Reputations

Books

With a random guy's shoulder digging into my stomach, a memory came to the surface of my mind. 

It was fall, the leaves were brown, and the trees were bare. I was five years old. Mom and Dad were still working at home. Dad had thrown me over his shoulder and was now spinning in circles. My laughter was uncontrollable. I heard Mom calling out to us--we were down by the treeline, under my newly installed treehouse--beckoning us for dinner. Dad didn't stop spinning until my laughter subsided, and then he gently put me on my feet and took me by the hand.

"Let's go, Jane," He said with a smile. "We'll continue this play-date another day."

Down several flights of stairs, past many bewildered girls, and out into the summer day. I could hear Lexi pummeling Tyler's back, demanding that he put her down. Somehow, I didn't imagine anyone of the boys setting us down until we reached their destination. A swimming pool, by my guess.

But as the boys continued to jog with us flung over their backs like potato sacks, the terrain declined into a slope, moving away from the campus and into trees. It was then that I saw two more guys--each with a girl of their own--come into view, jogging right behind us. They too were dressed in swimming garb--

"Hey!" I yelled at the hand that had just grabbed my butt cheek very firmly. I kicked out, and my knee connected with the guy's jaw and he went flying. Which means I went flying as well. My shoulder was the first to hit the dirt, but my face was in hot pursuit. 

Before I knew it, I was looking into the canopy of tree coverings above me, trying desperately to catch my breath, and completely sprawled out-starfish style.

The trees above and around me seemed to be pretty good climbing trees...for a seasoned climber, like myself. I didn't like to brag, but sometimes you have to acknowledge your strengths and skills. The branches were just far enough apart that you would need to jump to get any higher. Just the way I liked it.

Before I could get too carried away with climbing daydreams, I heard footsteps approaching and a guy's voice speaking out to me.

"Is it safe for me to just assume you're completely stupid?" His head appeared in my line of vision, though I made no move to look at any different angle of him other than looking up his nostrils.

"Excuse me." I said with attitude. "I'm not the one that full-on grabbed my butt."

He scoffed. "Seriously?" 

"Seriously." I snapped back irritably. He leaned back, looking up at the trees and a speck of sunlight caught his blond hair for a brief moment, and it looked like he had a halo glowing around his head.

"You're a piece of work already." He laughed then. "I can tell the family resemblance between you and your sister."

"Don't compare me to my sister."

He squatted down beside me. "Why not? You got the same attitude, same school; you're even both drop dead gorgeous."

I sat up abruptly, mostly to hide the blush creeping up in my cheeks. "You know Lexi?"

Turning to see his face, I was struck by the plainness of his face matched with his lavishly styled hair. His eyes were brown, his nose was slightly crooked, and his cheeks and jaw had very little structure to them. He wasn't above average in any way. 

He leaned forward with a smile. "Everyone knows Lexi Ring."

Not sure if that was supposed to be a good thing. Knowing Lexi's reputation, it likely wasn't. A spark of mischief sparked in the boy's eyes as he broadened his smile. "And now, everyone wants to know little Lexi."