Disclaimer: I don't own BSC or any characters.
A/n: I'm really sorry about not updating this sooner. My computer crashed and I had to set it to factory settings... :( Anyway, here is chapter four.
Changing Lanes
Chapter Four: Sandbox
I was going to kill Cary Retlin. I had a notice purple-blue hickey on my neck. I had left my hair down in attempt to hide it as my foundation didn't match the colour of my neck. The funny thing about a school like Stoneybrook High School, it's not that hard to hide from someone. After Austin's party, I shut myself in my room alone, thinking about what had happened. I put it down to the fact that he was drinking, and most likely stoned. I hadn't told Mary Anne or Claudia. I doubted that I ever would. But walking into school first thing Monday morning, I saw someone else who I didn't want to see.
"Oh my lord, so she's really back." Claudia said, as she fell into step with me.
"Yeah she is." Mallory Pike didn't look like the nice, level-headed eleven year old I knew before she went to boarding school, instead she looked like she belonged to a Slipknot or some other heavy metal band concert. "She looks like she's changed a lot."
"Loads. How was the rest of Austin's party?" She said, raising her eyebrow and smiling at me.
"I uh... left early. Tired." I wasn't exactly in the mood to tell Claudia that her moment of match-maker between Cary and I had failed.
Claudia stared at me. "Huh? You were 'tired'?" She asked. She peered at my neck. "What is that?" She exclaimed.
"Yes, I was tired and it's nothing. Emily Michelle threw a softball at my neck. I stayed up late the night before doing all of my homework." I had a feeling Claudia wasn't believing me, about both stories. Cary had said that she was the one who sent him down to her and I think she knew Emily Michelle wouldn't throw a softball at anyone.
Claudia stared at me. "Uh huh. Sure, sure. I, on the other hand, had an amazing time at Austin's and I started a new painting over the weekend."
"Really? What kind this time?" Claudia is a great artist. I have two of her works on my walls.
"I don't know. I was looking at the lime green paint and just felt the compulsion to whack it on my brand new canvas." Claudia sighed. "Remember four years ago?" She said, still looking up ahead where Mallory Pike was getting escorted around by some freshman kid.
Did I remember four years ago? Of course I did. It was eighth grade and we were still in the BSC. It was our last year of SMS. Jessi and Mallory were in the sixth grade. Everything back then seemed simple. I nodded. "Eighth grade."
"And now we're eight months away from graduating." Claudia said. "Scary how fast time flies."
I nodded in agreement again. It was scary alright.
#!
I didn't see Cary all day. Not even playing hooky during my English class like I normally see him do. Not that I didn't care anyway. Cary Retlin didn't even matter to me. Mary Anne had asked too, what was the purple mark on my neck. I don't know if either really believed me. I walked up the stairs to David Michael standing at the top.
"Karen won't get out of the bathroom." He said, hands on his hips. "She's been in there for forty-five minutes!"
I sighed. I raised my fist and banged on the door. "Karen! What are you doing?"
"Nothing! Leave me alone!" She screeched back. "Go away!"
"Karen, you can't hog the bathroom like this all the time." Karen is thirteen going on twenty-five sometimes. Some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth is just disgusting and not something I want to hear coming from my thirteen year old step-sister. "Karen, I'm a expert at picking locks you know so if you don't open up, guess what?"
The bathroom door flings open. "Can't you just leave me alone?" Karen asks. Her eyelids are covered in bright purple eye shadow. Underneath her eyes are big black streaks of eye-liner. To top it all off, her cheeks were bright red and half of her hair was in massive curls.
"You look like a clown!" David Michael exclaimed, laughing.
I stared at Karen. "What are you doing to yourself?" I asked. I tried to not sound so mean but I can't help it. She looks ridiculous.
"I'm copying the new looks out of Vogue." She said, her head tilted high. I guess her confidence isn't wavering.
"Vogue?" I repeat.
