The Other Side: Gang Member & the Popular Girl

The Other Side Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Dominique

    What the hell did I just agree to? Going to his house every day after dance! I can barely cross the traffic light between Rosemill Street and Spring Street without having an anxiety attack. How do I expect myself to actually go into that dangerous territory every day after school? I mean passing by every day to go pick up Riley and Julie isn’t really a biggie, but now I have to go into the most dangerous part of town! Why couldn't I have thought of something better than his idea? Like...like we could have done a video chat study session, but I doubt he has a video camera. My life just keeps on getting worse and worse. First, I get partnered up for this Tutor Program, which I never signed up for, with a stupid, pervertive gang member. Then he fucking kisses me! And now I have to go to his house every single day after dance! What happened to getting this year over with and having fun doing it? Now that I have to see this asshole every day and night, there’s going to be no fun about it.

  I walk into homeroom and take my seat. I make sure I sit in the back to isolate myself from everyone is usually talk to in the morning to come up with another solution. Unfortunately I happen to be in the same home room as Kyle. I watch with discomfort as he saunters his way towards me.

  “Hey,” He takes a seat beside me, “Why are you sitting back here?”  

“I need some time to think,” I say, hoping he realized I wanted him to leave.   “Oh, about?” He persisted

.   “Nothing concerning you,” I smiled sweetly at him. He returned a non genuine smile. He got up and went to his usual seat, which was far away from mine.

  During the announcements I tried to figure out another way out of having to go to Antonio’s house every day, but couldn’t. I let out a sigh of defeat. I guess really I’m going to have to do this. The bell rings and I grab my bag and start towards Antonio’s locker. I wait a while before I see him. When he gets within arm’s length I turn and start walking to class. I really would rather not walk beside him. That would lead to a conversation, which was something I really didn’t want.

  “Hey ma, uh I mean Dominique,” Finally got my name right. Antonio walks faster to catch up. “I thought we were walkin to class together, not me following you to class.” Why don’t people understand that I don’t want to talk to them?

  “I said I’d meet you at your locker, not walk to class together,” I correct. That sure got him to shut up. When we got into the lab room, there were papers laid out on each table.

    “Goood Morning class!” Mrs. Owens shouts. Jeez, someone drank too much coffee this morning. She’s always so hyper. It could be four o’clock in the morning and she’d still be bouncing off the walls with excitement. “So, since we are on the circulatory section of this unit, I have put together a special lab. YAY!” she waves her hands in the air. Oh boy. It’s really a joy to have her as a first period class, really...

  “She’s always like this isn’t she?” Antonio leans over and whispers. I guess yesterday he thought all her excitement was over having a new student. She practically devoted the class to him. She wanted to hear his whole life story. I’m surprised he didn’t tell her about being in a gang.

  “Mhm, pretty much,” I whisper back. Mrs. Owens glares at me.

  “Now Dominique, you know that if you don’t have anything to say to the whole class, don’t say it at all.” She says positively.

  “Sorry Mrs. Owens,” I polity smile.

  “Now, there are two parts to this lab. First you are going to be labeling the diagram of the heart,” she holds up a sheet that was identical to the ones on each lab table. “After you have finished that, you will hand it in and in exchange I will give you your own stethoscope! And guess what! You and your partner will listen to each other’s heart beats, vein, and artery flows!” She puts on a huge smile that puffs her big cheeks up. Her little bob shakes as she nods her head. “On the count of three start! Ok, one, two...two in a half,” she giggles, “THREE!!!”