Chapter 2: The Usual
"Derek put your shoes on!" I shouted at him. Dad had already left for work and if Derek didn't hurry up we were going to be late. I already had Jenna in her car seat. "I'm hurrying!" Derek shouted back at me. He always still had trouble tying his shoes but was far too hard headed to let someone help him. "There!" He said triumphantly. I rolled my eyes putting my hand on his shoulder handing him his bagged lunch. "Now let's go!" I told him. He got into the front seat buckling himself in as I put my book bag next to Jenna in the back seat. I had to take Jenna to day care and take Derek to school. And still get to my school on time.
It didn't help that it was the first day of school. Derek always had to be walked to class on his first day. Dropping Jenna off at daycare I walked Derek to his first class before pulling into Spenser's. I just got out of the car only to groan at seeing the yellow motorcycle pull up next to my beat up car. I grabbed my book bag and completely ignored Pogue as I walked right by him only for one of my books to fall out of my bag. I quickly tried to pick it up only to have Pogue pick it up for me and hand it to me.
"Hey Piper, nice summer?" He questioned his voice sounding like he was genuinely interested. I glared at him taking the book. "Oh are we on speaking terms and I just didn't catch the memo?" I questioned sarcasm dripping from my voice. His brows furrowed a little bit before he sighed. Not saying else as I turned around and quickly made my way to class. "Piper!" Cassie called out. I smiled at seeing her. "Hey Cass, what's up?" I questioned her. "Good, the beach was fantastic! You really should have come with us!" She pouted, I smiled at her. "Wish I could have" I told her. "Please tell me you at least had some fun this summer?" She questioned. I gave her a look taking out what books I needed from my locker and storing the rest.
She groaned leaning against the locker next to mine. Cassie was determined to get me with a guy. But I honestly didn't have the time. I wish I could be like a normal teenager, going out to Nicky's. Go to the dell parties, hell I'd be happy just to go to the movies and see something that wasn't rated G! "I swear I will get you laid before the end of this school year!" She informed me. "Good luck with that Cassie. Too bad no guy's going to touch her with a ten foot pole" Reid Garwin's voice sounded from next to me. I glared at him, Aaron standing next to him. Those two were double trouble when they were together. Aaron snickered at his joke while Cassie and I glared at him. "Oh Reid good thing you're here. The nurse just informed me your test results came in. Sorry to say but you caught the crab" I snickered, making sure to raise my voice so the entire crowded hallway heard me.
Quite a few guys laughed while the girls looked disgusted and continued on the move. It wasn't a secret that Reid slept around. The whole school knew about it. Reid glared at me, his eyes narrowing. "Watch it Piper before you get what's coming to you" Reid growled. "Oh what's that Reid?" I questioned curious crossing my arms. Reid opened his mouth to answer when we were interrupted. "Back off Reid" Caleb told him coldly. I looked over curious to see Caleb, Pogue and Tyler. The hall monitors of Spenser Academy.
Reid glared at him. "Or what Caleb? She's not your girlfriend this isn't your concern" Reid snarled. He hated Caleb more than me. Which was saying something since we couldn't go through a class without arguing. Reid's statement didn't phase him at all. "Apologize and get going Reid" Caleb growled in a firm voice. Reid glared at Caleb before turning to me. "Sorry" he snarled before pushing Aaron down the hall as they left. Caleb smiled down at me. "Sorry about that. Reid can be a real ass sometimes" the pretty boy of Spenser's and prized free styler of the swim team told me.
I glared at him. What was he talking to me for? We were in two completely different social circles. "Then what does that make you? His handler?" I questioned, Caleb raised his eyebrows at my statement. Apparently he was expecting a thank you only not to get one. "Don't bother expecting a thank you Caleb. Apparently she hasn't learned those words" Pogue informed him. I glared at Pogue. "Yeah just like your vocabulary only includes the words back stabber, deserter and asshole" I growled at him. "Come on Cassie" I told her as the bell rang. Cassie snickered as we walked away from the boys.