Karen disappears into the bathroom and returns with a open copy of Vogue. "Daddy said I could have one magazine for doing all my jobs last week." I can't believe Watson is letting Karen read Vogue at thirteen. I wasn't reading Vogue at thirteen but I was completely different to Karen. I was into sports and dirt. I take a better look at what she's attempting to copy. If Karen had finished her hair and dressed similar to the model in the picture, she'd look almost like it.
"Wow." I said. "Just let David Michael go to the bathroom and then you can finish, okay?" I suggest to her.
Karen rolled her eyes and exited the bathroom. She's wearing an old, too-small Krusher T-shirt and her Stoneybrook Academy skirt. I haven't seen a Krusher shirt in years. "Fine, there you go, dog-breath."
David Michael sticks his tongue out as he walked past. "Thanks, clown face." Karen and David Michael are the same age but go to different schools. David Michael is the same age as Karen but Karen skipped ahead a grade. When report cards come out, Karen loves to point that out. In the past year, Karen's changed a lot. "Thanks, Kristy."
I walk down the hallway towards my room. Everyone's really changed in the past four years. It's almost scary. Emily Michelle isn't two and a half anymore. Andrew isn't quiet and shy and hides behind his sister. Karen is turning into a boy-crazy, fashion obsessed girl like Claudia and Stacey were like when I was around her age. David Michael has lost interest in softball instead he wants to be a footballer. Sam is almost twenty and is working at Watson's firm until next year, when he'll start at Brown. Charlie is still at college and "living it up" as he told me last time he was here. I flop down onto my bed. Have I changed in the past for years? Physically, I haven't grown, I still wear a size six on my feat and I have long brown hair still, that I wear up in a ponytail. The afternoon sun casts weird shadows through my curtains and I roll over and close my eyes.
…...
"Daydreaming?"
I look up, through the mirror and see Mallory Pike standing behind me. Her hair is still the same length, she's still got the raccoon eyes from the day before and she's wearing a Metallica T-shirt. She's still got her glasses but her braces are gone. "Yeah." I said, feeling stupid for not coming up with anything good to say. I narrow my eyes when I look at her hands and see a lighter in one, and a cigarette in the other. "Aren't you meant to be in fourth period?"
"Aren't you?" She snapped back. She lits her cigarette.
"How long have you been smoking?" I asked as Mallory moves from behind me to down the other end of the basin, near the window.
"Eighth grade? Summer before? I don't know. It's been a long time." She exhaled and took another drag. "How is life, Thomas?" Mallory asked, a little glint is in her eye. Something, I don't trust.
"It's been good." I said.
"So, it's you, Mary Anne and Claudia now. What happened to everyone else?"
I look down at my bathroom pass. Mr Richards is subbing for my regular English teacher, so he's not really going to care if I'm missing for too long I hope. "Abby is a member of the Volleyball team and the soccer team, so she usually sits with them. Dawn still lives in California. And Stacey is a cheerleader." Mallory would've had to known that last fact. Yesterday between sixth and seventh period, the cheerleaders showed us a "preview" of what's to come at homecoming, right in the middle of the hallway. Something about trying to keep school spirit together.
"What about Jessi? I haven't seen her yet."
My eyes widen a little bit. Mallory doesn't know that Jessi lives in New York and goes to a special dance school? Had Mallory really lost everyone's friendships? "You don't know?" I asked. Seriously, is she trying to pull my strings? But Mallory keeps looking at me like she hasn't got a clue. "Jessi and her family live in New York. Jessi left after eighth grade and she now goes to a dance school in Manhattan." I left out the fact that Jessi sometimes sends me emails, updating me every few months. I knew that Claudia and Mary Anne still spoke to her too. "When was the last time you spoke to her?"
Mallory looked down at the dirty ground. I wonder if she's used to public high schooling yet. "End of seventh grade? Summer after that?" Mallory sounds unsure. "Do you talk to her a lot?"
