Not On Cloud 9

Chapter 1

"Burgundy, are you going to school today?"

"Let's hope it goes well otherwise my patient will get his appendix cut off."

Burgundy's POV

I wanted to hit Mrs. Keith with my car. Last time that old pea-brain called me because Gene had somehow stuck black paint on her teacher's ass. She is six for heaven's sake and how sweet it was that the teacher hadn't noticed anything before she decided to sit on that chair full of black paint.

 I am a well-renowned OB/GYN and neonatal surgeon. I have managed to take care of some of the most undisciplined of children and yet somehow it is my daughter who is the rowdiest of them all. She gets it from him, I'm so fucking sure. He would know it too, if he hadn't fucking ran off. Coward.

"Mom, I want ice-cream please." Thea asked.

"I want one too!"

"That's the last thing you're gonna get after we hear what you both did." Summer snarks.

Even though I am coming here for the fifth time this month, I still get chills every time I walk through these doors. There were memories and laughs behind these walls which we could never forget. The class of 2027 was an unforgettable one. There were pictures, letters and trophies showcased all over the walls and behind every frame, every lamination, there was a memory attached to it. The same red brick-walls along corridors and the marble floors, the vertical gardening on the railings, everything was still here. Each and every detail was there but only new things were the faces making memories of their own.

OH PLEASE, THAT'S THE TYPE OF CRAP SUMMER WOULD SAY. I saw my friends hide pills behind those frames, the huge trophy cups would have beer bottles just in case I got thirsty. Those red brick walls Summer keeps talking about, yeah at one point there was more gum on that wall than under a tenth grader's desk and those corridors? The only thing which I miss about those corridors was making out with my high school sweetheart. Just managing to steal a few kisses before class started and Mrs. Sinha came for rounds.

Summer and I go to the basement where all the prom and celebrations take place. We went near the music room.

Summer looks and smiles at me.

I look at her and say, "I remember. I remember it all too well."

My daughter was totally clueless, "What are you talking about, mom?"

Thea answers, "Leave them Gene, it's grown-up stuff. Let's go dance on the stage!"

"YEAH YOU'LL DANCE ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO THE OFFICE." Summer yells.

We slowly approach the principal's office and we see a little girl standing outside. That is when Gene shouts, "That's her! That's the girl mom! I hate her!" she proceeds to run towards her and starts pulling her hair.

"SLIME HEAD, STAY AWAY FROM ME!" yells Gene.

I quickly grabbed Gene before that poor girl became bald.

I start yelling at that little girl when Summer yells.

"Burgundy, you are a full grown woman, for god's sake please act like one."

"Summer, don't go all 'principal' on me, this isn't your school."

The little girl started to cry loudly, but I didn't care. Summer walks toward the office door and her eyes nearly pop out. I noticed her but I had already begun lecturing the poor girl on the moral ethics of the human race. 

After a couple minutes, Summer calls me, "Hey Burgundy, come here once."

"Wait, this girl needs to learn values. This is more important."

"Burgundy.... trust me this is more important."

I look at Summer and she has that look she makes when something's wrong.

I come up to her and she points toward the glass door. I see a man sitting with his back facing us. He has dark brown hair with a messy undercut. He looked really tall and he was wearing a really expensive watch.

"No wonder that girl's such a brat. Look at his watch, she's spoiled alright." I remark.

"Screw the watch, look at him. Doesn't he look familiar?"

I scanned him for a couple seconds and that's when it hit me.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Oh yeah," said Summer.

Just then, Mrs. Keith calls us inside asking us to leave the kids outside. I lean towards Summer and ask, "Why on this green Earth is he here?"

"The school ran out of assholes, it seems."

Mrs. Keith speaks up, "Ms. Boyd and Ms. Navarro, meet Mr. Baxendale." He turns around and both our faces drop.

"Oh for Christ's sake, kill me right now." I say in disgust. 

There he is, standing there looking all tall and expensive. Aries fucking Baxendale. Remember that high school sweetheart I was talking about? Yeah. 

He looks at me with those eyes that I could recognize anywhere. He was trying to say something but the words weren't coming out.

"Holy shit, I just yelled at his daughter."

Summer says, "That's what you get for picking on a six year old."

We are standing there staring at each other. We three were in the room again, after twelve years. But this time as strangers who only had memories we could never even try to forget.

"This is going to be interesting." Summer grins sarcastically.

Mrs. Keith looks at us asking, "Do you three know each other?"

I scoff, "You bet we do."