"What is with you?" She questioned me once we were in class. Unfortunately our Biology class had assigned seats and we were sitting at separate desks. I gave her a look. "I don't know what you're talking about" I told her. She gave me a look. "Okay fighting with Pogue and Reid I understand. But Caleb? Come on he's the hottest, sweetest guy ever! And he was showing an interest in you! He doesn't defend anyone against Reid. No one!" She told me. I gave her a look. "So? And just because the entire student population worships him why should I?" I demanded, "I didn't say you have to worship him! But is it so hard just to be nice to him?" She questioned. Of course it was to much to ask to be nice to him. He was the reason Pogue stopped being my friend. He go screw himself.
I groaned at seeing Tyler sitting next to me. Apparently he was my lab partner. This wasn't going to be good. I just had to have one of the son's be my lab partner. Looking over Pogue and Caleb were partners on the other side of the classroom. Tyler gave me a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm Tyler" he introduce holding his hand out. "I know" I told him not taking it and opening my book to the desired page. He just shook off my cold demeanor. "You know hating Pogue I can understand but don't you think you can at least give me a clean slate considering we haven't really talked before?" He questioned. I looked over at him to see him doing a puppy dog pout. God those blue eyes should be illegal!
I groaned melting under his puppy dog pout. "Fine. But no mentioning of them" I told him pointing to Caleb and Pogue. "Or your ass is going to be the one getting dissected instead of this frog!" I told him gesturing to the frog that was laying on it's back on a tray. Tyler smiled shaking his head. "Agreed. But I think I'll handle the pointy objects" Tyler snickered taking the knife that was given to us. I laughed rolling my eyes. Surprisingly Tyler was easy to deal with. The conversation flowed easily between us, but we didn't talk really unless we had to as we identified all the organs we needed to. Cutting were we needed to.
"So are you coming to the swim meet after school?" Tyler questioned, I looked up at him through my goggles. "Nope. Have work" I told him. He furrowed his eyebrows. Practically everyone that went to Spenser's were rich and didn't need to work. "Where do you work?" He questioned, "at the mechanics in town." I told him not really going into it. He just nodded. "So are you on scholarship then?" He questioned, and I nodded. "Yep" I told him and he nodded. "So what your only fifteen?" He questioned and I gave him a look. He sighed, "I was told by a certain source that can't be named in this class room or I'll get my ass dissected as you put it, that you were fifteen. But you skipped a couple grades" Tyler snickered. I couldn't help but laugh. He was pretty brutally honest.
"Yeah. Surprised that he would know that actually" I muttered. "You shouldn't be. He doesn't say much, but it's obvious that he misses you" Tyler told me. I furrowed my eyebrows. "See look" he told me nodding his head towards that table. I looked over to see Pogue watching me. He quickly looked at way at being caught looking. I frowned. "If that was the case then he shouldn't have stopped our friendship" I told him. "Just because he stopped it doesn't mean that he wanted to" Tyler pointed out. I stabbed my worksheet with my pencil. "I knew it" I muttered. Tyler nodded his head. "Why does Caleb even care if Pogue and I were friends? I mean that shouldn't matter" I muttered. Tyler paused. "What?" He questioned.
I looked up at him. "Pogue only stopped being friends with me because he made friends with Caleb and I quote 'you're too young for me'." I told him rolling my eyes. Tyler frowned. "That's not why he stopped hanging out with you Piper" Tyler told me. "Then what is?" I questioned. He sighed. "I can't tell you. But it wasn't Caleb that made him stop being friends with you" he told me. "Then who did?" I questioned. He sighed shrugging. "Why don't you ask him?" Tyler questioned. "Because I'm never going to talk to him again" I told him crossing my arms. Tyler snickered at my statement. "Oh I doubt that" Tyler snickered shaking his head. I raised an eyebrow at Tyler. Should I believe him? I mean Tyler had that reputation of being the nicest of the Ipswich boys. But he was still one of them. A friend of Pogue's. He would say anything to defend Pogue. But Tyler didn't have an agenda, why would he say something like that if it wasn't the truth? But if it was the truth then who was it that made Pogue stop being friends with me? I looked over at Pogue and studied him.
His long hair just touching his broad muscled shoulders. I had to admit he was really good looking and I really missed him. But when my mother died giving birth to Jenna two years ago and Pogue didn't come around I knew our friendship was over. I had always hoped that we'd be friends again but when his parents came to the funeral and wake and Pogue saw me holding the newborn Jenna and didn't come over and give me a hug but instead staid next to his father the whole time I knew there was no chance of us being friends again. It was over.