Chapter 11: Things are Getting Weird
Authors note: I'm sorry this took so long. You see, I get interested in my own plot. But sometimes I get bored of it and stop and write something else (which I get quickly bored of). But now I am back into this plot, and am continuing as planned. The story is coming to its conclusion now, not many chapters to go until the finale. I hope you enjoy it.
[P]
"Thanks for leaving me there," Phil complained. Phil, Tommy and Chuckie were on the way to school. This was the first time Tommy and Chuckie had seen Phil since the Saturday party, he had a hangover and had slept the day away.
Chuckie, who had not wanted to drink and drive, had left his car in a car park over night. He didn't drink much and was scared all night that his car would get smashed or stolen. "You were otherwise occupied," Chuckie explained to him and chuckled, quietly to himself.
"Yeah," Tommy concurred. "What's going on with Nat, then?"
Phil laughed, putting his feet up in. Phil had been happy, overall, with what went on with Nat. They were together now; however, the constant texts and phone calls the night before were very irritating, especially when they woke him up… more than once. "Not a lot," he explained. "We're meeting up at lunch."
Tommy nodded. "Cool, Phil," he told him, tapping his fingers on the dashboard.
Chuckie leaned over and put the radio on, it was another old band from his CDs and since Kimi wasn't in the car, he was allowed to keep it on. "Where is Kimi, anyway?" Phil asked. "Still with…"
"Edward," Chuckie completed for him, grinding his teeth together quietly, "yes, she is."
"Still not happy about it then, Chuck," Phil laughed. "To be fair to the guy, Chuckie, he does treat her right. They weren't all over each other at that party, and apparently he beat up someone who was bullying her."
"Kimi was getting bullied," Tommy gasped. "When did this happen?"
"Last week, and before then," Phil explained. "I know, I was shocked too, I wish she had told me, or you, or maybe even Chuckie." Phil looked, absently out of the window. Why didn't she tell him?
As the car pulled down the road, Phil felt so confused. He didn't even know Nat, well; they talked sometimes, but not enough to fall for. He did like her, but he couldn't help but feel like he was using her. Was that wrong of him? Or was it just human to feel insecure and hurt inside every time he saw he girl of his dreams taken by someone who was better than him in every single way?
[K]
"Where's Phil?" Kimi asked Tommy.
Kimi, Tommy and Edward were in the lunch hall again and, as usual, Edward was staring, frowning around the room, Tommy was fiddling with his camera, occasionally filming Edward and Kimi and his own face and Kimi was listening to her headphones with her feet up on the table. "There," Edward said, pointing over Tommy's shoulder.
Tommy and Kimi followed Edward's finger and saw Phil sitting with quite a large group of skaters and he was in the middle, laughing with Nat. "Oh," Kimi said. She turned back and started staring at her feet. "Right."
Kimi was a little confused at the moment. She was feeling a strange, heavy, jealously in her chest. She didn't know why, because she had gotten over Phil quickly. After all, her emotions were not so strongly connected to him, and she had never felt anything like what she had felt for Edward. That was weird in itself, I mean they have only known each other eight days and this was more than just a crush.
"Is Chuckie in chess club?" Edward asked.
"Yeah," Tommy replied, filming around the room. "He has been for a while."
"I suppose me beating him has forced him to practice a bit more," Edward shrugged. "That's good, I suppose." Edward looked up and sighed. "Oh for fuck's sake," he muttered as the principle from his other school came over.
"Hello Johnson," Principle Folsom said. Kimi could sense how foreboding this woman was, and she was pretty scary, she wouldn't like to be shouted at by her. Edward, on the other hand, didn't seem to care. "I need to talk to you and no smart mouthing!" she said, raising her finger has he opened his mouth.
Edward shook his head slightly and forced himself up. "See you later then, Kimi," he said, smiling. "Bye Tommy," he muttered after a second.
Kimi watched Edward walk across the room with Principle Folsom. After a second or two she turned back to Tommy. "So," she said, watching him clean the lens of his camera with his jumper. "What do you think?"
"Of what?"
"Edward, stupid," she chuckled. "What do you think of him?"
Kimi watched Tommy frown in response. "I think he is the hottest boy in the world," Tommy said, and went back to cleaning his camera, like he hadn't said anything.
"What?" Kimi gasped, almost falling off her chair.
Tommy looked back up, laughing. "Well," he said. "I don't really know what you want me to say."
Kimi frowned. "The truth."
"Yeah, I like him," Tommy answered, and it seemed truthful. "Though he is definitely a little weird."
"Yeah," Kimi replied, smiling at the thought. All of her thoughts of Phil had disappeared again. Then she remembered something. "Do you think Edward was telling the truth?"
"What?" Tommy asked. "About what?"
"When he said why Chuckie wasn't here," Kimi said. Tommy looked blank faced and rolled his hand for her to go on. "He said that he wanted to improve his game." Kimi waited and, sure enough, Tommy went: "oh!" and waited for her to continue. "I think he was lying."
"Why's that?"
"Before I say, can I ask you something?"
Tommy grimaced. "That really does depend on what the question is Kimi." As soon as these words came out of his mouth he grinned childishly.
