Susie avoided social situations like the plague. She hated the way people had to make a show of if. Girls had to have dates, guys had to find partners, and the whole weight of it bothered her. But, being a "football" player's girlfriend lead to take part in all of the customs she would normally laugh at and think negatively about.
There she was, decorating Joey's locker with arts and craft paper. There was a pride she had for people to know that he was cared for and taken. She wanted people to see his locker and see her hard work. Of course she didn't want to make his locker look like all the rest. She had her wits on her and still the attitude of being anti-conformist. So she decided to decorate the outside of his locker normally, with a bunch of stickers and colorful paper. But then decided to set up a trap for him inside his locker. A robotic contraption she asked Julie to help her with.
Of course Julie was on board as it was a fun use of her time in robotics class, and Frank just enjoyed the chaos. He only wanted a photo of what Joey's face looks like after the fact. So Susie complied, attaching the mechanism to the polaroid she hid inside Joey's locker. Today was the Homecoming game, and that meant, homecoming. She had talked Joey out of the dance as long as she accepted doing one thing that was tradition. Decorating his locker was the least she could do.
Susie sat up and dusted off her leggings. The boys would be coming back from practice and going to their lockers soon. She gave one more look at her work and smiled, now she just had to wait for the surprise.
Julie hid in the girl's locker room, nervously tapping her foot on the cemented floor.
"No I'm not mad Frank but annoyed is a good word for what I am feeling right now. Maybe even a bit perturbed." Julie said as she bit the inside of her cheek.
"So what Jules? So I got kicked out of school-"
"My parents hate your guts. If they find out, which they will-"
"Just tell them you are going over to Susie's for now on. It'll be fine." Frank stated with a carefree tone to his voice.
"You think it's okay but lying to my parents doesn't come natural to me, Morrision." Julie said with a bite to her voice.
"I am still upset at you for not telling us that you were adopted." Julie whispered into the phone. She heard Frank click his tongue and she already felt like she was wanting to smack his face through the phone. How ignorant could he be?
"Are you still on that? What does it matter?" he sounded way too relaxed for Julie's liking and she felt herself losing it. She clenched her fingers into a fist and grasped her phone tightly.
"We are supposed to be friends, Frank." She told him. "Friends talk to one another about things like that. They open up to each other. You could have told us your mom adopted you after finding fault in the adoption system. We would have understood if you had told us." Julie tried to make her voice sound less angry then how she felt.
"I don't care if you guys understand. I just don't see why it matters." Frank said and Julie paused. She remembered what Susie had said a few days before when they had been talking about it.
"So Frank's adopted mother had worked on the case with the Ski Lift mishap before adopting him? She must have seen how little his adopted dad seemed to care for him, a child left to run free and bus hop while he was drunk at home." Susie's words echoed in her head. Julie was the first to find out after reviewing Frank's mother's notes on the accident. It was Julie that realized Frank's last name was not the same then as it was now. It was Julie who put things together and confronted his mother just to be sure. It had been recent but Frank's mother had finally got custody over him in terms of the system being corrupt. Frank had been to multiple homes, abuse after abuse. Julie was feeling more for Frank then he seemed to for himself.
"Just forget it-" she said before hanging up. It was almost time for class to start anyways. Even though she wasn't feeling up to it, she found it in herself to continue playing the part of the perfect "A" student.
Joey's eyes were wide as he wiped the whip cream off his face. His team laughed around him as a flash made him blink. He looked up into his locker to have a polaroid stare right back at him with a picture already being developed.
"Man, your girl is good!" laughed one who slapped Joey on his back. They turned to give Susie a thumbs up and she gave one to them back. Joey turned to look at her, still hunched over slightly in surprise with whip cream all over his face, shirt, and hands. She smiled brightly at him. The most honest smile he had ever seen on her face. He didn't have the heart to be frustrated. Though, at first he was. Now he just felt warm looking at her. She laughed at him and went to grab the photo and show him and his friends.
"That's a keeper, Frank would love this." she said and Joey smiled back.
"Don't show Frank." he told her and Susie smiled brighter.
"Try to stop me." she said but before she could jet off Joey grabbed her and pulled her to him. All the boys around them cheered as he rubbed the whip cream all over her face and hair with his own. Susie kept laughing even as she was trying to break free from the attack.
"Kids go to class!" shouted the coach and Joey let go of Susie and turned to the big man who did not seem entertained.
