Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Introducing 3 more characters. Rose, Lea, and Sal. They belong to KarenKook. You should all check out her work. I highly recommend it.
Any ways on to the story! Oh wait- If anybody has a guess of which boy should play which position on the football team, I would greatly appreciate you sharing that information with me. I have an idea, but I still want your opinion.
"Percival. What happened?" I said again.
"I obviously got roughed up." he answered, standing up.
"Yeah but I meant who did this?" I started to follow him.
"I don't know." he jumped down and started across the gym.
I spotted Rico, just now leaving the locker room, and waved him over to us.
"Percival, just tell us what happened." I tried again.
"No. It's no big deal. I just fell, into a trash can."
"He probably got beat up because of his name." Rico whispered to me.
I gently hit him. "Don't say that."
"He's right." Percival sat down again.
"What you need is a cool nickname." I knelt next to him.
"Or a paper bag and a voice changer." Rico replied in the same tone I had used.
"You are a jerk." I glared at Rico.
"You called me over here, girlfriend" he changed his tone again to mimic a cheerleader. "I've got it!" Rico pulled Percy to his feet. "What you need is a girlfriend."
"How will that help?" Percy asked.
"Oh young private." Rico began, "The social order is directly linked to whose dating who."
"Hey, Private. That's army talk, and it's a character type." I stood up. "It's a young person who is social awkward and trying to fit in. It's perfect."
Both boys gave me strange looks. "Is there something in that locker room?" Rico asked after a few seconds.
"No, don't you see. Private is an awesome nickname."
"She's right." Percival spoke up, "It's better than what my mum calls me."
Rico looked at Percival like he was crazy. "And that is?"
Percy stood on his tiptoes and whispered something to Rico.
"Oh god that is bad."
I checked my schedule and then my phone clock.
"I have free block next so I'm going out for lunch. Anybody want to come with?"
Rico shrugged, "Why not. You've ruined my social life as it is."
Private looked at his watch and back at the two of us. "I'm in!"
I jumped into the drivers seat of my Rubicon (It's a type of jeep) and watched Rico allow Private to climb in the back.
"Alright. Where to?" I asked.
"You mean you don't know?" Private asked.
"I was kidding. We're going to my house."
"Is that safe?" Private asked.
"Maybe." I replied as I put the car in drive.
I steered the car down the road that ran along United West Living Arrangements as no more than a short cut.
Rico swore and slid down in the seat as we passed a man walking down the sidewalk.
"Do you know him?" I asked, looking in the rearview at the stranger.
"That's my step-fag." Rico sat back up. "If he finds out I left school he will murder me."
I shrugged and turned on the radio, to break the silence.
As I turned the jeep into my driveway. I noticed the gate was already opened, and a hot pink slug bug was parked outside the white horse barn.
"Oh no." I moaned.
"What?" Private and Rico asked.
"Lea." I put the car in park and jumped out. Rico and Private were right behind me.
I pushed the door opened and called into the empty house "Hello? It's-"
"Rian!" Lea called. "I met a friend of yours in town and she's coming over for lunch later!"
"Lea. What are you doing here? And what friend?" I set my bag on the ground and threw my car keys on the bar.
"I brought cookies. And I'm waiting on Rider to get home." Lea opened the fridge and continued to set out sandwich stuff.
"I'm making Mac and cheese." I said quickly. "Lea, this is Rico and Private. Rico is my gym partner and Private is my lab buddy. Now, what friend?"
"Oh, Private. What did you do to your eye?" Lea asked.
"Why does everyone assume I did this?" Private climbed on a bar stool.
"He got beat up because his name was weird." I decoded, filling a pot with water and grabbing the blue box of macaroni and cheese. "Lea, what friend?"
"Oh, her name is Doris. She's my neighbor."
"What!" I almost dropped the pot of water. "Why did you- But- She hates me!"
"Maybe you aren't as goody as I thought." Rico laughed.
"Rian? Goody?" Lea giggled "You should see her room."
"Lea! Back to Doris!" I screamed.
"Really?" Rico leaned against the counter. "Where would said room be?"
"Upstairs, left, end of the hall." Lea finished,
Rico took off.
"Doris cannot come here." I snapped.
Just then, the door bell rang.
I took off after Rico. Taking the stairs two at a time, I tripped at the very top and quickly leapt up.
Oh, smooth Ri. Real smooth I thought.
I could hear Lea answer the door. "Hey, Girlfriend!" she said.
"Hi Lea!" Doris answered, "Hope you don't mind but I brought KoKo along."
I froze. Koko? Oh… Kowalski. That was the last thing I wanted. I raced into my room.
Rico was busy studying the random graffiti art that encircled the whole room.
He raised an eyebrow at me when I slammed the door, and fell against it.
"Uh… What's up?" he asked.
"Nothing. Why would you think something's up? That's so silly. Nothing is wrong!" I instantly scolded myself.
"Your room is awesome." Rico said directing his attention back to the wall. "How long did this take?" he motioned to a painting of a winged horse.
"I don't remember. Like all summer." I studied the picture.
The horse was a dark gray, the wings were white and had feathers missing. The whole idea of the picture was to have the horses rider either laying on the horse or in front of it. But I could never find just the right person. So, I abandoned it.
"Wait. You've been here all summer and you just started school?" Rico looked over at my loft bed with the desk underneath.
"Yeah." I shrugged.
"Any special reason?" he picked up a blue folder that I had drawn flowers on.
I shrugged again. "I'd rather start late than not at all."
"Your different then other girls." he placed the folder back and turned towards the door.
"Is different bad?" I followed him out.
"Depends."
"On what?"
"Who's doing the name calling." Rico started down the stairs and paused.
I stood there for a moment.
"Rian!" Lea called. "What are you doing?"
"On my way." I responded.
I made it downstairs and grabbed a sandwich and macaroni.
"Oh Rian. There you are!" Private sounded relieved.
I noticed how instant Doris began to hang all over Kowalski. I got the sudden urge to ask her a very serious question.
"Doris, Are you a cheerleader?"
Rico looked up slightly from his sandwich, his eyes both daring me and screaming 'no way'
"Yeah. I'm the head cheerleader. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason." I looked back at Rico and mouthed 'that explains everything'
Rico walked past me and whispered "We can play hard ball."
I smiled, "That's just what I'm going for."
"Rian is trying out for cheerleading." Rico said,
Doris gave me a blank look.
"Just thought I'd throw that out there." Rico sat down next to Private and went back to his lunch.
The room lapsed into silence, only broken when Doris's cell phone rang.
"Time to head back to school." I said after I put my plate in the sink.
"Ok." Rico and Private darted out of the room. I grabbed my keys and paused to look at the credit card holder. Did I really want to? Yes I did. I grabbed the silver plastic card and waved bye to Lea and Kowalski.
"Byyyye Doris." I said in a taunting tone.
Halfway through the song Breaking the habit by Linkin Park, Private spoke up. "Why don't you want Doris to know where you live? It's a nice place."
"Because." I answered
"Rian's afraid of being used." Rico answered for me.
"I am not." I shot him a quick glance.
"Yes you are." Rico responded back. "You're a talented artist whose parents don't care, and your rich. What does that spell?"
"T-A-w-p-d-c-a-y-r?" Private guessed.
"No. Afraid of being used." Rico looked back at Private with a weird look.
"Whatever you say." I sighed, pulling into the school.
I waved bye to Private and Rico, who were off to math, as I headed to Chemistry Basics.
I immediately noticed the word CHEM. TRIVIA written in red marker. And yet another class I would dominate.
Until, a certain brown haired kid with glasses walked in.
