Me: And we're ba-a-a-a-ack! Charlie: Whoop de freaking do. Anderson: Yeah, who gives a flying bran muffin if we're back? Me: Someone must… Sabrina: Yeah! And in response to Lovebuggy we used 'Neil' and 'Anderson' a lot in that chapter because of his dad, we didn't want to use 'Anderson' too much, k? Me: Sorry if we confused you! But for the most part in past, present and future chapters, he's mainly called Anderson…any chapters when Charlie's angry or Todd is around, you will be getting that strange switch off. Danny: This whole thing is confusing. Sean: Who asked you? Danny: I asked me. Me: I don't think this is going to end well… Sean and Danny: ((evil glares)) Charlie: Fight, fight, fight, fight! Me: Oh boy… Sabrina: You get him Danny! Charlie: Beat the crap out of him Sean! Sabrina and Charlie: ((evil glares)) Me: Why me? Geoff and Anderson: Oh, a fist fight and a catfight! This is living!
It was a bountiful Christmas, I couldn't complain too much…well, actually, I could but I'm not going to, you never know if your parents are listening or not! It was New Year's Eve and I was curled up on the sofa in front of the fire place with Rob's Welton sweatshirt (I had left my own at school) and new Levi's on. My mom had mysteriously stitched a lining of flannel into the pant legs, making me wonder what she knew…I had no way of knowing what my father had told her.
I absently traced the rim of my mug before taking another sip of the rich cocoa inside. My parents were throwing a New Year's bash that would surely go down in local history. All of my public school friends would be there, all of the people I'd left behind and that was weighing on my mind. After all, I was now technically a preppy, no lie, exactly the kind of person they hated. Kara, Tony, Fran, Joel and Kelly, my normal gang, might see me as different now. I so badly wanted to share all of my Dead Poets dares with them, but it was something I could never do. And I didn't want to keep things from my friends.
But I had to keep my loyalty to the others and the Dead Poet's Code. I couldn't tell anyone, as bad as I wanted to. Little things surfaced in my head, all the times I had spent for so many years with Kelly and everyone else that I'd been forcefully removed from with Welton. Welton. Why did my dad send me there? It was a good school, yes, there was no doubt about that, but he'd taken me away from my life. All these people I used to see every day now I was only going to see on vacations. My school for which I had navigated and terrorized the halls of for two years was behind me, a new school with very little of what I wanted to major in set in front of me. I pressed my hand against my forehead; I was giving myself a headache.
0-o-0
My father, though not extraordinarily gifted in the area of electronics, had managed to make the house throb to the vibes off the stereo. It wasn't just my friends that were there, but anyone and everyone we knew. Aunts and uncles, cousins and one set of grandparents from my mother's side were groovin' to the beat. I had gone through all of the clothes here to settle on a large dark purple sweater the almost dropped clear to my knees (with a shirt I hadn't realized I'd snitched from Anderson's room…it may've been someone else's…I don't know, beneath it) and black leggings. I had resurrected a pair of high tops from the basement (they looked older than me) and had jammed a beret in my head.
I had my friends off in a corner of the house where I knew it wouldn't be frequented by too many people and where we could just talk. But it didn't just stay talking, the guys wanted to dance and for what most people would call acceptable, we dance a little dirty. Kelly and Tony were dancing close and hot. I find the name of her boyfriend ironic, considering as it's the same first name as the kid I had to punch. Kara had Pete Rezendez wrapped around her little finger at the moment had was slipping closer to him with every gesture; flicking her red hair seductively. Fran and Whitey were slow dancing…and I was sitting; so was Joel.
It began simply enough; we were just talking, but soon our friends were playing matchmakers, something that they were awful fond of. Kelly hauled me to my feet and shoved me into Joel, who smiled apologetically. I shook my head.
"I suppose…we should please them?" he asked softly.
"Yeah," I said, "We should."
There were a few awkward moments of silence.
"I miss Art Club." I commented, trying to start a conversation. Joel sagged suddenly with relief; there was something to talk about.
"We miss you Charlie. No one can pick the locks to the showers like you can." We both grinned wickedly, remembering when we'd gotten the bright idea to switch the cheerleaders' shampoo with paint. Ah, the fruits of a well thought out plan.
"Try anything good this year yet?" I asked, not noticing that now we were both swaying comfortably around.
"Just a little thing…" he answered, smiling mysteriously. I quirked an eyebrow.
"Involving paint…"
"What? I can't stand the suspense!"
"Filled the basketballs with paint." I nearly fell over laughing, picturing the player who got that ball and looked to see why it was so heavy.