I briefly look away, and stare at the graffiti that says that Dori Wallingford is a skanky hoe. "No, not really. My mom gets a Christmas card every year from them though." I'm not lying about the last part, but I still feel guilty. Mallory has lost everyone that used to be in her life, but I'm not about to step up and start rebuilding our friendship. I push off the counter and pick up the bathroom pass. "I better get back." I said as I moved towards the door. I turn around and look back. Mallory's lighting up another cigarette.
She had changed a lot.
…...
I'm spending my afternoon lying on bed rather than doing my only piece of homework that I haven't done. It's only reading five chapters of the book we're covering in English but I can't be bothered. Mallory's lack of concern about her once best friend irks me and what's even worse is that I have one new message from Jessi Ramsey sitting in my email account. I'm wondering if I should tell her that Mallory's back. If I don't, someone else will. I'm ignoring the yelling from downstairs. David Michael is yelling at Karen about the television, ignoring the fact that there is more than one television in the house that isn't being used but because Karen wants that television, he isn't budging. I can hear Andrew yelling at someone, Timmy Hsu?, about whose skateboard or skateboarder is better. I have the increasing urge to open my door and scream, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" but they're eleven, twelve and thirteen years old and Karen would probably tattle to her daddy. And I'm not in the mood to have an argument with anyone. The doorbell rings and straight away the yelling stops, which is replaced with elephant sized footsteps running towards the front door. Karen must answer the door because she introduces herself. "I'm Karen Brewer and I'm thirteen." Karen's flirting at whoever was at the door. I turn and roll to face the other way. I hear footsteps going up the stairs and along the hall. I hope it's not anyone to visit me. I'm just not in the mood. I close my eyes and pretend that I'm asleep. My door opens and closes and then extra weight is added to my bed.
"I know you're not asleep."
I inwardly groan. "What are you doing here?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed. Maybe if I really do fall asleep, he'll leave.
"You looked down today." Cary said, moving to kick his shoes off. They drop to the ground loudly. "I was wondering if it was because of what happened at Austin's party."
I open my eyes and roll over to face him. "No. It's not because of you, today."
Cary's hand reaches out and pushes a strand of hair out of my eyes. "Do you want to tell me?"
Tell him that Mallory Pike's return to my life has changed it. That he's return changed it. "It" is the normality in my life. Normality that I want to keep. "Things keep happening in my life that isn't part of the normality."
Cary looks down towards the edge of the bed. "Is that including me?"
"Yes! You weren't in my life anymore and I thought you were never coming back."
"Did it hurt to hear what happened between Cokie and me?"
"Yes. I felt like a fool to ever think you'd like me. I used to say to everyone that I hated you, when deep down I really liked you. I don't know why though. You were always mean to me."
Cary laughs. "They always say that boys are mean to the girls that they like."
"Yes but you also stole my watch. You still do!"
"I love your reaction when you find out it's missing." Cary grabs my waist and pulls me closer. "I love it when you get angry." Cary kisses me, pulling me on top of him. I groan a little when he nibbles at my bottom lip. I pull back a few moments later, straddling him. "Do you know how long I've wanted to be with you?" He kisses me again. His hands moving up my stomach on the inside of my shirt. I run my fingers through his hair as his lips leave mine and make their way down my neck to where the hickey is.
"Stop." My voice is hoarse. Sweat is starting to form on my forehead and I have an increasing urge to start ripping some clothes off. I push him away, back underneath me and into the pillows. My eyes are glued to his and it's scaring me. I lift my hands and grab the edge of my T-shirt and lift it over my head. I don't exactly have a large chest. Cary stares up at me as I reach around and un-clip my bra. I've never been naked in front of a boy before. In a second, I'm underneath him and clothes are flying.
I wake up covered in sweat and my hair mattered on my forehead. I'm clothed, Cary's nowhere in sight and it's 4:07am. I sit up, pushing my cover off me. I pick the pillow next to me and slam it down onto my bed. Cary Retlin was invading everything!
