Chapter 7

That next morning when Roger pulled up in front of Maureen's house, he actually looked the part of a millionaire's son. He had on a pair of sunglasses and the car spoke for itself. He had on his normal clothes but there was something about his demeanor that seemed different. Mark was sitting in the seat next to him in the powder blue Mustang convertible. He winced as Roger honked the horn for the second time.

"So now you two are going out? Just like that?" Mark was asking in disbelief. "How is that even possible?"

Roger shrugged. "Beats me. All I know is that she came to my house and told me that she liked me too. Now we're going out. I introduced her to Angela as my girlfriend and everything."

"Life is so unfair." Mark replied and slouched down in his seat. Maureen and Antonia emerged from Maureen's house and went over to the car. Mark hopped in the back so that Antonia could sit next to Roger and Maureen slid in next to him.

"What's with the pout? she asked. "Roger did you yell at him?"

"No I didn't yell at him." Roger responded and drove toward the school. "He's mad because Antonia and I are going out and it didn't take me six years to ask her out." he gave Mark a significant look in the rearview mirror.

Mark flushed and glared back at his best friend. "Shut up." he grumbled.

Roger smirked and the rest of the drive to school was quiet. A few minutes later, he pulled into a parking space near the front of the school building and they all piled out.

"I've got a drama rehearsal until 5 today." Maureen said.

"Yeah and I've got debate and photo club. I should be done around 6." Mark added.

Roger had tutoring in math until 5 and Antonia had to meet with her counselor until 5:30. So Roger declared that they would all meet back at the car at 6:15 and then have band practice at his house. Every one agreed and Mark and Ant headed to Lit, while Roger and Maureen went down to the gym.

They took their usual spots on the bleachers and watched as everyone else exerted themselves. Roger was just getting ready to nod off when a shadow fell across his face. He looked up and saw Rosalind and another girl standing over him. "Can I help you?" he asked rudely.

"Like actually you like so can." Rosalind said. "Like I saw you drive to school today. Your car is like so fab. So I was like wondering if you could like give me and like my friend Piper a ride home after school."

Roger just stared at her. "Are you fucking serious?" he asked. He looked at Maureen whose mouth was hanging open.

"Uh yeah." Piper spoke up. "We love your car and it would be cool if we could like go for a ride sometime. Like today, after school."

"After school's no good for me. I got to go to tutoring today." Roger said back.

"Well you know I have like physics after lunch." Rosalind responded. "We could like just leave school and then like you could drop us off at my house and like come back here for tutoring."

Roger was at a loss for words so Maureen spoke up. "Um Rosa, Roger so does not need to be skipping school. That's why he has to go to tutoring in the first place."

"Whoa who asked her?" Rosalind asked Piper. "I mean since when do I need to listen to filthy little middle class sluts?"

Roger grabbed Maureen's arm before she punched Rosalind and dragged her away. "Calm down." he whispered in her ear.

"Did you hear what that bitch called me?" Maureen demanded. "I don't want to calm down. I want to hit her until her hair reverts back to it's natural color."

"Yeah but you can't do that. If you do you'll get into trouble and then your dad will kill you." Roger advised.

Maureen slumped down against the wall. "I know I must be far gone if I'm getting advice form the king of the trouble makers."

"You know what? You're right, I am so the wrong person to be trying to talk you down. "Sit right here. Do not go hit Rosalind. Just stay here and I'll be back." Roger ran down the hall and up the stairs to the main part of the school. He kept running until he got to Mark's Lit class and looked in through the window.

Luckily Mark was a big enough nerd that he sat right in the front and near the door. Roger gestured wildly until he caught Mark's eye. Then he beckoned for him to come outside. Mark gave him an exasperated look, but raised his hand and got a pass to the bathroom nonetheless.

"What do you want Roger?" he asked in exasperation. "I have a test to review for today."

"Yeah and you need to go help the girl you like too." Roger told him. "That girl Rosalind called Maureen a filthy slut and she's about to go postal on her."

Mark groaned. "Lead the way." he said and followed Roger back down to the gym. When they got there, Maureen was still leaning against the wall, but there was a dangerous gleam in her eyes.

"I don't like that look she has." Mark commented.

"Me either." Roger agreed. "I told her not to hit Rosalind, but that doesn't mean she listened."

Mark went over to Maureen and laid his hand on her shoulder. "Mo, are you okay?" he asked carefully.

"Sure am." she replied. "Rosalind smashed into my hand and now she has a black eye. Somehow that made me feel better."

"Mo." Roger groaned. "I told you not to hit her."

"Yeah, and when have I ever listened to you?" Maureen retorted. Mark was looking at her strangely. "What?" she asked. "I know you hate violence and all, but I had to do what I-" she was cut off by Mark pressing his lips against hers.