The first thing that Reagan noticed about the principal's office was the plethora of Corgi memorabilia littered around her and Lee; Corgi figurines scattered over cabinets, Corgi posters espousing inspirational quotes, Corgi mugs filled with Corgi pencils. Lee mouthed, "Bark bark," and Reagan snickered so loudly that she had to cover it up with hacking coughs.
With a benign smile, Principal Shermansky (there were less fortunate names but at the moment, Reagan couldn't recall any) said, "Welcome to Sweet Amoris, Reagan and Lee. From your grades and achievements, it's obvious that you'll fit quite snugly here. There are just a couple things you'll have to fulfill before the two of you can finally enroll. Knowing that your Leslie's children, I'm confident you'll be done in a snap."
Without thinking, Reagan asked in a polite voice reserved for figures of authority, "May I ask what they are?"
Wagging her finger, the rotund principal smiled condescendingly. "If you gave me the opportunity, I would be very pleased to do so. First period is always study hall because the middle school children come in later, so I figured that the two of you will finish up in that time and then we can get you settled in. We even have a guide for you but she's running a few errands of mine at the moment. In addition, there's a new student in your grade, Reagan, so you'll have company. Now, there are three things for each of you: a fee of twenty-five dollars for enrollment, a completed enrollment form, and a photo id, which will be another ten dollars. Quite simple and relatively painless if you work efficiently. The enrollment form is in the student council room across the hall with Nathaniel, the student council president. In addition, a photo id can be purchased in the dollar store, just ask for Louis in the front. Any further questions?"
Lee and Reagan shared a glance of thinly concealed exasperation. As annoying as it was, Reagan knew that it was fairly reasonable although she hated to part with hard-earned cash. Shaking her head, Reagan answered for the both of them, "Nope."
Principal Shermansky didn't even look at them, focusing her gaze to her open agenda. Glibly, the principal shooed them off. "Alright, off with the two of you now. Get going!"
The two left the office, feeling annoyance and frustration as if they bit into brownies made from mud.
"Well, this sucks." declared Lee, his limbs akimbo as he stretched his arms.
"Nothing we can do about it, so suck it up."
"I'd rather not." Lee turned to Reagan, his tone taking on a more cajoling one. "Hey, Reagan, my sweet sister, gorgeous goddess sent from above-"
Fully aware of her brother's wheedling, Reagan sighed. A schemer at heart, Lee was not above begging or appeasing for cash to support his collection of video games, school supplies, and various other objects unlike his older siblings who were as prideful as lions, rarely asking for money unless they earned it; Scott had his first job as a newspaper delivery boy in elementary school and Reagan ran minor errands for the neighbors since she could form the sentence "Do you need help?" There was something inherently satisfying in hard-earned cash.
Opening her wallet, Reagan pulled out thirty-five bucks and grudgingly handed the bills to her eager brother. "You owe me."
"Thanks, sissy." Lee's light lisp made his thanks sound excessively sibilant. If Lee ever repaid her, Reagan would be about three-hundred dollars richer but until then, she'd have to accept her brother's thanks instead.
With a frown, Reagan lamented, "Damn, it's like a ghost town in my wallet. I need a job."
Walking up the student council room, she knocked on the closed door.
"God, this is so boring," whined Lee, who threw up his hands up for more drama. "I'd rather be getting a root canal or mine coal or scoop Clint's litter…"
Without a warning, the door swung open, causing the unsuspecting siblings to jump back. An inch or two closer and Reagan's nose would've been smacked off.
Despite not being hit, Reagan snapped a warning, "Hey, watch where you're swinging that thing! You could knock someone out."
Under his breath, Lee said, ever an opportunist for immaturity, "That's what she said."
"Sorry, force of habit." The owner of the voice was a handsome boy with shiny blonde hair like beaten gold. Reagan's force of habit was correcting her posture in the presence of any attractive boys although she omitted that to the boy. "Are you the new students?"
Smoothly, Reagan said, "We are. And you're Nathaniel?"
"Correct," The boy's lovely golden eyes looked into hers intently and she felt as if they were familiar. "Principal Shermansky told me to prepare the forms for the two of you, give me a moment to get them."
When Nathaniel left, Lee muttered, "Don't tell me you got the hots for our new president."
Flippantly, Reagan scoffed, "Hardly, I just like making eye contact, lets people know you're paying attention."
"Bullshit, you look like you were giving him the googly eyes. That and the fact that you're sticking your boobs out like you're a street walker on a corner."
Irritated, Reagan puffed her chest out further. "Screw you, I'll make eye contact with whomever I want and I'll stick out my boobs when I feel like. It's my damn right as a woman, so chew on that."
When Lee snickered, Reagan knew that it wasn't because her declaration was silly but because the subject of their talk was right behind her. Oh for God's sake. Turning around, Reagan blushed in embarrassment. Nathaniel didn't look into her eyes again as he muttered bashfully, "Um, here are your forms, feel free to use the room to fill it out. I'll be… um…completing a few errands."
