Chapter 6: Ice Breakers && Teasing Targets
Author's Note:: So, this chapter used to be gigantic. Also, while I could have made a smoother transition I'd rather skip that boring part and just jump to where it starts off. I also wanted to call attention to the three videos on my profile that are affiliated with this story along with the banner! If they're not showing up, then you can message me, and I'll send you the links.
What Happened Last
"Is your name Kate Tunney?" Junia asked
Kate looked confused. "Yeah, it is. Why?"
"I was warned to stay away from you." Junia said with a smile.
"Oh, well it sucks then that you're stuck with me for the rest of the year, doesn't it?" Kate smiled back.
October 25th, 2006
Junia folded up her dark red "Peville's Grocery" apron and placed it in her locker. Her thoughts were on the past week and a half and how much had changed in so little time. Her parents had sent her a letter to check up on her and report on how things were going with them. According to the letter things were going swimmingly, except for the financial situation. They were still trying to sell the business and since that was the case, the cash flow as a little out of whack. With the new information, Junia had decided that it was time for her to get a job. Her parents had been sending her money every month for things that she'd need or want in school, but it was really unnecessary. She didn't understand why she hadn't just gotten a job in the first place; it was a selfish of her to expect her parents to finance their almost 18 year old daughter who was living on her own. Now she could have them keep their money and maybe things would be a little easier.
The next big thing that had happened was meeting, and befriending Kate. Junia still had the little piece of paper tucked away in one of her books, as well as the contact saved in her phone. It was the safest place she could find to hide it away from Amanda. Her roommate had been more annoying and just plain bitchy as of late, and so Junia continued to distance herself. Perhaps it was the process of distancing herself, that made Junia and Kate quickly become friends. They already had a "routine" in science. First they'd ask each other what their days were like, then they would make fun of Kira, then Kate would go on about gossip and Junia actually listen instead of zoning out like she did when Amanda talked. She knew some of pretty dark secrets about people who probably didn't even know her name. No one would ever suspect her to know anything, and since she would never spread it, she would continue to learn things.
"Maybe I should call, Kate." Junia thought as she closed the door to her locker. She hadn't used the number except as something to make her feel better whenever Amanda made a particularly mean comment. "I should call Kate. I will call Kate." She decided walking out of the backroom and through the store to the front. She checked her watch. 8:30 on a Friday night. Things should really just be picking up. Plans had been made, but weren't in stone yet. Perfect. Quickly she opened up her cell phone and scrolled through her contacts list, coming to Kate Tunney. She pressed the little green phone and held the phone up to her ear. It rang once, twice, three times, four ti-
"Hello?" a voice shouted into her ears. Junia winced and moved the phone away. "Hello?" She turned down the volume and brought it back to her face.
"Hey, Kate? This is Junia…."
"Hey, Junia!" Kate yelled. There were sounds coming from the background. "What's up?"
"I just got off of work and was just seeing if you were doing anything tonight." Junia replied, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah, I'm at Nicky's with Sarah. Why don't you meet us here?"
"I don't want to intrude." She really wanted to intrude.
"Don't be ridiculous! We want you to come. Right, Sarah? Here, tell her." The phone exchange hands and a different voice came on.
"Hey, you should come." The voice (presumably Sarah's) laughed.
"Alright." Junia conceded laughing herself.
"Great! Here's Kate." The phone was passed back.
"Do you know where Nicky's is?" Kate asked.
"Yeah! I should be there in fifteen or so minutes." Junia said, glad that she was able to change out of her work clothes. Pulling out her bike, she hopped on determined to find Nicky's.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Fifteen minutes later, Junia walked through the door of Nicky's. She was hit by a burst of noise. Being a Friday night, it was even busier than it had been when Amanda had been there last week.
"Junia! Hey!" Kate's voice called from the tables section (which Junia was standing closest to). She looked over and saw Kate waving at her with some blonde whom she assumed was Sarah from a round table that looked too big to just be for the two of them. Junia smiled and walked over to them
"Hey." She greeted
"Glad you could make it. Hey, grab a seat. Stay a while." Kate said.
"Well, if you insist." Junia smiled, sitting down.
"Anyway, Junia this is my roommate, Sarah. Sarah, this is my science partner, Junia." She introduced.
"It's nice to finally meet you. Kate's told me a lot about you." Sarah smiled and nodded in greeting.
"It's nice to meet you, too." Junia replied. "I've heard some awful things about you, but that bodes well for our friendship." Sarah looked confused, but Kate quickly explained.
"She's been hanging out with Kira Snider and Amanda Gates up until now."
"Oh," Sarah nodded again. There was a pause. "So, Kate says you're new this year?"
Junia nodded. "I moved here from this little town. New Ashford. My parents and sister are moving here later on in the year."
"That's cool. I'm new too. Came from a Boston public. You said you had a sister?"
"Her name's Krista. I also have a brother, Sander."
"You all have such cool names." Kate put in, a slight deviation from their first conversation in the library
"Cool is one word." Junia shrugged.
"Come on. Junia's so unique." Kate insisted. "I mean let's say a boy comes up to you, and you two hit it off. He asks for your name and you're like 'I'm Junia.' He's not going to forget that name, and in effect you. That's what made Pogue stand out to me."