"…paint all over the uniforms and no one can prove it was us 'cause they didn't think anything's gonna happen if there ain't Charlie Dalton leading the art rejects." He snickered at our title. The art rejects; that's what we were called, but it never really sunk in, our skins were just too thick. My bangs had fallen into my face, obliterating my eyes, and I was trying in vain to shake them away. Joel, who'd always had a problem with them since third grade, impatiently moved them for me to the delight of our friends, who laughed and a few made suggestive comments. I would have given them the finger if my dad hadn't been walking by to refill a few wineglasses. I hadn't dated much when I had been here to live, now it seemed I never I would. Welton was cutting me off from my life.
I've never told you much about my history. I know you know that Kelly is my best friend. But did you know that I had the biggest crush on Tony when I was twelve, or that I'd pulled my first Art Club prank as a scared freshman or how we gained Joel after Kayla died? Or maybe just how much I missed all of them. Daring Kelly, who had the nerve enough to quite frankly tell off the administration on more than one occasion, cynical Kara, the only art reject to successfully date her way through the entire offensive line of the football team and dump everyone of them, dramatic Tony, leader of the school theater and never without a smile, (please, don't make assumptions when I say this, this is how everyone describes him) sweet Joel, who we all felt bad for because he'd been so lost after his twin died, and sadistic Fran, who, if ever, she was to be positive, it would be a miracle.
Kelly interrupted everyone with a bottle and a plan.
0-o-0
Apparently, telling Kelly about what happened that night at the Overstreet's had not been a good idea. Her idea? Well, we all had to kiss someone at midnight. All of the people from our school that had turned out were paired up, heck, even some of the parents joined in. Now we were counting down the seconds to 1984. Kelly had arranged herself comfortably on Tony's lap and was teasing him with a piece of cake that she'd snagged from the food table. I scanned the room and prayed to god that no one would see Kara and Pete having the time of their short lives on the leather armchair. With ten seconds to go, all the couples amassed to watch the hands of the clock swing us into the New Year.
"Charlie!" screamed Kelly (I think maybe she'd snitched a little wine), "Who you doing?"
"No one!" I yelled.
"The heck with that!" she motioned wildly with her hands. "JOEL!"
Oh, jesus christ, what now? Kelly had reached around until the person she'd summoned had appeared, and she grabbed him.
"Joel," she was definitely a touch drunk, "You and Charlie are gonna kiss, k? Now I know you want to," Kelly poked his chest for emphasis. "'Cause all you talk about how much you miss Charlie."
He smiled sheepishly at me and I rolled me eyes. Good god, things had gotten out of control in my absence! I obliged my friend as things wound to five seconds.
"FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" the entire room chorused before the majority kissed someone. We looked around, Joel and I, all of our friends were finishing up. We looked back at each other as their eyes turned to us.
"Nothing to it but to do it?" he asked.
"E-yup." I answered.
0-o-0
It was about one in the morning and the activity had yet to subside. The cheap champagne that was going around had circulated to those beneath the drinking age as well. I'd pressed but one glass to my lips and found that I, in fact, did not hold liquor well. In truth, after only one glass, I was so disoriented that I'd let Joel swing his arm around my waist and hold me like that. We were all gathered around a common area again, sitting and talking. I'd settled into the corner of the sofa, Joel so very close, and was conversing with Kelly. After a while, the fire and it's heat got the better of me and I got sleepy. Joel was already out like a light, breathing evenly into my neck. As I drowsed off, all I could think about was how much of a repeat this was…
My dad woke me up at about seven in the morning, Kelly and Fran knocked out on the couch. He shook my head as I rubbed my eye trying to deal with my head ache as it pounded against my forehead. Dad directed me to my room and said he'd bring me some tea and aspirin. I stumbled over Theo, who was asleep on the stairs and made it to my bed. I lowered myself into the flannel sheets I'd put on it and wrapped up tight. My eyes adjusted to the dark of the room; I'd left all of the shades drawn tight. There was something on my dresser; a note of bright white paper. I picked it up and slowly read:
Charlie,
579 Tremont St Write me…
Joel
I ran my eyes over it again and again. Write me. I folded the paper and stuffed it into a bag that was going back with me. Dad brought me my tea and I was all smiles; as much as I was sure there was a jackhammer on the loose in my head.
0-o-0
I awoke again at about six that evening. Wow, that had really taken the energy right out of me. I couldn't find Theo as I crept down the stairs in pursuit of food, but I could here my parents in the kitchen…and it wasn't the best news.
"Charlie," I heard my mother sigh, "This payment for the school…how much longer do you think we can afford it?"
"Lizzie, Lottie's a good girl, she'll get good grades-
"That wasn't the point."
"I was hoping you'd forget." I listened to my mom walk around the kitchen, it sounded like she was pacing.
"We can't afford this! Charlotte's not going to ever get a scholarship, and they weren't so happy to see you."
"Well, what did you expect?"
"Charlie…why can't we bring her back here?"
"Now? No, she's staying there, end of story."
"Why are you so bent on this, Charlie, you have to tell me!"
