A/N: Not sure if the disclaimer is necessary. If you don't know which characters I don't own, please slap yourself repeatedly. Xx Ella
P.S. I'd like to specially thank all of my reviewers for leaving amazing comments. Thank you to wintertwist87, SinisterShadows, Arinna Black, not-so-average-07, TragicCure, Leave your hat on, Kermitfries, SleepWalks, Neith4Weiss, Hayley Jean, and lovelylinds!
Chapter 5
"You have to close your eyes." Savannah, the babysitter my mom had hired over the summer, took Reid and I to the park today. It wasn't too hot yet, since summer had just begun, but it wasn't too chilly either. Savannah was reading a book while sitting on a wooden bench, shaded by a huge willow tree. Reid and I were making sand castles near the tire swing.
"But I don't want to!" I protested. I had my hands buried underneath the sand.
"Just do it, please." He pouted, his bottom lip pushed out. "Trust me."
I closed my eyes.
A few seconds later I felt a pair of very chapped lips press against mine.
I pulled back, my eyes wide with surprise. "What was that for?"
Reid looked dumbfounded. "I saw my dad to that to my mom once."
"That's gross." I resumed patting the sand in front of me.
Soon enough curiosity peaked my interest yet again. I leaned forward and planted my lips on Reid's.
"What was that for?" This time, he was asking me. I shrugged, and resumed pushing the sand around my fingers into a pile.
"Eliza, will you marry me?" I watched as he let the sand in his hand, trickle through his fingers, and fall to the ground.
"Okay."
"Time to go." I heard Savannah sing to us from the wooden bench.
xx
I pulled my white Easter dress over my head and straightened my hair with my fingers. I looked in the mirror and put on some extra Bonnie Bell chap stick, for when the groom kisses the bride.
"Are you ready?" Reid, wearing one of his dad suits, looked as though he didn't have any hands or feet. His hair wasn't combed, he wasn't wearing any shoes that I could see, but he still looked adorable.
"Umm, yeah." I said, straightening out my dress and picking up the bouquet of dandelion seed heads that I had grouped together a few hours ago.
I walked over to Reid and grabbed onto his arm.
We made a walkway using the mats from the bathroom, leading from my bedroom to the loft, in my parents house. There, in the loft was my mom (my dad was working), Pogo, Tyler, and Reid's parents. Caleb was the minister.
"YOU GUYS HAVE TO SING!" I yelled out from my room. Echo's of "Here Comes The Bride" could be heard from outside. "Let's go." I said to Reid, as we jazz walked our way down the aisle of bath mats lined with toilet paper and potpourri.
I could hear my mom and Natasha 'oohing' and 'ahhing' and I shushed them as Reid and I came to a stop, right in front of Caleb. He was standing on a stool, holding a Bible up to his face.
At seven years old, Caleb was an extremely chubby and short 'brother' to Reid. When Reid wasn't hanging out with me, he was with Caleb or his other brothers, Tyler and Pogo.
I looked over and saw that Tyler and Pogo were not paying attention, and instead were playing with Lego's. Tyler had built a fake gun with his blocks and was shooting an imaginary target, while Pogo was trying to stack one Lego on top of the other. He hadn't realized the Lego he was holding was upside down.
"Hello, we are gathered here today to celebrate the wedding of Reid and Eliza. Umm, do you Reid, take Eliza to be your wife?" Caleb said in a very high pitched voice. I could hear both moms giggling. Reid's dad had his video camera out and was recording us with it.
"I do." Reid said proudly and slipped on a ring (made out of a garbage twisty-tie) onto my finger.
"Eliza do you take Reid to be your husband?"
"I do." I slipped the ring I had made for Reid onto his finger.
"Okay you're married now." Caleb closed the bible and set it down on the ground.
"You may kiss the bride." I heard my mom call out above my shoulder.
This was the moment I had been using my bubblegum flavored chap stick all day for. I pursed my lips and leaned forward. Reid did the same and the second our lips connected I heard Tyler, Caleb, and Pogo mumble out their 'ewws' while the moms 'awwed' in the corner.
"Okay let's go play Nintendo now." Reid threw down my hand and headed into the living room.
I dropped my bouquet of weeds and ran in after them. "I'm the bride. I go first!"
