The next morning I hit the snooze on my alarm one too many times until I realize that there is about twenty minutes before the tardy bell. So jumping out of bed I take a twenty second shower and pull on my favorite hoodie, grab my keys and shove my homework into my bag.
Downstairs I meet mother, “I tried to get you up but you refused…breakfast?” She offers.
Quickly I kiss her on the head and dart towards the door, “Sorry mom, I don’t have time” She snorts and opens the pantry pulling out a box of pop tarts. She tosses a package of the sugary breakfast treats at me, and I being the incredibly athletic boy that I am-ha-ha just kidding-stumble to catch it, wave and run out the door. Li’l Blue is sitting in my driveway looking gorgeous; as I walk by I rub her hood and smile. “Hey baby, I’m running a little late for school today, be good to me okay?” Then I jump into my car throwing my backpack into the passenger seat and pulling out of the drive.
After hurriedly finding a parking spot that was just big enough for my baby to squeeze into I dash out of my car and into the school building ripping open my pop tarts on the way, and shoving one into my mouth. Hell yeah, classy. The tardy bell rings just as I slam my cute ass into my chair right next to Sadie at the back of the room. The dark haired girl turns to look at me with a huge smile. “Hey Caleb, a little late aren’t we?”
I attempt to say shut the hell up but with the pop tart crammed into my mouth it sounds more like “Shu da hew ub.” Sadie bursts into a fit of giggles. “Sorry I didn’t quiet catch that?” She asks with mock confusion. Chewing ferociously I just glare at her, which sends her into a brand new giggle fest. When I’m finally done chewing and the teacher is taking roll, I turn to her excitedly.
“I got my car back!”
“Oh and how is dear old Blue?” She asks.
“Runs like a unicorn, get it, magical” I nod with a grin, “Ahhh hell yeah!” I reach up for a high five. Sadie just stares at me with a raised eyebrow, and then shakes her head.
“The cleverness in which you named your car never fails to astonish me,” she starts off. My hand goes up swiftly to stop her from speaking.
“Sadie if you are going to insult the name of my car, I will have to kindly ask you to shut your mouth before I shove my fist into it.” She chuckles which I don’t understand. I said that in all seriousness.
“Alright Alright, God don’t be such a bitch,” She rolls her eyes, “So are we going to the fair, huh?” Her eyes grow big and enthusiastic at the thought. Playing dumb, I ask confusedly, “What fair?” The glare she gives me could kill any mutant monster you could ever think about discovering.
“Caleb Mowery, don’t you even think about fucking with me!” I giggle loudly which sends a couple of curious glances are way.
“Yeah we are going to the stupid fair; don’t let your ovaries explode!”
She rolls her eyes just as the teacher calls,”Mr. Mowery, would you be so kind as to shut your face!”
“Sorry Mr. Jackson,” I apologize then wonder if he ever called my name for roll. I ask as much and he just stares at me, “Mr. Jackson, do to your reoccurring obnoxiousness in my class, I never fail to notice you.” He assures me. Wondering if I should be slightly creeped out by that statement I fall into a thoughtful silence for the rest of the class period. When the bell rings Sadie leads me out of the class laughing.
“That was so creepy!” I whine as she pulls me in the direction of our next class.
“Oh whatever you would love it if Mr. Jackson got down on you, wouldn’t you, he is so hot!” She grins mischievously. My face contorts in disgusts, as I bat at her hand that is clutching my sleeve. “Don’t be so vulgar Sadie; it’s very vivid to the imagination when you say shit like that.” She just grins again and continues to drag me after her.
Once the bell for lunch rings I race to the lunch room, starving to death, and ready to eat a freaking cow. Sadie is sitting at our usual table chewing away at her salad that suddenly looks extremely delicious. I sit down next to her and start in on my hamburger. “So,” she begins, “We’re heading straight to the fair or do you need to do something first?” I take a moment to think over any plans I may have made over the last week that I could have forgotten about, but deciding that my calendar is completely cleared I shake my head. “I got nothing, you?”
