When They Met (part 2)

Dougie

''I just don't get why we had to have lunch far away from school'' said Maxine once more as we were finally sat in the bus, going back home after the first day.

''Can you just drop it, jeez… You've been complaining about it since…''

She cut me off. ''Since you requested we parted from the others to eat.''

''And since when my presence isn't enough to you?'' I asked, annoyed. ''We used to eat alone together before, what's different now?''

''I don't know'' she shrugged. ''Maybe I wanted to see how people were in this school''.

''Well, they called you a weirdo, that's not very nice'' I pointed out with a smile.

''But that's true'' she laughed. ''Come on, Doug, can we eat in the cafeteria tomorrow? You know how I like to observe people…''

I didn't reply, watching the boulevard stretch before us. In twenty minutes, I would be home; after today, I needed peace and quiet. I didn't know what it was with that school… I just felt trapped. After just one day. That ought to be an amazing year, right?

Before Maxine got out, she kissed my cheek. As usual. I blushed ten shades of red, as usual. Coz some old lady was looking. Almost as usual. I swear, old ladies have a way of noticing everything that isn't pure and chaste.

I got off the bus two steps after the school and crossed to street to reach the vet. Sir Dex was seated on the counter when I opened the door. Count on him to win people over and let him run free in the clinic. He lifted his chin and I nodded at him without a word. He laid down the counter.

''Looks like he just bow'' chuckled the lady near the cash.

I smirked, knowing better. Sir Dex wouldn't bow for anyone, he was such a jerk. Gosh, I loved that cat!

''He did well, as I told your mother.'' said the lady agan. ''He's all set until next January. If you want him shaved or anything, just give us a call.'' At the word ''shave'', Dex got down and ran under a chair in the empty waiting room.

I took the papers she was handling me and slid them in my school bag. My mom paid by phone apparently, which meant she probably wouldn't be home before the store closed, at nine tonight. I didn't mind. Not that she was never there or anything, she was a good mother. A great one when she gave me some cash so I could invite Maxine to the movies. Not, she wasn't my girlfriend. Why? Because. Just because. So yeah, back to my mom… She was always busy but we ate together at least four times a week, which was more than the ''absent parent'' was supposed to, right? I mean… she was kind, she was funny and all, we just didn't talk much, I guess. Which I also didn't mind. I'd never been a good talked, no surprise here.

''C'mon, Dex, hop on'' I called, adjusting my backpack over my shoulders. He slid in between my legs and extended his own to jump on my shoulders. Yes, I was going to walk home with him like that. Unless he wanted to follow on the ground but I doubted it.

Once at home, I called for my mom but she obviously wasn't there. Dex jumped off and stretched leisurely before walking to the living room. Our house was old and small, with original frames and floors that creaked louder than the thunder when you needed them to shut up. Kitchen was like a narrow corridor and, pursued by two other cats we were talking care off, I nearly tripped trying to reach the bag of food. The new kitten was pushed aside roughly by Billy, our house cat when she intended to get a bite. I took her in my arms and grabbed a little bowl, filling it with food. Resting her on the kitchen table along with the bowl, I took off my school bag. Math homework on the first day, what a great way to earn love from students…

Stocking the new kitty's fur (I needed to find her a name…) I reflected back on this first day. School was too big, people were too… many. I missed the small and confined atmosphere of my old school. It was now too big for anyone to mess with me though, so it was a good thing. Not that I was bullied, not really. Let's just say that the fact I was friend with the weirdest person in school and didn't want to conform to the ''let's be a strong man and be a hypocrite pretending everything is perfect'' idea people seemed to hold onto to fit in made me kind of an outcast. I just wasn't cool enough to be a part of the hit crowd but not dull enough to be pushed around too much.

I sighed, trying to concentrate on equations and algorithms. At least, I had been late to only two classes out of six today, that wasn't so bad. I almost didn't attend one altogether though but thanks to… well, I didn't even know his name but it didn't matter. He was nice enough not to take a piss at me after I made it perfectly clear that I was the kind of person who couldn't make friends with anyone. It was still a miracle that Maxine befriended me back in middle school… At least, the guy was sympathetic and he smiled a lot for some reason. He was home in that school, whilst I wasn't.

When New Kitten was done eating, I left her on the floor and, tired of pushing away LinLin's face with my feet, I got up. Arthur, our other dog, took this as a hint and came rushing down the stairs. I grabbed the leaches from the hooks near the entrance door and went out.

When I got back in, I embraced the kitchen table with my almost finished homework on it. I gave some food to the parrots in the basement and cooked some pasta for myself. Afterwards, I let Darko out of his aquarium a little. I let him crawl on my bedroom floor. I laid on my bed, a foot in the floor, the book I had started just yesterday in hands. I smiled each time Darko would go near my foot and rub his uneven skin on mine. After a while, afraid he was going to poop on the floor, I took my lizard up and rested him in his big glass home.

Then I went to take a shower. And then went to bed. I was such a cool guy, wasn't I?

The next day, I pondered what to wear for a moment before thinking that, if I couldn't keep my mouth in check and stop being so awkward, it wouldn't matter if I looked OK. I decided for some skinny, as usual with my boots, as usual. I grabbed a blue tank top and a grey vest. That would do.

