Graduation night at Juneau-Douglas High was just like graduation at any other high school. Overly excited, emotional, annoying family that took an embarrassing amount of pictures. The popular girls taking duck face pictures and snapchats with a ton of filters. Some of them were even going live on TikTok. The popular guys and the jocks were busy taking pictures, showing off their guns and talking about the after party. I was busy sitting in a chair watching the disgusting display. All of the Seniors were placed in the Senior hall until time to walk out onto the football field and take our seats.
“Well, hey tramp” someone said.
I looked up to see Shyla and Olivia standing over me. Shyla stood frowning, while Olivia stood beside her, head down, fidgeting with her fingers.
“What do you want, haven’t you done enough damage for one day?” I grimaced.
Shyla opened her foul mouth to speak.
“Theo, can we talk please, alone?” Olivia interrupted sincerely.
Shyla looked at her, a perplexed expression on her face. I couldn’t help but share her concern.
“If she’s pregnant I’m kicking your ass” Shyla snapped, before turning on her heel and walking away to join the rest of the Seniors.
I adjusted my mortarboard cap as Olivia sat in the chair beside me. She ran her fingers through her dark chocolate-colored hair, and then used said fingers to smooth out her crimson red and black robe. She adjusted her feet, which were decorated tonight with a pair of nude colored Louboutin heels. They were at least six inches. Jesus, how could this woman walk? If she stood up, she’d actually be an inch or two taller than me.
“So, graduation huh?” She smiled nervously.
She’s stalling.
“Olivia talk” I said, now agitated.
“But I’m just enjoying sitting here” Olivia smiled, playing with my ponytail at the nape of my neck.
I leaned away from her so she couldn’t touch my hair.
“Liv so help me god” I growled.
She was the best and worst mistake. Worst because she toyed with people, and I knew she was buttering me up for something. She was relentless. Best, because through her I met Maggi.
“I need your help with something” Olivia sighed.
“And why should I help you?” I asked. “You broke up with me technically, and the dragon lady is your bff.”
“Please?” Olivia begged.
“Fine, what is it?” I asked.
Just then Mr. Oates called for everyone to start heading out to the field. As we marched out on the freshly cut grass, spotlights blared in my face, while the band sent ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ pumping out into the air. Olivia turned and grinned at me as we started down the line of chairs on the ‘A’ row. Three weeks and I didn’t know the woman’s name was Allen.
A lump formed in my throat, and the pit of my stomach ached at the thought of the sinister plan this woman had for me. Ten more hours to go. After party and time with Maggi and I’d be good. I can do this for ten more hours. I positioned myself in front of my seat and turned to face the stage. I could hear my family hooting and calling my name from the crowd. My redneck Aunt Muriel and Uncle Timothy even brought a homemade banner. Covered in Cheeto dust and beer stains, they flailed it in the air like a proud flag.
Again, I say graduation night at Juneau-Douglas high was no different from any other high school graduation night. And the same applied to walking up and getting diplomas. There was always someone who pretended to trip. There was always someone who had to dance across the stage. There was the catwalk girl, who always did the model pose before and after grabbing the diploma. And last but not least the prankster who had to shake Mr. Oates’ hand with a fake one, and send the entire student body into a laughing frenzy. During the valedictorian speech I figured it was the right time to ask Olivia what the hell we were doing.
“Liv, what the hell are we doing?” I whispered.
“I’ll tell you later” Olivia whispered back.
After the ceremony, family and friends poured out onto the field to congratulate the graduates. Olivia and I went separate ways, and she went over to her family.
“So, how does it feel son?” dad asked, as he, mom, Aunt Muriel and Uncle Timothy approached me.
“It’s a piece of paper dad” I informed, holding up the blue and silver diploma cover.
“Can’t you ever be grateful about anything?” dad grimaced.
“I’m grateful when you don’t suck the joy out of everything.”
“I…?” Dad gasped. “I suck the joy?”
“Guys” Aunt Muriel chimed in.
“You know something, I don’t know if this is a phase or your personality, but this angsty shit really needs to stop.”
“Well lucky for you soon it won’t be your problem anymore.”
I turned and began walking away.
“Theo, Theo!” Mom called after me, but I kept walking, tossing my diploma to the lawn.
Ten more hours…and I can put this place in my rearview mirror. Or in my case in the clouds. I spotted Maggi standing with a few of her friends taking pictures with her fancy Cannon camera, including Shyla. I walked up behind her and tapped her shoulder lightly. She turned around to face me flashing the camera in my face.
“Congratulations graduate” She grinned.
“Thanks” I smiled wiping my eyes, and then we hugged.
Somehow, she always made me smile.
“Hey Mags” Someone called.