Rushing past the two, Nathaniel looked like he couldn't have ran any faster and Reagan didn't have the delusion to believe it wasn't her fault. Entering the room, she plopped down on a plastic chair and let out another sigh.
"I've never scared off a guy with the mention of my boobs before, that's a first."
Filling out his form, Lee commented glibly, "You know, that's the most conceited thing I've ever heard you say and you're a pretty well versed in the art of humble brag."
Having begun her form, Reagan replied, "I'm flipping you the bird mentally, I hope you know that."
"Back at you." A focused silence filled the room as the two went to work, not particularly unusual for them. Then, Lee announced triumphantly, "Done!"
Filling out the last box, Reagan said mockingly, "If I had a cookie, I'd give it to you."
"Jealous?"
"Twenty to ten, I'm still winning," retorted Reagan, her voice teeming with sarcasm. Putting away her form in her backpack, she hopped up to her feet. "C'mon, we got to get our ids now."
Lee trailed after her as they left the room. "Boo, that's not fun."
"I doubt Principal Shermansky made up this scavenger hunt for fun. For bureaucracy? Maybe."
The worn soles of their sneakers squeaked along the freshly waxed tile floor, the only sounds in the hollow halls. Purple metal lockers glistened their reflections, obviously polished to perfection. A part of Reagan questioned the amount of attention meticulously worked into the school and another part of her appreciated it.
Despite being a schemer, Lee frequently relied on his older, cunning sister to do the actual planning. In a way, many of Lee's schemes were mooching off others' genius. "So, we're going to wing it?"
"Unless you want to go back to Shermansky, looks like it. We can ask a teacher or—"
Cutting in, Lee pointed out, through a window, a red-haired boy loitering in the courtyard. "How about that guy?"
Shrugging, Reagan admitted, "Couldn't hurt to try." Exiting the school, Reagan and Lee walked down the steps, towards the unsuspecting boy. Calling out to him, Reagan said, "Hey, excuse me!"
Tobacco smoke wafted in the siblings' direction as the boy appraised them in a steady glare. Deciding they were worth some attention, the boy said, drawing out his words lazily, "You're excused."
Before Reagan could ask him for anything, Lee stepped in front of her. "Yo, do you listen to Winged Skull?"
For a moment, the boy's eyes lit up with surprise, his slouched back straightening. Quickly, as if to maintain his cool, he returned to his languid posture and said, "I'm surprised you know who they are."
Internally, Reagan cringed at the mention of Winged Skull. Winged Skull was the bane of Reagan's life due to Lee's constant blasting of the band's repertoire of rebellious, anarchy propaganda. The moment their parents announced their separation Lee slunk into his room, shut off the lights, and played the alt-rock band's songs with the fervor of a cultist. For an entire summer, Reagan had to listen to the angsty wails and angry cries of Winged Skull as they pulsated against her bedroom wall. The one time Reagan went to protest Aunt Agatha advised her to leave him be and let his emotions take their time venting, so Reagan did but that didn't mean she had to like Winged Skull.
Pulling the flap of his plaid flannel shirt, Lee revealed his shirt underneath, which happened to be identical to the one underneath the boy's leather jacket. "I was supposed to go see them in this club around last May but they canceled at the last minute."
Raising an eyebrow, the red-haired boy smirked, "No kidding, in that grimy club in Evergreen, right?"
"The very one." With a wide grin, Lee said, "I'm Lee Lucas, smartass extraordinaire and self-proclaimed groupie of Winged Skull. This is Reagan, my sister, part-time hobo," Lee gestured to Reagan's oversized denim jacket and baggie plaid shirt, "and full-time teacher's pet."
There was a genuine smile in the boy's smirk. Offering a cigarette to Lee, he said, "I'm Castiel, rebel without a cause."
"Holy shit." whispered Reagan a decibel too loud as she experienced a minor epiphany.
The boys had been so involved with each other that they had hardly noticed Reagan on the outside until her little outburst.
Castiel gave Reagan an onceover, stopping for an instant too long at her breasts, before saying in a mocking tone, echoing her greeting to him, "Excuse me?"
It was tempting to be irate with the way he spoke to her but she contained her composure. "I used to go to school with you, 'Cassie.' We were in first and second grade together. Now that I think about it, you still look the same, although, the dye job seems new."
"Cassie" was a nickname the boys in Ms. Neidermeyer's class used to tease Castiel because of a girl, also in that class, named Cassandra who demanded to be called "Cassie" and Castiel was the only boy not to give in to the rumors of cooties to socialize with the girls, which obviously meant that he was a girl. At the time, Castiel didn't seem to mind, ignoring the immature boys, and spent most of his time painting with the girls. Eventually, the nickname lost its sting due to Castiel's neutral reaction and it ceased to be once the class moved on to the second grade. From the flushed cheeks on Castiel's face, Reagan could tell she struck a nerve in the standoffish boy, a mildly pleasant surprise.
