Author's Note (6 April 2003): I haven't been in the mood to write this
weekend. Well, no, let me correct that. I haven't been in the mood to write
a decent chapter of conversation and real action. I don't want to write in
this condition; I don't plan on messing up my story by rushing it, so,
sorry for the delay.
I stormed outside, but I wasn't about to cry. I was angrier than I was heart-broken. I just needed a place to sit down by myself and maybe, as an added bonus, I could find something to throw.
Did I already tell you how much I hated life and everyone in it? Well, let me re-emphasize that thought. I hate life and everyone in it.
It wasn't until I had arrived at a tall oak tree about two hundred meters away from the cafeteria that I realized I had forgotten my lunch on the table. I cursed under my breath in Spanish, so no one could hear me. Without anything to eat, I sat down. That was all I could think of to do.
I lay down on my back on the recently mown grass and folded my arms underneath my head. I allowed my eyes to close, and the sunlight burned through my eyelids. Man, this wasn't a good day. How was I supposed to survive the rest of high school when I didn't even know how I was going to survive the rest of this school week?
And why the hell do I ask myself so many questions?
A series of crashes and rustling in the leaf-covered branches above me broke through my thoughts. I saw a small, white, round object falling towards me.
"Damn it," I whispered to myself. Hastily, I rolled out of the way, and the ball bounced down into the grass next to me. A baseball. Yeah, that would've hurt.
A small dog of a fairly thin, dark brown coat approached me, looking for the ball, which I had clutched in my left hand. He began to sniff around for it, engrossed in his hunt for his toy.
And there was the girl. I can't believe I still don't know her name.
"Sorry about that," she said to me. "I didn't mean to throw it over here. Did it hit you?" She picked up the dog, who wriggled in her hands excitedly and then jumped free, still in search of the baseball.
She was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and dark blue cotton shorts, which exposed a decent amount of lightly-tanned legs. Simple, but perfect. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and strands of wavy hair hung out. And her dark eyes were amazing; they sparkled in the shade of the tree rather than in the beaming sunlight.
I sat up, and the dog leapt toward my hand playfully. "I'm glad you did," was the first thing out of my mouth, and instantly, I regretted it. Mentally, I threw myself over a bridge. How could I say that? Crap, maybe I am a flirt.
I shook my head. "Sorry... I mean, don't worry about it. It didn't hit me."
Meanwhile, the dog was having a great time trying to pull the ball from my hand. I let go of it, and he bounded away with it as if it were a prize.
The girl sat down next to me. "Well, thanks for the excuse to sit down and rest. He can play by himself now," she said, referring to the small dog romping in the grass, his ears flapping with each jump.
"What kind of dog is he?" I decided I might as well make some kind of non- sexual conversation. What better way to make a friend, right? Yeah... right.
She untied and re-tied her tennis shoes. "He's a Schnoodle. A mixed breed, between poodles and schnauzers. I like to call him Yana, but my mom always gets mad about it. She officially named him Kepiyan, whatever the heck that's supposed to mean."
"Cool."
"So, what's your story?"
Surprised, and amused, by the candidness of her question, I answered, "What do you mean?"
"Life, the way this school sucks, parents. The Ducks." She shrugged.
I turned my head to look at her face. "How do you know about that?"
"I have ears. Plus, I have classes with most of the team. It's not easy to avoid gossip, but at least I don't spread it around like that Connie girl does. You know she's out to get you. Sexually, I mean; not for blood."
I didn't answer this time.
The girl peered at me. "Are you okay?"
My head was pressed back against the tree trunk. "No, the school's hell, and..."
She interrupted me. "And life's a bitch. Yeah, I know. Just live it."
For once, something made sense. "Thanks. I'll try to remember that."
"No problem. It never works for me, but I figured it could help someone else."
I stood up to stretch my legs. "I guess I should go. And thanks for almost hitting me with the ball."
She cocked her head. "I don't know why almost getting smashed in the face by a baseball is a positive thing, but more power to ya."
I laughed, before turning away and heading back to class. She was okay, in a strange way.
I didn't even ask for her name.