We both turned around to face her friends. Standing among them was a guy same height as me. He had pale-colored hair, cut in a taper and fade style, and dark eyes. He was dressed in a blue long-sleeved shirt and stone washed jeans. He beamed at the sight of Maggi.
“Terry?” Maggi questioned, with one eyebrow raised.
The guy approached us, still grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat. Shyla followed close behind, of course getting a front row seat to the drama. It didn’t take me long to put two and two together. This was the ex.
“Terry, what are you doing here?” Maggi asked.
“Gee, nice to see you to babe, remember my cousin is graduating. I figured it would be good to come down and say ‘hey’ to everybody” he said, pulling her into a bear hug, lifting her off her feet.
He looked up from the crook of her neck and our eyes locked in on each other.
“Hey, who’s this?” he grinned.
“Oh, this is Theo, Maggi’s best friend” Shyla piped up happily, doing air quotes with her fingers.
Why did she hate me so?
“Theo, is that really your name?” Terry probed.
“I hope so, that's the moniker that's on my birth certificate” I replied.
“Are you named after a President or a chipmunk and it’s shortened?” Terry continued.
“Nope, just Theo.”
Shyla snickered.
“Either way good to meet you, I’m Terry Maggi’s boyfriend” he elaborated, holding out his hand for me to shake.
“Are you though?” I questioned sarcastically, shaking his hand.
He gave me a confused looked, while Maggi traded me pleading looks.
“Take care buddy” I said, tapping his shoulder and walking away.
By eleven forty-five, the student body in its entirety filled Cheryl Tate’s house from the basement to the gutters. She only stayed a few blocks from Maggi, so I could easily skateboard to the party. Yes, i have two boards. I’d had my fill of dad for the night. My plan was to enjoy the party, empty out my bank account, stay the night in a hotel and get an uber to the airport. I already had my stuff sitting in the cupboard under the staircase.
I was dressed in a pair of black, slim fit jeans ripped at the knees, and a black and gray plaid, hooded flannel vest over a white tee. Atop my head I wore a black beanie skullcap, black and white checkered vans and my chain wallet. Cheryl Tate’s house smelled of potpourri, teen sweat and pot. The level of adolescent mayhem was in full affect as everyone partook in the usual underage activities.
Most of the crowd was in the usual spots. Some were in the living room, making sure they were near the music. And some were in the kitchen being near the food and booze. There were a few stragglers on the staircase and who knows what was going on in the bedrooms upstairs. Looking around I realized I’d had my fill of the parties too. I knew I would still have to go to a few parties with my cousin in New York, but I prayed they were classier.
It didn’t take me long to spot Roland and Mason playing the hook and ring drinking game in the dining room. I always thought it was amusing how they ended up at these parties even though they went to a different school. ‘Party Rock Anthem’ by LMFAO blasted out of the humongous speakers as I made my way into the kitchen. I pulled a bottle of Mike’s Hard Lemonade from a galvanized bucket full of ice; and began wrestling with the top.
“Need a hand?” A voice said.
I looked to see the infamous Terry in all his roided up buff glory. He grabbed the bottle from me, placed the tip on the edge of the island, and then slammed his palm down on it. The top clicked and popped off, flipping to the floor.
“There you go little buddy” Terry grinned, tapping me on the back before leaving the kitchen.
What a douchebag. He really didn’t seem like Maggi’s type at all; I wondered how they lasted as long as they had.
“Enjoying the party?”
It took nothing for me to realize who was talking. I turned my head to the left to see Shyla. She grinned at me from under her graduation hat. I gripped her at the elbow and pulled her to a semi-quiet corner near the pantry closet.
“Why do you hate me Shyla?”
“I don’t hate you, I just don’t think you’re good enough for my friend” Shyla frowned.
“Shouldn’t that be her decision?” I questioned.
“She doesn’t know what’s best for her, you see Liv and I are gone, so Maggi has to carry on the legacy” Shyla explained.
“But I was good enough for Olivia last week?”
“A situation I quickly rectified because she was really into you. Don’t get me wrong Theo you’re extremely, exceptionally hot for some reason, but your social status is subpar to say the least.”
“Wow, you actually used it in the right context” I grinned sarcastically.
“Shut-up” Shyla hissed.
“But like you said, we’re all leaving, so why does it matter who she hangs out with?” I frowned.
“Look it’s just not gonna happen” Shyla snapped.
“Bullshit” I growled.
Shyla broke eye contact with me to look up and a smile came across her face.
“Someone’s having fun.”
I turned around. Standing in the living room were Maggi and Terry. Terry’s right arm was cupped around Maggi’s lower back. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, and he seemed to be whispering. Maggi smiled lightly as she reached to retrieve the beer bottle from his grasp before he spilled it. Enraged, I turned up the bottle of Mike’s hard lemonade I was clasping and took a gulp. Still holding the bottle, I wiped my mouth with the back of my sleeved hand.
