How Far?
Chapter Eight: Encounter
Disclaimer: Same as always.
It was lunch time, the one period of the day I could stare and fantasize about Gordo for a good solid forty minutes. Matt wasn't talking to me and couldn't blame him. I had been a bitch to him. Taylor was another story; she had betrayed me by even getting the idea of telling him. Lanny sat quietly as usual, drinking his soda and eating his cafeteria pizza. You could tell by Lanny's body language that he didn't want to get involved; he was a non confrontational type of guy.
"So, Melina, what was your punishment," Matt asked timidly.
"I got four days of detention, three weeks of peer counseling, and one hour of helping filing in the attendance office before school," I said not looking him in the eye.
"Oh, who's your peer counselor?"
"Larry Tudgeman," I said rolling my eyes.
"Don't look now, but Doctor Tudgeman is in the house," he chuckled.
"Oh Melina! Melina! Melina!"
"Oh shit," I muttered.
Larry Tudgeman, is a nice guy like Principal Reynolds, and like him he has a very weird persona and obscure fascinations. Principal Reynolds is fascinated with light up pens, spinning chairs, contests, and weird riddles. Larry is intrigued by Star wars, Lord of the Rings, and science museums. He pulled up a chair from another table and pulled over to my table.
"Melina, do you know what time it is," He asked.
"Lunch time, it's where you eat food and talk to your friends. Don't you have friends to talk to," I retorted while taking a sip of Pepsi.
"Nah, I mean I do, but Parker and Miranda found an exchange student from France who they claimed was a 'total hottie' and left me here, now I am the lone soldier. Anyway, it's my counseling time," He said with a sigh.
"I thought that you came to me while I was in detention and talked to me then. That's what Principal Reynolds said in the sheet he gave me," I said aggravated.
"Principal Reynolds also believes he's Ben Stiller. Face it Melina, the guy's a whack job."
"Ok, he gave me the sheet. It's supposed to be-
"Well, the sheet Principal Reynolds gave me said that I do my counseling jig during lunch. So, would you rather do it here with your little friends around or at another table where you can express your thoughts freely and openly?"
"Bye Lanny, Bye Matt," I said as if it were the last time I was going to see them.
I then followed Larry to a table near Lizzie and Gordo's table. I wanted to thank Larry for choosing such a superb spot, but yet again my counseling with him would probably be extended.
"What are you doing Tudgeman?! Trying to corrupt the youth of our nation," I heard a voice yell from the other table. It belonged to Gordo.
"Yeah, Melina's already corrupted enough as it is, leave the poor child alone," Lizzie screeched sarcastically.
"Yeah, well, I'm not the one with a smoking addiction," I retorted happily.
"Eww, you smoke, Lizzie? You know I hate smokers," He said.
"And your point is..?"
"Will you excuse me, Lizzie? I have to go clear out my lungs from possible second hand smoke," Gordo snapped as he took his stuff and left Lizzie's lunch table.
"What a stupid guy! I've never smoked around him," She then noticed Larry and I were staring at her. "Go counsel!"
"I hate her, after she turned into Kate," Larry said with a sigh.
"Don't worry buddy, the feeling is mutual towards her."
"Let's begin. So, tell me about yourself."
I didn't know what to tell Larry. Sure I knew of him, but I didn't really know the Larry Tudgeman. I knew about the time he went out with Lizzie, before she turned into a huge bitch. I wanted to spill all of my emotions out that I had only told Rita and Taylor, yet I regret telling them. I had told Lanny too, but he was the most trustworthy person I know. Matt just couldn't know, as much as I wanted to tell him, I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that no good would come out of me telling him.
"Melina?"
"Oh, um, why do you necessarily need to know about me?"
"To see if you're a mental case or not," he said sarcastically.
I gave him a cold stare, but he really didn't care. Larry was one of those guys who really didn't care what people thought of him. I mean, you could call him any name in the book, and he wouldn't really care, I admired him for that.
"I um, I'm in ninth grade and um-
"Melina, you don't have to tense up. Everything you say will be in confidence."