Then, with the recognition of someone particularly unlikable, Castiel said in a groan, "God, you're that Reagan...here to stalk me again?"
"Hey, if I recall correctly, you were the one who kissed me on the swings."
"To get you and your little buddies to stop stalking me, creep."
"It's a pretty weird way to get someone to stop stalking you, in my opinion. Also, are you seriously calling a seven-year-old a creep?"
"I'm calling you, when you were seven years old, a creep. Don't tell me that that Valentine's Day massacre of my cubby was harmless, it took Ms. Neidermeyer ten days to get that horrible glittery pink goo, what-the-hell-ever it was, out of there."
Internally, Reagan let out a noise of frustration but swallowed her pride. It was that and the niggling notion that he may have had a point.
"Look, we transferred back and need to get to the dollar store for our ids, any clue on how we can do that or are we just going to debate the creepiness of seven years old me?"
Castiel's green eyes glittered with the mischievousness of a twelve years old troll on the internet. "And if I don't feel like doing either?"
Rolling her eyes, Reagan took a hold of her brother's arm and turned back. "We'll get our answers elsewhere. We certainly don't need to be around unhelpful people like you." Then, after a second, Reagan glared at Castiel. "By the way, you were so much cuter without that stupid smirk."
It took five steps before Castiel said anything. "Fine."
Despite having insulted Castiel for the very thing she was going to do, Reagan smirked to herself; it was a tactic she used on a particularly immature ex, who was definitely carved from the same stone as Castiel. Turning back, Reagan sauntered back with Lee slinking behind. "So, you're going to help us?"
A twitch of irritation tweaked underneath his angular eyes. Castiel grouched back, "If you keep interrupting me, I'll shut right back up."
Please do, you nuisance, so my brain cells can continue living, thought Reagan. Instead of spitting back a quip, Reagan put her hands on her wide hips as if to urge him impatiently.
Surprisingly, Castiel said curtly, without the edge of an insult, "Three blocks on your right, just go straight once you turn."
"Thanks, Cassie." As she heard that nickname slip from her lips, Reagan regretted it as Castiel returned to his cranky demeanor.
Castiel spat out furiously, "Do the world a favor and go to hell."
Lee murmured his genuine thanks as Reagan stormed off. Positively ruffled, Reagan retorted back in her mind, completely aghast that a boy as nice as young Castiel could become so nasty, As long as you're not there, I'll be peachy.
Fortunately, Castiel hadn't been lying and the siblings could check off the last item on their list with a sigh of relief. The middle-aged man, Louis, was kind and he was readily helpful, happy to help any descendants of the Reynolds. The only time Louis had a change of mood was when Castiel was mentioned—Louis became a bit ornery and grumbled something underneath his breath. Looking at her id, Reagan grimaced at the sight of her picture. She'd never been particularly photogenic, her mother and Scott had fortunate gift of above-average attractiveness but their genes never transferred to her. If Reagan knew how goofy the picture would turn out, she would've actually made an effort to look silly.
Interrupting the silence, Lee commented, "I'm glad Castiel didn't hate you enough to give us fake directions."
Defensively, Reagan said, "I don't try to be so hateable."
"Really? You could've fooled me, with all your little taunts and comebacks."
"A few edgy comments do not an insult make."
There was amusement in Lee's laugh. "You're so freaking defensive. Typical Type A."
"Shut up, you don't even know what that means." Then, Reagan pouted at her brother's supposed betrayal. "Besides, you have to admit that I wasn't the only dick."
"You have a small point, Queen of Dickery." Lee decided to change the subject. "So, Sweet Amoris seems cool, eh?"
"I guess. It's no Merion but I'm biased. The only drawback is how barren it is, like a ghost town." As the two walked back to school, the sidewalks were the only obstruction of nature on the pathway—towering evergreen trees and cedars casted over them and surrounded them. "I mean there's only one boutique in the town, which is inconvenient unless you like looking like a generic teen pop star."
"The fact that you, a known dumpster diver, is judgmental of a trendy clothing shop is as hilarious as a hobo being critical of McDonald's." It should be known that Lee's favorite comparison of Reagan is to a hobo. "I actually like it better than Merion. No assholes giving me a daily toilet hurricane or playing target with my nuts, if that's not paradise I don't know what could be. And, without sounding like a fan girl, Castiel seems cool," Lee ignored Reagan's snort, "He's the first person I've met to know of, let alone like, Winged Skull. Do you know how hard it is to come by a fellow Skully?"
"Well, if they're called that, I doubt that they'd want to be found."
As they entered the school, Lee said, "Don't be catty, it doesn't flatter you."
If his words didn't shut up Reagan, the bite in his tone did. It was unusual for Lee to lose his patience, especially with Reagan, and that worried her. Walking into the main office, they met a pretty girl with red hair braided to the side. Before they could walk any further, the girl spoke up.
