Hey guys. So I haven't updated in quite a bit. Sorry about that.
Also, thanks to those of you who reviewed. I really appreciate it.
The next morning, Tina was sitting in home-room, talking to Nina and Ellen, when a boy walked into their classroom.
There were plenty of boys in Tina's home-room, but what caught her attention were two things: he was late, and he was also the boy she'd met at the park.
"Jamie?" their home-room teacher called out, sending the boy a questioning frown.
He gave one, curt nod- an action easily missed.
"You're Jamie?" Tina exclaimed, before she could stop herself. The room fell quiet and everyone stared from her to Jamie, who was glaring daggers at her.
Tina flushed a deep red. She hadn't meant to embarrass either of them, it had just been her instinctive reaction.
"Sorry!" she spluttered, not knowing if she was apologizing to Jamie, the class or herself.
Jamie glowered at her a moment longer, then wordlessly turned away and stormed to the back of the classroom, as far away from her as he could get without leaving.
Tina slumped in her seat.
"Don't worry, Tina!" Dan said, coming over and clapping her on the shoulder. He dropped his voice, "I told you this new guy would be a jerk."
"No you didn't." Nina said, looking confused, "You said he would be a delinquent."
Dan shrugged, "Same difference."
Ellen frowned at that, "Not necessarily..."
Tina wasn't paying attention anymore. Instead, she glanced worriedly at Jamie, but he was facing the wall, his hands clenched.
Tina fiddled with her braids anxiously. What was she supposed to do now?
...
Claire was sitting at her desk, head in her arms, and trying to go to sleep.
Correction: back to sleep. She'd been blissfully in the land of dreams for around nine hours before being rudely awakened a half hour ago.
By a knocking at her window, no less.
Anyways, the whole 'going back to sleep' thing didn't really work when people were talking to her.
Apparently, Kai didn't know this.
"Have a late night, Claire?" he asked from somewhere in front of her.
Claire buried her head deeper into her arms.
"Me too." Kai went on, "Wanna make a bet on which one of us had more fun? If you lose, you have to go on a date with me."
"How about we make a bet on who can fall asleep the fastest?" Claire mumbled, then raised her hand, "I win."
Kai laughed, "Alright, so what do I have to do?"
"Go over there." Claire said, pointing in the first direction her hand fell, "And don't speak to me."
"Ouch." Kai laughed, "Not a morning person?"
"Not a person," Claire replied, still pointing, "In the morning. Go."
"Um, why are you pointing at me?"
Claire glanced up to find Cliff and Ann a few steps away. Cliff was the one speaking.
"Sorry." Claire mumbled, dropping her arm back on the desk.
"Do I still have to leave?" Kai asked, grinning, "Cliff is kind of in the way."
Claire was tempted to say 'yes', but that's when Jack came in from his locker. With Gray.
Claire felt like hiding her face again.
"Hey guys." Jack said, coming over and casting his cousin a questioning look, "You're awake?"
"No." Claire replied, "Not since you woke me up."
Jack shrugged, as if this wasn't his fault, and shooed Kai out of his desk.
"Wanna come with us today, Jack?" Ann asked, "At lunch I mean. We're not going anywhere." remembering Claire, she turned to her with a smile, "You can come too Claire."
Claire caught Gray's expression behind Ann's back. He looked like he wanted to choke the other redhead.
Bad first impression with him then.
"No thanks." Claire said, to Gray's evident relief, "The girl Jack has a crush on and her friend invited me to eat with them."
"Claire!" Jack exclaimed, going bright red.
"What?" Claire asked him, fighting a yawn, "It's not like you told me you liked her. I just have very good intuition. So technically it's not something I have to keep secret, since I found out on my own."
"I don't like Popuri!" Jack fumed.
Claire tapped her chin, "Hm... that's weird. I was talking about Ellie."
Kai laughed at this, and Claire smirked at her cousin. The other three didn't appear to know what to say, and simply looked from Jack to Claire.
"Yes, Ann." Jack growled, turning to the startled girl, "I'd love to come with you guys."
"I'll tell Popuri you said hi." Claire mumbled, resting her head in her arms again.
She could almost feel Jack seething. It made her grin.
...
At lunch, Gwen was sitting with Katie and Lyla at their usual table.
