Teenage Dirtbag (SeaChaos - REVAMPED)

4 - House of the Derps

As we walk, another person joins us -- Michelle. She's the only person that will associate with us, outside of school, especially me. She drew me a picture once, and it still holds a spot of pride on my bedroom wall, being a quite accurate portrait of myself. She would be a junior next year, but she went to a separate school from us because of the art program they offered there. Of course, we all consider her to be like family, so she has a nickname, too -- Minx. Currently, her eyes are roaming around the girls from the middle school as we pass. I roll my eyes.

"Minx, you're gonna look like a pedophile if you keep staring at them like that," I say. Minx only grins at me.

"Hey, they're only a few years younger than me," she argues. I shrug.

"Doesn't make it less creepy," I say, and she shoves me lightly, bringing a smile to my lips. Suddenly, my eyes travel past her and I spot him.

Adam Montoya.

I don't know why I freeze up, but I do. Okay I know why, but that doesn't mean it makes sense. I shouldn't freeze. I should be able to look away and keep walking, like anyone else, crush or no crush, would. But I, the idiot I am, stop and stare. I faintly hear Minx snicker at me, but I am focused on watching him as he walks down the sidewalk on the other side of the street, alongside the other of his group, not Cathy, but Max. Max is okay, I guess. He doesn't bully me or snicker when I pass him or make fun. But he doesn't go out if his way to be nice, either. He might pick up a pencil I dropped. He might ask me for help on homework. But he wouldn't call us a team, shake my hand, smile at me more than once in a day. But that doesn't matter.

"Seriously, Chilled, what are you..." Minx trails off, following my gaze, and the others follow it, too. Just then, Adam looks in this direction, and Minx and the rest begging to walk towards the turn we have to make, dragging me along. As they do, however, none of us miss the wave that Adam sends my way. I smile shyly and wave back just as we fall out of sight. Suddenly, I am surrounded by five very curious people.

"Did he just wave to you?"

"In public?"

"What did you do to him?"

"Did you poison him?"

"I bet it was a dare."

"The reward's gotta be huge then."

"Yeah, no--"

"GUYS!" I exclaim finally, glaring. "Thanks for the huge confidence boost. But no, I didn't poison him or anything. As for the dare, I don't think so. At least, I hope not." They all look at me, and I'm met by a collective 'awww'. I groan internally.

"Senpai finally noticed you, eh?" Minx teases. I hurry ahead of them all, ignoring them as they poke their fun, my mind occupied with the image of Adam waving to me.

//--//--//--//--//--//

We sit down at the kitchen table for dinner, Minx having left about a half hour ago. I have some yogurt and olive pizza. Everyone else has whatever they like best. We don't really have a family dinner, per se, but we eat together, at least. The table is also littered with trash. Candy wrappers, magazines, yaoi manga, yogurt cups...

Yaoi manga? Whose is that?

"What happened to your face, Smarty?" Tom asks in slight concern, finally inquiring about the earlier incident. Only slight concern because Smarty is clumsy enough to have possibly caused injury unto himself.

"Galm got mad when I tried to stop him from killing Mr. Live, because Ze didn't make a one hundred," he replies.

"He made a perfect score!" Galm replies easily. "We have to grade to prove it."