ms. Grabowski's class is?"
Hmm, I thought as I watched him eat his sweet and sour sauce covered chicken, I thought I was the only one that did that. "Yeah, me and Lexi got her next. You can just walk with us if you want." He nodded.
We were quiet for minute or so as we ate our lunches. "You know, you have every single one of my classes. That really, like, never happens."
"Yeah, that is weird." I thought I saw a smile play on his lips for just a second, but then it disappeared. Maybe he's hiding something. . . . He did hide that smile awful fast. I shoved the thought from my head. I have a seriously overactive imagination, I thought as I returned his smile that was supposed to never be.
"What is Ms. Grabowski like?"
"Craptastic; she seriously hates teenagers, I could swear to it."
Sure enough, fourth bloc was craptastic. Ms. Grabowski, the meanest teacher in possibly the whole world, assigned a six page essay on the Revolutionary War, with thirty note cards and citation page, due in four days. Then, on top of that, we got a new seating chart. And then, we got new vocabulary words which we had to define, write a sentence using each one, and alphabetize — all thirty words. Oh, and it was all due in two days.
I was happy. Well, in a sense. At least I hadn't felt depressed for nothin'. That was a real upper; I was beginnin' to think I had some serious mental issues. Turned out my intuition was just fine; a little off on timin', but not out of check.
After class, I was walkin' down the crowded hallway to the bus with Lexi. "Can you believe Ms. Grabowski? I mean, seriously, how are we supposed to get all that done? She is pure evil," she complained.
"Yeah, she's out to get us. And you know what else? She's gonna brain wash us and use us as her slaves which she uses to enslave the world and trap us in school forever when she becomes ultimate dictator. And if you don't turn in your homework on time, she'll bore you to death with her history lessons."
"Shut up." She pretended to glare at me; I stuck out my tongue. "But seriously, she's really out to get us."
"Uh huh, okay. See ya later Lexi." I called as she walked off toward her "Monday bus". She had dance team practice at "the big high school" on Mondays and Thursdays.
"How was the bus ride yesterday and this mornin'?" Lexi asked me as I met her in the cafeteria before school officially started. I knew she really meant, "How hot was Ben?"
I rolled my eyes. "Lexi, you seriously need a life."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. You didn't answer my question." She persisted as we sat down in our usual booth.
"I dunno. Hot, crowded, sweaty. Why weren't you on the bus yesterday mornin'?" I abruptly changed subjects. I wanted to see how long it took her to realize that Ben had just walked into the cafeteria. He wasn't on the bus this mornin'. I wondered why all throughout the bus ride.
"My mom said she would take me since it was rainin'. You know how she is," she shrugged.
"Hey Janie, hey Lexi," I called walkin' up behind Lexi.
The funny, strawberry-blonde girl jumped, surprised. Janie grinned and shoved her stuff to the floor so I could sit down. "Hey Ben," she said. I sat and we talked for a few minutes before they released us to our first block classes.
The bell rang and everyone shot outta the cafeteria in one loud, mass of teenagers.
We went through the motions of a long and drawn out day of ninth grade. Gym, [which Janie and me were separated] was hot and sweaty.
All the girls were gushin' over 'the new guy'. "Y'all, he is JUST another guy. There's nothin' special about him," I said, finally at my wits' end.
"And how would you know. I bet you've never even talked to him." The most popular -- though I can't fathom why -- girl in the school, Jenna, challenged.
"Dude! I have hung out with him since he got here! What have you even said to the child?" I shot back. I shouldn't have yelled back at her but I just lost it.
Her eyes got huge, then she shot me a dirty look and left the locker room. The other girls started poundin' me with questions. "Is he nice?" "What does he sound like?" "Does he ever smile?"
"Y'ALL, SERIOUSLY!" I raised my voice to be heard over the endless questions. "He is JUST another guy!" I repeated. I squeezed outta the swarm of girls and shot outta the locker room.
I was standing at the gym doors waitin' for the bell to ring when this tall blonde girl approached me. She introduced herself. I did the same as I scanned her brain. Somethin' was up with that overly friendly smile she plastered on her face. I knew it, I growled in my head. She was just tryin' to flirt with me and hook up just to make Janie jealous. I tried to hint that I just didn't want to even talk to her without actually saying so but she didn't get the hint.
