I sat in a desk later that afternoon with about twenty other kids that had gotten detention that day. The faculty had regained control of the school I guess. I sat livid, twirling a mechanical pencil in my left hand as I glared at my rrd and black cap and gown draped over the back of the empty desk in front of me. I stared at it and it stared right back through it’s vacuum sealed, plastic prison. No air getting in, no air getting out…suffocated. I couldn’t help but relate. Thank God dad didn’t rip up my plane ticket, which was more his style, he just stashed it. Sixteen more hours and I’d be on a plane to New York, and I’ll be officially twelve hours and three thousand miles away. I smiled at the thought of this, but at the same time my smile faded at the thought of this.
My heart hurt at the thought of leaving Maggi behind. Any other girl at this god forsaken school would be ‘meh’. Even Olivia with all of her kisses that tasted like coconut lattes and Full Throttle energy drink. Maggi’s kisses were sweet and bitter like salted caramel, the perfect combination. I would miss her giggle, the way the evening sun caught the color of her strawberry blonde locks. Her peridot-colored eyes and full, pink, pouty lips. I let out a groan of disappointment at myself and let my forehead slam to the desk.
“Be quiet Mr. Arthur” The detention teacher demanded.
I didn’t raise my head, I just threw a thumbs up with my right hand. I had to find Maggi and I had to apologize. I couldn’t leave here with this deep agonizing churning in my stomach. It was going to be hard enough as is. She was my baby and I loved her. I hoped she’d be home after detention. After detention I immediately set out to Maggi’s house…on foot. Curse Mr. Oates for confiscating my skateboard today. It was five ‘o’ clock ; I had two hours before I had to be back at the school for graduation, plenty of time. Thirty minutes later I found myself trudging across Maggi’s front lawn. There weren’t any cars in the yard, so I was assuming her parents weren’t home from work.
I pushed through the door of the large, wooden, red fence, letting it slam behind me. As I walked around passed the kitchen window I heard a noise. I stopped in my tracks, narrowing my eyes at the rows of short hedges lining Maggi’s back yard. It was almost like a border between the hedges and the fence. I continued to watch for a moment to see if it were the wind, or some wandering squirrel. I couldn’t see anything, but I could swear I heard breathing. Shrugging it off, I turned and began climbing the lattice. I climbed onto the roof and began walking around until I made it to Maggi’s window. I peered in looking at her. She was sitting on her bed, wearing a sapphire blue sleeveless, collared blouse, black sketch pants that flared out on the end and black suspenders.
She had her hair pulled up, light make-up and she was losing the fight with the strap of a wedged black heeled shoe. She just couldn’t seem to figure out how get it to cooperate to go around her ankle. I tapped the window with my knuckles and placed myself down beside the window sill. Maggi turned to face the window and a look of exasperation and fury flooded her face. She got up from the bed, walked over to the window and slid it up.
“Why?” She fired.
“Can we talk?” I insisted.
“Why are you here?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Why now?” She frowned.
I could tell she was searing with anger, but I was frustrated and about two seconds from matching her energy.
“If you’d move and let me in we can talk” I repeated, tapping the windowsill in time with the last three words.
Maggi and rolled her eyes.
“Go talk to Liv” Maggi shot and with that she reached up and slammed the window shut.
Thank God for my reflexes, or I’d be down to nubs on my hands. She just barely missed my fingers. I examined them to make sure I still had nails and fingertips. Just then my phone rang in my back pants pocket. I pulled it out to see who was calling me. It was Dad. I never told him about the detention so either he was told by Mr. Oates’ meddling wife, or he had questions about my E.T.A. Either way I didn’t have time for this, so I sent it to voicemail and aggressively shoved my phone back in my pocket. This was stupid and I was severely aggravated. I slapped my palms to the glass pane and pushed the window up. Once I got it up enough to stick my hands under the threshold I pushed it the rest of the way up. Maggi spun around to face me in shock.
You left the window unlocked what did you expect?
“What are you doing?” She asked.
“Will you just listen for a second?” I demanded.
“Go to hell Theo” Maggi said softly, turning and opening her bedroom door.
I stormed over quickly and slammed the door shut. Maggi gasped as she hit the door with her right shoulder. She was still holding on to the doorknob.
“Maggi stop you stubborn ass little girl” I growled.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
My breath hitched. The knock came as a surprise to Maggi as well, because her eyes were just as wide as mine. I heard someone grip the doorknob. I lightly and cautiously reached with my left hand and pushed in the round lock on the knob. Maggi watched from the corner of her eyes, not moving as my right hand posted a little above her head on the door. The doorknob jiggled a little.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
“Maggi are you okay?”
It was her mother. I looked to Maggi who was breathing heavily, as her back pressed against the door. I narrowed my eyes at her and her breath seemed to catch in her throat.
