Million Dollar Smile

Chapter 6: A Lie, A Fight, A Bloody Wound

 The weekend had passed, and I hadn’t spoken to Rosaline since science class on Friday. It felt awfully odd, because I was so used to her being around 24/7. That’s the way I liked it, too. I had already spilled the news about the date with Mark and Landon, and I was trying to pick up advice from them on what to do next, although their advice was sort of petty as they hadn’t seriously dated someone before. Neither did Rosaline, for that matter, so I guess I was doomed. And also surprised to be the first one to get into something at least as serious as this.

That Monday I arrived at school and missed Rosaline in homeroom. She arrived about five minutes into the first class, and I saw her give Mr. Doman a note. We were in English class, and he had just begun going through a text about star-crossed lovers, writing examples like Romeo and Juliet and Bonnie and Clyde on the board.

I wasn’t sure why she was late, but I decided I was going to walk to her locker after the bell. As the consolidating atmosphere in the classroom grew, as people murmured a few words, she made her way to her seat without looking up at me. I waited for her to give me her morning smile, but she didn’t. I looked over to Andy instead, but she had her head buried in her exercise book, which she had been scribbling in.

I watched as the clock stayed 9:15am for practically half an hour. This class was draining me, and so was the voice of Mr. Doman. I thought about Mark and Landon and how they said that next time I should drop everything and just go for Andy if I wanted her.

I regretted not listening to the positive side of myself. But I felt somehow the only way for me to be like that and be convinced was with Rosaline’s help – the only one who seemed distant at this point.

“The difference between these two couples is that Romeo and Juliet committed suicide, whereas Bonnie and Clyde were murdered…” Mr. Doman trailed off, with his voice guiding me to the land of the fairies. This man sucked the life out of me.

While my mind wandered off elsewhere, asking me why Rosaline seemed this way and why I was such an idiot to behave that way towards Andy, I heard my name being called from across the classroom.

“Chase?”  I distractedly looked up and grasped the bottom of my table, so that I could sit upright. By this stage most of the class had been looking at me as if I just attempted murder. This included both Andy and Rosaline.

“Sorry, sir?”

“I asked…what was one difference between the two couples?” I fidgeted with my hands at that point, with numerous answers running around in my head.

“Bonnie and Clyde were real people, sir, but Romeo and Juliet were just characters”, I blurted, hoping it was a good enough difference for Mr. Doman. He took about three awkward seconds to process my answer, and then tapped his finger on his desk twice. He nodded, and his top lip curled inside his mouth, with his white moustache following.

“I’ll take that as an answer. Thank you, Mr. Scarpino. Next time I’d like you to pay attention to me, and not to the window. Surely I am not that boring”. He turned back to the board, and I felt only relief. Relief and annoyance. I absolutely hated when teachers picked on students like that. And to be honest, the window was one million times better and more interesting that he was. Jesus.

As I removed my sweaty palms from one another, and every head turned back to face the board in sanity, I turned to see both Andy and Rosaline. Andy had her eyes on me, and she smiled goofily, knowing the feeling I just felt with Mr. Doman’s sudden and embarrassing outburst.

When I looked at Rosaline, however, she seemed a lot more interested in the fact that Romeo and Juliet were teenagers opposed to Bonnie and Clyde being adults, as another poor kid had answered, having suffering the same pain as me.