School sucked, like always. I hated to go back after a mini vacation. It was hard to get back into my slacker mode after being gone for a week. The first day back I was bugged mercilessly by teachers that hate me. To make matters worse Trevor seem to be right by me everywhere I went, fortunately he didn't talk to me until the end of the day.
Becky couldn't give me a ride home today so she already left. Trying to get out of school as fast as I could, I was gathering my things at my locker. I decided to bring some homework home tonight, no guarantee that I would do it though. The hall was deserted, then, I heard some cheerleaders giggling as they wisped around the corner to my hall. I slammed my locker shut and went the opposite ways as the chirpy voices. The hallway that I turned onto was empty as well.
I trudged about halfway down the hall and as I was looking back to make sure the cheerleaders weren't following me, somebody ran into my side. They were coming from the room that I was passing.
"What the hell-" I started but I noticed that that somebody was Trevor. His perfect face grew red when he realized it was me.
"Watch where you're going Monster girl," he said. Trevor started walking down the hall feeling like he won this round until I said, "You ran into me. And you weren't being an ass the other day when you gave me you sweatshirt. I though that maybe you could actually be nice, I guess that was just an act for mommy and daddy. Huh?" I said, proud of my rebuttal and I turned to start walking again.
Apparently I haven't won this fight yet, either. Trevor replied, "My family thinks you are a monster too. Your dad can forget about the promotion too. I could have your freaky family out living on the streets; my dad will fire your dad in the blink of an eye."
I didn't know what to say so I took a deep breath to relax a little, walked slowly a few steps forward. Trevor was smiling; basking in his "victory"; I slowly raised my arm and punched him square on the nose. Trevor squealed out in pain I saw a little blood trickle out of his nose as Trevor's hands covered his nose. "I think you broke it you monster" Trevor cried he was still standing there but I didn't wait around so I walked away swiftly, while my hand started to throb.
That will definitely ruin Trevor's perfect face, I thought, while I walked home. I couldn't help but feel bad though, what if I did actually break his nose? Would he really have my dad fired, or was he just trying to make me mad?
I decided to do a little geometry homework, or look up the answers in the back of the book rather. When I was finished cheating, I was called to dinner. Billy boy was already sitting at the table with my mom as my dad put a plate on the table. "We're having steak tonight," my mom pointed out.
"I know I can see," I said sarcastically and my mom's excited face dropped a little. Tying to sound excited to I added, "And baked potatoes, corn from a can, and green beans. What's the occasion?" I asked. I felt guilty thinking my dad was getting ready to receive a promotion and spending money on expensive steak, when he will never get promoted, and worst of all, it would be all my fault.
I sat down in my usual place at the table. "Your father has great news," my mom said serving food to herself and my brother, who should be old enough to do that himself. I grabbed a steak with a fork and grabbed the biggest potato.
"I got the promotion," my dad said blatantly, surprising me. To hide the surprise in my face I cut my potato nonchalantly, but I tried to look intrigued. "Mr. Mitchell told me this morning. This is going to be so good for us, money wise." Now I was confused, my dad kept saying how much more money we will have, although I always thought we had money, my parents were making it seem like we were really poor.
My mom must have noticed my confused look because she added quickly, "Not that we didn't or don't have money now, we are," my mom paused briefly, searching for the right word, "comfortable. This promotion will mean we can move into a bigger house. I always wanted my own office area. Billy you could have a room for your little science experiments and Raven you could have your own-," my mom seemed to be at a loss of what to say. Apparently my mom didn't know me at all. I like music, movies, surfing the internet, and the color black, just pick one to say, I thought, like my mom could read my mind. She continued, "room to watch movies and listen to music. Another room for you to get messy just don't paint it black." I smiled, maybe my mom did know me, but I scowled at her for not wanting me to paint it the color I like.
"Why not black?" I argued.
"Black is so- so ugly," wrong thing to say mom, I thought and so did she and my dad and brother, because they all looked at me with their mouths open slightly, waiting for me to start shouting.
"I wear black all the time," I pointed out, as I carefully thought over what to say, "Does that mean you think I am ugly? Why can't you just let me do what I want and express my self?" I said before anybody could interrupt. I stood up and walked a few steps before I said, "I have homework to do." Then I walked to my room. I didn't actually lie; I did have homework I just wasn't going to do it. I heard my mom yelling as soon as I my door was closed.
A great thing just happened for my dad, he wanted to have a nice dinner and spend time with his family to celebrate, and I ruined that by over reacting and stomping out of the room. Of course my mom did start it; I shouldn't feel bad for ruining dinner just because my mom couldn't let me be myself. I tried to convince myself that everything was my mom's fault, when that didn't work I reluctantly dragged myself back to the dinner table.
"I'm sorry, honey," my mom apologized as soon as she saw me, "You are beautiful, and you should know that."