I really needed a cold shower.
…...
It was like a case of speak of the devil and he shall appear. Cary was leaning against my locker when I walked towards it. "What do you want?" I snap at him. I'm not in the greatest mood because of the dream and the fact I couldn't get back to sleep without picturing Cary and I getting it on.
He smiles and steps forward. "You."
I stop. "What?"
"I need help with my Social Science homework. I didn't do it at my last school and I asked around and apparently, you've got the highest marks in the grade." He said as I opened my locker. There is a piece of paper with Mary Anne's neat cursive writing on it. I quickly grab it and shove it in my pocket.
"So? You actually want me to help you? Why should I?" I know I'm being spiteful, but I can't be around him. Especially if I want the dreams to go.
"Because you're a nice, concerned fellow student who doesn't want someone else to fail when they know they could've lended a hand."
I raise my eyebrow at the word 'nice'. I pull out my maths and biology books out of my locker. I sigh. "Fine. My house, this afternoon." I said as I shut my locker.
Cary smiled. "Thanks Kristy." He said before turning and walking down the hallway.
I stare. I've just become Cary Retlin's tutor.
/
Cary catches the bus home with me after school. We don't say much to each other. We get off the bus, a couple of houses down from mine. He follows me as we walk down the side walk. Stoneybrook High gets out before Stoneybrook Day or Stoneybrook Academy. Mom's or Watson's car isn't in and either is the pink clinker which belongs to Nannie. I silently hope Sam's isn't in the garage. I don't know what I would do if Cary knew about Sam and Stacey's secret relationship. I've kept her promise of keeping it quiet. "Do you want a drink?" I asked as I let us in.
Cary shook his head. "No thanks."
I lead him up the stairs. The house isn't usually this quiet expect for this time of the afternoon before anyone gets home. Karen and Andrew won't get home until 3:45 and David Michael will be home just after 3:15. "We'll study in my room. So when everyone gets home, they won't annoy us." I open my bedroom door and pray that I haven't left anything embarrassing out like Claudia does. Her floor has become her underwear drawer.
"Are you still in softball?" Cary asked, looking at posters I have on my wall. I still have a few from years ago, when I was a fanatic.
I shrug. "I still watch it during the season and when the kids are playing, I sometimes join them."
Cary moves and looks at the shelf above my desk. There is six photographs framed. Three are of Claudia, Mary Anne and I from the last couple of summers. One is from last years winter formal dance of us three. One is of the BSC at it's fullest and one is of my family, last Christmas. "You still have a photo of the BSC?" He looks at me strange.
"It's..." I stop. I don't know why I do. I've had it framed from when we took it but I've kept it up all this time and I don't know why.
"Sentimental." Cary supplied. "Reminds you of the old days."
Funnily enough, I've forgotten it even existed until Cary mentioned it. I hold up my Social Studies book. "Study?" We settle down on my floor and I cover everything that we've been learning since last semester. I give him a copy of my notes from last semester as well. It's one of the only times we've actually getting along with out sniping insults at each other. I stand up and stretch. "My foot is dead." I said, stamping on it.
Cary stands, towering over me. "My hand hurts."
"That's what happens when you do some work." I said, smiling. Cary smiles back. A second later, I've been lifted up onto my desk and we're kissing. This time I don't tell him to stop. He pulls away. "What are we doing?" I asked, in a hoarse voice.
Cary's hands are still on my waist and he's staring at the hickey on my neck. "I don't know. I just have this constant urge."
"A constant urge" of what, I don't want to know about. "I don't know either." I said as Cary's found the hickey and it feels like he's trying to make it bigger. "It just feels..." I moan as Cary bits hard down on my neck.
"Natural." He supplied. Cary pulls away. "I feel like I never want to stop."
I look up at him. "Me neither."