“Tell her you’re fine” I whispered through gritted teeth.
Maggi swallowed her shocked eyes fixed on me.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Her mom wiggled the doorknob.
“Do it” I commanded, still whispering, teeth still bared.
“I’m fine mom I’m good” Maggi finally said.
“Are you sure, what was that loud noise?” her mom asked.
“Oh I tripped over something and fell, but I’m good now” Maggi lied.
“Alright, well Shyla is downstairs waiting when you’re done getting ready” he mom informed.
Shyla my arch nemesis. The accursed culprit behind this whole train of bullshit. I wanted so badly to go string her up by her hair. But I knew that wasn’t the way to clear my name. We both stood silent, barely breathing until we heard her mom’s retreating footsteps.
“Move” Maggi commanded.
I raised my left hand and placed it on the door. Now both of my arms were positioned on the door on either side of Maggi’s head.
“Are you gonna let me talk?” I questioned.
Maggi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her.
“What are you gonna do now kiss me in hopes that it’s believable enough to make this go away?”
This woman has seen to many rom-coms.
“No” I informed.
“Then what is it Theo I’ve got shit to do” She frowned, ducking under my left arm.
“And you think I don’t?” I shrugged.
“Tick-tick-tick-tick” Maggi sassed, tapping her unwatched wrist.
“Why are you even mad?”
“Were you and Liv dating?”
“I wouldn’t even call what we were doing dating.”
“Did you go on a date?” Maggi probed, placing her hands on her hips.
“No not really. I tried once and I ended up with a busted tongue, bruised knee and popcorn in places I didn’t know I had” I explained.
Maggi fought back a snicker.
“Oh really you think that’s cute?” I frowned.
“Did you guys hookup?” She continued.
“Hell, no I don’t even think we were attracted to each other like that. I don’t know what I was to her. All she ever wanted to do when we did get together was watch tv and make out. I guess I wasn’t socially acceptable enough to be seen with in public, so she had me like a side piece” I clarified.
“You expect me to believe that, it’s Olivia” Maggi smirked.
“You can believe what you want, but why do you hang with such whorish friends when you’re far from it?” I asked.
“That’s a long story” Maggi muttered.
“Okay, but you didn’t answer my question. Why are you mad?”
“What do you mean why am I mad?”
“We never solidified what ‘we’ were, we were just friends, we were hanging out” I said. “And now you’re all angry and jealous.”
“I’m not jealous” Maggi pouted.
“Then what the hell is it Maggi because I’m just as confused as you” I explained.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Maggi and I both shot a look at the door.
“Mags we have to go I still have to get my robe and my outfit for the party before the dry cleaners close.”
Shyla.
Unknowingly, a light, threatening growl escaped my lips.
“Theo?” Maggi giggled.
“What?” I frowned, with one eyebrow raised.
“I’m gathering up my stuff I’ll be out in a second” Maggi called.
She turned back around to face me.
“I’m sorry I got so upset okay?” Maggi exhaled, grabbing her camera. “I should have let you finish your side of the story.”
“It’s okay” I said.
I began looking around Maggi’s room. There were a multitude of different pictures all over her multicolored walls. Why had I not noticed them the first time I came through her window? Across the room behind her computer desk and vanity stood a wall painted a forest green color. Draping down from the wall were darker green strings of yarn with cut felt leaves glued to them. They were taped to the wall in patterns of twists and turns to make them portray vines. Also taped on the vines were pictures. Different pictures from kodak, to polaroid instashots. All pictures of wolves.
“Wow” I said, walking over to the wall. “Are these of all the wolves around here?”
“Yea” Maggi replied, as she walked up and leaned her chin on my shoulder blade, and wrapped her arms around my torso.
“These are beautiful” I said.
“Thank you. I hike through the woods sometimes and every now and then I can catch some candids. Sometimes I catch them in the backyard digging around in our trash cans” Maggi explained.
I leaned in closer to a picture of a sandy brown colored wolf. Shades of gray showed in it’s fur around it’s face and muzzle and hazel green eyes glowed in the picture behind it’s eyelids. The eyes looked weird and too normal. Almost too human. The eyes seemed to speak with hidden meaning to me.
“We should really go” Maggi chimed in, pulling my focus from the photo of the sandy brown wolf.
“You’re right, my parents are going to kill me” I said, turning around to face her.
“Are you going to the after party?” Maggi asked.
“I really didn’t plan to spend my last night here at a party with a bunch of drunken reprobates, but for you I guess so.”
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
“I should go before she picks the lock” Maggi sighed.
“She can do that?” I questioned.
“You’d be surprised” Maggi grinned.
I walked over to the window and sat down on the window sill.
“See you in a few” Maggi smiled.
I nodded.
“Miss you” she whispered.
“Stalk you” I whispered back before climbing out the window.