"I know that."
"It didn't seem like you did," he said raising an eyebrow.
Larry in a way was like Gordo. He was smart, sarcastic, and really weird, which made him kind of intriguing, but not as intriguing as Gordo. I kind of felt sorry that all he had to talk to this lunch period was me, considering Parker and Miranda had chased after the French exchange student. I wasn't exactly going to tell him anything. I didn't want him to know anything, he like Taylor and Rita would think I'm a psycho, even though it's probably true.
"Okay, Melina, the funny thing about this is, for this to be considered a session, you actually have to talk."
I then glared at him again.
"If you want people to think you're crazy, I can tell them! I have influence over the underclassmen. I am a senior!"
"I'm not crazy."
"Ooh, the psycho talks. Anyway, I can tell there's something you want to get off of your chest really badly. It's been plaguing you for a long time, and very few people know about it. What is it?"
What was he? A mind reader? Actually probably more of a people observer. He seemed like the kind of guy who watched people and studied their behaviors and idiosyncrasies. It seemed as though the art of people watching, intrigued him.
"What? Am I right?"
"Um, to an extent," I nervously spit out.
"Yes! I am great at this! So, what is it? A boy? Parents? School?"
"I really can't tell you," I said not looking him in the eye.
"Yeah you can. I'm your peer counselor. You're supposed to tell me stuff, and I'm supposed to help you. It's a nice cycle."
"Do you honestly care about my problems?"
This was sure to piss him off. I saw him trying to think of a witty response that would override my sarcastic question.
"Well, I mean, I'm supposed to. So yes, I do care, to an extent."
What a comforting feeling, knowing that your peer counselor is supposed care, but he probably even doesn't give a shit about you or your petty problems.
---Ring---
"That's the bell, so, same time tomorrow," Larry asked.
"I'll be waiting with baited breath," I said sarcastically as I picked up my backpack. At least I would be away from Larry in detention.
[A/N: Please review with your thoughts as always, thank you.]
Chapter Eight: Encounter
Disclaimer: Same as always.
It was lunch time, the one period of the day I could stare and fantasize about Gordo for a good solid forty minutes. Matt wasn't talking to me and couldn't blame him. I had been a bitch to him. Taylor was another story; she had betrayed me by even getting the idea of telling him. Lanny sat quietly as usual, drinking his soda and eating his cafeteria pizza. You could tell by Lanny's body language that he didn't want to get involved; he was a non confrontational type of guy.
"So, Melina, what was your punishment," Matt asked timidly.
"I got four days of detention, three weeks of peer counseling, and one hour of helping filing in the attendance office before school," I said not looking him in the eye.
"Oh, who's your peer counselor?"
"Larry Tudgeman," I said rolling my eyes.
"Don't look now, but Doctor Tudgeman is in the house," he chuckled.
"Oh Melina! Melina! Melina!"
"Oh shit," I muttered.
Larry Tudgeman, is a nice guy like Principal Reynolds, and like him he has a very weird persona and obscure fascinations. Principal Reynolds is fascinated with light up pens, spinning chairs, contests, and weird riddles. Larry is intrigued by Star wars, Lord of the Rings, and science museums. He pulled up a chair from another table and pulled over to my table.
"Melina, do you know what time it is," He asked.
"Lunch time, it's where you eat food and talk to your friends. Don't you have friends to talk to," I retorted while taking a sip of Pepsi.
"Nah, I mean I do, but Parker and Miranda found an exchange student from France who they claimed was a 'total hottie' and left me here, now I am the lone soldier. Anyway, it's my counseling time," He said with a sigh.
"I thought that you came to me while I was in detention and talked to me then. That's what Principal Reynolds said in the sheet he gave me," I said aggravated.
"Principal Reynolds also believes he's Ben Stiller. Face it Melina, the guy's a whack job."
"Ok, he gave me the sheet. It's supposed to be-
"Well, the sheet Principal Reynolds gave me said that I do my counseling jig during lunch. So, would you rather do it here with your little friends around or at another table where you can express your thoughts freely and openly?"