"Really?" Sarah asked.
"No, but-" Junia and Sarah burst out into laughter. Kate put on a face of mock annoyance, but couldn't hold it for long, and she soon joined in on their laughter.
"Well something's funny." A voice said walking up to the table. All the girls turned to look at two boys who were walking up to the table. One pulled up a chair and sat in between Sarah and Kate. The other took the seat between Kate and Junia.
"I don't know if we should be here. When Kate and Sarah are laughing, things can get dangerous." The one sitting next to Sarah said in reply. Kate stuck her tongue out.
"Well I was glad to see you two finally made it until you started making fun of me."
"You're still glad." The boy sitting next to Junia said, leaning over to kiss Kate. That meant he was Pogue, which identified the other as Caleb.
"Hey." Sarah greeted probably-Caleb.
"Hey." He answered, smiling. He had a gorgeous smile.
"So do you want to introduce us?" Pogue asked Kate pointedly, turning to look at Junia.
"Oh, yeah! Pogue, Caleb, this is Junia. She's my lab partner."
Pogue pointed a finger in recognition. "Kate talks about you all the time after Science."
"Kate talks about everybody all of the time in Science." Junia responded.
"Hey!" Kate protested. The other three people snickered. Kate hit Pogue's arm. "You're supposed to defend me."
"I can't defend you against what's true." He protested. Sarah and Caleb started laughing harder, and Junia joined in.
"Hey, I'm starving anybody want anything?" Pogue asked.
"Yeah, I'll take a burger." Caleb put in.
"I'll just have some of Caleb's." Sarah added.
"I'm kinda thirsty. Can you get me another coke?" Kate replied shaking her glass causing the ice to click.
Pogue turned to Junia. "What about you, Junia? Hungry? Thirsty?"
"I'll have a Sprite, thanks." She answered, reaching into her purse.
"Nah, put your money away. This one's on me." Pogue said turning away before Junia could protest.
"So what took you so long in getting here?" Sarah asked Caleb.
"Mom needed me to help Gorman take care of a few things. Pogue came along to help." Caleb responded. He turned to Junia. "So, Junia, how do you like Spenser?" Caleb asked, changing the subject to something Junia could contribute to. She was thankful.
"It's nice. The classes are ok, a little boring but I guess it's the same with any school-"
"You won't believe her luck. First year here and they stuck her with Amanda Gates. I couldn't even imagine coming here and dealing with her and Kira all of the time. I'd go insane." Kate interjected. "And then there's that prick Aaron who's always around with his stupid friends. Just the thought! "
"Wow." Caleb said. "Tough break."
"I try to make the best of it." Junia shrugged.
"You are a Saint. I'd be complaining, bad mouthing her all of the time. I've heard like four bad comments about her and they weren't even that bad! Did you know Amanda forced Junia to leave what she was doing in the Library to go back the dorm room, find her key and then drive it to her? I bet she didn't even say thank you! Did she?"
"Well, no…" Junia trailed off. Kate shook her head.
"Absolutely unforgiveable. I would never do that to Sarah. Would I?"
"I'm guessing that you want me to say no here, right?" Sarah said pointing her two index fingers at the table and making accentuating her sentence.
Kate opened her mouth and then closed it, throwing a paper napkin at Sarah. She missed and it hit Caleb.
"What is it 'Pick-On-Kate Day'?"
"My favorite day of the year." Pogue said. "Food's here." He placed the food in the center of the table, and everyone grabbed their respective refreshments.
"You better stop being mean to me, or there are going to be consequences." Kate lightly threatened Pogue.
"Ok." He kissed her again. "So what are we talking about?"
"Junia and Kate were just telling us about Junia's roommate, Amanda Gates."
"Ouch." Pogue winced. Junia's phone buzzed.
"Excuse me." She said, glancing at the caller I.D. You-Know-Who. Amanda. She had a choice. Take this call, be yelled at now, and leave her friends to appease Amanda, or ignore this call, stay with her friends, and have hell to deal with later. She silenced her phone.
"Hey, do you know where Reid and Tyler are?" Pogue asked Caleb. Caleb rolled his eyes.
"Who knows? Did you check the tables?"
"They weren't there."
"Oh, Junia. You haven't met Reid or Tyler, have you?" Sarah asked.
Junia tilted her head. "Um, not really. I met Reid in class the other day." Caleb exhaled in what sounded sort of like a laugh and turned his head looking away.
"Don't mind him." Sarah pushed Caleb. He turned his head to look around. "They're just in a bit of a fight. Which is stupid."
"Oh." Junia didn't know what to say. Was Reid really that much of a trouble maker? He seemed like such a gentleman to her the other day. Maybe Kira was right about that part…
"They're both really nice. Good people. The boys are more like brothers than friends so they fight like brothers too." Sarah said, seeming to read Junia's mind.
"That's cool." Junia said, with a genuine smile. "How long have you guys known each other, then?"
"Our whole lives." Caleb said. "Our fathers were friends." They spent the rest of the hour telling old stories of the four boys, and then the rest of the night joking around until a quarter before midnight, they all broke up to rush home. Junia hitched a ride with Kate and Sarah, storing her bike in the trunk, and they hightailed it back singing along to the radio and laughing the whole way to Spenser.