"Joe!" Katie called out, waving her arms at the boy who'd just entered the cafeteria with his brother, "Come over!"
Joe cast Katie an uneasy grin and followed his brother to the lunch line.
Katie folded her arms, glowering at his back, "He could at least come say hi. I made lunch for him and everything."
"I'm sure he'll be over in a minute." Lyla said, as soothingly as possible. Katie still looked moody.
"I'll have his lunch." Gwen offered eagerly.
"Definitely not!" Katie snapped, pulling the lunch box closer to her, "I tried a new recipe and I want to get Joe's opinion."
Gwen leaned against the table and groaned, "But I'm hungry!"
"That's your own fault." Katie told her, "You shouldn't have forgotten your wallet."
Gwen frowned at the table, muttering under her breath, "It's not like he eats your lunches anyways..."
Katie seethed and threw the top of her own lunch box at Gwen. Gwen laughed and blocked her face with her arms.
"So Rock's having a party." Gwen said, picking up the cover from her lap and scooping up a bit of rice stuck on the top with her finger.
"Mm." she observed, sticking it in her mouth, "It's pretty good."
Seconds later and Gwen was gagging, "Oh my god, what kind of flavour... Did you put fish in this?"
Katie flushed.
"So you were saying?" Lyla prompted, "Rock's party...?"
"Oh yeah." Gwen slid the cover across the table to Katie, "A party at Rock's this Friday. His parents will be gone." Gwen wiggled her eyebrows at Katie, who looked disgusted.
"You coming, Lyla?" Gwen asked, turning to her friend.
"Maybe." Lyla said with a soft smile, "I'm not really one for parties."
"Your loss." Gwen said, sitting back with a smirk, "I'm sure it'll be good."
"What will be good?" Joe asked.
The brothers had come over with food. Joe sat in the chair Katie proffered and Kurt, looking uncomfortable as ever, settled in beside him.
"Rock's party." Gwen explained.
"Oh!" Joe's brows shot up, "I heard about that! Apparently his parents-"
"We know." Katie said sharply, giving him a pointed look, then turning back to Gwen, "Joe and I won't be going."
Joe gave her a questioning look, "We... won't?"
"Of course not." Katie said, holding out the lunch box to him, "Here's your lunch!"
Katie was beaming now, and her voice rose in an odd sweet note. Not for the first time, Gwen wondered if she was bipolar.
"Um," Joe started unsurely, pointing at his tray, "I kind of already bought..."
Katie pouted at him, "But I worked so hard!"
Joe looked helplessly from his tray, to the lunch to Katie.
"Fine!" Katie finally snapped, turning away from him and shoving it across the table, "I'll give it to Gwen! She at least appreciates my cooking!"
Gwen gave the lunch box a doubtful look, "Not if that's the same rice I ate..."
"Alright, alright." Joe relented, "I'll eat it."
Katie crossed her arms tightly, "Don't force yourself."
"No," Joe sighed, pushing his tray towards his brother, "Here, you eat this, bro."
Kurt didn't look pleased.
"I'll take it!" Gwen exclaimed, reaching for the tray, "Push it over, will you, Kurt?"
Kurt, looking slightly red, did so and settled back in his chair, staring at the table.
Joe, who now had Katie's lunch in front of him, appeared to be saying a prayer.
"Stop that!" Katie snapped, shoving a fork at him, "Try the wonderful lunch I made for you!"
Joe, looking defeated, took the utensil and forked some rice into his mouth. A second later, and his eyes widened.
"Did you put... salmon in this?" Joe demanded, whirling to face Katie.
Katie smirked, taking his astonishment for success, "Yes."
"Salmon and rice," Joe said, giving Katie a hard look, "Do not go together at all."
Katie looked torn between crying and ripping Joe's head off.
"So is anyone else going to Rock's party besides me?" Gwen asked, attempting to steer the conversation back into a safe zone- aka anything but Katie's culinary failures.
"I might." Lyla reminded her, then smiling across the table, "What about you, Kurt?"
Kurt choked on his food. After a couple of coughs, Kurt stuttered, red faced, "M-me?"
Lyla continued smiling, inclining her head in a slight nod.
Kurt was flabbergasted, "I- I have to work."
