Remix (Awkward. FanFiction)

Awkward. Remix

High school... what a buzz. I had managed to complete my freshman year as a 'Nobody', and that god-awful label would continue to rest upon my shoulders yet again. My two best friends, my only friends, Tamara and Ming were walking beside me as I entered the school building. Thud, thud, thud. My heart was not beating, but dropping, rather. Much like the churning of a tsunami. Or maybe that was my stomach threatening to give in to the tension. All because he was standing right there; across the hall. Time froze and so did I.

"Jenna!" The stiffness throughout my spine snapped back into loose-ville and I became functional. Tamara and Ming were far ahead when they realized I was lagging. They spun around to meet me halfway, gripping me by the wrists and pulling me forward-- Closer and closer to him. Matty McKibbens.

They hadn't known about my little affair with Matty in the utility room over summer break, I was reluctant to share the details. It was better to keep the tale to myself, right? It could have been an accident, a misunderstanding, a one-time thing... because facts were facts. There's no changing the goddamn truth and there's no going back. I was a Nobody, Matty was Top-Jock, and that was a fact.

"This year is gonna be diferent, girls," Tamara began a little perky rant as she dragged me through the corridor. "Everything will play out perfectly, you'll see. Ricki Suartz will notice me, I'll no longer be the alternative cheerleader, we can have our dream BFGFBFF we've..." She continued but I paid no attention. I was staring at Matty as he spoke and smiled to head cheerleader, Sadie Saxton. Ahhh, that smile. My tender insides melted one hundred times over and over again. That's where it happened; Matty McKibbens looked at me. Was it possible that he remembered the affair and really liked me? Nevertheless, it was time to start keeping count. From now on, my brain would tally the number of times he looks at me.

Through my nervious wreck of a face, I forced a sheepish smile in his direction. Instead of returning the favor, he frowned. Was it directed at me? Was he looking at someone else?

"...and I was like, she is sooo not worth your time, son. Right? Jenna? Jenna. Earth to Miss Jenna Hamilton."

Reality hit me once again, "Y-yeah, yeah. Right! Spanish Quiz."

"Seriously girl, you need a wake-up slap."
"Sorry, I--"

Everyone in the hall gradually burst into a stream of laughter which had errupted from a hushed wave of giggles. Looking down, I saw the loose toilet paper trailing from my left shoe. Bending over to tug it off, my toes slip and I fall over, landing flat on my forearm. Broken.

Matty's frown presses into a straight line and he turns away.

A-w-k-w-a-r-d.

•••

Disastrous. My life was just simply disastrous. Iced coffee in one hand, backpack over one shoulder; the plan was to get to my room without complications or instigations from my mother. Straight to my laptop, where I can continue to type away on my private blog.

Of course, the reality happened nothing like that at all. Regardless of my stealth, I was caught red-handed. Or broken-handed, rather, as soon as I opened the front door.

"How was your day?" Mom's grin scared me. I knew that a hug would follow, and I could not afford for her to crush my half-crushed bone.

"Wonderful. I just... I really need to--" I needed to cut past her and dart up the stairs right behind her. She was too quick. Side-stepping, her thin body glided in front of the stairwell entrance to block me from my escape route. Mom's eyebrows raised in anticipation and I knew she desperately needed some good news right now. Dad had been away at Grandma's for three whole days now and it was pretty clear that he had no intentions of returning. "I just wanted to give you a hug, mom. I had a rough day."

"Awh, sweetie. Come 'ere, you." She put on her most convincing pouting face and extended her arms out.

This was my chance. As her arms lifted, I ducked underneath and darted up towards the first stair-step-- "OW!"

My mother had spun around and lunged at me, wrapped her arms around my body, and pressed on my broken bone. Oops. She wasn't supposed to figure out that I was in pain. Quickly, I lifted my hand to cup it around my loud mouth which refused to remain shut.

"Does something hurt?" She went wide-eyed and that's when I knew that I was in for inspection.

"No, ma, I'm fine. Seriously, give me some space." I rolled my eyes, but really it was just an excuse to wince from the pain.

"No! You're obviously not fine. Not fine at all. Don't try to fool yourself." The woman held my arm up and looked closely. "Oh my god," She starts fanning herself frantically with one hand. "Kevin, tell her she's not fine!" Mom rotates in the direction of Dad's old lounge chair. Empty. She licks her lips and turns back towards me with a sigh. "Jenna. Get in the car. Now."

"Bu--"
"Now!"

