"These ants!" I exclaimed suddenly as one crawled up my hand. In a lower voice, I added, "I'm going to kill all the little fuckers, I swear..."
"Language, Craig," said Macy cooly as I squished the insect between two fingers. She caught me.
"Jesus, Craig! That's bad karma, you know."
"I could care less," I replied, laughing. "When is this class gonna be over?" Art with Mr. Cloutier always sucked. He was half-deaf and would always suddenly shout out pointless advice to us.
"I don't wanna see any sketching, people!" Mr. Cloutier yelled characteristically. I rolled my eyes and went back to shading my train drawing.
"You wanna come over today?" I whispered to Macy. She nodded and looked at the clock just as the bell rang. She shoved a piece of paper into one of my books and winked.
"It's from Loni," she said with a smile. I groaned. Why was Macy friends with her again?
During my next class, I opened up the note tentatively. I winced as I saw the traditional, Loni-ish curlicue lettering.
craig - did u get the last letter i sent u last time? im not gonna send these with macy nemore becuz i think she reads them - u should meet me at the fair on sunday if ur not doing nething call me love loni
I shuddered, but I'd probably have to go. Loni Porter was Macy's best friend, for some inexplicable reason. She was very short, bubbly, and trendy. Her personality was for shit, too, but Macy loved putting us in little romantic "get-aways" with one another.
I yawned and put my head down on the desk, anticipating eagerly in paying off some sleep debt. Last night had been long...
At 9:15 PM last night, I had been doing my homework like a good kid should. Hahah. Then Macy called me.
"Hey Macy," I mumbled sleepily into the phone while flipping through channels. "What's up?"
"A party, that's what! You coming or not?" she whispered excitedly. I looked warily at dad's closed door; he was working.
But to pass up the chance to spend time with Macy...
"C'mooonn, Craig. Loni'll be there." Her voice teemed with exhilaration.
Glad to get my mind off the decision, I smiled into the phone. "Where did you ever get the idea that I like her?"
"Well, she likes you, and everybody likes her. Are you coming or not?"
I exhaled deeply. "Where is it?"
"Jim Wise's house...that's where I am now. We're watching Pee-Wee Herman reruns, so get here fast!"
The phone went quiet. She had hung up. I placed the phone on the hook quietly and put the remote on the coffee table. I got up and gave the television one last look, leaving it on so dad wouldn't suspect that anything was up.
The party was in Jim's basement, and Loni greeted me with a firm hug, which I returned while making a face at Macy over her shoulder. Macy giggled with her hand over her mouth. She killed me when she did that. Why didn't Macy like me, rather than this buffoon in pink?
Loni's older brother, Kyle, was there. He was smoking cigarettes idly while overseeing the party. He offered me a cigarette.
"No thanks; I don't smoke," I replied hastily. Macy walked towards me, her eyes gleaming.
"Do you pot, then?" I grinned.
"Sure," I replied, taking the joint from her hand. I took a drag and sat down. To my horrible disgust, Loni had sat down on my lap. I sighed and looked at Macy helplessly.
What seemed like a few minutes later, I looked at the clock. It was 12:47. I gulped and got up, exiting the party quietly.
I obviously couldn't go home; dad would go positively nuts. Instead, I camped out on a park bench under a street lamp and closed my eyes.
A few minutes later I heard a car pull up and a person get out. I squeezed my eyes tightly, knowing who it was by the gruff nasal breathing.
"Get the fuck up." He didn't touch me; he merely commanded me. I pretended to be asleep, hoping he'd buy it.
"Get the fuck up, you lousy piece of shit." He grabbed my shoulder and rolled me onto the sidewalk, where I landed with a thud. I opened my eyes wildly as he grabbed my collar and pulled me to my feet.
"Get in the damn car."
Once home, he proceeded to yell in my face until he went blue. I was then pushed against a wall and thrown down the hallway stairs.
Welcome home, son.
Needless to say, I was tired. And sore, awfully sore, especially on my back, sides, and legs. The stairway in our house was pure oak.
"Mr. Manning, I advise you wake up before I assign you another Saturday." The voice of Mrs. Kentwood startled me, and I sat up in my seat.