"Hi, can I help you guys?"
Since Lee was too stunned by the girl's beauty, Reagan answered for the both of them, "Um, we're here to see Principal Shermansky."
The girl's smile was so kind, it must be impossible to hate her. "Oh, you guys must be the new students. I'm Iris. I'm a student too. I just work in the main office for my free period."
"Oh, that must be fun." Reagan cringed at her asinine statement. "We're done with getting everything. We just need her to enroll us. I'm Reagan and the mute," Reagan pointed to Lee, who was staring at his feet shyly, "is my brother, Lee."
"Ha, she sent you guys on the goose chase. That's great that you guys finished so quickly, I'm pretty sure you broke the record." With a sweeping motion, Iris pointed up at a chalkboard with unintelligible scribbles.
"Thanks, I didn't even know there was a record."
"Yep, just a bit of fun to keep the magic alive." Iris gave a light smack to her forehead as she said, "Duh, I forgot to get the principal! Give me a moment and she'll let you in. By the way, there's also a new student but he went to the bathroom or he might be lost or, maybe, both…hmm, I guess I'll check once I'm done with the two of you."
Then, Iris left, practically skipping, and Reagan felt something hit her arm, hard. Whirling around, Reagan met the displeased stare of her brother.
"A mute, really?"
Lee could be so dramatic sometimes.
"Please, she knows it's a joke."
"And if she doesn't and she tries speaking to me with sign language, I'm gonna get back at you. Hard."
"Dude, the deaf use sign language, not mutes. Besides, I doubt you have a chance with her. She looks like a nine and you're like a six-and-half."
Before Lee could snarl at her, Iris returned with a smile as bright and lovely as the morning sun. "She'll see you guys now. Welcome to Sweet Amoris."
Lee piped up, to prove his speaking ability, "We're glad to be here."
Walking into her office, Reagan and Lee were welcomed to the sight of Principal Shermansky and a panting, chubby Corgi. The way Principal Shermansky held and petted the Corgi was reminiscent of a Bond villain.
"Kiki, darling, say hello to Reagan and Lee, they're new students here."
The siblings smiled in nervous hesitation as Kiki's beady, black eyes bared down on them. Like the Mona Lisa's eyes, no matter the angle, Kiki's peepers always seemed to make direct contact as if it were staring back at you. It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences that Reagan had ever been dealt—horror movies were less intense and creepy.
Handing over the items, Reagan said, "We've done everything you asked."
Principal Shermansky made an odd sound, sucking through her teeth, which grated against the ears of those present except for her. Shaking her head, the principal handed back the items to Reagan. "It's unacceptable, I'm afraid."
There was a pitch in Reagan's voice as she asked, "Excuse me?"
"You're missing the paperclips." The principal said dully as if it were painfully obvious, "Children, I told you that I wouldn't accept any documents that were disorganized. It goes against my policy."
I know where my foot's going "against" if you don't enroll us, spewed Reagan's mind. Politely, Reagan said, "I must not have heard. I'll go fetch some right now."
"Good, it's nice to see a student take initiative." As Reagan rose from her seat, Principal Shermansky spoke to Lee, "You may stay as your sister retrieves the clips. Kiki likes the company."
Lee looked at his sister with desperation as Reagan smirked subtly. Serves him right for hitting her on the arm and for being a general wretch.
Under her breath, Reagan whispered clear enough for Lee to hear, "Not the 'hottie' you were expecting to score, huh?"
There was a swagger to Reagan's step as she limbered out of the principal's office.
"All done?" Iris tilted her head to the side as she noted Lee's absence. "Where's your brother?"
"Oh, he's in the office with Kiki." A hint of glee tinged Reagan's voice as she imagined Kiki playing around (roughing up) her brother. "Turns out we need paperclips to finish. Can you believe that?"
Understandingly, Iris shook her head in annoyance. "Principal Shermansky should really keep the paperclips out here but she likes to see the newbies scramble. No offense. I've asked her several times but she refuses to let me bring in anything that could potentially harm Kiki."
That beady-eyed creep is the most potentially harmful thing in this place, Reagan thought.
"So, any ideas?"
Tapping her chin, Iris said, "You know, I think the student council room's got some. It's right across the hall."
"Thanks, Iris, you're a lifesaver."
The warmth shined in Iris's laugh, bubbling like a baby's giggle. "Saving lives is definitely more fun than organizing cut slips, that's for sure."
Reagan decided that she liked Iris, who seemed to be an angel to Castiel's devil. Since it was right across the hall, Reagan easily found the student council room and knocked on its closed door once more.
Instead of Nathaniel, a brunette answered, a beautiful girl with shiny dark hair and light blue eyes. The brunette and Iris's prettiness led Reagan to question the contents of the water in Sweet Amoris and if it was too late to have its effects work their apparent magic on her.