She shrugs biting into an apple then asks “Is your brother going?” This makes my eyes squint in suspicion. Sadie doesn’t notice, or pretends not to notice, focusing on her apple.
“Why?” I ask, continuing to stare at her. She just shrugs, “You like my brother don’t you?” I shriek. Sadie grabs an apple off a kid’s tray shoving it into my mouth before looking around the lunchroom. When she is certain that the area is devoid of prying ear she shrugs inspecting her apple carefully, “He’s cute”
I pull the apple from my mouth, “I don’t know, why don’t you ask him if he’s going, I’m sure if you ask he’ll want to go.”
“Should I?” She asks her eyes shimmering excitedly. Nodding I bite into my hamburger again. “Except for he kind of thinks that we’re going out.” I say offhandedly.
“What!” She growls grabbing me by my collar. I choke and struggle in her death grip before finally managing to push her away from me. “God Sadie!” I gasp reaching for my bottle of water, “We have the grip of the incredible hulk, don’t we?” I ask chugging it down.
“It’s all because you won’t be man enough to tell the world you’re as gay as the sun is bright!” She cries. My mouth drops open as a few boys walking past stare. My eyes dart back and forth from the boys to Sadie as they walk quickly away.
“Sadie Oh my fucking god!” I hiss. “Are you trying to out me to the whole world!”
She looks up apologetically, “I’m sorry, Caleb” She whispers. I inhale sharply shutting my eyes. “It’s fine, whatever shall be, shall be” I stand, stopping for a second. “And god Sadie just ask him, if you ask him he’ll know that we aren’t dating, so for fucks sake please do so!”
Her red lips curve into a deep frown, “Caleb, I’m really sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”
Rubbing my head I pick up my tray gesturing for her to follow, “It’s fine come on let’s go”
◊◊◊◊◊◊◊
When the bell for school to get out rings I meet Sadie at my locker shoving some of my books into my bag. Then I grab her hand and shout “To Li’l Blue!” and we both run down the hall to the exit, me smiling as Sadie giggles her heels clacking against the floor.
Once we are both settled in Li’l Blue, and our bags are both neatly propelled into the backseat I turn to Sadie, shoving my key in and starting the car. “So I spoke to Chad,” I say offhandedly as I pull out of student parking. Her eyes light up as she listens. “He said that he would indeed be making an appearance at the fair,” Sadie shrieks in happiness, and I wince at the high pitch scream.
“Oh my gosh Sadie, my brother isn’t that great, trust me!” I grin as we turn.
“Maybe not to you, you would never understand” she smiles. Raising an eyebrow I break at the stop light. “What exactly about that would I not understand, I also like men.” I assure her.
“Yeah but he’s your brother, you can’t exactly look at him in that way without feeling like a perv.”
“Hey, hey hold on, although I may not be getting horny for my brother, I do acknowledge the fact that he is a fine looking fellow.” I say pointedly, “But no matter how pretty he is, and how toned his biceps are, he is still an ass, and I just can’t look past that” I grin cutely.
Sadie just laughs and we fall into silence as she switches throws in a CD. Maroon 5 One more night starts to play, and we both start to sing.
Finally after what seems like an eternity but is probably less than an hour we pull into the parking lot of the fair grounds. There are people everywhere with their little children, screaming and running around chasing each other. “Thank god I don’t have ovaries!” I say as I exit the car and watch a little kid throw an ice cream at the back of his fathers head.
Sadie laughs and walks around the car heading towards the fair. I jog to catch up to her. The first thing Sadie sees she wants to play. It’s bobbing for apples. She pulls on my arm and runs over to the barrel of apples. Seriously what year is this where people are still bobbing for apple to have fun? “Caleb, bob for me please!!!” She hangs on my arm. “I want the prize!”
I shake my head assuredly, “There is no way in hell I’m putting my head in that germ infested water!” I growl. Sadie continues to beg stroking my arm. This would have worked wonderfully if I was a straight man, but I’m not so I just look around the park. Suddenly a hand hits the back of my head roughly sending me jerking forwards. I barely catch myself from falling head first into the damp fruity barrel. “What the hell!” I scream as I turn around, only to come face to face with Chad.
