Siding With The Killer

2) Careful, Your Katie Cat Is Showing!

TWO

            I sat at a small circular table for two outside of The Strawberry Shop, a low cal frozen yogurt place walking distance from my house. I was waiting for Kate to return with our cups of fro yo. She had brushed me on the way out of McMilligan’s and suggested that we hang out. She asked to be polite. You could see it on her face. She didn’t really want to be here with me. Why would she? Unless she wanted to brag about her new look, I couldn’t think of why she would hang out with me by choice. And Kate St. Allen was not the bragging type. But how would I know? She didn’t have much to brag about back in high school.

_ _ _ _

            I slammed my locker closed in frustration. Maya, my best friend, walked over to me, rolling her eyes. “What is it this time, Skye,” she asked, used to my lashing out when I didn’t get my way. I turned to face her, leaning my shoulder against my locker and pulling my cobalt Madison Leather Kara Carryall handbag higher up on my shoulder.

            “I tried out for cheer captain today. Apparently sophomores can’t be captain, only seniors,” I complained. Maya nodded. She was understanding. She was one of the few who actually put up with me every day. “Sophomore my ass,” The bell rang, Maya and I walked to home room together, gossiping about the freshmen and the hottest celebrities.

            We finally walked into homeroom and took our seats together. The new teacher, Mrs. St Allen, hadn’t arrived yet. Her name was written in big, exaggerated handwriting on the board and everyone was just beginning to walk in. Maya tapped me on the shoulder and cocked her head towards the door. I looked to see what she was referring to.

            There she was. Too-Much-Cake-Kate. No one knew her last name, due to her numerous nicknames. She had on worn out sketchers and a big, rainbow heart in the center of her itchy, shrunken sweater that was way too hot for her to be wearing in September. The pointy glasses on the bridge of her nose made her look like an old librarian and there was something stuck in her braces. It was evident she hadn’t seen a hairbrush in weeks and the only thing keeping strands of her hair from flying all over her face were the glittery bobby pins tangled in the blonde mess on her head.

            “Careful, Metal Mouth, your muffin top is showing,” taunted a guy sitting at his desk as she passed, imitating that annoying weight loss commercial. Kate pulled at the bottom of her top, trying to cover her stomach, which was hanging out of her ugly sweater. She only managed to pull a couple threads unloose. In disappointment, she threw up her hands and dumped her stuff at a desk towards the back.

            “Hey Blubber, come back at four, marine biology is an afterschool special,” another girl called to Kate, who covered her reddened face with a book as she tried to ignore the remarks being thrown her way. I rolled my eyes, snickering with Maya at their comments. The room fell silent as the new teacher waltzed in. She had pointy glasses, just like Kate’s, and her honey blonde hair was wrapped up in a bun, held in with cheap-looking, plastic Japanese chopsticks, that were most likely made in China. Her smile was almost as ditzy as her exaggerated handwriting.

            “Hello, class. I’m your new homeroom teacher, Mrs. St Allen. You’ll be seeing me the most this year so I ought to get to know you better,” She introduced, turning to face the board as she scribbled down a question. She pointed to what she had written and said it out loud. “What is your favorite…?” She read. “Give me something,”

            “Food. Favorite food,” A boy in the front called out.

            “Great. It’s simple and easy. Let’s go around and say our favorite foods. Let’s start with…” Mrs. St Allen scanned the room looking for eager faces. When she saw none, she extended her arm to the short, pimply blonde in the back of the class. “How about my daughter? What’s your favorite food?” Everyone in the room exchanged amused glances. The witless homeroom teacher’s daughter was none other than Too-Much-Cake-Kate’s mom. Shocker.