Chapter 8

Gretchen's POV

"Here you go Gretchen" I look up as the librarian sets the "the Great Gatsby" in front of me.

Sighing I reach for the novel that I have to read for English Lit. This is just great, another novel that I have to analyze until the story is lost and all that is left is a bunch of meaningless nonsense.

Why did I take this class again? O right because my parents thought that I should try to be more rounded with my studies so that universities will see me as a well rounded individual. What a bunch of crap.

I understand that a lot of people are applying for universities but why can't we just stick to subjects that we're good at and enjoy doing. I would take math and science in a heart beat where there is always just one correct answer over a class where everything is left to a debate. But I can't have everything I want.

Picking up the book I began to read while looking for any hidden meanings and symbols. How are you supposed to enjoy a story if you always have to look for that crap?

"Excuse me, Gretchen?" Startled from my own thoughts I look up at the girl in front of me. This must be the new girl I kept hearing about today. And I must admit that she is rather pretty with her unruly hair and slightly exotic look. But it's her eyes that catch my attention; unlike most kids her eyes show a depth to them. In the back of my mind bells are ringing that there is something really familiar about her as well.

God it must suck to transfer midyear. I can't even imagine the problems that would lead to with catching up and making friends. For the most part everyone has had their group of friends since grade eight.

I remember Gus telling us how awkward he felt on his first day of school way back in elementary. God the crap Gus was put through for being the new kid was ridiculous. I wonder if it's the same in high school. Gus always said the only thing that kept him from quitting was the gang.

God we had fun. Why couldn't we have stayed young forever with the only worries being what the lunch lady would serve and if Finster would catch us misbehaving. No thoughts of what universities were looking for, no thorough analyzing of books, no Great Gatsby for that instance. All that mattered was the gang.

Where did that come from?

"Hi, um… I just transferred here and am a little behind in math, Mr. Hewber said that you might be able to tutor me" she looks down at me a little nervously. Why is she nervous? O wait I'm staring. Note to self when mind wanders look at ground and not at people.

I'm about to turn her down, I mean I have so much to do it's not even funny. But the memories of the old gang and how happy Gus was for our help is fresh in my mind and I can't seem to say no.

"um sure lets see what you need to do…" I look at her expectantly and catch a look of surprise almost like she was expecting me to say something else.

"O sorry it's Elli" she says as she sits beside me and opens her math book. The cursed Gatsby is pushed out of my mind as I try to see what I can do to help Elli.

Near the end of lunch

It would have been a very successful lunch tutoring session since Elli seemed to understand everything I was saying and comprehending what she was doing wrong but we kept getting interrupted.

I admit that I normally get disturbed once or twice by fellow class mates who need help or just want to talk but it almost seemed liked the whole class decided that today was the day that they needed to talk to me. It was quite obvious however that they were just checking out the new girl.

Elli reacted a lot like I did finding the situation annoying but at the same time almost humorous. Unlike me she did have to grit her teeth for a couple of the denser students who wouldn't take a hint that we were trying to work.

"God I feel like I'm some sort of side show freak out on display" Elli muttered to herself after another student walked away to give her friends any news she had been able to get on the new girl. I grin at her and she grins back and I feel once again that nagging feeling that I really should be recognizing her but how could I possibly know Elli.

"Hey Gretch, who's your friend" I hold back and groan as I look up and see Lawson approach our table.

"Damn" Elli mutters to herself causing me to look at her. She's looking at Lawson with…. Is that disgust? How could she possibly know about Lawson's reputation for drugs and skirt chasing not to mention abuse? Most of the females who just meet him think he is gorgeous and just start to flirt.

Lawson noticing that Elli is looking at him smiles cockily and eyes her up and down. I can almost see him mentally undressing her….eww that is just nasty.

"Hey babe, why don't you let me take you out tonight so I can show you around and you can try to think of some way to repay my generosity"

God he is such a jerk. I hear a snort and look at Elli who has one eyebrow raised. How do people do that?

"So Gretchen before we were so rudely interrupted you were trying to explain this problem" Elli asks looking away from Lawson and back down at the math question.

I feel myself grin at the look of pure shock that runs through Lawsons face. But my grin fades as the shock on Lawson's face turns to rage. Lawson isn't someone that you should upset.

In elementary school he had been a bully but he had had his boundaries, lines that he wouldn't cross. Yes he would cause trouble for me and my friends because he had been jealous of always being second best to Vince. When he had gotten to high school he had had enough and started to take steroids in order to be better then Vince. Slowly those lines that he once wouldn't have crossed began to fade as the drug took control of him. The sad thing was he was still almost always second in everything Vince did.

And now he stood very mad in front of us… shit this isn't good. I look nervously at Elli and practically fall out of my chair when I see her staring him down with a look that is ice cold. I look back at Lawson and my jaw drops open is he backing down?

"Hey Lawson, leave the ladies alone" I hear Vince coming before I see him and I hear a very un-lady like snort beside me. Thank you god for sending help…. Although I'm not to sure if we needed it. But I'm relieved just the same as Lawson leaves.

"Gretch, you okay" I look up at TJ who came up beside Vince and I smile to reassure him that I'm fine. He smiles back at me and then looks down at Elli and frowns slightly. I turn to look at Elli and am once again shocked to see that the girl who was staring down the meanest guy in the school looks down right panicky now with the school jock and Mr popular himself standing before her.

"Vince, TJ, this is Elli" I watch as they both smile and shake her hand….. and she goes from looking panicky to mystified to finally it looks like she's trying hard not to laugh.

What is going on?

The boys look just as puzzled as I feel. Finally she gets control of her emotions and replies with her own nice to meet you but I can still hear the laughter in it.

TJ smiles warmly at her as he takes a seat across from her and Vince leans against a bookshelf. She shifts uncomfortably as they begin to ask the normal questions of where she's from.

"Elli?" Another voice joins the conversation making me jump. I had been so involved in the conversation and how Elli seemed to dodge questions about her past that I hadn't even heard anyone come up behind me.

"Hey Eric what's up?" I look at Elli who now looks relieved at seeing Menlow.

What the hell is going on?

"I just got a call for you and they asked if I could take a message" Menlow says as he hands her a piece of paper. As she scans it Menlow is looking at us curiously.

"Damn it" Elli mutters causing us all to look at her. Shaking her head she turns to Menlow "Thanks for bringing me this" then she turns to me "I think I've got the hang of this new type of formula thanks for giving me a hand" Then she stands up gathers her books grabs a phone out of her bag and pauses giving us all one more look.

"It was great meeting you all" and with that she walks away with Menlow staring at her as if she's crazy.

"Are you two friends Menlow?" TJ asks as he watches her walk away.

"You are kidding right?" Menlow replies looking at TJ then Vince and finally at me waiting for us to say something unknown to the rest of us. His eyebrows raise and he finally shakes his head. "No I wouldn't call us friends more like old acquaintances" he gives us all one more puzzled look and walks away.

After a moment of silence Vince finally says the one thing that is one all of our minds.

"Well… that was weird"