Chapter 2
June 2002
Even after months walking the halls of New Hallow, the school hadn't gotten any smaller to Neela. It felt just as big to her as it had in the beginning, but, like she'd gotten used to the size of her house, she'd gotten used to the size of her school.
When the end of the school year finally came it didn't feel as if anything had changed. Neela still excelled at the same classes (Biology, chemistry…), she still believed most of the other students to be snobs and she still had the same friends.
She was also of the opinion that of all the things she had learned in past few months, what she'd learned about the people was the most important. Like how Regina, bubbly as she could be, was actually a lot more serious than she let on. And it turned out Ray and Regina had been neighbours since they were three, and that she, for reasons she wouldn't explain and Ray didn't really know, couldn't stand Ray. Kyle eventually warmed up to her (as much as Kyle could warm up to anyone) and her original assumptions had been right, he was quiet and angry about 80 of the time. The thing that bothered her most was that it seemed Ray would never, ever finish his car. He still gave a her a ride home 4 out of 5 days and she silently despaired every single time. And Ray's scary friends? They actually existed.
It was because of those friends that Neela found herself at the school parking lot before school, head full of angry thoughts, waiting to start throwing verbal abuse at Ray's head.
"You bloody idiot!" She hissed as he finally parked and gotten out of his car.
"I…don't know what it is you think I did, but I'm pretty sure I didn't do it." He replied, unsure of what to make out of Neela's greeting.
"Then how the hell did Mike Donaghy get my address?" She smacked him violently on the arm.
"OW!" Ray exclaimed, inching away from her. "Mikey? I don't know. Why? Did he send you something dirty? 'Cause I told him girls don't like that."
"No, you moron! He went to my house with his stupid friends, in the middle of the night and rang the damn bell. And then my father answered the door!"
Ray snorted, seeing the scene play out in his head and finding it hilarious. At Neela's next words, however, he nearly fell over his own feet.
"So when my dad asked what was going on, I blamed you, 'cause I don't know who else's fault it could be." There was no guilt in her voice.
"You did what?" Ray's voice was suddenly high from panic.
"So now my dad wants to talk to you."
"Do you want me to die?" Ray had only met Neela's father once before, and it had not gone over too well. Once Mr. Rasgotra got wind of the fact that Ray didn't know what he wanted to be nor had any aspirations towards being an honor student it had all gone down hill. He was pretty sure Neela's father hated him.
Neela rolled her eyes. "You are not going to die, you drama queen. He's just going to scare you a little."
"He's going to KILL me. And then he's going to cut me up into little pieces and feed me to the dog. I am going to haunt your ass, I hope you know that!"
"I don't have a dog." Neela replied matter-of-factly. "And don't haunt me, it's your own damn fault. I didn't tell you to start giving out my address to creepy guys."
"I didn't!" He exclaimed, now more annoyed than panicked. "He must have followed you home or something."
"Oh, that's reassuring. Last time I'm ever going to any sort of party with you. Ever." She paused as they were about to enter the school. "Look, just be there by seven okay? Comb your hair. And wear something decent." Ray didn't look convinced. So she told him one last time: "You aren't going to die!"
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The door opened before he ever even rung the bell.
"You're late." She told him sternly. Not letting him respond she dragged him into the house, trying to flatten his hair at the same time. "My dad's expecting you in the den. Don't sit until he tells you to. Don't put your feet on anything and don't swear. I'll be there in a little while."
"Wait, you're leaving me alone with him?" The panic Ray had been feeling all day just doubled. He figured that at least he'd have Neela as his wingman (woman, whatever). Oh, this was so not a good idea.
Neela ignored him and shoved him into the den with a quick "behave!".
Ray looked back helplessly one more time before finally forcing himself to face Mr. Rasgotra.
"Raymond." Mr. Rasgotra said icily. Ray flinched, only his grandfather ever called him that. His grandfather was a jackass, in Ray's opinion.
Ray took a deep breath. "Sir."
"Don't just stand there, boy. Sit."
Ray did as he was told; he sat, back straight, sweaty hands folded on his lap. This was why he never met with any girl's father (except, maybe, by accident).
"I don't appreciate being woken up at 3 in the morning by drunken teenagers, Raymond." Mr. Rasgotra said, straight to business. "I run a respectable household. And I don't approve of you and your friends corrupting my daughter."
"I…I'm not corrupting anybody!"
"I know boys like you, Raymond. I know how you think and what you do." Mr. Rasgotra looked him straight in the eye and asked the question Ray always dreaded to hear: "What are your intentions with my daughter?"
"Neela's my friend, sir." Ray replied, as he always did when someone asked him about the situation between him and his best friend.
The look Mr. Rasgotra gave him clearly said he didn't believe him. "Last time we met," he continued, "you didn't know what college you wanted to go to. Do you know now?"
"No, sir. I don't know if I want to go to college."
Mr. Rasgotra shook his head. "I don't enjoy telling you this," he said, "but I don't want you near my daughter anymore. She's got a bright future ahead of her. You don't deserve her and she doesn't need you."