"Miss Brennan, is there something glued to the back of Mr. Garwin's head or are you just staring at him?" Mr. Pennyworth's disturbing gaze caught mine. Damn it, I really need to start paying attention.
My morning had been a hard one. I woke up twenty minutes before I had to be in first period. Instead of going to class, I took a thirty minute shower hoping I'd feel somewhat better. No chance in that. And to top it off no amount of Starbucks and Advil could cure my hangover. I was feeling like crap.
The class snickered. I blushed a furious shade of pink. This is embarrassing. I was staring.
I mumbled out a lame apology and Mr. Pennyworth asked me to read the next paragraph in the text book. We were reading through the beginning stages of how the United States entered the second world war. It wasn't an interesting read since I hated history. Especially government-monitored history.
"On December 8,1941, Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan, one day after they bombed our bases in Hawaii. Three days later, on December 11, Hitler declared war on the United States on behalf of Germany…" Mr. Pennyworth held up his hand.
"Thank you Miss Brennan. Mr. Garwin, do you find my class boring?"
Reid's head shot up. "No sir. Miss Brennan was droning on and I couldn't help but nod off." Smartass.
The class snickered, yet again. This time my face didn't turn pink out of embarrassment. It was out of anger.
"Oh shut it Reid, I only read like two sentences." I kicked the back of his chair rather harshly.
Reid shot up. "Mr. Pennyworth! Mr. Pennyworth did you see that? She just kicked my chair!" What was he? A five year old?!
"You're lucky the chair was in the way, otherwise I would have kicked your-"
"ENOUGH!" Mr. Pennyworth's face was a bright shade of red. The class was eerily quiet. In all my years of history with Mr. Pennyworth, I had never seen him this visibly angry. "The two of you will be joining me, after school all week long." His voice was back to it's regular high pitch.
"But-" I started to protest.
"Say it Miss Brennan, please say it. I'd love to make it a month long affair." The sarcasm in his voice was thick.
I sat back in my chair, crossed my arms against my chest, and huffed. I was not looking forward to my weeklong detention with that prick. I can't believe I actually thought I liked him! After everything we've been through he had the nerve to tell on me! What the hell was that about? We were seniors in high school not second graders!
Too bad Reid didn't have eyes on the back of his head. Otherwise he would have been able to see the evil death glare I was giving him. Too bad I couldn't shoot lasers out of my eyes either. Now that, would be a show.
xx
PDA. Public Displays of Affection. Personally, holding a hand a maybe a peck on the cheek is okay. Humping up against each other at the lockers is going a little too far. I liked to think he was doing that to spite me. But I knew better. He was a man whore for a reason.
But Justine? Really, what did she have that I didn't?
It was disgusting, seeing her with Reid one minute and then Matt the next. And it was as if she wasn't even trying to hide it. She's in her dorm room with Matt one minute and the next she's under the bleachers with Reid. Everyone knew about it too, including the Sons, well… minus Reid. Why hadn't anyone said anything to him? Aren't they supposed to be his friends?
xx
"Pick a partner and grab a tennis racket." Mr. Roberts, the PE teacher was ordering us students. Naveed and I quickly paired off, being that she's the only girl I'm friends with in my PE class. I looked over at Justine and noted that she was walking hand in hand with Matt, towards the tennis courts. She looked silly in the PE uniform. Short red shorts and a long grey shirt aren't really fashionable, but the way she had her shirt tied up so her pale stomach was showing, definitely screamed WHORE.
She wasn't that pretty. Sure, she had a killer figure but her face was really the disgrace! I mean, sure if I were a guy I'd tap that. But I'd totally throw a paper bag over her head first!
"How does he not know?" I asked Naveed, following closely behind Justine and boyfriend number two. "How is it that NO ONE has said anything to Reid?"
"Justine is probably the most popular girl at school. If you cross her you'll be excommunicated by the popular crowd. And anyone that attends Spencer's knows that popularity is everything." Naveed picked her wedgie. She was just so tactless sometimes. But it was funny, and I laughed at her.
