KENNEDY
Getting to school today is much easier than yesterday. The subway is faster and even though I had to stand the whole way I didn't mind. Knowing exactly where I am going has saved me a lot of time too. But it also means that I arrive at school before classes start which doesn't quite appeal to me. The whole school has heard about me by now, the girl with the bright red hair so I'm the center of attention the minute I walk through the school gates.
I pretend that I can't see the stares or hear the whispers as I make a beeline for my locker. Day two is supposed to be easier but why does it feel like that won't be the case. Even after getting my books, there's still twenty minutes to my first class so I make a detour for the bathroom. Yes, I am going to hide in the bathroom like a scared little girl. Do not judge me unless you've walked a mile in my shoes. Or in my case through the halls of Pine View with all eyes on you.
Surprisingly enough the bathrooms are clean so I find an empty stall at the furthest end and lock myself in. I manage to get my breath in check and start going over my plan for the day.
Three things I realized when I woke up this morning. One, I need to stay away from Isaiah. He is bad news with the ability to expose the real me to the rest of the school and I am not ready for anyone to know who I really am. It's not like we are friends anyway or share that many classes so that won't be hard.
Two, I need to find a way to fit into this damn school if I am going to survive senior year without murdering anyone or running away from home to live as a hobo or start a career as a stripper. Can red heads be strippers? Am I tall enough to be a stripper? I mean I'm only 5'4 which to me is average height.
Anyway I digress. Finally, I need to find a job. I need more than school. My parents give me a sizeable allowance but if I am ever going to be responsible for myself with any hope of being independent then it needs to start now. I have no idea what job to get or how I'll get it but I will find a way. But first of all I need to focus on the first order of business - fitting in.
I need to fit in on my own terms. I wasn't exactly the queen bee at Oakland but I was loved and respected. That will be aiming too high at Pine View so I will settle for not bullied.
Which is why hiding out in the bathroom isn't the best way to start my day so I resolve to leave my hideout, take the bull by the horns and face my fears.
"Have you seen the new girl?" A female student asks standing outside my bathroom stall before I can get out.
I should leave before they can start talking about me but I find myself staying.
"Yeah, we have math together. She came in really late." A different girl answers.
"I wonder what her deal is. Where do you think she came from?" Girl number one asks.
"I'm not sure but I heard that she's under witness protection or something. Her real name is probably not even Kennedy? I mean who names their kid Jane Kennedy?" Girl number three chides making the rest of the girls laugh.
My grandfather who had a terrible sense of humor is the reason for my terrible name. And I am not under witness protection though I wish I was at this very moment. I wish this was a fake life I was living and not my real one.
They stop talking about me and onto boy talk meaning I have to wait for them to leave now. At least now I know what half the school thinks about me. I know there's more rumors as people speculate where I transferred from and I will keep letting them assume what they want, it's easier than telling the truth. I fell from grace and that is not a story I am proud of or willing to share with anyone.
I make it to my first class of the day just in time and I am relieved to discover that Isaiah is not in this class. I want to avoid him as much as possible. Hopefully he will ignore me just like I plan on ignoring him.
The day progresses on pretty quickly albeit all the stares and whispers and before I know it's lunch time. I didn't get to eat at the cafeteria yesterday but today there's no avoiding it.
I'm retrieving my packed lunch from my locker when someone taps my back. I turn around to find June smiling at me.
"Hi Miss June." I greet politely wondering why she is hell bent on interrupting all my lunch breaks.
"Kennedy, how are you?"
"Good, on my way to lunch." I reply holding up my lunch bag.
"Perfect, I'll walk with you." She offers.
She doesn't even give me the choice to turn her down as she turns towards the cafeteria and I have no option but to follow her.
"So did you think about what we discussed yesterday?" She inquires.
"Not really, you said you'd give me time to think about it." I answer.
"It's been twenty four hours Kennedy, that's time." She teases with a cheeky smile.
I did think about it actually and I'm torn. It will be a good way to make new friends in a neutral environment but then again, I've never tutored anyone before. I'm not sure if I'll be good at it. What if I end up making things worse?