"Hi, can I help you?"
"Yeah, I'm looking for some paperclips. Do you mind if I take a few?"
"Not at all, there's a box on the cabinet over there. Feel free to take as much as you'd like, all they'd do is collect dust anyway."
"Thank you." After she picked up two clips, Reagan began walking out of the room, thanking the girl again. "So far, everyone's been really helpful."
The girl said with a smile, "I'm glad."
Opening the door while still looking at the girl, Reagan felt her collide into something warm and unlike air. For a moment, Reagan dumbly thought, Wow, did the air just get thick all of a sudden? Then, she realized that the thumping against her ear was that of a heartbeat. Looking up, Reagan saw the confused face of Nathaniel and backed off, peeling her body off like an old band-aid.
Reagan felt herself blush as she spoke, "Sorry, force of habit."
Unlike Castiel, Nathaniel didn't smile with a self-satisfied smirk, instead, he said, "No problem, I guess we both need to pay attention more."
Still red in the cheeks, Reagan nodded and bolted into the main office. Even as she approached the principal's office, Reagan felt hot in the face, lacking her normal composure. It wasn't like her to be so clumsy and ditzy. In her defense, she supposed that cute, nice boys didn't really crop up in her vicinity and that their presence put her off guard; Reagan only really knew of catcalls and general crudeness from the many boys that came her way, with the exception of a few friends. Distractedly, Reagan dropped the clips on the principal's desk.
Principal Shermansky clipped up two piles, one for Lee and the other for Reagan, and leafed through the piles as if to make extra sure that everything was perfect. Reagan found Shermansky's perfectionist attitude understandable, since Reagan was particularly notorious for being similar, but enough was enough.
"Perfect!" With a smug smile, the principal turned to her computer and clacked away at her keyboard, producing an irritating song of bureaucracy. Abruptly, an ancient printer behind them sputtered and groaned as it slowly spit up the schedules. The principal shuffled over towards the printer, taking her sweet time as she liked. Once she retrieved the sheets, Principal Shermansky returned to her seat, inserted the sheets to their respective folders, and handed them over to the siblings in a flash that betrayed her slow demeanor.
Clasping her hands together, Principal Shermansky gave them an earnest smile. "Finally! Now, in your folders there will be the combination and location for your locker, a map of the school, a student handbook, and your schedules. Since there are twenty minutes left before school starts, Iris will you a tour around the school and show you to your lockers. In addition, before or after each class, you will hand the schedule over to your teacher for him or her to sign, then, when the day is done, you will return to the office and put it in my mailbox in the front. Understood?"
Wordlessly, the siblings nodded dutifully.
As Kiki fussed in her arms, Principal Shermansky said, "Good, I imagine there'll be a bright future for the two of you in Sweet Amoris and I hope none of you will do anything to contradict my imagination."
The steel in the principal's eyes warned the teens that she was not kidding in the least.
Lee and Reagan couldn't have scurried out of the office any faster than if their lives depended on it. As they approached Iris, they saw an unexpected sight.
"Reagan! Lee!" Kentin "Ken" Tanaka rose from his seat in a burst of energy.
With his petite body to thank for his swiftness, Ken dove straight for Reagan, his bony arms wrapping around her soft, thick back. Uncomfortable with Ken's affection, Reagan wanted to pull away; however, she also hated to hurt his feelings. Instead, Reagan asked in a wheeze, "Ken, not that I mind or anything, but what are you doing here? Does your dad know you're here?"
"I sure hope so since I transferred here! Now, it can be like when we were in Merion!"
Finally, Reagan gently unfurled Ken's embrace and stepped back as Lee stepped in to hug his best friend. Lee said, "God, Ken I missed you. Do you know how boring playing Border Wars by yourself is? I damn near killed myself for entertainment."
A sophomore like Reagan, Ken met her several years before in Pre-Algebra when she turned around to ask for a pencil. Unlike many girls, Reagan didn't appear repulsed or call Ken a nasty name ("Gremlin" was a favorite) but actually carried a conversation with him in a genuine, serious tone, not mocking any awkwardness or anything she didn't know. Since she treated him equally to their peers, Ken worshiped the ground she walked on, which discomfited her to no end, not wanting to take advantage of him and his kindness. In addition, Reagan knew that Ken was in love with her, to a degree, but she couldn't look at him and see him as anything more or less than a brother. Still, Reagan considered Ken her closest friend, never finding much in common, let alone feel comfortable, with her cheerleader friends or her student council buddies or, even occasionally, her boyfriends; the dark part of Reagan refused to let her be relaxed with her friends and only disappeared when she was around Lee or Ken.