Gwen rolled her eyes at this, "Always with the work." she kicked his leg under the table, and grinned as he flinched, "You've gotta loosen up."
Kurt frowned into his lap, but didn't make a reply.
Gwen tapped her fingers on the table and sighed, "I guess I'll have to go alone then..." she chewed her lip a moment, "Maybe Bob's going. I'll ask him..."
"I'll go." Kurt interjected.
Everyone stared at him, startled. But none looked more startled than Kurt himself.
Kurt flushed, "Y-you said I have to loosen up."
Gwen grinned at him.
...
Jamie was leaving the school. Just as he was about to open the door, he heard someone calling his name.
Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder and spotted Tina, running towards him.
He went to open the door- leave anyways- but for whatever reason his arm wouldn't obey him.
Tina came to a jittery halt in front of him and immediately doubled in on herself, catching her breath.
Jamie waited.
"I'm sorry!" Tina finally gasped, "About this morning! I'm really sorry I called out like that!"
Jamie lifted an eyebrow at her.
"I'm really, really sorry." she said again, "I saw you leaving and ran after you to tell you that! So please, don't be angry! And even if you're angry with me, don't leave!"
Jamie glanced at the door, then back at Tina, "I'm going home for lunch."
Tina's worry melted to confusion, "What?"
Jamie scowled at her, "Did you think I was ditching or something?"
Tina averted her eyes, looking sheepish, "Well you weren't here yesterday..."
"That was the first day." Jamie said, his voice curt, "Nothing gets done. There's no point in coming."
"Oh..." Tina mumbled, winding her fingers together, blushing a little.
Jamie's frown deepened, "I'm not a delinquent."
Now Tina outright flushed, "I-I didn't think you were!"
That sounded really suspicious to Jamie.
"I'm going now." Jamie snapped, shoving the door open, still focussed on Tina, "I'll be back for the afterno-"
"Ow!"
Startled, Jamie turned around to see that he'd hit someone with the door. A girl with light blue braids and glasses.
"Sorry..." Jamie muttered, holding the door open for the girl, who adjusted her spectacles and stepped inside.
"Are you ok?" Tina asked, looking worried.
"Yeah." the girl said, wincing. She was clutching her arm, "I'm sorry."
Jamie gave her a startled look, while Tina exclaimed, "It wasn't your fault! Don't apologize!"
Jamie glared at her.
"I'm not saying it was your fault either." Tina quickly amended, "I was distracting you, so technically it was my-"
Jamie snorted, "I wouldn't be distracted by you."
Tina looked both offended and confused, "What do you mean by that?"
Jamie rolled his eyes, then turned to check on the blue haired girl. Immediately, he frowned.
She was gone.
...
Gina sat on a bed in the school clinic, her arm in her lap.
She'd managed to cut it on the edge of the door when the boy had opened it. She didn't blame him, of course, she should have been watching.
She'd only come to the clinic for some peroxide and band-aids. The cut wasn't that bad, but deep enough to still be bleeding. She figured it was best to patch it up now, before she got back to the mansion.
Gina's head shot up when she heard the door open. Soon, a young man appeared from behind the sheet separating the bed from the rest of the clinic.
"Hello." he said, smiling warmly at her, "Gina, right?"
Gina nodded dumbly. This guy was kind of... cute. More than cute.
"My name's Alex." the doctor said, coming over to her, "May I have a look at your arm?"
Gina nodded again and held out her arm. The doctor came over to inspect it. Gina blushed as his fingers pressed against her skin.
"I..." Gina started, trying not to stutter, "I only need some p-peroxide and maybe a... it's really not very..."
Alex only smiled at her, "It's good of you to come in all the same." he released her arm, "I'll be back in a minute."
Gina waited, hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. Alex returned soon after, with a bottle of peroxide, cotton balls and a gauze.
"You're our first patient." Alex said, dabbing the cotton balls in the peroxide and pressing them gently to her arm, "Sorry if this stings."
Gina held back a wince, "It's fine."
"My first patient, really." Alex went on, giving her a grin as he reached for the gauze, "This is my first year."
Gina gave him a surprised look, then blushed, "I-I guess that makes sense. You weren't here last year... Not that I make a habit of getting into accidents!" she hurried to add, reddening further.
Alex laughed lightly, a nice sound, "I'm sure you don't." he said, finishing with the gauze, "But if you show up again, I don't mind. Just don't make it anything serious."