June must sense my predicament because she places her hand on my shoulder stopping me.
"Why don't we start you off slow with one student? If it doesn't work out at least you tried and if it does then we'll know that you're actually meant for this." June suggests.
The determined glint in her eyes let's me know that she is not going to let this go until I agree so I might as well get it over with. At least this way when I crash and burn she'll completely leave me alone as I will have tried.
"Okay, let's give it a shot." I abate.
June smiles victoriously and produces a sheet of paper out of thin air. "Perfect, here's the name of your first tutee."
"Already?"
"Yes."
She had already planned this knowing she wouldn't leave me alone till I said yes. She's very conniving.
"Who is it?" I ask taking the paper from her.
"Wesley Row. He is on the basketball team and needs to keep his grades up if he's to stay on the team." June explains.
Basketball team? That means that he knows Isaiah and is directly associated with him. Not gonna happen.
"Can I get someone else please?" I request June.
"Why? What's wrong with him? Has he done something to you?" She asks immediately imagining the worst case scenario.
"No. I don't even know who he is. I just don't do well with jocks." I reply coming up with the most plausible excuse that I can think of on the fly.
June pats my shoulder comfortingly as if she's not the one putting me in this predicament. "Don't worry, they are a very nice group of boys. The captain, Isaiah keeps them in check."
"That's what I'm worried about." I grumble.
"Sorry."
"Nothing. Are you sure there's no one else I can start with?" I plead.
I'm sure Wesley is a nice guy, it's his captain I am worried about.
"Kennedy give him a chance, I'm sure you'll do right by him but if he gives you any trouble, let me know right away." June encourages.
"Thanks." I mutter sarcastically.
"Lunch time is a pretty good time for an introduction. You'll do great, I believe in you."
And with that she is gone leaving me stranded outside the cafeteria doors.
She's left me with the task of looking for Wesley and introducing myself to him. All I wanted was a peaceful lunch break but June had to ruin it. I consider backing out but I've already given her my word to try so I might as well get it over with.
The stares find me when I walk into the cafeteria but I ignore them as I'm on a mission. Finding the jock table isn't hard as they are the loudest bunch. Plus Isaiah is with them meaning that's his team. One of them has got to be Wesley so I cross the cafeteria and approach the table.
It falls silent once I stand at the end looking like I'd rather be anywhere else. Isaiah is smiling at me but I do my best to ignore him. He is not why I am here.
No one is saying anything so I take it upon myself to announce why I've interrupted their lunch.
"I'm looking for Wesley Row."
"That's me sweetheart, how can I help you?" The tallest guy at the table replies looking at me.
My God he's tall. He's seated and we're almost the same height.
"Miss June sent me. I'm your new tutor." I explain and the whole table goes abuzz with teasing comments.
Maybe I shouldn't have approached him during lunch.
"I'm sorry to bother you, maybe we can meet later to discuss our schedules." I suggest.
"No need, ignore these dweebs, they are just jealous that I have a beautiful girl as a tutor. Make room guys, Kennedy is joining us for lunch." Wesley declares.
I open my mouth to say no but they've already started moving their stuff to make room for me. To make matters worse, I'll be sandwiched between Wesley and Isaiah. Kill me now.
"It's okay, we can meet up later." I insist.
"No need, the time is now, please sit. I promise we do not bite." Wesley assures me.
"Speak for yourself." A different boy speaks up.
"Shut up Jeremy. Kennedy please sit." Wesley repeats.
If I leave I'll embarrass him after all the trouble he has gone through to make space for me so I slide in the space between him and Isaiah.
I am immediately bombarded by a fresh and intoxicating woody scent from Isaiah. He smells fruity but not in a girly way, more like green apples, mint and lemons. The man smells good and I nearly die when I glance at him and he is already looking at me with a smile on his face.
"We meet again." He says his grin only getting wider.
I find myself smiling back but then I remember my plan. I am supposed to be staying away from him, not making friends.