''Cafeteria at noon, right?'' asked Maxine, as we got off the bus the next morning.

''I guess'' I mumbled, looking around the entrance for an unknown something. People were chatting, having fun together before classes started. I needed to get going if I wanted to have the chance to get lost and find my class before the bell rang.

''Come on, if the same people as yesterday are in my math class, we might be able to make friends and not eat alone''.

''I don't need friends'' I shrugged. ''I think you're good enough'' I added with a scowl.

''You know what I mean, don't get mad.''

I sighed. ''I'm not, I can't get mad, remember?'' I tried to get a smile from her and it worked. I think she remembered that time where, when we were starting to be friends, she wanted to tell me how to piss people off my back and I couldn't even look scary or mad. ''See you later, Max.''

I got to my locker and hurried toward my Latin class. Why did I choose that again? Oh yeah, because it was either that or mechanics and I feel like my dreamer self would be safer with Latin than with tools. And I was clumsy as fuck.

I looked at the room number on my schedule after turning around for ages. Everybody was almost in their classes. E450. There were a sign towards wings A-B-C and D. Great. Another loophole.

''Give me that, new guy'' called a voice from behind me. I turned around and here he was again. The guy from yesterday. ''You're lost again, right?'' he asked with a smirk.

''Maybe'' He tried to take my schedule but I held it tighter. ''Maybe not''.

His face broke into a huge smile. ''Then see you around, Dougie.''

He remembered my name? And I didn't even know his! I looked around hastily. I needed a bit of guidance. Arghh.

''Wait…'' I called out before trailing off. He stopped walking and waited for me to catch up with him. ''Sorry again.'' In silence, he held out a hand and I gave him my schedule. ''I don't know your name…'' I mumbled, unable not to.

''Tom'' he smiled warmly, offering me a hand to shake. His grip was firm, I even saw the muscles of his shoulders move under his shirt. I should really start working out more. ''Good news or bad news?'' he asked.

''Unh?'' He repeated his question and I shrugged. He was a bit too… not weird (I was, he wasn't…). He was just too… friendly.

''Good news is that we are in the same Latin class. Bad news is that I don't know exactly where it is so we'll have to look for it together.'' I remained silent as he gave me my paper back. He added: ''if that's OK with you.''

''I… Well… Sure, sure.''

''Great. Are you always so nervous?'' he asked, walking up to the B corridor.

I shrugged again. If he was going to do small talk, I needed to up off my game because I wasn't one for small talk. Or talks altogether. He turned left at the end of the corridor. I saw the E sign.

''For someone who didn't know where he was going, you sure found it easily'' I said finally.

''I have been in Withman for a long time'' he stated. ''You'll get the hang of it.'' He started to read the room numbers out loud.

''I miss my old school…'' I whispered.

He stopped walking and looked at me. Without a smile this time. I probably looked like a whinny little kid now. Great. When will I be normal?

''I'm sorry about what happened to Ginsberg High. It looked like a great school…''

I didn't need compassion. Not from a guy that seemed to smile all the time. When you smiled that much, it's that you didn't have anything to complain about, it was all perfect. And I hated people with perfect lives.

''How would you know?'' I grumbled, noticing, right behind Tom, the door number we were looking for.

''Where the fuck were you?''

I cringed at Maxine's tone. She had the right to be mad but I didn't want her to lecture me in front of the whole school, thank you very much. Everyone was eager to get home after the second day of school and were pouring out the front doors, where she had caught me.

Oh and she was pissed because I went MIA at lunchtime.

''I think you had all you needed'' I pointed out.

''You mad I made friends? I wanted to introduce you! Where were you?''

''Can you stop screaming at me, please?''

''I'm not screaming'' she replied, her eyes narrowing, as if the thick eyeliner was too heavy for them. True, she wasn't screaming. I started to walk towards the bus stop but she grabbed my arm. ''So…? I'm not moving until you tell me where you were.''

''Have fun not moving, then.'' I did a few more steps before she whispered « Dougie » with her soft tone and made me stop in my tracks. She always won with that, she knew it. ''I saw you with this guy and then a few people showed up and… '' I shrugged. ''I didn't want to eat in the cafeteria anyway.'' I made a pause and looked up. She had that sad face I hate: the one she pulls when I've disappointed her because I'm such a dork. ''I went behind the school. There are a few fields. I was perfect.''

''You jealous because I met people already?''

I shook my head no. And it was true. I was jealous she could talk to people whilst I couldn't. ''Were they nice to you?'' I asked at last.

She opened her mouth to say something and was cut off by someone calling my name from close by. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Tom approaching. He was surrounded by two others guys. They looked like the perfect golden boys trio, it instantly made me feel like crap.

''Wait here'' said Tom to the other two and, as if on cue, they both stopped walking. He came closer and, of course, smiled. But it was short lived, like if he remembered something not so great. ''Listen'' he started. ''I just wanted to say I'm sorry for this morning. I don't know what I said wrong but I didn't mean to make you mad.''

There was a silence. I could feel Maxine's eyes on me, questioning. And the two guys look, questioning. And Tom's eyes, questioning. ''OK?'' he said again.

I mumbled. ''I'm not mad, I can't get mad.''