"Hi, Tabitha," Andie said with a perfect smile as she passed the new girl on her way to her desk in Art class. "Why don't you sit back here?"
Feeling a little better about the whole starting-at-a-new-school thing, Tabitha picked up her binder and took the empty seat beside Andie at the back of the room. "Andie, right?"
Nodding, she opened her binder to a clean page. "Yep. Are you finding your way around here alright?"
Scoffing, Tabitha grinned. "Considering there's like two hallways, yes, I'm doing remarkably well."
"You scoff at my school?"
"I scoff at your school."
"Yeah, I scoff too." As Mr. Strickland walked into the room with a coffee mug in his hand and a pencil behind his ear, Andie whispered, "Mr. Strickland is nuts."
Watching as he walked to the chalkboard, put the pencil down on the ledge and put a piece of chalk behind his ear in place of the pencil, Tabitha nodded appreciatively. "Yeah, I'm thinking nuts is a safe bet."
"Vern, can you point out an object in this room that's 3-Dimensional?" Mr. Strickland asked.
"Um..." Vern paused, probably wondering why he signed up for this class. "Um, you?"
Tabitha snickered gleefully. Andie glanced over at her in confusion. "You find Vern Tessio funny, do you?"
"I find Vern Tessio to be many things," she giggled quietly.
"Well, you're the first."
Libby spun around in her seat when she felt someone pat her repeatedly on her head. "Stop that now, please."
Tabitha smiled with strained innocence. "Um, yes. I'm getting off here, so tell Mom that I'm going to Andie's house and I'll be back sometime today."
"That's very vague, I hope you have fun," Libby replied, turning around in her seat again, but she watched with abandonment as Gordie and Abby left with Tabitha and Andie. At the next stop, Vern got off the bus with Teddy.
Two seats behind her, Chris sighed. "So, Libby."
"Chris."
"It seems you and I are the only ones without lives."
"Hey, I'm still here too," Delia piped up.
"We're trying to forget," he teased, and then looked at Libby expectantly. "Do you want to come over or something?"
She shrugged. "That would beat the hell out of going home to my mom and my brothers."
He looked at her, his eyes comical. "So you're going to?"
"That's right," she said.
They got to the Chambers' house. Chris opened the door and said, "After you." She stepped inside and welcomed by the smell of cookies that smelled even better than Vern's cookies.
"Hi Aunt Marian," Chris said, approaching his aunt. "I've kidnapped one of the daughters from the family that just moved here."
Chris' aunt turned around and took off her oven mitts. She put out a hand and shook Libby's. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Marian."
"Libby," she said back, smiling.
"How long have you been in Castle Rock for?"
"Since last Wednesday."
"Do you like it here so far?"
She nodded. "It's pretty and quiet. And the people here are welcoming. I come from a big city so no one knows each other or even makes eye contact with each other. Whereas here, everyone's friendly. It was rather creepy at first."
Smiling kindly, her eyes crinkled in the corners, Marian said, "I'm glad you like it."
Chris took Libby by the arm and led her back upstairs. "Quick, before she brings out the naked baby pictures!" He laughed and hurried down the hall. He closed the door behind him and breathed, "Whew, that was a close one."
She smiled up at him and laughed. "You're a big silly nutball."
"You look like a lawn gnome. What's your point, you freak?"
"I have no point. "She plopped down on his bed and asked, "So…what are your plans for this weekend?"
"I don't know. There's a football game. There will probably be a party or something after that I'll go to with Andie." He considered for a moment. "Teddy told me that I should ask if you want to go to the game with him."
She looked indecisive. "Maybe. I don't know."
"Teddy's okay, but I don't know how much you would want to be…his girlfriend or anything."
"Abby told me you didn't like him."
"I like him just fine."
"I'm going to give him a chance." She looked up at him. "I'm not into the whole drinking thing."
"You think Teddy is?"
"Who'd he get drunk with last night?" she asked, appraisingly. He didn't answer. "Thought so."
"I worry about that sometimes."
"I'll worry when I know more," she said, then waved her hand dismissively. "Meh!"
There was a knock on his door. Chris' aunt poked her head in. "Hi. Hope I'm not interrupting anything. I'll just leave these here." She set a plate of cookies down on his desk, then closed the door.
"Aww!" Libby cried. "Your aunt's so cute!"
Chris looked up at her and gave her a lopsided grin. "Her cookies kick ass. Try one." He walked over and got a cookie for her.
She bit into it and a content smile drifted over her face. "Mm…" she moaned. "What bliss, what ecstasy."
"I know!" he exclaimed. "And she's my AUNT! I get food like this every night!"
Giggling, Libby got herself another cookie.
A few hours later, as Libby helped Chris with his essay for English, a clock chimed somewhere in the house. Libby gazed over at Chris' alarm clock. "Oh, crap," she said.
"What?" he asked distractedly, finishing the line he was writing.
"It's 7 freaking 30. My mommy's gonna be pissed!" She paused to think. "Oh crap!"
He turned to look at her, amused. "Now what?"
"I was supposed to tell her that Tabitha was at Andie's, so now Tabitha's gonna be in trouble!"
"What a pickle you're in," Chris said. "Come on, I'll walk you home." They trampled down the stairs, laughing as Chris tripped and sprawled into Libby, ramming her into the railing.
A gruff looking man was taking off his shoes in the doorway. He looked sternly at them.
Chris grabbed his jacket, ignoring the man Libby assumed was his uncle and yelled, "I'll be back in 10 minutes, Aunt Marian!"
"Bye!" Libby called.
"Tell your mom I want to meet her!" Marian said from the kitchen. "Chris, hurry up, supper's almost ready."
Chris poked Libby on the nose. "Ha. And I get to eat it. She cooks food good."
"I'll get something microwaved or something," Libby giggled as Chris pulled her out the door.
Chris walked her home. Before she left, he said, "Wait, I smuggled something for you."
"Nothing illegal, I hope."
He pulled a cookie form his jacket pocket. "It's a little broken but it's all the same to your tummy."
She smiled, kinda feeling oddly touched. "Why thank you."
"Meh. You kept me company. It's a small price to pay."
"I aim to please. Goodnight Chris." She gave him one last smile and jogged up her driveway.
Chris waited until she was inside before he walked away.