Before my mom got too sentimental I did my best to say that I was sorry too and I wasn't her fault by saying, "Yeah, I- yeah," and sitting down, but I knew my mom understood.
After dinner I excused myself to "do homework". Billy went in his room to do what ever nerdy thing he does, while my parents settled down to some TV. By eight o'clock Billy was asleep sprawled out on his bed with a book he was probably reading on the bed next to him. I walked past his room and closed his door. My parents were still watching TV. I sat down next to them and gave them the sweetest look that was possible for me. "Mom, dad," I choked out finally, "Can I go out for a little bit?" I tried, I was sixteen; I was old enough to be out past eight.
My dad looked at his watch, "What are you going to do this late?" was my dad's first question the second was, "Who are you going to be with this late?" he had to reiterate himself to make sure I knew that it late.
"Becky and I wanted to go get ice cream or something. We haven't hung out in a while. I thought you would say yes without the twenty questions, so she is already there. I will only be an hour or two." I lied, pleading my case. There were no plans, no ice cream, no time limit; my parents would be asleep within an hour.
"Fine. Take my car," my mom said, but I though I imagined the second part. "What?" I asked making sure I knew I was hearing things, my mom hated me to drive especially at night in her car.
"Take my car, the keys should be in there." My dad looked shocked too, he just told me to have fun and be safe, though. And I was out the door, in the car, my mom's car.
I didn't know where to go now that I was free from my suffocating house, maybe I would call Becky up to see if she wanted to get ice cream or something. As soon as I pulled out of the drive way I found myself going away from town. Within minutes I was parked on the street outside the Dullsville Cemetery. I looked around once I stepped out of the car, like I expected someone to be there. Someone like Jagger, I knew I subconsciously wanted to find him. And I did.
Jagger walked out of the darkness of the cemetery. He strode over to me, he didn't look surprised at all that I was there, he must have known that I'd come here.
"Hey," was all he said as he came closer still. With the light from the street lamps I could see him more clearly now. Jagger was wearing tight black jeans and a white shirt almost the same color as his hair.
I leaned against my black car coolly and said, "Hey yourself."
"What have you been up to, I expected you to come back after we met the first time. How have you been? It seems like forever since I saw you," Jagger gushed.
"It has just been a couple days. School started today," I replied. I didn't know what to say, I didn't want to sound like I liked him, but I think I do. I think I do.
"School?" He asked. I didn't know what to say, luckily Jagger kept talk, which was unusual for him, "How was your day, Raven?" he interrogated me.
"Okay. I sort of had a fight with my mom, I don't even know why, but we made up, at school almost all of my teachers yelled at me for some reason or another, my dad got a promotion and we might move, just to another, bigger house in the same neighborhood as my nemesis. Oh and I might have broken his nose," It, apparently, was my turn to talk a lot, "How about you?"
"That's sounds interesting, Raven," I loved how Jagger was saying my name, it made everything seem more real, "I just woke up not long ago, so my day is just starting. It is a good day already, though," I normally hated when guys are so sweet and say things like this, in books and movies but when it actually happens to you it's different. "Now when you say you might have broken someone's nose what do you mean?"
I smiled and explained the whole story to Jagger, while we walked into the cemetery and sat against a tree.
I didn't realize what time it was until I started yawning. Jagger and I had been sitting under the tree talking for hours. "What time is it?" I asked lazily. I closed my eyes.
"It's a quarter to one, do you need to get home?" he sounded disappointed. I nodded sleepily, my eyes still shut, I felt so comfortable and didn't want to get up. But the next thing I knew soft hands were grabbing mine and pulling me up. I stood up and opened me eyes. Jagger was standing in front of me looking as disappointed as he sounded before.
"Let's get you home then," Jagger said he slid under my arm and helped me to the car, like I was unable to walk for myself. If anyone else did this I would be mad but it was nice with Jagger. We stopped at my car where he greeted me when I first got here.
"How late are you?" Jagger looked concerned.
"A couple hours, but my parents should be asleep and won't notice. I will be okay." I tuned around to get in the car but Jagger grabbed my wrist to stop me. I turned back towards him; Jagger looked at me with sad eyes.
"I'll come out tomorrow, but right now I need to get some sleep." Jagger leaned in, and softly pressed his lips against mine.
It was official, I liked Jagger. Where did that leave Alexander, my MIA boyfriend? Did that leave him anywhere? Alexander did leave me after all, so he must not have liked me enough to stay; to stay and deal with the good and bad, the ups and downs of a teenage goth girl dating her perfect vampire boyfriend. I though about all this while I drove home.
I was able to sneak into the house with out waking anybody. I quietly got ready for bed. While I lay in bed waiting for sleep to fall over me I placed my hand on my lips. I could still feel Jagger.