"Hey Ben!" Janie said cheerfully, walkin' up behind the tall blonde in front of me. The girl – Jenna Haverdy -- whorled around to glare at Janie. "Jenna," she grumbled. "C'mon Ben." Janie turned and walked closer to the door. I gratefully followed.
The bell rang and we all crowded through the halls to second bloc.
As we walked down the hall, I said, "Thanks."
"No problem," She replied.
Math was entertaining. My friends Leigh and Sandra were in there with me and Ben. Sandra passed me a note while Mrs. Willow's back was turned.
OMGOSH!! He is sooo cute. Do u talk 2 him a lot?
Well, I do have every class w/ him AND he's on my bus. Soo, yeah.. . . . I guess so. He's pretty cool. lol
You should have stopped after pretty.
WOOOW. . . . I can NOT believe u just said that.. :P
Well I did! So HA HA HA!!!!!!
The teacher started walkin' around, makin' sure we were doin' our work so I had to hold the note 'til the end of class.
Art was fun. I was glad Mrs. Penner had put Ben in the seat beside me. Lexi was way in the back so I couldn't really talk to her. We kept finding reasons to walk past each other's desks to pass a note back and forth.
Ha ha. I get to sit next to Ben. :P
Y'all look so cute together!
Uh huh. Sure. Ur just jealous.
Am not! But u r cute 2gether.
If u say so.
Well I do. So there!
Ur somethin' else u no that rite?
Yeah yeah. :) lol.
We all sat together for an okay lunch of stale nachos. It was pretty funny. Lexi tried a chip with a jalapeño but then had to guzzle like all of her water. Janie'd had like six jalapenos before they really got to her. I had about six, too, but I hardly drank my water. They didn't really bother me too bad.
Grabowski practically killed us with boredom but at least didn't give us anymore homework. The whole class was completely relieved and totally happy.
The three of us walked to the exit of the school, happy it was finally over – for today at least. "Dude, I didn't have time to start that history homework last night." Janie complained. I held open the door. "Thanks."
"Sure," I replied.
"You forgot didn't you," Lexi said, flatly.
"Yeah," She admitted. We all started laughin'.
The hour and twenty minute bus ride was long and hot but at least entertaining. Sandra rode my bus so Lexi had someone to sit with, seein' as I was obviously gonna sit with Ben.
Suddenly, I got this random idea like five minutes before I got off the bus. "Ben you wanna come over to my house?"
"Sure, why not? You want me to come over after I drop my stuff at my house or just get off the bus with you?"
"Umm, just go ahead and get off the bus with me. Oh but, just to warn you, my brothers are complete and total idiots."
He let out a short laugh. "Don't worry about it. I come from a big family. We might have even invented chaos." He grinned broadly at me. I know it's weird and probably totally not he was goin' for, but I kinda thought it was a sort of mysterious smile. . . .
I laughed quietly as we stood to get off and smiled as I said, "You might change your opinion after you meet my knuckle-headed brothers.
Of the five of us, Ben got off first and waited under the stop sign for me.
"Hey! We don't got no new neighbors. What're you doin' here?" One of Janie's brothers demanded.
"Amazing grammar Scott," another said sarcastically.
The first punched the other then turned his attention back to me. "Well, you gonna tell me who ya are or am I gonna have to beat it outta ya?"
"Janie invited me over." I said.
"Who are you?" The last one asked.
"I'm Ben Rays." I said as he stuck out his hand for the first guy to shake.
He looked skeptically at my hand for a moment then took it roughly and squeezed as hard as he could.
I barely remember to pretend to be human. I returned his grip . . . . maybe a little too much. The guy's eyes got kinda wide as he quickly pulled back his hand and rubbed it in his other.
For a moment, he stood there glarin' at me like he was going to slug me. I wasn't scared – I knew he wouldn't. Then he said, "Not bad, for a fresmen. Don't touch my sister like that." Then he turned to Janie and said, "Number ten, Janie. Don't forget it."
Scott and the other two busted out laughin' as they turned to walk home and ignore the homework that they had been assigned.