Author's Note: Short chapter without much substance. I just decided to write this one to get myself comfortable with writing about the new girl. I'll mention her name in the next chapter, so I won't have to keep calling her "the girl".
I stormed outside, but I wasn't about to cry. I was angrier than I was heart-broken. I just needed a place to sit down by myself and maybe, as an added bonus, I could find something to throw.
Did I already tell you how much I hated life and everyone in it? Well, let me re-emphasize that thought. I hate life and everyone in it.
It wasn't until I had arrived at a tall oak tree about two hundred meters away from the cafeteria that I realized I had forgotten my lunch on the table. I cursed under my breath in Spanish, so no one could hear me. Without anything to eat, I sat down. That was all I could think of to do.
I lay down on my back on the recently mown grass and folded my arms underneath my head. I allowed my eyes to close, and the sunlight burned through my eyelids. Man, this wasn't a good day. How was I supposed to survive the rest of high school when I didn't even know how I was going to survive the rest of this school week?
And why the hell do I ask myself so many questions?
A series of crashes and rustling in the leaf-covered branches above me broke through my thoughts. I saw a small, white, round object falling towards me.
"Damn it," I whispered to myself. Hastily, I rolled out of the way, and the ball bounced down into the grass next to me. A baseball. Yeah, that would've hurt.
A small dog of a fairly thin, dark brown coat approached me, looking for the ball, which I had clutched in my left hand. He began to sniff around for it, engrossed in his hunt for his toy.
And there was the girl. I can't believe I still don't know her name.
"Sorry about that," she said to me. "I didn't mean to throw it over here. Did it hit you?" She picked up the dog, who wriggled in her hands excitedly and then jumped free, still in search of the baseball.
She was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and dark blue cotton shorts, which exposed a decent amount of lightly-tanned legs. Simple, but perfect. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and strands of wavy hair hung out. And her dark eyes were amazing; they sparkled in the shade of the tree rather than in the beaming sunlight.
I sat up, and the dog leapt toward my hand playfully. "I'm glad you did," was the first thing out of my mouth, and instantly, I regretted it. Mentally, I threw myself over a bridge. How could I say that? Crap, maybe I am a flirt.
I shook my head. "Sorry... I mean, don't worry about it. It didn't hit me."
Meanwhile, the dog was having a great time trying to pull the ball from my hand. I let go of it, and he bounded away with it as if it were a prize.
The girl sat down next to me. "Well, thanks for the excuse to sit down and rest. He can play by himself now," she said, referring to the small dog romping in the grass, his ears flapping with each jump.
"What kind of dog is he?" I decided I might as well make some kind of non- sexual conversation. What better way to make a friend, right? Yeah... right.
She untied and re-tied her tennis shoes. "He's a Schnoodle. A mixed breed, between poodles and schnauzers. I like to call him Yana, but my mom always gets mad about it. She officially named him Kepiyan, whatever the heck that's supposed to mean."
"Cool."
"So, what's your story?"
Surprised, and amused, by the candidness of her question, I answered, "What do you mean?"
"Life, the way this school sucks, parents. The Ducks." She shrugged.
I turned my head to look at her face. "How do you know about that?"
"I have ears. Plus, I have classes with most of the team. It's not easy to avoid gossip, but at least I don't spread it around like that Connie girl does. You know she's out to get you. Sexually, I mean; not for blood."
I didn't answer this time.
The girl peered at me. "Are you okay?"
My head was pressed back against the tree trunk. "No, the school's hell, and..."
She interrupted me. "And life's a bitch. Yeah, I know. Just live it."
For once, something made sense. "Thanks. I'll try to remember that."
"No problem. It never works for me, but I figured it could help someone else."
I stood up to stretch my legs. "I guess I should go. And thanks for almost hitting me with the ball."
She cocked her head. "I don't know why almost getting smashed in the face by a baseball is a positive thing, but more power to ya."
I laughed, before turning away and heading back to class. She was okay, in a strange way.
I didn't even ask for her name.
Author's Note: Short chapter without much substance. I just decided to write this one to get myself comfortable with writing about the new girl. I'll mention her name in the next chapter, so I won't have to keep calling her "the girl".