on the REBOUND (On Hold)

Chapter 15

HAYWOOD'S POV

Stan Kingsley it is. His schedule complements mine well (i.e. I have time to interact with him and kick my plan into action).

I contemplated messing with Longan's head but thought it'd be best not to shit where I eat. Not only do we share the same orientation group and after school activities, we share the exact same classes (Chad and Tim too yip yip!). It would be a messy affair if anything got out of hand. Besides, I don't actually think he's a bad boy, just seems as if he has been looking for love in the wrong places. And, well, he had been nice enough to get me a dance with Tyler, as much as that went terribly.

So, Longan McDonald is off the hook, I guess.

Anyway, I've done up my timetable for the various subjects I'm taking (i.e. Physics, Chemistry, Math, Economics and Critical Thinking). It looks pretty good, I get to cram study sessions in between lessons and on most mornings. Trainings are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday till 10pm, which leaves Tuesday night, Thursday night and weekends free. Stan's soccer practices fall on Tuesday and Thursday, which should buy me enough time to intrigue the fella.

Let the fun begin!

==

"Sho you jush bee shtaling Shtan jeesh hoe tie?" ('So you've just been stalking Stan this whole time?') Tasha asks, spraying bacon bits out of her mouth. She's the only person I know who can put a whole baked potato in her mouth without choking. Thankfully I'm well versed enough in lunch time conversation with Tasha to understand what must seem like unintelligible alien talk to someone else.

"Yea, for about a week only but I've managed to establish some patterns."

"Te-yao me!" ('Tell me!') She pesters, chewing and stuffing my oily unwanted fried chicken skin into her chomping machine before I can stop her.

"No Tasha, cuz you were a bad girl for eating the chicken skin! How many times have I told you, DON'T eat the skin!"

"But it's halfway down my gullet!" She protests.

"Ok then, I'll tell you if you eat all your cherry tomatoes." I negotiate in a smug tone. Tasha glares at me, she absolutely loathes cherry tomatoes. She'd mistaken one for a queerly coloured grape when she was five and never gotten over the shock of eating the sour ass 'grape'.

"Can I swap the cherry tomatoes for the lettuce?" She pleads. "At least they're relatively tasteless."

"Ok." I sigh andgive in to her well-practiced puppy-eyed look. "Yea, about Stan..." I look around to see if anyone is eavesdropping. "Ok I'm going to call him 001 so we don't have to talk so softly. About 001, I've taken down a couple of observations on him."

Shit about Stan Kingsley

1. Frequently distracted in all lectures other than Literature, which is the only lecture he turns up sober for.

2. Calls every girl he hangs out either "babe" or "sugar cube" or some mushy generic term so he won't mix up their names.

3. Is actually pretty serious about Soccer but isn't that fantastic at it.

4. Extremely touchy with girls and brags about his sexual conquests to his gang of friends who are as seedy and insecure as he is.

5. Has a designated make out spot in school.

6. Blows through at least a pack of cigarettes a day.

7. Is probably really loaded cuz he drives a Buggati Veyron. Also he drives like a young man, rash and has not much regard for rules.

8. The 2p orbital is not spherical unlike the 2s orbital.

9. Cares quite a lot about his sister Jenny.

10. Is organizing a huge ass party next Saturday.

"Uh, Haywood, what does number 8 mean?" Tasha asks uncertainly. "Is this some secret code phrase that I'm supposed to get? What's a 2p orbital?"

"Oh shit, no no I was just reading through the week 5 Chemistry notes while observing him. Must have gotten side-tracked."

"Wow, it's like you're taking SK001 - Fundamentals to Stan Kingsley behavior. So what's number 8 really supposed to be?"

"Uhhhhhh, I think that observation was on how he only goes for girls who look a certain way. Generally leggy blondes who use cherry red lipstick. I'm gonna have to borrow a wig."

"Ok." Tasha breathes and falls silent for a moment. "This is really different from what I thought you were going to do Haywood."

"Hm? And what did you think I was gonna do?"

"Well... I pictured you flinging yourself at 001 like some broken attention-craving slut and expected receiving you back in terrible condition." Tasha confesses, her eyes not meeting mine.

"Tasha."

"I don't want to watch you get hurt Haywood! Tis a remorseless soulless predator! What exactly do you hope to get out of it?" Her unexpected outburst startles me.

"If I can figure out how to make 001 like me, maybe I can figure out how to get Tyler to like me. Or maybe I AM a broken attention-craving slut now. Maybe I DO need some validation... Maybe I need to feel desired. I don't know man, I don't know what is it I want. I just need to fill this bloody gaping hole in me. Tasha, please, just let me do this alright?"

"What if 001 gets hurt?"

"Man Tasha, that's why I requested for the womanizers, the ones broken beyond repair. Anyway, this plan may not work. He may not even take an interest in me. Stop worrying so much alright!"

The silence emanating from her is deafening, louder than all the chatter and clatter in the canteen.

"Only if you finish my cherry tomatoes." She smiles with watery eyes. "Also, how exactly are you going to walk into his life?"

"I'll let you know when I figure it out."

==

Turns out Chad has a blonde wig. I didn't ask him why he had one, and he didn't ask me why I needed it.

***

A/N: Do you guys think Haywood will succeed? Does it all sound too good to be true?

What's with Chad and the wig anyway?