Ray didn't know what to say to that. It certainly was more…forward than he had been expecting. And mean. Forward and mean.
"I can't believe you just said that." Neela's voice came from the doorway, sounding completely flabbergasted. Ray and Mr. Rasgotra both looked at her, wondering how long she'd been standing there. She was visibly upset.
"Neela, please…" Mr. Rasgotra started but Neela wasn't listening.
"Ray, I need a ride to the library." She seemed to be trembling, her eyes fixated on Ray, lips pressed together.
Ray didn't know what to make of her silent anger. "Neel, maybe I should just –"
"Ray." No room for discussion.
"Okay."
Later, in front of the library, as they sat unmoving in the car, Neela exclaimed: "Fucking bastard."
And Ray smiled.
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A few days later she found him outside the school during lunch (much like she did every day).
"I talked to my dad this morning." She said, "He refuses to apologize."
Ray smirked, not at all surprised, and said: "Leave it. He's just being an adult."
"No, I won't leave it. He had no right to talk to you like that." The indignation in her voice was evident. She'd been practically seething for days now, refusing to go straight home after school and flat out ignoring her father's very existence. Every time one of her friends tried to persuade her to calm down she ignored them too. Ray was glad she'd finally given in, but it seemed her anger hadn't at all disappeared.
"It's not like I haven't ever heard it before."
"Doesn't make it okay." Neela sat down on the steps leading to the entrance of the building with a huff.
He chuckled mirthlessly. "They're right, though, Neel. Your dad, my mom, ms….what's-her-face…that counselor woman. They're all right. I am aimless."
"You're not aimless. You're just…"
"Without aim?" Ray finished for her. It was nice, really, and awfully Neela of her to hold him so highly, but she was trying to fix something he didn't consider broken. And knowing her, she wasn't going to give up. "I don't have any interest in a white collar job. That's aimless, at least, it is around here. All I want to do is make music."
He always found it easiest to be straight with her. Blunt and to the point. He'd learned that Neela Rasgotra had very little tolerance for bullshit, and he had very little tolerance for getting yelled at by his best friend. Better safe than sorry, he figured.
But Neela was stubborn, and right now she was pissed too. Blunt wasn't going to work.
"That's a goal." She said matter-of-factly.
"It's not a job, though, is it? Not really."
Neela stood up abruptly and let out a frustrated groan. "Would you stop putting yourself down, please? You're smart, Ray. You could be anything you want. You just need to want it. Don't listen to what other people say."
Ray ran his hand through his hair, now getting as annoyed as she seemed to be. "I'm not you, Neela. I'm not going to be a doctor, I wouldn't want to if I even could."
"You could. Of course you could. If you'd just try." She smiled up at him, all hopes and faith. It was just too much, couldn't she just let it go?
"You know," he said, "for someone who just told me not to listen to other people you sure do have a lot of opinions."
"I'm just trying to help." Gone was the smile and there came the frustration again, showing clearly on her face. She was either going to cry or she was going to hit him.
Right at that moment Ray didn't really give a shit what she did. He was just getting more pissed off. He didn't want any fucking help. He didn't need another person directing his life. "Well, don't. Just leave it." He practically spat it at her.
At first she looked shocked, then hurt, until suddenly her face was void of any emotion at all. "Fine." She said, voice even, empty. "I'm going to look for Regina."
She crossed her arms, turned on her heel and started walking away. Ray immediately regretted his words. He never could keep his mouth shut.
"Look, Neela, I didn't mean it like…" He called after her, but she look back. She didn't respond at all, she just kept walking. "Fine." He grumbled, even though she was too far away to hear, and walked in the opposite direction, towards his car.
If she wanted it like that, he decided, two could play that game.
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"He got mad at you for that?" Regina asked incredulously.
Neela and Regina were in Regina's room. Neela was spinning in Regina's desk chair. She had just told her other best friend about what had happened that morning. Regina was wholly on her side.
"I was just trying to help him!" She exclaimed for what seemed the fiftieth time that day.
"Obviously! He's just a jerk." Regina told Neela. "I've told you before. I warned you, time and time again."
It was true, she had indeed warned Neela, time and time again. In many different ways too. Jerk, jackass, bastard, loser, shaggy-haired-lying-freeloading-idiot-slacker, to name a few.
Regina Wilmer really, really didn't like Ray Barnett. Every time Neela asked the reason Regina told her ask Ray. Which basically meant Neela hadn't made any progress on that front, because it seemed Ray had no clue what made the brunette so mad at him either.
Right now though, Neela was feeling Regina's hatred and following her lead full on.
"I know. He is a jerk. A big, stubborn jerk."
Regina scoffed. "Yeah, you say that now, but just wait till you see him again and you look into those pretty eyes and forget you were ever even angry in the first place." She sighed dramatically. "Just like you always do."
"I don't do that!" Neela denied.
"Uh, remember last month, when he borrowed your history notes because he'd been to, like, two classes and he had to take that test, so he needed to 'study'," Regina made air quotes, "and then he claimed to have lost them?"
Neela sighed. "Yes."