Gina flushed again, drawing her arm back to her, "I-I won't."
Alex grinned and stood, offering a hand to her, "My first patient, I think, was a success."
Gina nodded like a bobble-head and accepted his hand. Her heart was nearly leaping out of her chest.
Alex walked her to the door, "I'll see you later, Gina." he said.
"Y-you too, sir!" Gina exclaimed, startled at her own volume.
Alex laughed again, "No need to call me sir! Just Alex is fine. It wouldn't feel right otherwise."
Gina nodded for the fourth time, "Alright then, A-A-Alex."
Before she could do anything else remotely stupid, Gina took off down the hall.
A student and a teacher? Not even a teacher- the school doctor?
Gina had read books like that.
...
"So," Karen said, "Today is Alex's first day, right?"
Claire was sitting with Popuri and Ellie at their table. She had been surprised to find Karen there, but didn't mind. She kind of liked Karen.
"Yeah." Ellie said, blushing faintly, "He told me he was looking forward to it."
"Who's Alex?" Claire asked before diving into her tortilla- courtesy of the cafeteria for five dollars.
"Oh," Karen said, eyes twinkling mischievously, "He's Ellie's-"
"Friend." Ellie quickly interjected, "He's my friend. We used to play together when we were younger."
"Yeah, in the swimming pool," Karen muttered under her breath, "And we all know how fond kids are of keeping their swimsuits on."
"Sh-shut up!" Ellie stammered, going beet red, "You and Rick were far worse!"
Popuri nodded sadly, "She's right. We have pictures."
Karen shrugged, "I don't deny it."
"So this Alex guy," Claire said, trying to rip off a chunk of the rock tortilla, "His first day...?"
"His first day working with the school doctor." Ellie explained, looking grateful for the slight change of topic.
Claire's eyebrows shot up, "How old is he?"
"Just a year older." Ellie said.
"He skipped a lot of grades," Karen explained, rolling her eyes, "Crazy genius. Wasted it on medicine, of course."
"Karen!" Ellie exclaimed, looking offended.
"Ellie's planning to become a nurse." Karen told Claire, grinning, "So she can work with her husband."
"Karen!" Ellie's whole face was scarlet.
"So this party on Friday." Karen started, "Anyone going?"
Tony had mentioned a party the day before. The cousins had gotten together after school (all except Tina, who had been mysteriously absent). He'd shooed Tito to the next room and told them about Rock's invitation.
"I'm going." Karen added, she glanced at Popuri, "What about you, Po?"
Popuri tapped her chin, "I'm not sure yet. It would be hard to sneak out, and if Rick caught me he'd explode."
Karen let out a snort of laughter.
"Are you going, Claire?" Popuri asked, turning to the other girl.
Claire had no idea. She shrugged, then gestured at her lunch with an annoyed look, "Do I get a prize if I finish this?"
Ellie and Popuri stared at her. Karen snickered.
"Is Jack going?" Popuri asked, back on track.
"Nope." Claire mumbled around her mouthful of gravel, "Said it's not his kind of thing."
"Oh..." Popuri said, sounding disheartened. She twirled her hair around a finger, "It's not really mine either, come to think of it..."
"Jack's just a lightweight." Karen said, waving a hand flippantly, "You should come, Claire. We could go together. It'd be great."
Claire considered Karen's proposal, then considered the tortilla. She gave up on the tortilla.
To Karen she said, "Sure."
...
That afternoon, in Philosophy, Tony felt someone tap him on the shoulder.
"Hey," Rock whispered, "Man, isn't it great how everyone's talking about my party?"
Tony didn't turn around.
"I mean, it's like my party is the highlight of their life this week," Rock went on, "It's pretty awesome, man, knowing I can do something to excite so many people."
Tony ran a hand through his hair and quietly checked his phone. How much longer till the bell?
"It's great, isn't it?" Rock said, shaking his shoulder, "Right, man? Tony?"
"Yeah, Rock." Tony sighed, "It's great."
Tony didn't have to turn around to know Rock was beaming, "That's right, man. My party's gonna be freaking amazing."
Hope you enjoyed it! Sorry for awkward phrasing, spelling and/or grammar mistakes. Thanks for reading!