Similarly, to his sister, Lee found a brother in Ken and the day they met, when Ken had to finish a project with Reagan for biology, was spent with a kindred closeness; the two boys had so much in common, it was impossible to divert their attention from each other—Reagan ended up finishing the project herself as the boys talked endlessly. In fact, it was Ken who was the first to know of the Lucas siblings' departure, the shirt Ken sobbed on as he was held by Reagan was still damp with tears. Ken was the first person Reagan would come to with news, the first she would tell a personal secret, and the first she would ever call in an emergency; in terms of importance, Ken and Lee were equal in Reagan's book. Ken was the first for nearly all facets of Reagan's life, which made her question whether Ken really needed Reagan or if she needed him.
"Well, don't kill yourself any longer!" Ken tended to exclaim quite frequently, his words laced with infectious pep. "Aren't you guys excited? We're in a new town with a new school, we'll have so much fun!"
Iris giggled at Ken's enthusiasm, still sunny and unadulterated; it could have been misconstrued as mocking yet Iris's face diminished the thought of it. "Come on guys, I'll show you every nook and cranny in this place. With me as your guide, there won't be a thing you don't know about Sweet Amoris High."
When the school bell rang the day's end, Reagan sighed with relief, forgetting how exhausting a school day can be after an easy summer. It was Honors U. S. History since there were no A.P. classes in Sweet Amoris, a fact that annoyed Reagan slightly. Walking up to her teacher, a nervous man, Reagan dreamt of taking a relaxing bath with the new Lance Harding (a pulpy, hard-boiled ex-cop who chewed on toothpicks and the scum of his city) book and the lightly muted strains of Beethoven, wondering which bath bomb of hers would suit the mood. As the man looked up at her, Reagan settled on her lavender mint bath bomb, she could practically feel her muscles unwinding at the thought.
"Mr. Faraize, I just need you to sign this schedule."
"Oh! Yes, I forgot that you were new to the school." Mr. Faraize took the proffered sheet and scrawled on it, his veiny hand shaking somewhat. Handing the paper back to Reagan, Mr. Faraize said in an apologetic tone that seemed natural to him, "I'm afraid we only have the classroom books here, the rest are in the library. If you want you can get it yourself, otherwise you'll have to wait for tomorrow for me to hand it to you."
Like the teacher's pet she was, Reagan wanted to read ahead for class and she figured that adding a five-minute walk to her day couldn't interfere with her plan. Putting away her schedule, Reagan told her teacher, "No problem, do you mind writing a note so that the librarian knows?"
Shocked, Mr. Faraize stumbled for his sticky notes and pen. Writing in the same frenzied, nervous energy he seemed to live off, Mr. Faraize handed her a messily written note. "Um, here you go. I've never had a student to actually want the book immediately."
Reagan shrugged nonchalantly, not particularly disagreeing or agreeing. She made her way to the library in a cool calm, there was something about schools that gave her a mild comfort.
Another frustration threw itself in Reagan's way when she found out the library door was locked. There was a small window on the door that showed the librarian was still present, almost, unintentionally, taunting Reagan with her ignorance. Hoping to get her attention, Reagan knocked persistently until she heard a voice behind her, a voice that filled her with the crippling feeling of awkwardness.
"Need help?" Nathaniel sported a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, probably because he was more annoyed with Reagan's presence than he let on. It ended up that Nathaniel and Reagan had two classes together, trigonometry and honors English. No matter how quickly or how preemptive he was Nathaniel was constantly ignored in lieu for Reagan, who answered readily many questions the teachers had asked.
He was carrying a stack of packaged papers in what looked to be a bit of a struggled, his forehead beaded with sweat, his glowing hair mussed, and his arms rippling with lean muscle. If Reagan hadn't felt on edge around the boy, she probably would've flirted with him for all she cared.
Like a simpleton, Reagan said blankly, "I need a textbook and the door is locked."
"That's because it's placement testing day for the elementary kids." Setting the load of papers on the floor, Nathaniel dusted himself off and pulled out a key, skirting around a surprised Reagan. Without complaint, the key unlocked the door with a simple turn and click. Opening the door, Nathaniel said, "There, problem solved."
"Thanks, do you need help with that paper mountain of yours?"
For a moment, Reagan thought Nathaniel might snap at her but instead, he grinned. "I do, thanks for asking."
Picking up a few packages, Reagan said casually, "Quid pro quo."
"Quid pro quo…I like that."
"I'd thank you for the compliment but I didn't originate that saying."
"You should at least take some credit for using it appropriately. Nowadays, when everyone's throwing out ridiculous words like 'Yolo' or 'swag,' it's refreshing to hear some of the old language."
It felt weird to laugh aloud but Reagan did, it was staccato and genuine, a rarity in the past few months. She didn't really laugh because he was being funny, Nathaniel didn't really share her humor, it was the situation that amused her; she could be a flirtatious minx, however it was her appropriate use of Latin that impressed the boy.
As they walked down the library, Nathaniel asked, "How do you like Sweet Amoris?"
"It's great," admitted Reagan. "I was actually born here and I moved after third grade."
