Splinters: Part One

Part One | 17

Zech gestured towards me with his hand while speaking to Collie. "Seriously, Collie, him? You could have any guy at this school and you choose him?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do!" Collie bit back angrily.

"Ursanne, Collie. This is the older brother of Ursanne! Don't you even care that that bitch is his sister?!"

"Hey!" I shouted. "Don't call my sister that!"

Zech scoffed. "Oh what're you gonna do, hot shot? Hit me?"

I clenched my fists and was about to stand up, but Collie's hand on my forearm kept me down.

"Okay, stop!" she shouted. "This is ridiculous, Zech. Can't you just be happy for me?" She frowned at him, almost looking genuine as her eyes met his. It made me jealous. I didn't like the way Zech relaxed when she talked to him like that and I didn't like her being soft to him.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. Turning to me, he sarcastically said, "Sorry," and looked away.

Collie looked back at me, her hand still on my arm, gently rubbing it. She offered a small smile to which I returned and we began eating.

...

At the end of the day, I had been clearing out my locker. I was annoyed at the massive amounts of paper that had begun piling up inside and decided to just clean it up, but during it, I heard a few girls speaking to my left just a little ways down the hall. I listened to them, letting them take over my thoughts so that I didn't have to think about the day.

"I want to go so badly!" one whined.

"Then why don't you?" another asked.

"Please," the first scoffed. "Going stag is, like, the worst thing ever to do in high school!"

"Who knows, maybe a guy will pick you up?"

Another girl budded in. "No, she's right. Going alone is just setting yourself up for ultimate embarrassment."

"Want to go together?" the second suggested.

"I can't. I have my brother's party that night," the third said.

"That sucks," girl number one muttered.

"It's one of the first of the year so we shouldn't be that worked up about it."

"You're right. We can always go to another one."

"Yeah, maybe by then, a guy will actually notice us and ask us to the dance."

My ears perked up. A dance.

I stood up slowly and closed my locker, looking towards the girls. They'd turned away and began walking down the hall. It was silent now. Besides them, I had been alone. I lifted my backpack from the floor and made my way to where they were standing. Just a few inches above my head was a poster for a sophomore dance on Friday from five to nine.

GRADE 10'S! BRING A DATE OR GO STAG TO THE SOPHOMORE DANCE HELD IN THE GYMNASIUM AT FIVE TO NINE. DRESS APPROPRIATELY.

I'm a sophomore. So's Collie. My stomach began to feel a little jittery as I realized I'd have to ask Collie to the dance and I'd also have to ask Melissa and Greg permission if I could go. Just as I thought all stress and fear would be over, this dance had to come up.

And I knew Collie would be expecting an invitation and I knew she'd take it the wrong way if I didn't ask her.

...

When I entered the house, it was dead silent. I set my shoes by the doorway and ran upstairs to set my bag down in my bedroom.

After doing so, I noticed that down the hallway, Ursanne's door was closed. I slowly made my way to her room and knocked twice with my left hand, my right turning the doorknob.