“Touché’” I muttered before walking away.
"Buh-bye Theo always a pleasure."
I could feel Shyla’s smug grin boring into the back of my head, as I left the room. She aggravated every fiber of my being. I left the kitchen, taking the notion to bypass the living room, using the other route for the front door. I rounded the stairs, dodging a few people who had run by.
“There you are baby.”
Olivia threw her arms around my neck stopping me dead in my tracks. Before I could register what was going on she slammed her lips into mine, kissing me aggressively. She smelled of coconut body spray and her sticky lip gloss choice for the night smelled of fruits and cream. The aroma of pina colada swirled all around me as she gripped my face with her hands and began overlapping her lips with mine.
And because my body is a sucker for human interaction it reacted. My hands, as if out of my control, went to her hips, and don’t get me started with the semi that was developing in my jeans. Entangled in the tongue fencing that Olivia and I were engaged in, my mind wondered.
Why was she kissing me? We weren’t a thing anymore.
I opened my eyes ready to ask questions until I saw him. Sable Rayde, Captain of the hockey team. From his post in the dining room, he watched Olivia and I’s PDA with a look of disgust and hatred on his face. His beer can was a crumpled mess in his hand as he squeezed it in his palm with his large meaty fingers. Olivia was using me, she was using me to make him jealous. But why me? I was nothing to this place and to these people. Finally, she broke the kiss, reaching up to wipe the remains of her sticky lip balm from my lips with her thumb.
“Thank you for the favor” she grinned, patting my chest lightly before turning and walking away.
Was she fucking serious? Was this really happening?
Olivia disappeared leaving me standing there with a kaleidoscope of questions turning in my head, and a vicious eyeball sniper. Sable’s sadistic stare never waivered from the hole it was burning into the side of my face now. I exhaled with agitation and ran a hand down my face. Just as I dropped my hand, Maggi was standing a few feet away in one of the doorways…and she’d seen everything.
Oh come the fuck on.
I opened my mouth to say her name, but she turned on her heels and stormed in the opposite direction of me. She took off like a scared rabbit down a hole. I quickly dropped my drink and went after her, pushing people aside as I plowed through the crowded house to get to her. I stopped in the middle of the living room when I’d lost sight of her. Once I spotted her again she was storming up the stairs. I went full speed now, not caring who I pushed over to get to her.
SMACK!
My mouth and nose were introduced to Sable’s large fist. How did he move so fast? I just had eyes on him right before I went after Maggi. He must have taken off the moment I did, thinking I was going for Olivia. Of course, my sensitive ass nose started bleeding the minute I hit the hard wood. People gasped and cleared the floor a little. I laid in the floor covering my nose. Sable stepped up and immediately sent his size ten and a half Jordans soaring into my gut. I let out a loud groan, gripping my midsection, as my face scrunched up in anguish. The excruciating pain darted all over my body and made me double over with nausea. I raised up to my knees to try to regain position, but nope.
Sable reached down with both hands, gripping my vest, and pulled me up to face him while he crouched down. Suddenly, FWAP! one jaw punch. BAM, left eye punch, BAM, back to my mouth and nose again. BONK, head but, and then he dropped my bleeding, battered body to the floor in a fetal position.
“Don’t you ever fucking touch Liv again bitch” he sneered at me, with venom in his voice.
Pain radiated through every inch of my body. But adrenaline and anger were present as well. Holding my midsection with one hand, I used my other to push up from the floor and stand up. I spit some blood out on the floor and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
“You saw what happened, I don’t touch them they usually touch me.”
And I gave him the sincerest asshat smirk I could muster. My comment got a little reaction out of the on watching crowd. Some people gasped, some whispered and some chuckled. Sable looked like a bull ready to charge, and I was the matador. I don’t know why I said it. I guess I had a kink for punishment, or I was exasperated with the world around me now. Sable right hooked me in the temple and I went tumbling to the floor a crumpled heap. Once the once sided altercation was over everyone turned away, even the DJ started the music back up.
“Yea, sure just leave me bleeding in the middle of the room. No, I’m good, I’m fine” I said sarcastically as I got up from the floor, blood draining from my mouth and nose.
Olivia and Maggi were nowhere to be found, so the first thing I thought was Maggi went home. I looked to see Shyla leaning on the wall near the stairs sipping a glass of something red from a scotch glass. Of course she would have a front rom seat to my demise. Fuck this, I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes, and once again made my exit towards the front door. I grabbed a roll of paper towels off a small refreshment table once I reached the front door.
As I slammed the front door, in my mind I wondered if I could catch a red eye to New York at three in the morning. It had begun to rain outside so I pulled the hood of my vest up on my head.