Chapter 14-High School

Sodapop POV.

Okay, the last thing we had expected to find going over to the Henderson house was Michael. He was pissed too. We had only brought there mail (Which we had Two-Bit steal earlier) as a diversion. To see how Miss. Battie was coping. However, it was Michael who answered the door, surprising the crap out of both of us. No time to think about that now though, it was time to go back to school shopping!

Michael POV.

After I had slammed the door in their faces, I watched through the peephole as they departed. I sighed and looked down at the mail. Bill, bill, ohh, and one addressed to me. I checked the return address, making sure it wasn't my mother sending me friggin money. No, it was the Tulsa Town School District. Oh, my placement scores. Was I going to start the seventh grade? Hopefully. I set the other things down and went back to my room to read it. First it had the results from my quiz. I had scored perfect in everything but math. Still, that was never my best subject. I flipped the score sheet paper over. My placement paper. Mr. Henderson, we are pleased to tell you due to your excellent placement exam results, we are placing you in the 9th grade at Roger Williams High School…. The ninth grade? As in High School. But I was only twelve! I would be made fun of, beat up, even killed if I went there. No, there must be some mistake. I reread the paper. No, they were actually placing me in high school. Dammit! I angrily threw the letter down. Now not only was I stuck here, I was about to become a punching bag for some High School Football Jock. I had heard stories form the gang about starting high school, not one of them good. There was a knock on the door outside again. Oh now what? It was the damn neighbors again. Except this time they were armed with the Smiling Lady. Wimps. I cracked open the door.

"May I help you?"

"Oh, hi young man, is you're Auntie home?" She was talking to me like I was a toddler.

"No." She probably was, but I wasn't letting these people in. I was about to shut the door when she topped me with her foot. Meddling neighbors, gotta hate 'em

"Could you give this to her then. The boys forgot to drop it off earlier." I sighed and reluctantly opened the door a little more as to snatch the later.

"Well, I have some stuff to do, so I guess I'll be seeing you." I said, closing the door again. The annoying lady stopped me again.

"You know, I'm taking the boys back to school shopping later today. You are going to be attending right?"

"Sure."

"Would you like to tag along?" My first instinct was to say no I would not like to 'tag-along' with those to assholes, but a thought struck me. I needed clothes. I had the money, but no means of transportation. I suppose I could stand them at least taking me to town. As long as Muscle Asshole didn't run me over again. I tried a smile but was sure I filed.

"Sure. What time?"

"Oh, I'll send the boys over to pick you up. Bye now!" She was even more chipper than usual and it certainly was annoying. I closed the door for good this time and looked at the envelope. It was addressed to Auntie, so I just left it on the coffee table and sat on the couch. I looked around to make sure the batty woman was around before turning the TV on. It was on some news channel and I turned it up to see what was going on in the world.

'Well I sure hope the kitty survives Tom. In leading news, a nine year old kidnapping case has reopened when New York police matched the fingerprints of a recently arrested participant of the New York Street Fight with a missing child that was kidnapped from a daycare in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The kidnapee's name has not been identified, nor has his family or kidnappers. More on this later."

"Wait, the New York fight? That had to be the one I was in. There had been a kidnapped kid there? Hope he didn't get his brains bashed in. I just shook my head and turned off the TV set and walked back to my room. Despite the fact that I had unpacked what seemed like millions of boxes of clothing this afternoon, there were still countless more. Some had even more disgusting clothes in it, while others had books and various things, including my alarm clock. I hooked that up immediately, couldn't stand to be without my time. Next I unpacked various books, all research ones. Did my mother go out shopping just for new stuff to pack me? The bigger boxes actually had my stuff in it. My old bookshelf, desk, and something that wasn't mine, a new bedside table. Why hadn't she just packed my old one? That woman sometimes confused the crap out of me. Now I had to pick something to wear. This would be my first time in town in broad daylight, so I had to look tuff, hood-like, and unafraid of anything. I picked the holiest and frayed jeans I had then grabbed a small black t shirt. I shoved my switchblade, rather Jimmy's switchblade into my back pocket. While I had liked that one, it had been left in Jimmy's leg, besides this one was cooler. I searched through all the boxes, desperately trying to find my hair grease, but no luck. It's like my mom went out of her way to pack worthless shit. I went into the bathroom, looking for some kind of substitute. I looked through the cabinets. Hair gel, zit cream, and, wait. I reached behind the zit cream (What did she need that for?) and pulled up a tube. I peered closer at this. Yes, it was grease! (Again, what use is this to her?) I went back to my room and grabbed my comb. Finally, structure for my hair. I put a generous amount in my hand and ran it through my hair. The thick gunk spread through my hair with ease and began to style it. Finally, I was presentable. I checked myself in the mirror. Time to go. I returned to the living room, stopping by my room to take out all my hidden bills. Wait there was something wrong though. It was bugging me in my mind. I just couldn't put my finger on it as I walked out the door and across the street to the Curtis house.

It hadn't taken long to go shopping. After the Curtis's had gone off on there own, I had went shop crazy. I had a ton of new clothes, more bags than I could carry. Only problem now was how I would get these out to the truck. I had to enlist the help of several, if not all, of the store employee's help and it still took five trips. The entire back of the Curtis truck was full. Guess they would have to carry theirs. I put a tarp over the back and went off on my own. Smiling Lady had said we would be meeting up at ten o clock. I still had four hours to waste. I walked around now, it was just starting to get dark and the buzz around town was picking up. Now the older girls were appearing and bars were filling up. I was passing by the Dingo when I caught sight of the most gorgeous girl I'd ever seen. She was tallish, had pale skin and long black hair. She was walking in a strut, like she owned the place. It was love at first sight. I crossed the street for a closer look. She was gathering with friends now, I was hiding behind a car getting ready to come out when a voice called out behind me.

"Bulls-Eye?"

A/N: So sorry I couldn't update more today, but I had school and stuff. Maybe on Thursday. YAY Veterans' Day!