"Bye Lanny, Bye Matt," I said as if it were the last time I was going to see them.
I then followed Larry to a table near Lizzie and Gordo's table. I wanted to thank Larry for choosing such a superb spot, but yet again my counseling with him would probably be extended.
"What are you doing Tudgeman?! Trying to corrupt the youth of our nation," I heard a voice yell from the other table. It belonged to Gordo.
"Yeah, Melina's already corrupted enough as it is, leave the poor child alone," Lizzie screeched sarcastically.
"Yeah, well, I'm not the one with a smoking addiction," I retorted happily.
"Eww, you smoke, Lizzie? You know I hate smokers," He said.
"And your point is..?"
"Will you excuse me, Lizzie? I have to go clear out my lungs from possible second hand smoke," Gordo snapped as he took his stuff and left Lizzie's lunch table.
"What a stupid guy! I've never smoked around him," She then noticed Larry and I were staring at her. "Go counsel!"
"I hate her, after she turned into Kate," Larry said with a sigh.
"Don't worry buddy, the feeling is mutual towards her."
"Let's begin. So, tell me about yourself."
I didn't know what to tell Larry. Sure I knew of him, but I didn't really know the Larry Tudgeman. I knew about the time he went out with Lizzie, before she turned into a huge bitch. I wanted to spill all of my emotions out that I had only told Rita and Taylor, yet I regret telling them. I had told Lanny too, but he was the most trustworthy person I know. Matt just couldn't know, as much as I wanted to tell him, I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that no good would come out of me telling him.
"Melina?"
"Oh, um, why do you necessarily need to know about me?"
"To see if you're a mental case or not," he said sarcastically.
I gave him a cold stare, but he really didn't care. Larry was one of those guys who really didn't care what people thought of him. I mean, you could call him any name in the book, and he wouldn't really care, I admired him for that.
"I um, I'm in ninth grade and um-
"Melina, you don't have to tense up. Everything you say will be in confidence."
"I know that."
"It didn't seem like you did," he said raising an eyebrow.
Larry in a way was like Gordo. He was smart, sarcastic, and really weird, which made him kind of intriguing, but not as intriguing as Gordo. I kind of felt sorry that all he had to talk to this lunch period was me, considering Parker and Miranda had chased after the French exchange student. I wasn't exactly going to tell him anything. I didn't want him to know anything, he like Taylor and Rita would think I'm a psycho, even though it's probably true.
"Okay, Melina, the funny thing about this is, for this to be considered a session, you actually have to talk."
I then glared at him again.
"If you want people to think you're crazy, I can tell them! I have influence over the underclassmen. I am a senior!"
"I'm not crazy."
"Ooh, the psycho talks. Anyway, I can tell there's something you want to get off of your chest really badly. It's been plaguing you for a long time, and very few people know about it. What is it?"
What was he? A mind reader? Actually probably more of a people observer. He seemed like the kind of guy who watched people and studied their behaviors and idiosyncrasies. It seemed as though the art of people watching, intrigued him.
"What? Am I right?"
"Um, to an extent," I nervously spit out.
"Yes! I am great at this! So, what is it? A boy? Parents? School?"
"I really can't tell you," I said not looking him in the eye.
"Yeah you can. I'm your peer counselor. You're supposed to tell me stuff, and I'm supposed to help you. It's a nice cycle."
"Do you honestly care about my problems?"
This was sure to piss him off. I saw him trying to think of a witty response that would override my sarcastic question.
"Well, I mean, I'm supposed to. So yes, I do care, to an extent."
What a comforting feeling, knowing that your peer counselor is supposed care, but he probably even doesn't give a shit about you or your petty problems.
---Ring---
"That's the bell, so, same time tomorrow," Larry asked.
"I'll be waiting with baited breath," I said sarcastically as I picked up my backpack. At least I would be away from Larry in detention.
[A/N: Please review with your thoughts as always, thank you.]