“God dude, don’t treat her like that,” He turns to Sadie smiling; “I’ll win the prize for you Sadie” She smiles and giggles grabbing his arm with cherry red cheeks. Rolling my eyes I stand and brush the dirt off my backside before saying to a distracted Sadie that I would be going to get an Ice cream cone. She just waves her hand at me still gazing up at Chad. Seriously? Shaking my head I silently make my way across the park to the food stands. Parents are standing around chatting happily and taking pictures of their kids wearing goofy sunglasses and hats. Couples are silently sitting nestling their heads close and whispering into each other’s ears. Rolling my eyes –again I might add, there is a lot of eye rolling going on tonight-I pull out my wallet and get in line, gazing at the list of flavors on the board.
Oh my god why do they have to make it so difficult, so many flavors, so many possibilities! Black walnut, Chocolate Almond, Egg Nog, Jamoca. Love Potion? I laugh and decide to order the later just because of its ridiculously retarded name. Handing the worker the money, I take the cone and turn around to head back to the blubbering idiots that I left at the bobbing table. Unfortunately as soon as I turn around with my ice cream I run head on into someone’s chest. Or should I say cone on? My ice cream smashes all over the person’s shirt creating a Love Potion smear all along the material.
“Oh my god!” I gasp, and then quickly begin apologizing as I grab a wad of napkins from the nearest table and continue to try and wipe the smear off of the person. “I’m so sorry!” I apologize. My eyes dart up to the boy’s face quickly but then I have to do a double take. Damn he is gorgeous. His hands bat at mine as he frustratedly tries to prevent me from spreading the ice cream any more.
“Stop!” He screams. Abruptly I pull my hands back. “God!” He glares at me angrily “What the hell is wrong with you, are you deaf!”
Damn my fantasy ruined, of course he’s an asshole, what more was I expecting. My eyebrow ticks up in irritation but I calm myself. I definitely cannot flip out at a complete stranger. His fingers snap in front of my face. “Yo, Earth to retard!” My eyes focus back on to the boy. His hair is brown and jelled up nicely in a messy way, and his eyes are dark and piercing, His mouth is set in a tight line that clearly is telling me he is suppressing the urge from punching me in the face.
“Yeah?” I ask.
“Where is the bathroom?” He says slowly as if talking to a deaf person.
“Oh, yeah follow me” I gesture for him to follow me, heading in the direction where I saw the bathroom when I first walked into the fair. He follows me silently fuming, I’m probably lucky I’m not already dead. Stopping in front of the bathroom I nod shoving my hands into my pockets. “There”
“Thanks” He says poisonously glaring at me. Then he disappears into the door that reads MENS. Once he disappears I start punching the air and whispering fowl cures at him. “Fucking asshole, fucking watch where you’re walking next time. Maybe then you won’t run into a completely innocent pedestrian trying to enjoy their fucking ice cream. I didn’t even get one fucking lick of that shit!” I rage. When I’m done I run my hands down the front of my hoodie, correcting myself. Leaning against the brick wall of the restroom, I wait for the boy to come out so I can make sure everything is okay. I hear the sink turn off and paper towels being pulled and then the door opens a few seconds later, exposing the boy, who is clearly pissed off, and he has now pulled off his t-shirt, and is settled in a gray undershirt, his arms and shoulders exposed. Damn he has biceps, and triceps, and any other muscle group that you could possibly think of. He sees me there and groans. “What the hell are you still doing here?”
My nerves were starting to become very thin. “Just making sure you’re good, and just to say sorry again, I really didn’t even see you.”
“Clearly!” The boy spits out, turning to walk away. Really, fucking really? Oh my god if I was bigger I would tear him to pieces. Perturbed I brush past him and whisper under my breath, “Fucking asshole, save your breath for you inflatable girlfriend.”
“What the hell did you just say?” He growls. Smiling I look back at him still walking. “Hmm, Oh have a nice day!” Then I bolt off through the stands leaving the boy behind.