That morning The Four Seasons started blaring on the tiny radio I had, awakening me abruptly; and not pleasantly. "Big Girls Don't Cry" filled my whole room with a cheery beat that I wasn't exactly ready for. It was 8:00 in the morning and I was terrified for school, maybe "Heart In Hand" by Brenda Lee would have been a better choice for the DJ to play, something sad and sullen; just what I needed.
I decided on a black pleated skirt, and my pink mohair short-sleeved sweater. I looked in the mirror, I didn't feel pretty at all, I felt like a dog in a skirt. I huffed and charged down the stairs trying to avoid my family as much as possible. I just wanted to get out the door. This day was already setting itself up to be horrible, and I didn't need my parents to make it worse.
"Lola honey? Off so soon? You don't have to leave for another twenty minutes!" I was almost out the door when I heard my mother's shrill voice from the kitchen; I cringed.
I wasn't really close to my family at all. I'd been trying for a good ten years to possibly have a tolerant relationship with them, I even tried to impress them as well; but after awhile I just gave up on that. Nothing was ever good enough for them anyway. After trying too many times, I just decided that avoiding them was for the better.
I knew there was no escape, so I dragged myself into our half-boxed-up kitchen. My family sat at the table, each with a perfectly arranged plate of eggs and bacon. I just hoped I choked on some bacon and died, then maybe wouldn't have to go to school, or interact with my family.
"So Sophia, are you excited for school?" My mother smiled, she had lipstick on her teeth.
"Of course I am!" Sophia said in the most transparent voice in the world, she straightened her napkin out on her lap, and I tried my hardest not to roll my eyes.
"How about you Lola?" My mother sounded less enthused, I guess I am just painfully boring.
"I am excited to see my friends I guess." I mumbled sifting my fork through my eggs.
"Oh..are you going to be seeing that Chambers boy?" My mother said, in a repulsed tone.
My parents had some real issues with Chris Chambers. It was because he came from a real bad family, and that his dad was a abusive drinker. I guess they thought that Chris was bad too. My mother had more of a problem with him than my dad did, but my dad still wasn't friendly whenever he saw Chris.
It was sad because Chris was the sweetest boy I knew, and he would never hurt a fly. He was always polite to my parents when we would hang out, but my parents were still super cold to him. After that, my parents didn't say another word to me. They were too busy kissing Sophia's ass. I left for school, my parents didn't even say goodbye.
Castle Rock High School was huge, a lot bigger than the grammar school I remembered. I approached the school with caution, It seemed almost threatening. It took a real amount of pep-talking to force myself into the building, I just wanted to turn around and run home. Kids crowded the hallways, I didn't recognize any of them; not one. I felt really overwhelmed and I wanted to puke. All I could see was big hair and cat eye glasses, screaming, laughing. cursing, it was too much; too much. I slowly started to back away, before hitting someone.
"WATCH IT WILL YA!?" The voice shouted and I whipped around,
A tall kid with Buddy Holly glasses in a forest green flannel, glared at me. He looked real familiar, and my stomach flipped as I laid eyes on his badly burned ear and hearing aid battery. I was looking straight at Teddy Duchamp.