"Whatever! That was made 'cause o' you! I'm smarter 'n all three of ya'll combined!" I hollered back, walkin' down the sidewalk. They just kept laughin'.
"Ten?" Ben asked, keepin' pace.
"Oh. It's uh, just a rule my parents made after they found Scott 'n' some girl making out in his room. No girls in their rooms, no guys in mine." Dang it! I thought as I felt my face get hot.
"I see." He paused then asked, "Did I embarrass you?" He seemed rather amused.
"No." I said quickly. We were quiet as we crossed the neighbor's driveway and over my front yard.
I took the porch steps two at a time [as usual] and opened the front door.
Noises exploded from everywhere inside the house as soon as the door was open. My brothers began peltin' us with foam ammo from their Nerf guns and our coon hounds began bayin' at Ben as soon as they saw him.
"Hey! We're unarmed! Mom!" I yelled over the noise as I raised my binder to cover my face.
"Boys stop shooting your sister." My mother called from the laundry room upstairs.
The gun fire stopped. "Garth, Huck! Hush!" I yelled at the two dogs as I swatted their rear ends. "Hush! Go on; git!" I turned to Ben and said, "Sorry. Told you it'd be . . . somethin' else."
"Don't worry; like I said, I'm used to chaos." He grinned brightly.
"You wanna a snack or somethin'?" I asked headin' for the kitchen.
"Uh, sure."
After some Cherry Coke and Funyons, I took Ben on the "grand tour" of the house.
As I walked up the stairs, I pointed to a closed door a little ways from the banister. "That's my parents' room." I waited for Ben at the top of the stairs – I took these two at a time, too – before moving on.
"Why do you do that?" He asked as he reached the top step.
"Do what?"
"Go up the stairs two at a time. You don't do that at school," he explained.
"Oh, I dunno. I've learned that goin' up the stairs at school is an embarrassing fall waitin' to happen but doin' it at home is a faster escape from the idiots – I mean my brothers." I smiled, jokingly.
He nodded. I began to walk over to my room and open the door, then stopped and turned around as I remembered "number ten". I blushed involuntarily and my face got all hot again. I pointed down the hall. "Scott, Dave, and Caleb're down there. Last time I showed someone their rooms, they ran away and never came back -- haven't heard from 'em since."
"Are you sure wasn't because of the tour guide?" he teased.
I tried hard to fight of a grin [to no avail] and said, "Shut up."
He chuckled quietly. We turned and headed back down stairs. "Man, y'all weren't kiddin' about Ms. Grabowski, six pages in four days?"
"I know it. At least that's our only homework," I agreed.
"Thank heaven. Hey, don't mean to be nosey but, where are your parents?"
Definitely not like the other guys at school, I thought. "My dad's at work. And Mom's doin' laundry," I explained.
"Hey Janie. Who's your friend?" It was my mom, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere with a basket of clothes on her hip.
"Uhh, this is Ben Rays. He's new at our school," I explained carefully as he and Mom shook hands.
My mom always did this thing where she cocked her head to the side and got this weird look in her eyes whenever I talked about a guy that she'd never heard of before. It was kind of embarrassin'; I prayed she didn't do it.
We set our stuff down and plopped down on the couch.
Low and behold, when Ben wasn't lookin', she did it. I was so embarrassed. I glanced at Ben, he just smiled, somewhat to himself actually as he focused (or pretended to) on gettin' his stuff out of his back pack. She grinned and sat down on the other side of the coffee table in front of the TV.
I rolled my eyes and started to alphabetize the vocab. words Ms. Grabowski gave us. This was going to be very interestin' -- to say the least.
Not surprisingly, it only took about an hour; Janie thought it'd take about twice as long.
After we finished, we played some old army game on their nintendo 64. Janie won a couple of times, but then I won about six times. Her brothers wandered into the room and challenged me to a few games. I beat all of them; including Caleb who had apparently been holding the high score.
At about 6:15, I "decided" I had to go home. I feelin' strange. . . . not really a safe feelin' for me – especially when I was around actual humans.
"Oh now you can't leave 'til you've eaten dinner with us," Mrs. Preston insisted.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I gotta get home and help with dinner; it's my turn to cook tonight."
