My first decent smoke in a good while took place behind that very prize tent, out of everyone's line of sight, after Justin left my side.
The cigarettes he had given me were divine. Inhaling the smoke was almost like drinking a cold, refreshing glass of water, cool all the way down my throat to the pit of my lungs. It was vitalizing. Exhaling was like renewing my insides, ridding my system of every impurity. They were incredible, unlike anything I'd ever experienced before from smoking. They made me feel fresh.
The warning labels on the box were in Italian, so they must have been imported, and expensive. (And Derby says cigarettes are for poor people!) They weren't something a person just buys for someone on a whim. He must have planned on purchasing them for me.
But... why?
It was a strange gesture, but Justin was a strange person. I never understood why he did the things that he did. I figured this was just one of those things that I couldn't understand, so I stopped my wondering.
Pinky, Tad, Justin, and I stayed at the carnival until around midnight. It was past curfew for the minors of our group, but after explaining to the authorities we were out with a legal adult, they left us alone. Perhaps the only perk of being with Justin.
I was tired and wanted to get back to Harrington House, but for Pinky the night was just beginning.
"Tad, I wanna go to the lookout point to see the stars!" she pleaded.
Tad looked rather wearied himself, but agreed to the trip regardless.
"Alright, well," he began to me, the trace of a yawn in his voice. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
I smiled at the two of them. "Goodnight then."
"Yes, goodnight, you two," Justin voiced from behind me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. Honestly, I had forgotten he was there. "Don't you kids stay out too late." He chuckled. I glared, shaking off his arm.
Pinky and Tad set off, splitting our group in half near the tunnel, and the realization that Justin and I would be walking home together dawned on me. How unpleasant.
"Now, shall we head back the school?" Justin smirked at me, but his cockiness was nullified by the fact that he had been kind to me earlier. I knew that Justin had attempted to shadow his giving me cigarettes with typical arrogance, but it didn't work. His kindness translated.
I pulled out the pack he had given me from my pocket, eager to smoke another.
A few Townie kids pulled up near the tunnel to pick up Duncan and the two I'd met at the movies earlier that day in an old run down car, shouting things to each other from open windows that I couldn't understand over music blasting from their radio. There was that big one in the black tank top behind the wheel, the short one in the back left seat, and three others that I'd never seen before wherever they could fit.
The car was rusty, its windshield cracked, license plate situated in the back window, and the driver's door didn't match the rest of the body. Honestly, I'd be worried for my life riding in such a trashy vehicle.
That Omar one stored the bike Duncan had been sitting atop in the trunk. They all piled into the car, which I found rather incredible seeing as it wasn't a big car and they were all notably large, Duncan sitting on the short one's lap. The other short one complained angrily, but Duncan merely laughed at him. His window was down, and for a moment I feared he'd try to speak to me. He hung his arm out the window, gaze drifting over to where I stood.
Our eyes met for a few seconds. He smiled at me and nodded a hello before the car sped off towards Blue Skies, Townie shouts and blaring music fading as they disappeared.
I watched after them.
Justin cleared his throat, calling my attention to him. He looked stern, almost angry.
"What is your problem, Vandervelde?"
He smirked. Although the kind gesture from earlier was remembered, his egotistical facade at that moment couldn't be ignored. "I know how you work, Gord." Justin may have done something nice a while ago, but at that point he was annoying me.
What the hell was he talking about now?
"That's why I bought those for you." He tapped the pack of cigarettes in my hand. "Now you have no reason to associate with those plebeians."
I narrowed my eyes. "Why do you care who I associate with?"
"I don't. I just don't like the thought of you spreading any of their diseases to the rest of us. We haven't developed any immunities, you know. Anyways..." Justin leaned down to me and said in a low voice, "...I'd be worried about catching something."
A loud grunt escaped my throat. "I thought I made myself perfectly clear before. I'm not sleeping with any of them."
He laughed. "I never once said you were!"
"You're implying it." I breathed in, aggravated. "If I want to associate with them, I will. You don't control me, okay?" I stomped off, feeling as though I made my point.
Justin scoffed. "Suit yourself," he said behind me.
"Oh, I will!" I retorted, turning to face him. "And there isn't anything you can do to stop me!"
I walked back to Harrington House by myself that night. I was in a much less Justin-tolerable mood after that spat. Who did he think he was? The nerve of him, trying to tell me who I could and couldn't associate with.
It didn't matter, because I had won that dispute. I smiled to myself, rather pleased.
My thoughts forced me to pause once I reached the school gates. Had I won?
I had just told him that he didn't control who I spoke with, which he didn't, but at the same time I defended myself for speaking with the Townies.
The Townies, the poorest children in Bullworth, our polar opposites. The scum of this town, the most disgusting human beings I'd ever had the displeasure of meeting.
The Townies.
I thought for a moment...
How did Justin do that? By defending myself I had actually lost that argument. I didn't want to defend my right to associate with the Townies because I didn't want to associate with them at all. I mean, if we'd been arguing over whether or not I could speak to them to give orders, I probably would've won.
