Route 28

4

"Is there something wrong, honey?" Daisy asked.

"Nothing," I smiled and thanked mother for the food I didn't eat, and decided to clean my plate to show them I do chores, unlike their precious daughters.

Iris brought up the worst topic, and I nearly broke my glass cup causing a scene. Homecoming. Seriously? Out of all subjects, they chose the stupid dance. My mother gestured me to come, and I checked the time. I still had twenty minutes until I could be early for school. I prayed for patience from God because this was about to be the worst morning of my life.

"Autumn, it's your senior year!" Iris chirped, "It's y'alls final homecoming. You gotta go!"

"I'm gonna go," I imitated her accent. I'm not being mean, it's just our thing.

"You know, Rose and Heather got asked. It was lovely. Their dates gave them roses and heathers, and their proposal was beautiful, almost better than mine in high school. If you want to get asked, sweetie, you have to look more," Daisy hesitated, "Presentable."

"How are the twins, anyways?" I smirked, "Still draining Mr. Clover's money?"

Miss Daisy sighed, and ate pieces of her salad so slowly, I swear it takes her five minutes to swallow one minuscule bite. Iris clapped her hands and suggested their daughters and I go homecoming shopping. Of course, my mother thought it was the greatest idea in the whole wide world. She would jump to anything for me to hang out with her best friend's daughters. It's not that she doesn't like my real friends, she just wants me to be more social, and I guess having friends from other schools brings me up one rim on the social ladder. 

"Here's an idea, Autumn," Halsey smiled her evil grin, "Oh, Ashleigh, you must remember this. In our class, this one girl just like you, was a loser and desperate to find a date, so she tricked this guy on the swim team to go with her to prom. She wrote 'PROM' on a piece of a paper, and asked him to pronounce it. He was confused and said, 'prom?' as a question, and the puta, fucking jumped and said 'I'd love to go with you!' and the poor boy had to go with that geek! I'm sure that trick still works, you should try."

All four women, including my damn mother, laughed at the story and agreed I should try. My mouth fell open, and all I wanted to do was throw their stupid cups of tea at them, and I especially wanted to cut off Miss Halsey's ugly ass hair. I ran to Steve and slammed the door shut. I decided I could be half an hour early to school today. 

***

I spent half of lunch ranting about my irritating "aunts" to my three best friends. Ebra enjoyed listening to stories of the three evil witches, she says they remind her of The Kardashians or the annoying girls on The Bachelor all fighting for their man. 

"I don't understand why your mother doesn't stand up for you, or say anything," Karis shook her head, then offered some of her white rice, which I declined.

"Beats me," I rolled my eyes. My dad texted me to remind me to buy lunch, since I forgot my lunch bag at home, but I was too lazy to get up to the lunch line and buy some. I took a piece of chip dipped in melted cheese from Charlotte, but it was the one from the cafeteria, so it was gross.

"Colt keeps looking at you," Charlotte nudged my shoulder, "Maybe, he wants you to be more than his chauffeur."

I snorted for the billionth time today, and choked on my spit when I saw him make eye contact with me. He smiled at me and got up from his seat to make his way over to me. I quickly turned around hoping he'd go back to where he belonged, but to my unfortunate, he sat right next to me with that shining white smile of his.

"Come sit with us-"

"No."

"Fine."

And he left. Ebra scolded me for letting "the love of my life" loose from my fingers and lowering his self esteem when he was trying to flirt. I was about to give her the greatest comeback, until five football players with big muscles and big heads sat at our table. It was Charlotte's turn to choke on her food as she watched boys, who would never associate with a nerd like me and Char, a korean club obsessed Karis, and theater loving Ebra. 

"Well, you wouldn't come to us, so we came to you," Colt shrugged. 

The whole time my eyes were locked with Neil who gave a sly smile and began talking to a fellow red head next to him. I must have been staring for too long because Charlotte stepped on my feet and gave me a stern look to break eye contact. I did as I was told, and looked at the other boys who seemed to have joined us today. To my surprise, I only knew Colt, Neil, and the funny African American guy that sits across from me in math, Crase.

"Let me introduce you guys," Colt suggested. He must have noticed my curious eyes to his other friends.

The guy that sits across from me in math actual name is Chris not Crase. I must have mixed him up with someone else, or simply misheard. He is really comedic and since he sat on the chair has been cracking jokes. The red head with freckles all over his face was Ty. He was really shy, and I can tell he was uncomfortable sitting with us and probably confused. I am too. Then there is Neil and his best friend, Jaylen, who goes by Jay. 

Charlotte introduced us three, and Colt just watched me the whole time with a suspicious grin. The boys talked within the boys, and the girls talked within the girls, it was only Colt and I that didn't speak. He just stared at me creepily, and I stared at the table to avoid his contact. Then the boys hushed over, and so did my friends, and the table became silent. 

Charlotte was pushing me to talk, and I couldn't help, but open my smart mouth with the question that I've been wanting to ask since all the boys introduced themselves: "Why are all your names one syllable? Is it, like, a requirement to get onto the football team? Have a one syllable name? I mean, Colt, Neil, Ty, Chris, and Jay?"

Except, no one took my question seriously, and everyone just laughed. I mean, it was a genuine question, I wasn't trying to make a joke, but I don't have the energy to ask the question again. 

"Girl, you're hip*," Jay laughed, and I couldn't help, but giggle to myself. 

"Yo, get this," Ty jumped, "In class today this kid got in trouble for reading, while that- you know, that real old teacher, Mrs. Porter? Well, she was lecturing so she took his book, and when the teacher turned around he pulled out another fucking copy of the same fucking book."

Chris laughed, and we all joined together. And after that stories and more laughs joined, and I would never admit it, but I hope they sit with us more because I enjoy their company.

While I was listening to Neil tell a story about a party he went to last weekend, Colt just had to break me from my trance. I turned to him annoyed, and he smirked that I rather listen to Neil than him. It's true.

"Talk to him," Colt whispered.

I shook my head and proceeded to what I was doing before. Colt poked my arm again, and I whipped my head.

"You didn't eat lunch," he was the only one to notice. I shrugged and told him I had a big breakfast. He didn't seem like he believed me, but gave me his apple anyways. I really didn't want to eat it, but Colt insisted I finish it to "make him happy". By the end of lunch, I finished it all.