I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but sports and I don't mesh well together. To top it off, tennis was a sport where you hit balls at another person, and balls flying in my face is just not something I'm used too. No sexual innuendo intended. Although he sun was shining and the afternoon was starting to warm up slightly, I couldn't help but feel depressingly awkward standing on my side of the court, holding up a racket the size of Rhode Island in my tiny red gym shorts.
"Alright class, you'll be playing until I blow the whistle. If you slack off, I'll mark off points." Mr. Roberts voice could barely be heard over all the tennis balls being thrown, hit, and ricocheting on the tennis courts. It sounded almost like a symphony.
A tennis ball flew into my court with force. "Sorry" I heard Matt say as he ran by to collect it. Matt and Justine were in the tennis court right next to us. Seeing the ball 'accidentally' fly into my side of the court gave me an idea.
A brilliant idea.
I looked over at Justine and smiled. She was looking over at me, but she wasn't smiling. Nope, she was glaring. That only made me smile even more. I was about to wipe that smirk right off her face and she had no idea!
I bounced the ball off the ground and swung my racket which made a loud WHOOSHING noise. The ball bounced back on the ground. Nothing. All I had managed to hit was the air. I heard Naveed giggle and I tried again, this time I hit the ball, and my target.
Justine.
Who was standing in the court next to us, to the right of Naveed. I hit her square in her plastic breasts. "Whoopsie!" I faked my apology. Naveed only giggled harder.
Justine huffed. Her glare faltered. Mission accomplished.
Naveed had the ball, tossed it in the air, and swung. I was too busy concentrating on the ball Naveed had just hit, that I didn't see the one Justine had aimed in my direction. Naveed's ball hit the net in the middle of our tennis court. Justine's ball hit my stomach, making a loud SMACK and I groaned.
It took a few moments to register what had happened. That really hurt. My gloves are coming off now!
"You two-timing whore!" I yelled out at her and threw down my racket. I charged after her, like a bull would charge a matador with a little red clothe. She was wearing red shorts after all.
I tumbled into Justine, pulling her down with me. Her fists balled up strands of my hair and tugged. I wasn't aware that I had let out a small yelp. I pulled back so that my knees were supporting me and I threw a punch. It was a decent punch, granted I hadn't fought this hard since elementary school when Bertie the class bully stole my apple juice, but I'm sure Justine would have a nice shiner for a few days or so. I heard a loud POP as my right fist connected with her left eye. "That's for Reid."
I stood up and tried to tame my wild hair. The ponytail that I had it up in before PE started was long gone. My tresses were now around my shoulders in a tangled mess. Mr. Roberts ran up between us. "Provost's office now!" He yelled. I glanced up and nearly cried out in happiness. Mr. Roberts was talking to Justine. Apparently he thought she had started the fight.
"But-" She cried out holding her hand over her eye.
"No 'buts' about it. Get going Miss Baker!" I glanced at Naveed and she still had her hand covering her mouth. I don't think she knew I had that one planned out.
xx
I nearly skipped into dention later that afternoon after school had ended. The news was around school that I, Eliza Brennan, was a hardcore boxer, and Justine Baker's face was my boxing bag.
I threw open the door of Mr. Pennyworth's class a little too hard. I was excited that I'd finally get a chance to talk to Reid. I nearly froze as I entered the classroom.
"Mr. Pennyworth, why is Justine here?" I asked him curiously while eyeing Justine up and down. She was sitting next to Reid, one hand carelessly playing with a strand of his hair. I fought the impending urge to smack it away.
Justine looked up at the sound of her name, and smirked.
"She's serving detention as well." He said matter of factly. "Take a seat Miss Brennan, detention has started."
I smiled back at Justine, and took a seat on the other side of Reid whose head was buried deep within his chemistry book.
This was going to be an interesting week in detention, that's for sure.
"Why do you say things like that?" I was sitting next to Bordy, eating lunch with him and his friends; Aaron and Ryan.
"What? You don't really like the Sons of Ipswich? I know you used to be friends with that blonde queer," Aaron pointed to Reid, who was sitting at a table across the room, "but that was back then. We're in high school now."
"They're not all that bad." I was defending them now. God what next? I'll start hanging around Garwin now too?
"What do you mean 'they're not all that bad?' Just look at them." Aaron pointed again. I wanted to break his long boney finger.
