The Club

PART ONE- LIVING -CHAPTER 1

She pulls her earbuds out of her ears and turns off whatever she was listening to. We learned a long time ago if you have your earbuds in people will ignore you. "So how do you feel today? Any older?"

"I just saw you yesterday. I'm the exact same person today as I was yesterday, unfortunately."

She reaches out and grabs my arm, bringing me out of my pity party to look up into her eyes. They're fierce and she's about ready to rip me a new one. "Don't think like that. You're awesome and I love you. If any of the idiots we go to school can't see that, they can go fuck themselves."

"You have such a way with words, Kyle. So eloquent."

"I am pretty masterful."

A laugh bubbles up and I don't do anything to hold it back. She always has a way of bringing me out of my funk when I fall into one. Which lately, has been pretty often. If I were in her shoes, I'd get sick of me. But that's why she's a better person than I am and the best friend a girl could ask for.

As the bus pulls up in front of us, everyone drags their feet up the steps. Geez, you'd think we were being shipped off to prison rather than going to high school. Eh...I guess it's close enough somedays. Across the street, there's a creeper in all black watching us. What is his deal?

"What are you looking at?" Kyle asks while pulling me down into the seat next to her.

I peel my gaze from him and tell her, "That pervert across the street was watching us."

"Uh what pervert?"

"That—" my words lodge in my throat. Where did he go? He was just there. "I swear he was just there."

Kyle's earbuds are already back in her ears completely oblivious to the world. I shake my head and turn on the new Fall Out Boy album. I get distracted by Patrick Stump singing about being Dead on Arrival and forget all about the dude.

***

"Looks like someone has a secret admirer."

"Huh?" My messenger bag flops against my hip as I drop it back down. "What are you talking about?"

Kyle motions with her hand and I follow her gaze to the lockers. There's a single red rose sticking through one of the locks. Wow! Someone does have an admirer. I wish a boy would do something romantic like that for me. We walk in that direction and I'm floored when I look at the locker number. She's grinning from ear to ear and I reach my hand out to the flower. I'm tempted not even to touch it in case it suddenly disappears and I imagined the whole thing. My anticipation wins out. The silky petals of the rose are smooth against my nose as I inhale the floral fragrance. I'm grinning like an idiot when I open up the accompanying card.

I know that we are only friends

But my heart wishes it to be more

So I will still hope and dream

That one day I can feel your lips pressed to mine

To hold you in my arms and say, "I love you"

Happy Birthday, Erika

-GM

"Holy shit. Who the heck is GM? And where do I get one?"

I shrug and sniff the sweet nectar of the flower in my hand. Whoever he is, he deserves that kiss, that's for sure. I've never had someone give me a rose and write me poetry. Normal high school boys aren't even close to being like that.