Kate sighed. Today was Pogue's yearly skip day, as well as his birthday. As she woke up for the day, she remembered that he never showed up on his birthday. Not that she knew why. All anyone knew was that he wanted his birthday alone.
Kate had made it to first period for the first time without Sarah. Sarah had decided to wait for Caleb, which meant she got to spend today mostly alone, which was a good and bad thing for her.
Kate's slim build jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and looked to see Sarah looking at her. She pointed to Kate's books that were at her seat, and Kate mumbled sorry and moved them.
"It's okay," Sarah replied. Her blond hair hung straight as she patiently waited for the professor to begin the lesson. Time passed and Kate stared off into space. It's what mostly happened on December fifth anyway. Kate was never sure of what Pogue did every year, but she had a sneaking suspicion that he got drunk on it… not that it wasn't unheard of. Lots of kids here got drunk—some more than others.
The professor came in before the bell rang and began the lesson right after the bell. Halfway through the lesson, Kate felt Sarah poking her arm.
Kate hissed, "What?" Today was not a good day to mess with the mocha colored girl. Today was the day that she had to go without her boyfriend and all the awkwardness from the other Sons. Something told her that they knew something she didn't, but she wasn't pressured to find out.
"Why isn't Pogue in class? Isn't today his birthday?" Sarah asked. Of course the transfer student would be the one to notice the absence.
Kate sighed dramatically. She replied, "He always skips on his birthday. It's been his skip day since before third grade."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. She asked, "Doesn't this seem a bit weird? I mean, I'd want to know what was wrong if Caleb missed the same day every year…"
Kate shrugged. "Well, Pogue's not like Caleb. There are some things about Pogue that he won't tell me, and this is one of them. Believe me, I've tried to get him to tell me why he skips it, but he never breaks down."
Sarah nodded. She knew what was up. It was his eighteenth birthday, so he was ascending tonight. But if that were it, then why did he skip every year?
"Ladies!"
Kate and Sarah turned sharply to the professor.
"Yes?"
"Care to share your interesting conversation on the origin of the word blitzkrieg?" the professor asked. Kate looked a little lost as she racked her brain to remember where she'd heard the word before.
Sarah looked just the same.
Kids around them had their hands raised, but the professor refused to let them answer.
"Ladies, next time you decide that current news is better than Government, then please keep it to yourselves," the professor finally announced. Sarah looked confused.
"But, Professor, wasn't blitzkrieg a military move made by the Germans? Doesn't it mean lightning attack? What's that got to do with Government?" Sarah asked.
The kids around giggled a little. What a bad move Sarah had just made. No one was supposed to question Selvage when he got on a role about something other than Government. Rumor has it, the last kid who did, had to change schools because Selvage made his life a living hell.
Professor Selvage smirked. With his triple chins, it looked really gruesome, and Kate wished to never see it happen again. "Very good, Miss. Tunney. But, learn this, transfer; never try to correct my learning process."
Sarah gaped. "What the hell? I was just asking, and my name is not Tunney!" Sarah hissed out. Only Kate caught the sentence, and she laughed. Professor Selvage had a habit of mixing up names, and Sarah had just caught the end of a misplaced identity.
By the end of the period, Kate and Sarah had been "caught" for whispering three more times. But two of the times it was people across the room, but they got blamed.
"God, Selvage is such a dick!"
"Sarah, I didn't know you had that kind of language! It's kinda hot." Reid then propped his arms around the two girls' shoulders and smirked as the kids moved to get out of the way. It paid to be a badass.
"Well, it is true, Reid," Sarah replied. Sure she rarely used that type of language, but when used, everyone knew she meant business, though she'd only begun using the vulgar language more as she got to see more of the teachers' teaching side.
Suddenly the three heard a cough from behind them. Turning, they saw Caleb glaring at the blond badass. "Reid, move your arm, or you'll have two people chopping them off," he ground out. Sarah and Kate laughed at his possessiveness. But Caleb was only looking out for Pogue; he was more relaxed with Sarah—mainly because he knew she wouldn't do anything with Reid of all people.
Reid rolled his eyes and moved his arms off the girls. He knew Kate became more distant today, and he was only trying to cheer her up.
Pogue groaned. He'd passed out on his love sofa, with one of his legs propped up on the armrest. Today was the anniversary.
Kylie.
He rubbed a hand over his face before he pulled himself up. No sooner than sitting up did the room start to spin for him. He blinked a lot, trying to get rid of the black spots in his vision, and the hangover he had. Not that it mattered; he'd be drinking more as the day came to pass. Hell, maybe he wouldn't feel the momentary pain of the ascension happening later on.
However that fact was washed away by the pain that coursed through his head when his phone vibrated off the table. He held his head in one hand while he tried to grab the phone blindly with the other.
It was a text, he realized when he finally got to the phone.
Don't drink into oblivion. 2moro I'll have med 4 u.
--Caleb
A drunken smirk grew on Pogue's face as he threw the phone behind him and onto the love sofa. He pulled himself up as he tried to stumble into the kitchen part of the apartment. The kitchen was where the booze was. Don't know why, he should have just kept it under the table in front of the love sofa.
Pogue had to stop and hold himself to the wall as the room spun out of control. He couldn't tell left from right, and up from down.
Shit, I drank way too much.