"And then copies mysteriously ended up in everybody's possession, and he ended up rich?"
"Yes."
"And you swore to never talk to him again?"
"Yes."
"How did that work out for ya?" Regina ended her questioning with a smile.
Neela glared at her. "I hate you."
"I love you too."
Neela got out of the chair with a groan. "I should be going."
"Alright. And remember, if loser-boy starts batting his eyelashes at you…"
"Resist."
Regina gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. " That's my girl!"
Neela was in the driveway when she spotted a woman in a business suit waving at her.
"Yoo-hoo! Neela? Is that you?" The woman cooed from the driveway. Neela winced. Shit. She really didn't need this.
That woman was Regina's neighbour, which happened to make her Ray's mother. Not really who Neela wanted to see right now. She waived back half-heartedly.
Bad move.
Mrs. Barnett was now motioning her to come over. Cursing her good manners, Neela did so.
"How are you, honey? I haven't seen you around in a while." Mrs. Barnett asked.
"I've been fine. Busy, of course. Finals and all." Neela answered awkwardly.
"Have you had dinner yet? Because you're welcome to join us."
"Uhm no, but…" Mrs. Barnett stared at her expectantly. "…but I'm sure I can use your phone to call my parents and tell them I'm eating out."
"Of course." She smiled broadly and Neela reciprocated.
This was just great.
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The silence made the icy room seem even colder than it was.
Like everything else in the Barnett residence (with the exception of Ray's room) it was white. White, sterile and shiny. It was very much like what Neela's first impression of Jacy Barnett had been. She hadn't been entirely wrong. Mrs. Barnett was a career woman, she was cutthroat when it came to business. To her son she was a strict mother, trying to keep her son on the path she wanted him on. It didn't always work, but she tried, even if it created tension between mother and son. However, she was pure sunshine when it came to her son's best friend. Always smiling and talking. Honestly, Neela liked the woman, but right now she just wanted to kill her with her knife.
The whole situation was just too uncomfortable.
When Ray had come home for dinner, Neela had been sitting on the couch with his mother, waiting for him. Ray had frowned, grumbled something incoherent and just made a beeline for the dining room.
Now he was alternating eating with glaring at his mother and glaring at Neela. Neela was focusing on her food. Mrs. Barnett was trying to make conversation. So far no success.
Finally she broke. "Alright. That's it. I don't know what's going on here, but you two are friends, you shouldn't be so quiet." She stood up and continued; "I'm going to the bathroom for a while. You two talk this out, or I will sit you down and make you."
She gave Ray a pointed look on the way out.
After a few seconds Ray broke the silence. "Why are you here?"
"Your mum invited me, I couldn't really say no."
"Yeah, you could have. It's really easy, just two letters."
"Some of us have manners."
Ray snorted. "Some of us are suck ups."
Neela glared at him for a few seconds and stood up. "Fuck. You. I'm leaving. I don't have to take this from you."
Ray didn't reply. He followed her out with his eyes and, once he heard the door, cursed under his breath and followed.
He didn't have to go far, as she was still on the porch when he opened the front door.
"Neela, look…" He stopped when she turned to him. She was crying, furiously wiping her tear, like she was mad at herself for crying at all. "Why are you crying?"
Neela smiled sadly. "I don't get you. I don't get you at all." She pushed herself onto the porch railing. "It's like you don't even care. Not about my opinion, not about school, not about anything."
Ray didn't really know what to respond to that. "I…it's not like I don't care at all. I do. I care about my friends and my mom. About you. About my music. But…I know school is supposed to be important, okay? I know it matters to you and it's supposed to matter to me. But – and it's not even about having issues with authority – school is just not my top priority." He sat next to her on the railing. "I get grief about that every day; from my mom, from the teachers. I don't care about what they say. But from you…I can't take it from you. You're my best friend, Neel. You're supposed to accept me."
"I…I do." Neela stuttered.
"No, you don't. You always expect so much more. And I know why, because that's you. And I can accept that, as long as it's you in all your obsessive, nerdy weirdness. Sometimes it's just hard."
Neela sighed. "And you get mad."
Ray nodded. "And I get mad."
"It still hurts though, when you shut me out."
"I'm sorry, I'm a bastard. It's habit."
"You are a bastard." She agreed with him. She gave him a small smile, he returned a big grin. She felt any resolve she still had left crumble as the grin grew. His eyes smiles almost a big as his mouth.
"Don't do that." She whined.
"Do what?" Ray asked, genuinely confused.
"The eye thing."
"The eye thing?"
"Yeah, you look at me all…you and make me forgive you. So stop it."
"You're so weird sometimes." Ray laughed.
Neela punched him softly on his leg. "Shut up."
"Shut up." Ray imitated her in a high pitched voice.
"I'm still mad at you."
"I'm still mad at you." He imitated again.
"I am." She failed miserably at trying to sound convincing.
He laughed out loud. "Whatever."
From her window Regina watched the whole scene play out.
"No discipline." She muttered and rolled her eyes. She was definitely not going to let Neela forget about this one.