But we weren't. Justin suggested that I'd been sleeping with them, and I defended my right to do so.
Justin had won that argument. I had just finished defending mingling and having sex with the lower class.
How could I be so stupid?
I was utterly disgusted with myself.
I didn't sleep well that night, as exhausted as I was. I couldn't get those damned lyrics I heard over the Townies' radio out of my head: 'D-U-M-B everyone's accusing me.'
Lying awake in bed for hours, stuck replaying those same words over and over again; I was tempted to relate those lyrics to my current situation. Except instead of everyone, it was only Justin. But Justin was just as annoying as a group of 'everyone', if not more.
I actually wasn't sure whether or not he really thought I was hanging out with the Townie kids or if he was simply trying to get to me. Either way, he needed to stop.
But Justin doesn't know how to stop himself. He was stupid, just like this entire situation.
My trying to put an end to his accusations led me to a loss. I actually supported them in a way with what I had said. And that was the most annoying part. By defending myself, he won.
Actually, me getting angry at all allowed him victory. But how could I not? He was so painfully obnoxious.
It was around seven in the morning the next day when I woke up in my bed. I had only gotten an hour of sleep at most, and lying awake in bed was bothering me. I wasn't much of a morning person anyways, but after a near sleepless night I was to a much lesser extent.
I moaned, opening one eye, the sunlight from outside my window tapping against my face. Dreadful.
I could smell breakfast downstairs. Probably french toast or something else I didn't want. Don't get me wrong, I loved french toast. I just wasn't in the mood for eating.
I sat up, cracked my neck, and forced myself out of bed.
I didn't bother getting dressed or showering. It seemed pointless this early. All I could bring myself to doing was putting on my robe and slippers. Hopefully most of the other Preps would be out jogging or something. They didn't need to see me ugly.
The Harrington House dining room was nice, a long table underneath a centered chandelier with a seat for every one of us. Four seats on the left, four on the right, Derby's seat head of the table in front of the back window. The table was always set with china plates and silver utensils upon linen napkins, a wine glass per set. The walls and floors were paneled with dark wood, the floor polished to a shine.
It was a nice room, yes, whatever. I saw it every day, and I was too tired to care.
Tad was sitting in there when I entered, french toast and tea situated in front of him, reading the paper as he ate. The day's breakfast was set on the table, and judging by how much was still left, the other Preps hadn't woken up yet.
Tad looked at me over his paper. "You look chipper this morning," he joked. He was always up this early. I had no clue how he was able to do it.
I was ready to punch him. I groaned and took a seat across from his. "What time did you and Pinky get back?" I asked, pouring myself a glass of tea. Tea could make any morning bearable.
He set his paper down next to his plate, folding his hands in front of him. He made a thoughtful expression. "You know... I really don't know. I didn't check." He laughed. "I was too tired to look when we got back. Hell, I was half asleep at the lookout point. Pinky had to shake me awake. She told me I looked like that filthy hobo, sleeping on a bench..."
He kept talking about that. I really wasn't listening. I didn't want to be rude to Tad, but it was far too early to hold a conversation.
I took a sip from my tea. Earl Grey, the finest of quality. Only the best for us. It did help me wake up. I felt much better. That was, until...
"Oh yeah, Justin went out a few minutes ago. He was looking for you."
I rolled my eyes. "What else is new?"
Tad laughed, but I didn't find it funny.
I glared at him. "Don't laugh, Tad. Justin is such a prat. I can't stand him."
Tad snorted. "You're such a whiner. Maybe he just wants to be friends with you." He smiled, biting a piece of french toast off of his fork. He was making fun of me. Obviously Justin didn't want to be friends with me. That was ridiculous.
"Should I tell him you said hey?"
I didn't like that prat hanging around with Tad. His irritating ways were beginning to rub off onto my friend. "Please, don't encourage him."
He chuckled, lifting his paper back up to his face.
I brought my teacup back to my lips. Justin's act of kindness from the night before wasn't forgotten. "You know," I started. "Justin pulled me aside last night to give me a gift."
Tad raised his brows, eyes still scanning the paper. "Oh?"
"Yes... It was strange, if you ask me."
"What'd he give you?"
I put my cup back down. "A pack of cigarettes. They looked expensive."
With a light laugh, Tad said, "He had been talking about buying you a pack of high quality smokes for a while now."
I knitted my brows. "What?" Tad knew something.
"He probably felt bad for you having to settle for those gas station ones." Before I could inquire, he was lifting off of his seat. "I'm going for a run. Wanna come along?"
I declined his offer, as much as I wanted to know more. He left the room, leaving me to myself.
I ate a bagel and some french toast, and then went outside for another smoke promptly after. The minty flavor was even more soothing this early in the morning. What Tad said left me infuriatingly curious.
Justin had been talking about buying me those cigarettes. So I was right; he had planned on purchasing them for me. How odd.
He was so confusing, a mystery wrapped in an enigma.
Prat.