"Hi." I reply shortly and turn to Wesley.
It will be hard but I intend to ignore him until he gets the hint and leaves me alone. It's kind of cold and rude but I have to protect myself here. He has a memory trapped in his subconscious that once unlocked has the power to ruin everything for me. I have to stay a mystery in this school, it's the only way to survive without being bullied.
I am already different from the rest of the school by being white with red hair. If they discover I am rich too and fell from grace then it will be the end of me. I cannot survive being bullied.
"So how do you want to do this?" I ask Wesley giving him my full attention.
"I don't know, you tell me, I have basketball practice everyday after school and sometimes on the weekends and if coach is feeling a bit crazy then in the mornings too before class." Wesley explains.
"No wonder you guys are the best in the state. You train really hard." I comment impressed by their dedication.
I do not have a single athletic bone in my body so hearing him talk about working so hard is something I cannot relate to.
"We also have the best co-captains in the state. You already met Isaiah. This is Baron, the bane of my existence." Wesley says introducing me to the guy seated on his right.
"Fuck off dickhead." Baron scowls at Wesley for his introduction before turning to me with a smile. "It's nice to meet you Kennedy, I'm Baron."
Wesley and Baron might be insulting each other but there's no malice in their words meaning they are really close. If I were to guess I'd say they are best friends. I don't really have one of those myself. I had friends at Oakland but everyone was so focused on their studies that outside of school people didn't really have relationships with each other. Astrid is the closest thing I have to a best friend but then again she's my sister so I don't know if that counts.
"I'm sorry about him." Wesley apologizes turning back to face me.
"It's okay."
We settle down and while we eat our lunch we manage to find middle ground. I'll be tutoring him after he's done practice meaning that I will have to be waiting for him. I don't mind because it's not like I have anywhere to rush to but when I do find a job, we'll have to revisit and discuss alternative times.
Ignoring Isaiah turns out to be harder than I'd anticipated but after he tries to capture my attention for the third time by starting a conversation and getting a cold reply from me, he relents. The hurt look on his face is painful to watch but it's necessary. I'd rather hurt him now than have him discover who I really am.
I get to know the team a little bit better over lunch and under all the noise, insults and jabs at each other, I discover that they are all really close. They are dedicated and they worship their captains. I also discover that Isaiah, Wesley and Baron are best friends which makes sense because of how they relate with each other. Baron and Wesley are always teasing each other while Isaiah is the mediator. It works for them which makes me wish I had my own group of friends. It's only day two so it might happen for me, though I'm keeping my cards close to my chest. I don't want to get hurt. I cannot afford to burn another bridge with my parents while I'm already on thin ice with them.
"Meet me in the art room after practice." I say to Wesley after he walks me to my first afternoon lesson.
"I'll be there." He replies and skips off to his class.
After getting to know Wesley over lunch, I am pleased to discover that he is actually a nice guy. I was worried that he would be a douche who'd give me a hard time but he is the complete opposite. He's willing to work with me to keep his grades up because he wants to go to college on a basketball scholarship. I cannot promise him the scholarship but I will do my best on my part and leave the rest to him.
Isaiah and I both have AP French Language and Culture for our last class but there's a seating chart so there's no risk of him sitting next to me. This time I am the one sitting behind him and I absentmindedly find myself doodling his silhouette in my notebook. He's easy to draw because he sits very still in class. Drawing him when I should be staying away from him is dangerous but then again it's not like I'm taking things any further.
After my afternoon classes are over I head directly for the art classroom to draw as I wait for Wesley.
"Kennedy what are you doing here? School is over, shouldn't you be going home?" Miss Ruby asks me when she comes into the class half an hour later to find me halfway through drawing a pair of boots.
"I needed a place to pass time. I'm waiting for a friend of mine to finish basketball practice because we have a tutoring session." I explain.
She hums in understanding and smiles "I see Miss June roped you into joining the senior tutors program."
"Unfortunately." I groan still rethinking that decision.
"Well make yourself at home." Miss Ruby says patting my back comfortingly
"Thanks."