How I longed for the end of school, and how I dreaded the thought of dad. I wished Macy would like me and move away with me somewhere.
"Language, Craig," said Macy cooly as I squished the insect between two fingers. She caught me.
"Jesus, Craig! That's bad karma, you know."
"I could care less," I replied, laughing. "When is this class gonna be over?" Art with Mr. Cloutier always sucked. He was half-deaf and would always suddenly shout out pointless advice to us.
"I don't wanna see any sketching, people!" Mr. Cloutier yelled characteristically. I rolled my eyes and went back to shading my train drawing.
"You wanna come over today?" I whispered to Macy. She nodded and looked at the clock just as the bell rang. She shoved a piece of paper into one of my books and winked.
"It's from Loni," she said with a smile. I groaned. Why was Macy friends with her again?
During my next class, I opened up the note tentatively. I winced as I saw the traditional, Loni-ish curlicue lettering.
craig - did u get the last letter i sent u last time? im not gonna send these with macy nemore becuz i think she reads them - u should meet me at the fair on sunday if ur not doing nething call me love loni
I shuddered, but I'd probably have to go. Loni Porter was Macy's best friend, for some inexplicable reason. She was very short, bubbly, and trendy. Her personality was for shit, too, but Macy loved putting us in little romantic "get-aways" with one another.
I yawned and put my head down on the desk, anticipating eagerly in paying off some sleep debt. Last night had been long...
At 9:15 PM last night, I had been doing my homework like a good kid should. Hahah. Then Macy called me.
"Hey Macy," I mumbled sleepily into the phone while flipping through channels. "What's up?"
"A party, that's what! You coming or not?" she whispered excitedly. I looked warily at dad's closed door; he was working.
But to pass up the chance to spend time with Macy...
"C'mooonn, Craig. Loni'll be there." Her voice teemed with exhilaration.
Glad to get my mind off the decision, I smiled into the phone. "Where did you ever get the idea that I like her?"
"Well, she likes you, and everybody likes her. Are you coming or not?"
I exhaled deeply. "Where is it?"
"Jim Wise's house...that's where I am now. We're watching Pee-Wee Herman reruns, so get here fast!"
The phone went quiet. She had hung up. I placed the phone on the hook quietly and put the remote on the coffee table. I got up and gave the television one last look, leaving it on so dad wouldn't suspect that anything was up.
The party was in Jim's basement, and Loni greeted me with a firm hug, which I returned while making a face at Macy over her shoulder. Macy giggled with her hand over her mouth. She killed me when she did that. Why didn't Macy like me, rather than this buffoon in pink?
Loni's older brother, Kyle, was there. He was smoking cigarettes idly while overseeing the party. He offered me a cigarette.
"No thanks; I don't smoke," I replied hastily. Macy walked towards me, her eyes gleaming.
"Do you pot, then?" I grinned.
"Sure," I replied, taking the joint from her hand. I took a drag and sat down. To my horrible disgust, Loni had sat down on my lap. I sighed and looked at Macy helplessly.
What seemed like a few minutes later, I looked at the clock. It was 12:47. I gulped and got up, exiting the party quietly.
I obviously couldn't go home; dad would go positively nuts. Instead, I camped out on a park bench under a street lamp and closed my eyes.
A few minutes later I heard a car pull up and a person get out. I squeezed my eyes tightly, knowing who it was by the gruff nasal breathing.
"Get the fuck up." He didn't touch me; he merely commanded me. I pretended to be asleep, hoping he'd buy it.
"Get the fuck up, you lousy piece of shit." He grabbed my shoulder and rolled me onto the sidewalk, where I landed with a thud. I opened my eyes wildly as he grabbed my collar and pulled me to my feet.
"Get in the damn car."
Once home, he proceeded to yell in my face until he went blue. I was then pushed against a wall and thrown down the hallway stairs.
Welcome home, son.
Needless to say, I was tired. And sore, awfully sore, especially on my back, sides, and legs. The stairway in our house was pure oak.
"Mr. Manning, I advise you wake up before I assign you another Saturday." The voice of Mrs. Kentwood startled me, and I sat up in my seat.
How I longed for the end of school, and how I dreaded the thought of dad. I wished Macy would like me and move away with me somewhere.