"Oh." Nathaniel's voice faltered almost imperceptibly as if Reagan's comment was disturbing. "That's nice."
Feeling an urge to explain her embarrassing moment in the morning, Reagan said, "Um, that comment I made when we first met, you know the one you overheard…That was a bad joke. My brother and I have a weird sense of humor."
Kindly, Nathaniel said, not quite convincingly, "I don't believe that I recall it."
"Oh…" Reagan warned herself to play it cool. "It wasn't important anyway."
An awkward silence wedged its way between the two teens as they shuffled through the stacks of packaged paper, pretending to organize them.
Finally, Nathaniel broke the silence delicately. "Don't you have a textbook to get? I'm fine, you really don't have to burden yourself with my work."
"Okay." Reagan said, "Thanks for letting me in, I probably would've gone crazy if you hadn't helped."
"That'd be a shame." Nathaniel's smile was cryptic. "I'll see you tomorrow in English."
Reagan simply nodded and said, "Yep."
I must be losing my game. God, that was dismal, Reagan thought to herself as she received her book from the librarian. With a tiny shake of her head, Reagan reminded herself that boys her age were too much trouble anyway, pretty to look at but completely messy to deal with personally—her preference laid with older boys, not cynical enough to be men, not immature enough to be children. Her last serious boyfriend had just begun his first year in college and after him, other boys repulsed Reagan with their fart jokes and sense of entitlement. While Reagan liked babies just fine, she didn't want to date them.
Leaving the cool confines of the library, Reagan found her locker and began the process of unlocking it. It was when her lock clicked open that Reagan realized she was being eclipsed by a massive shadow. Facing the shadow, Reagan was confronted with three girls. Rising from her crouch, Reagan felt unsure of the girls, who stared at her with an odd glint in their eyes as if they were a wolf pack that found a snack.
Confused, Reagan decided to initiate the conversation, "Um, hi?"
It was obvious that the girl in the center with swishy blonde hair was the alpha when the other two stepped back as the alpha stepped forward. The alpha had a lovely face twisted by an ugly smirk with clothes that clung flatteringly to her voluptuous body. The betas were a girl with a severe ponytail and a more severe sneer, and a girl with almond eyes that revealed her disinterest in her leader's antic and a tube of lipstick attached to her open lips, piling pink layer over pink layer.
"You're new here, aren't you?" There was an undeniable smack of derision in the girl's voice that unnerved Reagan.
Reserving her judgment, Reagan offered up a friendly smile. "Yep, I'm Reagan. Do we have class together?"
It surprised Reagan when the alpha turned to her friends and whispered something to her friends, causing them to burst out in a fit of giggles. Mildly annoyed, Reagan rolled her eyes and returned to packing up her bag; Reagan knew how she looked and seemed so if anyone thought she were funny, Reagan wasn't going to fly into a rage of indignation.
"I have to say out of all the transfers, you're certainly the prettiest. Then again, considering the other two, it wasn't really a tough contest. Although," The girl allowed a beat to pass before continuing, "you could afford to lose a couple pounds, especially on your hips."
The girl looked at Reagan with expectation, anticipating something she would be refused. Reagan was rarely confrontational, only engaging in conflict when it posed an actual threat to her or anyone she cared for. Reagan pointedly rolled her eyes as her only act of defiance and said sarcastically, "Okay, thanks for brightening my day. If you ever run out, the dollar store's having a sale on manners."
Amber and her friends exchanged looks of mild amusement at Reagan's lame comeback, snickering openly. Holding out her hand, Amber offered, "You're welcome, bee-tee-dubs, I'm Amber."
"Bee-tee-dubs," I don't care, Reagan thought flatly. Pushing her hand out of the way, Reagan walked away, holding her head high. If anything, Reagan had to keep her cool or else risk her pride, something she abhorred. Entering the main office, Reagan was greeted by Iris, who turned out to share several of Reagan's classes to their mutual delight.
Stapling a couple sheets together, Iris said, "Going home?"
"Uh huh, have you seen my brother and Ken?"
"They're outside. They told me to tell you that they'll be waiting by the bike rack. How was your first day?"
Reagan searched for the principal's mailbox and said distractedly, "Ah, pretty good, I'm going to sound weird but I actually like school. I can't wait to join some clubs."
"I'm glad to hear that, there's a music club if you're interested in that sort of thing."
Finding the principal's cubby, Reagan slid her schedule card in. Reagan said, with a laugh, "Too bad I'm more tone deaf than a bat is blind." Reagan paused, a thought running through her mind, "Hey, Iris?"
"Yeah, Reagan?"
"Do you know this girl named Amber? She's blonde and has two friends glued to her hips." No longer bothered by the mean girl's attitude, Reagan was now curious.
There was an unexpected grimace on the seemingly cheerful girl. Iris sighed, palming her forehead. "Unfortunately, yes. She's in our grade along with her other two friends, Charlotte and Li. Are they harassing you?"