Silently screaming, I stomp out to the car, slouch into the passenger seat, and slam the car door behind me.

Right onto my index finger.

Doubling over in pain, I hold my finger tightly, applying pressure. I heard footsteps... someone was coming.

Suddenly jerking upright, I don't want my mom to think that I'm even more of a klutz. Scanning the house, I saw that Mom was in the kitchen on the phone. Most likely making the appointment. So then... who was outside? Out of the blue, one of the school jocks, Jake Rosati taps on my window. He waves at me through the glass window.

"H-hi," I say, before realizing that he can't hear me. Leaning over to press the window button, nothing happens. It doesn't roll down. I press again, harder this time. Well, that was a mistake. It was the finger I had crushed in the car door. "Goddamnit!" I stuffed my finger in my pocket and hopped over into the driver's seat. The key wasn't inside the ignition; now I knew the problem. My hand taps ontop of my thigh as I think of a solution. Ah, got it. I tried to open the door and get out, but the door didn't open and I was trapped. The headlights started flashing on and off and the emergency siren started sounding.

"Ugggh!" I ran my fingers through my long, dark, bangs, pushing them back. Then I gripped the wheel and banged my head against it a couple times over. It took me a couple times before coming to the realization that I was triggering the horn every time I slammed my head down. Whoops. I looked back into the house window where I caught a glance of my mother wide-eyed and raising her fists at me. She pressed a button on her key-control; the lights alarms ended their tantrum. I would consider this to be extremely funny, if not under the circumstances of being humiliated in front of... Jake!

No, no, no, no no. Where did he go?

"Jake Rosati!" I scream his name, aware that the windows are shut.

Crawling over the front row into the back row and then into the trunk, I can see him through the back window. It's hard to make out, but I think he's running... away from me?! "Jake!" I bang repeatedly on the back window of the trunk.

The emergency alarms trigger.

Jake runs away faster, looks back for a second, and... trips on the curb. Whoops.

A-w-k-w-a-r-d.

•••

The lunch bell rings and the studious ladies and gentlemen orderly file out into the halls for a peaceful meal.

Not.

Five or ten people trample me on their way out of Honors Spanish. I don't see how they could accidentally jostle me, I'm no longer invisible. Literally, you can't miss me because I'm wearing an arm cast that's thicker than my skull. It's stiff and itchy and it's positioned so that it always looks as if I'm raising my hand or offering a high-five.

I walk up to the lunch line where I take a blue tray; no clue where Tamara or Ming are. That's alright though because I know how to eat lunch alone. I've done it enough times before and have become accustomed. No one makes fun of it anymore because it's gotten so old. The only thing keeping me worried is bumping into Jake or Matty.

"What do you want." A lady in a hair net behind the counter snarls.

"One soup, please."

"Serve it yourself."

"But... this is your job. I-I have one broken arm."

The lady raises her fists threateningly and has a wildness in her eyes that reminds me of my own mother. "Don't push my patience."
"It's alright, I've got her covered." From behind me, a masculine arm reaches around and spoons some of the chicken noodle soup into the bowl on my tray.

"Is that enough?"
"Y-yeah, thanks." I continue forwards to the cashier, reaching into my pocket for a five dollar bill.

"Glad I could be of service to you, Miss Hamilton." The boy speaks in a childish voice and I know that this is the tone of Jake Rosati.

I freeze up and my bones become tense. Wait-- what was I doing here? Oh right, paying. I pull out a quarter and hold it out towards the woman behind the register. My mouth moves but no words come out. The lady gives me a look of disapproval and asks for $2.50, yet I still can't understand what she's saying. My mind won't function.

"I'm paying for her." He says to her then turns towards me. "Jenna, go save us a seat outside?" Jake places one arm on my shoulder and looks into my eyes, raising his blonde eyebrows.

I realize my mouth is hanging open, and I press it shut. I reply to him with two quick nods. He gives my shoulder a firm squeeze, and acts like we've been friends forever or something... so strange. I hurry off towards the front of the school to find us a table. Briskly craning my head back for a quick look, I see that he pays the woman and picks up both my tray and his own. Facing forwards before he can see that I was watching him, my hand raises to clamp my huge smile that I've been trying to keep hidden.

Once outside, there are only two consecutive seats left in the area.

There are two seats directly in front of Sadie Saxton and Matty McKibbens whom are eating together.

Why of all people did Jake Rosati have to be his best friend?

A-w-k-w-a-r-d.

•••