"For goodness' sake, Tommy," she said, shaking her head. "I mean, does Chuckie… well, approve of our relationship?"
Tommy took a while to respond, which irritated Kimi massively. Was he weighing up options of what to say? She wanted the truth. "Well," Tommy said, after what felt like an hour. Kimi pulled her legs off the table and propped her body up, eager to hear the answer. "Yeah, I think he hates it."
"Why?" she gasped. "What's his problem?"
"Well…"
"I mean," Kimi pressed on, interrupting and ignoring Tommy. "He hated when he thought you and me were together, for a while he hated it when we were together, then he thought Phil was putting the moves on and hated that because Phil is too immature." Kimi sighed and looked down at her boots. "Is there any pleasing him?"
"I think the motorbike is the problem," Tommy interjected.
"I don't," she sulked, leaning back in her chair. Chuckie wasn't the real reason she was irate. "I think he hates the fact that Edward's smarter than he is."
"I don't know."
"Has Phil said anything?" Kimi asked. She was trying to be discrete about it, but asking like this was the wrong way to go about it. She realised this instantly and bit her bottom lip.
"About Edward?" Tommy asked.
Kimi nodded, Tommy kept asking questions and it was starting to grate on her. "Are you even listening Tommy?" she growled. As she saw Tommy was still fiddling with his camera, probably not. Fuck it, she thought, I'm going to talk anyway! "Has Phil said anything about Edward, yes?"
"Not really," Tommy said, putting the camera down on the table and looking up at her. "I don't think he likes him at all, after beating him at poker really. He's proud like that."
"Yeah," Kimi said, finding herself looking at her boots again, this time they were pointing together. "Phil and I aren't talking as much at the moment, I think he has been avoiding me." Tommy chuckled. "What?"
"You've been avoiding us," Tommy smiled.
"No I haven't!"
"You've been spending all of your time with Edward, I'm surprised you're even here," Tommy explained.
"So, you're going to be like everyone else then," Kimi growled, standing. "Fine then, get lost Tommy!"
Kimi stormed off and Tommy was left thinking: Well done, fool, you've done it again!
[T]
"Hey bro," Dil said. Dil and Tommy met outside the front of the school. "So," he said, sticking his hands in his pockets, "are we getting a lift off Chuckie today?"
"Nope," Tommy said, shaking his head. "Felt like a walk, today." Tommy walked on ahead of Dil. "Come on then," he saw, gesturing to Dil to follow. As usual, he followed him walking backwards. "I still don't understand how you don't trip," he remarked.
"Practice," he winked. "You're going to Lil's tonight, aren't you?"
"How did you…"
"Don't worry," Dil chuckled, holding up his hand. "I'm not like Edward. Phil told me today after the lecture."
"Oh right," Tommy said, continuing on. "Yeah, I am, she's helping me with science homework and we have a project together."
"A project?" Dil repeated. "Homework?" Dil looked puzzled. "Oh," he said after a moments thought. "You like Lil," he joked in a girl, childish voice.
"No I don't!"
"Yes you do," Dil argued. "Since when have you needed help in science, since middle school you have never got less than an A, which means that you just want to spend more time with Lil. It's like an entrance card, man; it means you can see her more, even when the project's over."
Tommy didn't say anything for a moment. "You're sharp, Dil."
"Hey Tommy," Dil said, stopping. Tommy stopped and turned around. "You want to know what's cooler than that that?" Dil paused. When Tommy gave him a irritating gesture to continue he smiled. "Lil's very smart, very, very smart from what I've heard; she figures things out almost like Edward does."
"Go on," Tommy said, getting annoyed that Dil kept pausing.
"Can't figure it out, 'ey," Dil winked. "If I can figure it out, then I'm pretty sure she has too."
"What's your point?"
"She knows that you can do science, she has known you since you were a baby, remember," Dil explained, "and yet she is continuing to let you come over. What does that mean then bro?" he said, cuing Tommy with his finger.
Tommy stepped back, mentally taken aback by what he had realised.
[T-later]
The street lights were shining down on Tommy as he walked through the night down the streets. Tommy had a lot on his mind at the moment, mostly to do with what Dil had told him earlier in the day. Was Dil right? Tommy thought. He was usually right about, well, everything really. He was much smarter than Tommy, or his parents, probably all three of them put together, so he could definitely trust his judgement, and it definitely made sense.
Tommy crossed Lil's front yard (no pun intended-and anyone who thought it so should be ashamed of their dirty mind ^^) and knocked at the door. Their mother, Betty answered it. "Tommy," she called, gesturing him to come in. "Come on in!" She patted him on his back. "Here for Phil,"
"Hello Betty," Tommy said. "and nope," he smiled. "Lil today."
"Good," she said and chuckled when Tommy looked confused. "Sorry, he's out," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "She's in her room, probably with her headphones on." Just as Tommy thanked her and left, she stopped him. "Just make sure you don't sneak up on her, she gets really cranky when you try that."
End of Chapter 11
Sorry it's short. The next chapter will be title "Things are getting Tough."