"Seriously, they're really nice once you get to know them. Maybe not their girlfriends, but they are." Aaron huffed and I could feel Bordy tense up as I spoke.
"So, do you think coach will let me swim next meet." Ryan broke the silence. I had a feeling he didn't change the subject on purpose. Ryan was always a little dense.
"Fuck no. Not with those fags on the team." Aaron was always jealous of the 'Sons of Ipswich.' He desperately wanted the popularity the boys had. Instead of being popular, he was infamous around Spencer's for being a prick. The only reason he was nice to me (if you even want to call it that), was because I was dating his best friend, Bordy.
I looked over at the group of guys my boyfriend and his friend hated with a passion. Caleb and Tyler were deep in conversation, while Pogue and Kate were in a heated make out session. Reid of course, had his arm draped around a random girl and was feeding her his lunch. I rolled my eyes. The Reid Garwin the school knows now is so different than the Reid Garwin I used to know before high school started. I guess that's what happens sometimes. Friends drift apart. People change.
"What are you guys doing this summer?" Ryan asked Bordy and I, interrupting my thoughts. I turned my gaze from Reid back towards the boys at my table.
"My parents invited Bordy to go to the Hamptons with us this summer." I answered for him. Bordy's parents didn't come from old money like mine had. They both worked in Boston. His dad was a dentist and his mother was a chiropractor. They had jumped at the invitation, when we said we'd pay for everything. I think they didn't want to have to worry about him alone, at home, during the entire summer. Because wherever Bordy went, so did Aaron. And wherever Aaron was, trouble followed close behind.
"Oh, how convenient." Aaron rolled his eyes. I think he was just jealous.
The discussion soon turned into the end of the year party some seniors were throwing at the dells in a few weeks, while I turned my attention back to Reid. I looked over and was a little surprised so see that he was staring at me.
We sat there like that, Bordy being lost in conversation, the bimbo on Reid's arm talking animatedly to a group of girls that had gathered around Reid, while Reid and I sat silently, staring at each other. I smiled, unsure of what to do. We hadn't really talked much this past year, other than when I needed my cigarettes, or if we had a detention together. We had different groups of friends, different extra-curricular activities, and different classes. We were just different.
Reid smiled back and I noted the emptiness in his eyes. He didn't look like the rambunctious Reid anymore. He looked like he had been hit by a truck, repeatedly, but hadn't bruised, scarred or anything. He looked sad.
The first twenty minutes of detention started off slow and completely silent. I was doodling in my composition book sitting next to Reid (who was sleeping), and he was sitting next to Justine, who was 'reading' or as I liked to call it, glaring at me out of the corner of her eyes. Well, maybe she was glaring at me out of just one eye, because the other one was swollen shut.
Ha-ha!
"Miss Brennan, do you find something funny?" Mr. Pennyworth asked me without even glancing up from his desk.
"Justine's face." I muttered in barely a whisper.
"What was that?" Mr. Pennyworth looked up from the papers sprawled all over his desk.
"Nothing sir." I said louder. Justine huffed and sat back in her chair. I knew she had heard me. Mr. Pennyworth continued on, grading his papers.
I turned my attention back to my composition book/art drawing. My dad used to tell me that when we doodle aimlessly, our minds are subconsciously trying to tell us something. I concentrated on the scribbles in front of me. I even closed one eye and squinted, hoping that I would find some sort of masterpiece. All I could make out was some sort of wounded butterfly, or maybe it was just a cheeseburger? I couldn't tell. I wasn't really into art all that much. Unless you counted fashion as art. Then in that case, I'm like Picasso, or Ghirardelli… wait, isn't that chocolate?
I tapped my pen on my desk as I contemplated a career in chocolate art. People do pursue that, I've seen things on television where an Artist or a Baker makes a dress completely out of chocolate. It's fascinating, really.
A few more minutes dragged on and I noticed that Justine had fallen into a slumber as well. I smiled mischievously as I leaned over Reid, holding out my pen, all the while inching the blue ink closer towards Justine's upper lip.
I started snickering quietly. If only I had a permanent marker my life would be complete. I doodled darkly enough to leave a few markings but lightly enough so she wouldn't wake up. I snickered at my creation.