"Actually I'm glad that you're here. I've been thinking about our conversation from yesterday and I think that you should start working on your portfolio." Miss Ruby informs me.
I sit up straight and turn to face her. "What for miss?"
"To keep your options open." She replies.
"There's no point." I grumble.
I know she has my best interests at heart and even though I am good at it, drawing is a hobby to me. My parents would have my head before they let me go to art school.
"Don't let the world or your parents confine you in a box. You have talent Kennedy, more than I've seen in a long time. Exploit it." Miss Ruby encourages.
"I don't know miss ... It's not something I've ever considered before."
"How about this? Just work on the portfolio, you don't have to send it anywhere, just work on it. What's the harm?" She suggests.
There is no harm in that but still...
"I wouldn't know where to start."
"Draw and paint whatever inspires you, let your mind soar free and I'll help you grow and pick out the best. I'm here to guide you." Miss Ruby encourages.
"So in short keep doing what I'm doing but with your guidance?"
"Yes."
"Okay, sounds easy enough."
"Good, you can start by finishing those boots." Miss Ruby smiles encouragingly.
I nod and get back to my art and just like any other time when I get to work on my art, I get lost in it.
"Wow, those look like the real deal." Wesley comments over my shoulder.
He's lucky I don't startle easily otherwise I'd have made a mess of my drawing.
I sit back to admire the piece I've been working on and furrow my brows in confusion. Why would I be drawing a pair of Jordans?
"Those look like the pair Isaiah was wearing today." Wesley adds.
And the pieces click together. What's with me and this boy? I'm supposed to be avoiding him but it's like the more I try to the harder it is. First it was drawing him in class and now his shoes. When did I even see them? I can't dwell on that though otherwise I will read too much into things that aren't there.
"Ready to get started?" I ask Wesley.
"Yes, I am all yours." He decrees.
I pack up my stuff and we walk to the library together.
"Which subject should we start with?" I ask Wesley.
"I have History homework that sounds like Greek to me." He answers making me laugh.
"History is easy."
"No it isn't." Wesley protests.
"Think of it as a bunch of really interesting stories about the world that have been passed from one generation to the next. They tell us of how the world came to be and why some things are the way they are." I explain.
"It does sound fun when you put it that way."
"Good, keep that mentality for the next one hour."
"I'll try."
Tutoring Wesley comes easy because he actually wants to learn. He's motivated by his desire to join college and that means staying on the team by keeping his grades up. We study for an hour and a half and by the time we are done, he has a better grasp of the content.
"That was amazing Kennedy thank you, seriously if you were my teacher instead of those pompous assholes we have in class, I'd be getting all A's." Wesley says as we walk out of the school after a vigorous study session.
"I'm glad to be of help Wesley." I reply.
"Call me Wes, all my friends do."
"Okay then, Wes, it's only fair then that you call me Kenny." I suggest.
"Too manly, you look more like a princess to me." Wesley grins.
"Another reference to my hair." I groan.
"Yes but in my defense you really do look like Merida, I love how wild her hair is." Wesley defends.
"Everyone keeps telling me that."
"I promise I don't mean it in a mocking way, you really do look like a real life princess."
"Thank you." I smile because his compliment is genuine.
"You're welcome princess. So do you need a ride? Where do you live anyway?"
I can't tell him that. Telling him that I live in Manhattan will lead to a lot of questions that I don't have answers to.
"No thanks, I'll walk. Gotta get all my steps in for the day." I answer.
"You sure, it's no trouble."
"I am, thanks Wes. I'll see you tomorrow."
He doesn't look convinced but he can't force me so he lets it go.
"Goodnight princess, thanks for today."
"You're welcome."
Wesley gets into his car and drives away while I make my way to the subway. The journey back home is lonely and I find myself missing the company I was so desperate to avoid yesterday. But no, keeping my distance is what's best for everyone.
Day two was actually better than day one and I managed to successfully avoid Isaiah. Hopefully soon enough we'll steer clear of each others way and my secret will be safe.