"Not really, Amber just said something rude, that's all."
"That's her nature. Ignore them, Amber and her friends are so bored to the point they think annoying other people is fun."
"Seems like a shitty way to spend their time."
"Mm hmm, you tell them that. Honestly, girls like her and her friends should be ignored, it's for the best." Something in the way Iris talked hinted a bitter past.
Adjusting her backpack straps, Reagan smiled at Iris, hoping to end their conversation in a better spirit, "Alright, I guess I have to go now or Lee will strangle me with a bike lock."
Iris returned a smile and said jokingly, "I hope he doesn't, I'd hate to lose a friend so quickly. Tell Lee and Ken I said bye."
"Will do, bye, Iris." With that final statement, Reagan felt her spirit lift. She'd never made a friend so quickly but she was glad she did because Iris seemed wonderful. Walking out, Reagan found Lee and Ken sitting on a step, sharing cookies.
"Ready to go?" asked Reagan, snatching a proffered cookie from Ken.
Lee simply rolled his eyes and got on his bike, a foot tapping against a pedal impatiently. Ken beamed at Reagan and took a seat on his rusted contraption of a bicycle. Finally, Reagan unlocked her bike and sat down on it. Without having to say anything, the three pedaled down the road and away from school like they used to back in Merion as if nothing changed.
Walking out of her bathroom, Reagan ruffled her short hair with a fluffy towel, her body loose and relaxed from a long bath. Changing into an oversized shirt and shorts, Reagan sat on her bed and opened her laptop, having had little homework from her first day. Bored, Reagan entered her Facebook, noticing a few friend requests in her notification bar. Accepting them, Reagan got up from her bed, her belly growling for food. She entered into the kitchen and assembled a sandwich of white bread, tomatoes, onions, and kale. Reagan decided to ask Lee if he ate already and went to his closed room. As she was about to knock on the door, she heard Lee speaking, the doors were thin as paper and nothing went unheard.
"I know." said Lee sullenly. He paused for a moment and then spoke again. "Yeah." Pause. "I don't know." Pause. "It's okay, I guess." Pause. "Mom," Lee's voice was bare, stripped of its steel, soft like a child's, "I'm fine. It's not like you and dad ever loved each other anyway, so why would you care about the stupid children you didn't want. Why should you, since your life is obviously so miserable outside of work?"
When Reagan heard Lee let out a sob, she slumped against the door, covering her head in her hands. There were times when she felt so powerless, some things needed more than hot chocolate and hugs and at that very moment, Reagan felt lost, trapped in the dark. Since she was a child, Reagan had a strong sense of self-control, rationalizing away her problems, but the sound of Lee's pain twisted her heart, crippling it, Lee was the only person who could ever affect her power. She wanted to run into his room and hug him; however, she knew that he'd reject her out of shame. Lee had been like that ever since Scott told him to stop crying like a little girl—it was the only time Reagan had punched Scott in the face—and Lee's been emotionally guarded, his walls thick with distrust and pride.
With a sniffle, Lee said, "Fine, I'll ask."
The second Reagan heard the shuffle of Lee's feet she leapt up on her feet and ran into her room, trying to appear absorbed in the contents of her laptop. Surprisingly, Reagan's message box blipped, signifying a new message; when Reagan left Merion with the promises of her friends contacting her, she was left with an expected disappointment of them being empty. Opening the message, Reagan saw that it was Iris who popped up with a friendly "Hi!" ending with an Oregon Trail of emoticons after it. It would've been annoying if it was anyone else abusing the emoticon feature but Iris made everything she did seem adorable.
Reagan: Hey, love the emoticon party you've got going.
Iris messaged back but Reagan heard a knock on her door and went for the door instead. As expected, Lee was on the other side, his eyes pink and raw, his cheeks flushed with shame. Holding up the phone, Lee said, "It's mom."
Shaking her head, Reagan said, "No thanks."
Understandingly, Lee nodded his head, his deep green eyes blazing. He muttered something into the phone and left the room. Then, Reagan was welcomed to the return of Winged Skull's music, the chaotic riffs of electric guitar thumped against the wall. After retrieving her sandwich, Reagan wrapped herself in a purple Snuggie, a joke gift from a previous boyfriend.
Iris: There ain't no party like an emoticon party 'cause an emoticon party can go on forever. XD :D :3 (Insert many more emoticons.)
Iris: Reagan, you there?
Reagan thought for a moment before typing, "Yeah, just had to deal with something."
Iris: Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were busy. :o Do you want to talk later?
The more Reagan thought about her parents and her situation, the more Reagan became irritated. Steeling her resolve, Reagan thought harshly, Forget them. Forget Dad. Forget Mom. Forget Merion. The sooner you forget all the bullshit, the sooner you forget the pain. You have Ken, Lee, Aunt Agatha, Iris, and, best of all, a new start. It's time to make the best of it.
Reagan: Nah, it wasn't a big deal.