If Mrs. Jennings, my art teacher, thinks I lacked creativity before, she had nothing on me now! Justine sat there, her arms cradling her head, with a Hitler like mustache drawn from blue pen on her upper lip.
I was laughing quietly as I moved my hand away from her face that I didn't have enough time to catch the blue ink pen that had fallen out of my right hand. Sadly, it landed smack dab in the middle of Reid's lap, just inches away from his… area. My smile faded and I hadn't realized I had held my breathe as Reid twitched, but thankfully did not wake up. I looked down at his jeans again, I mean I dropped my pen, so I was really only picking it up anyways. It's not like I was copping a feel or fondling him or anything. The normal reaction would be to pick up the pen, even if it fell on the floor instead of Reid's crotch. How different was this situation anyways?
I closed my eyes and plunged my hand down as quick as I could. I grabbed a hold of the pen, and maybe an inch or so of Reid (not intentionally I swear) and pulled.
"Ahhh!"
I jumped in my seat, dropping my pen and the part of Reid I had not intended to grab. I could feel my eyelids stretching wide, and my eyes themselves felt as though they were about to pop out of my head. I did not just do that!
My cheeks were on fire and I didn't know what to say. I looked up at Reid, whose mouth had formed a perfect 'o' and I noted how wide his eyes were too.
I sat there, looking like a fish out of water, as nothing came out of my mouth. Not one word. Not one syllable. Not even a sound!
"What the hell is going on?" Mr. Pennyworth was standing up at his desk, his arms planted firmly on his hips, eyeing both Reid and I suspiciously.
"Do you want to tell him or should I?" Reid snickered. He was amused! What the hell?
I sat there, frozen, with that ridiculous shocked expression splayed across my face. I was embarrassed.
"Miss Brennan asked me for a piece of paper. It just scared me, that's all." He lied to our history teacher. He turned his attention back on me and smirked. If it was possible to die from humiliation I would have been dead.
"Screaming is not an acceptable answer and I don't believe a word you just said Mr. Garwin, but I'm going to let it slide, because we're halfway through detention today and I have plans later." Mr. Pennyworth sounded exhausted. He sat back down and started rummaging though the stack of papers spread across his desk.
Reid's attention turned back on me, but before he could give me another smirk or say anything sarcastic, I quickly flipped the page in my composition book and began writing aimlessly with a new pen I had retreived from my purse, turning my body so I wasn't facing him anymore. And to think, I still had another half hour left in this hell-hole.
xx
The next thirty minutes of my life was a complete waste. I sat there, silent, in my seat hoping that I could just magically disappear into thin air. Sadly, I wasn't being realistic and instead turned my intended disappearing act into a full-blown "I wonder what he's thinking" fantasy. So far I had come up with three plausible reasons as to why Reid reacted the way he did. Number one, he was embarrassed too and he reacted the way any hormonal teenage boy would, by being amused and slightly aroused. Number two, Reid was awake the whole time and when I wasn't looking he knocked the pen from my hand and placed it in his crotch because he wanted me to grab it. And number three, Reid was awoken from his sleep by a beautiful fiery red-head who was fondling his nether regions and secretly liked it.
I brushed all three imaginary reasons off. Reid was Reid. Words could never describe him or his reactions.
Mr. Pennyworth's timer buzzed and I hopped out of my seat and out of his class in record time. I seriously high-tailed my cute ass out of there towards my dorm room, not looking in every direction. I was just about to make my way out from a corner when I ran into something warm and hard, which caused me to fall over onto that cute ass of mine. My composition book went flying across the cement.
"Whoa, sorry there." I heard someone say in a deep voice.
I stood up and straightened my skirt. "Sorry" I mumbled as I looked around for my stuff.
My eyes met his and I nearly fainted on the spot.
"Oh, Hi Matt."
He handed over my composition book.
"Hi."
"Sorry about that." I mumbled. Talk about awkward.
"It's okay, really, I wasn't looking either." He smiled. He looked kind of cute when he smiled.
I smiled back, with a new plan brewing in my head. "Would you mind helping me back to my dorms, I feel kind of dizzy." I brought the back of my hand up to my forehead as I swayed a little, for dramatic effect of course.
He reached out, placing his hand on my lower back, to help stead me. "Sure, I don't mind at all."
My smile grew wider. It's like they say, 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.'