"Coach, I can't go to class like this." Joey stated and the coach jerked his head to let the others know, to, "get the hell out". So the other team members quieted down and some patted Joey on the back as they passed him by. One whispered "Man I hope you's not in trouble.". Joey straightened his back and held a hand out instinctively as to protect Susie. Even if he didn't have to, the move was unconscious.
"Come on son, we gotta talk about you and this friendship you have going with Frank Morrison." the coach said as he straightened up himself and corrected his tie.
"And you little lady should clean yourself up." he directed at Susie who hid behind Joey with a small step. She pulled lightly on his jacket and whispered a short goodbye before leaving him alone with his coach.
Joey angrily through the next dart at the dart board. With almost a whistling sound it hit right in the middle.
"He can't dictate who my friends are! Frank ain't even in school anymore!" Joey shouted angrily as he looked over his shoulder at the rest of his friends. Susie sat on the old pool table with her legs crossed, drinking out of a juice pouch. Julie also sat on it with her feet dangling off the edge. The group was waiting for Frank to get back to their lounge with more snacks he had stolen.
"Maybe he is fearful that Frank will get you into a mess or something. My parents are also not really all too elated with me hanging with him." Julie said. She leaned back to lay on the dusty green top of the pool table and closed her eyes for a short moment.
"That's the problem!" Joey shouted and Julie's eyes snapped back open.
"They are your parents. My coach ain't my father, never will be, never gonna be. Why does he keep acting like he is?" Joey snapped.
"Maybe because he cares for you. Mrs. Morrison cares a lot about Frank and he's not her birth son-" Susie said in a quiet, calm voice.
Joey threw yet another dart at the board.
"Yeah, Sue, again, he isn't my parent. That's my mom's job. Frank's mom is at least his legally adopted mother. Coach is just a idiotic old man that thinks just because I am apart of his team he can boss me around." Joey said. Julie lifted herself up slightly to sigh and have a better look at Joey.
"Then leave. Why say I'm a part of the team?" she said. She was getting annoyed. Really to her there was no problem here. If she had advised herself she would say "Suck it up" or "Ignore it." to her Joey was just being dramatic.
"You could but I can't." Joey mumbled and threw yet another dart at the board.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Julie fired. Joey turned and Susie felt a wave of guilt pressure her to hold her tongue.
"I mean you can afford College. You can go big and get scholarships. I can only get ahead with football." Joey snapped once more. Susie pulled her hood down. She hated fights.
"Oh, shut up Joseph. Most of my college isn't being paid off by my parents either. I have scholarships based on my grades I have to count on if I want a college degree." Julie said as she jumped off of the pool table.
"Yeah but your parents are helping you. You don't see my mom-"
"For the second time, shut up. You don't know sh*t what my parents do. They hardly know english. I had to help them do taxes since I was old enough to read. You have no right to say crap Joey, my parents are immigrants." Julie yelled. Susie covered her ears and placed her head on her lap. She counted to herself hoping it would stop. Luckily for her, the door slamming shut startled all of them silent.
"Sh*t, fighting over who is the biggest loser? Haven't you seen us? We are all losers that's why we are trying to run away from our problems and kill a man. You guys act like it's some game not to be like every sorry a** teen these days." Frank said as he slammed a 6 pack down and lit a cigarette.
"For f**ks sake. What does it matter? We are all going to die in the end right?" Frank relaxed on the couch and kicked off his own shoes. He seemed to not even care about the tension that filled the air and continued to relax. He put his feet up and placed his hands on the back of his neck.
"Get the rest of the snacks from my trunk Joey and take your girl with you, she looks like she is having a meltdown." Frank ordered. Joey, normally would throw a word out at Frank. Call him a name or even tell him to "Shut up" but once he looked at Susie he felt ashamed for getting so angry at Julie. Susie was too shocked to even look up. Joey hurried over and picked her up. Carrying her on his shoulder as she left the building. Julie's anger seemed to be easily tarnished once Frank came in. She crossed her arms and looked over at Frank in disbelief.
"You are just- nevermind." she said as she threw her hands up as to give up on even starting it up with him.
"You guys are ruining my mood. We should go hunting." he said and Julie nodded in agreement. Maybe killing another stag will calm them down from the stresses of life.
"Then we can eat it for dinner." Frank joked.