"I can't – I don't know why!"
"The place is such a bad memory for you…why do you bother?"
"Liz –
"Charles." My mother leveled her voice.
"Why do you have to question everything?"
"And why shouldn't I? You just sent our daughter to a boarding school four hours away where she's out numbered by boys everywhere and probably scared to death-
"Our Charlie? In case you haven't noticed she's perfectly fine."
"For how long? What if one of those little perversity ridden cads takes advantage of her?"
"Liz, I don't think this is what's wrong-
"It's not!" my mother suddenly screamed
"Then what is?" Dad's voice was set in steel and cold as it was outside.
"Why did you get to make this decision! You never asked either one of us about this until a week before, barely enough time to buy a uniform and all that other crap we dropped a bundle on! You can't do this!" I couldn't help but agree with my mother, I hadn't been asked or informed, I'd just been sent off. I felt a small twinge of resentment in my chest at my father. Last night, oh last night, I could never do that with my Welton friends – only my home friends. I wanted to come back to stay!
"Lizzie-Lou-
"No, no." I heard my mother putting things down and shoving the contents of the sink around. "No, Charles, no. I won't take it anymore…I won't."
I then lost my balance, in shock over hearing my parents fight for the first time in my memory, and made a large thud on the staircase. They silenced themselves…but I don't know…something was about to happen.
0-o-0
Kelly and everyone swung by for my last night until February vacation, a whole two months! I told Joel I'd gotten his note; he flamed red underneath his black hair and mumbled something about I didn't have to write him if I didn't want to, considering I hadn't even penned anything for Kelly. I'd smiled brightly, told him of course I would write him and mussed his dark hair playfully. The night continued until one o'clock, ending on someone's rooftop where we were observing the stars, no one caring that it was freezing out but rather that we were all just back together.
0-o-0
The next morning I was forced out of bed by my dad full of protest. I don't wanna go back to school dad! I don't wanna! I had packed my bags in advance (good thing too) and only had to whip them into the trunk of the Prix before we were off! After an hour and a half of driving, we stopped in Salem, New Hampshire, to fill up on gas and for me to change into regular clothes. As I tugged my black turtle neck, Joel's note fell out. I picked it up and fingered the handwriting. As I packed my things up, I kept it and a small drawing pad out, along with a pen, with plans of writing. But when I finally strode out of the bathroom, Dad tossed me the keys and hopped into the passenger seat.
"You're driving, kiddo." He said, pushing his beaten black beret over his eyes and stretching out, "I'm gonna get some sleep."
I rolled my eyes and started the car up. I'd only gotten my license a few months ago in the summer. I moved the car out onto the highway. Boy, I hope I knew where I was going.
I rolled into Welton and shut the car off to the surprised eyes of the administrators and the students. Sean, who'd arrived some time earlier, let his eyes widen, their gaze switching between the car and me behind the wheel. After about two or three minutes of awkward silence he asked, "They actually let you, you who has so many war stories of getting into trouble, drive?"
I smirked. "Well, duh."
Sean shook his head and called to the others; apparently Anderson and I were the only ones let behind the wheel of a car and allowed onto public roads. My dad, later of course, raised his eyebrows and wanted to know, "What did you tell them?"
I grinned sheepishly, "Nothin'."
Me: So, what do you think? Is it good? I'm trying to make things happen! Charlie: ((snorts)) All you did was bring another person into these stupid things you call author's notes. Joel: I'm not stupid! Charlie: I never said you were. Anderson: ((grumbles about something)) Me: What are you saying? Danny, Sabrina, Sean and Geoff: He's a little j-e-a-l-o-u-s. If you catch our drift. Anderson: I am most certainly not! Me: I dunno Anderson, you could be… Anderson: Well, I'm not jealous…you can have the witch. Joel: Uh huh, thanks…I think…I don't even know why I'm here…can I go home? Everyone: ((laughs)) What do you think? Joel: Um…so…where's the bathroom? Danny: That's the spirit! Me: Ok…((sighs and shakes her head)) guys… Joel: Hey, what's Good Charlotte and why is GC written all over your pants? Me: You stay away from that mister. Charlie: ((grabs the Chronicles, The Young and The Hopeless and the GC pants)) Actually, they're a pretty good band. Joel: Explain… Me: ((takes the CD away)) Not for you! Charlie and Joel: Aw, come on! Me: ((in an offhand tone to the readers)) I'm on a GC kick this week, please don't mind the fact that I named a character after a band member- Joel: You did what now! Me: And now I'm thinking I'm going to regret doing so. Joel: What are you talking about! Me: Ugh, stop being so girly. Anyway, if these past three chapters have seemed rather dull, eh, well, that's my fault. I was busy with the surprise literary jokes in the next. I want to tell you so bad what's gonna happen, but I can't…I want to…but I can't.