"Well okay. At least let us drive you home. It's getting dark outside," she insisted, turning on the porch lights.
"That's okay. I don't mind the dark. I'll be okay. I don't live that far away; maybe about fifteen, twenty minutes away," I lied.
Her mom was about to protest when Janie said, "C'mon Ben, I'll walk you out."
"Thank you; thank y'all for havin' me over," I said.
As if they shared one brain – which I don't think they even had one whole brain to share among them – they all grinned the same mischievous grin simultaneously.
I walked Ben out of the house and down to the edge of the front yard.
"Thanks for not runnin' away," She smiled.
"No problem. Thanks for havin' me; I had a lot a fun," I smiled back.
She looked at her feet as she asked, "Just one thing though."
She peeked at me, I was a little concerned but very curious. For some reason, I didn't see what was on her mind. "What's that?"
"Well, this is kinda nosy but, where do you live? 'Cause one of my friends lives 'bout fifteen or twenty minutes away from here and I'm over there a lot and there ain't no new houses down that-a-way. And, where you're picked up this mornin' is about eight er nine minutes farther. There haven't been any houses for sale down there for a while now." She peeked at me again.
"I live in an old farm house a-ways off that back road down there. It's really 'bout forty-five minutes away." I wasn't really mad.
"So, why not let my mom drive ya home?"
"I didn't wanna cause a fuss."
"Well, try this; why not get picked up at your house in the mornin'?"
"The buses don't go back that far."
"We go all over Monrovia, they'd go to your house if you asked 'em to."
"Well, we have . . . acquaintances in that neighborhood; it's just easier. Besides, I'd never have met you had I been on a different bus." I gasped. I had let too much slip.
She watched me suspiciously. "So you got all the way out here . . . to meet me?"
"No, I mean, that was a coincidence. Uh . . ." This was goin' downhill real fast.
"Then, why'd you keep lyin' about why you ride my bus?" She cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms.
I sighed defeated (and kinda agitated – I mean, it wasn't her fault, it was mine really) and looked at my feet. Suddenly, I got a great idea but had to be careful. "I have siblings. My parents don't want my brothers and sisters to get woken up that early."
"Why aren't they in school?" Okay. . . . maybe not so great. . . . .
"Uh, they're homeschooled."
"So why ain't you?"
"'Cause I – look I gotta go." I turned and started joggin' down the street.
When I got back in the house, I saw Mom quickly duck in the kitchen and tried to look busy. My brothers, on the other hand, started singin', "Ben and Janie, sittin' in a tree K-I- Ow! Mom!"
Before they could finish spelling 'kissing', I whopped Scott upside the head then he fell into Caleb who fell into Dave; it was like watchin' dominoes fall – big, dumb dominoes.
"Don't hurt your brothers Janie," Mom called from the kitchen. Well, I think that's what she said; I'd already sprinted up the stairs to my room and slammed the door.
I flopped down on my bed and thought for while. Why did he get so mad? What was with all the lies? Why did he care if I knew where he lived?
Suddenly, I was mad. What was his problem anyways? Why didn't he just tell me? What was he hiding? What did he almost reveal?
Then I was upset at myself. Why did I care? Why did I make him so mad? Now he'll probably never talk to me again.
Abruptly, I sat up in shock with a sudden realization; I had a major crush on Ben Rays. "This can't be good," I muttered shakin' my head in disbelief. The only guys I'd ever really liked were Tom Welling, Justin Hartley and Josh Turner – and they were celebrities.
There was a knock at my door. I slowly got up and walked over to answer it. It was a loud, incessant knockin'. The guys were obviously still mad at me.
"What do you want?" I demanded, swingin' the door open.
"Dinner's ready," Caleb growled.
"I'll be down in a sec."
He continued to glare at me. I turned my light off and slipped past him. Sheesh he's scary when he's mad. I thought as I walked quickly down the stairs. Caleb had really dark brown eyes and black hair that needed to be trimmed. His hair hung down in his eyes and when he glared at me like that, it looked like he wanted to kill me. A shudder ran down my spine.
hello everyone. now this story i just trying out. i need to know if you lke it or not. so REVIEW!! if you dont then i simply will take it off and not update it. thanks.