Chapter 2
I’ve never, ever enjoyed the sound of my alarm clock. The sound just makes me want to blast my ears off my head so I’ll never be able to hear such an awful noise again. I pressed my snooze alarm, but Lucy came into my room, determined to get me out of bed.
“Time to get up and greet the day.” she said cheerfully.
I moaned and rolled over onto my stomach. “I don’t want to greet the day yet. I’m to tired.”
I heard her chuckled. “Rise and shine my darling.”
She flung the covers off of me and I tried to get them back on. “Come on, just a few more minutes.” I said, refusing to open my eyes to let the light in.
“Deary, come now. You’re fathers even here this morning. Get up and greet him. Anyway, your cat wants you. You don’t want to neglect him not then, do you?”
I moaned and opened my eyes. The light blinded me, but my eyes soon adjusted. I sat up and looked at Lucy. Her smile was kind and bright like it always is. I stood and stretched my arms and legs out.
“I’m going to go take a shower.” I said and went into the bathroom, undressed, and washed myself.
I’m guessing I was in there for around 20 minutes or so. When I got out I wrapped myself in the towel and went back into my room. I put on underwear and a sports bra, since I don’t really have anything to put into cups. I can’t even fill an “almost” A cup. I had a boyish figure, no boobs, and no curves. I’m short, five feet, right on the dot, quite skinny, but luckily, not too bony. My wardrobe was plane, shorts in summer, pants in winter, t-shirts all year round, with an occasional tank top thrown in there. I threw on a pair of faded, worn jean shorts and an oversized, tidied t-shirt with the sleeves cut off at the shoulder. My blue flip-flops would finish the outfit when I left, but for now, I just went barefoot. I never wore any makeup and my hair only needed a quick combing through. It was short and ended just below my ear.
I trotted downstairs after I was done dressing, which had only taken me about three minutes. “Hi dad,” I mumbled and sat down at the table to eat. I found my cat, Damien, rubbing against my ankles. I patted her on the head as Lucy put a plate in front of me. It was a bacon and cheese omelet.
“Toki, I’ll be gone for a week.” he said and took a sip from his mug. I’m guessing he was drinking coffee.
“Where are you going now?” I asked and picked at the omelet.
“To Pennsylvania to see someone.” he said and I looked up at him. He was always a stern person. You had to obey him, and your opinion doesn’t matter. I’ve learned not to argue with him, and to not request or expect much from him.
I nodded, knowing that I shouldn’t ask too much about it. There was finality in his tone and I just continued to eat. When I was done I put my plate in the sink and my dad gave me a ride to school in his black 4x4. I left with no goodbye from him, so I said no goodbye to him.
My dad drove off and I drifted towards the schoolyard, scanning for Kim and T. I found Kim talking to Matt over by the Weeping Willow and T over with Mary Pitch, Bret Cater, Bethany Bishop (no relation to T), and Reggie Gyzzer. I didn’t want to bother Kim and Matt so I wandered over to T’s side. She greeted me with a smile when she saw me approaching. Everyone nodded as if to acknowledge I was a living being like them. All were clad in black with dyed black hair. Bret was the only guy, but he was gay and everyone wore black makeup. They were our local Goths and I wondered how they could stand to wear all that black. They didn’t even look like they were sweating at all. T was the least covered, no surprise there, with a black tank and black, baggy caprice that had bondage straps in the back and a neon green trim. I felt out of place with my colorful shirt, and blue jean shorts.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked.
“The sun,” Mary said. She was the biggest Goth in our small town. She wore corset and long, black velvet skirts with those olden day boots with the pointed tip. She also carried a parasol with her when she went out during the day, making her as pale as the fresh fallen snow.
I looked at her. Everyone here towered over me and that added to my feeling uncomfortable. “If you’re going to be technical with it than you might as well carry on with it. The sun isn’t the only thing up.”
She gave me a snide look and I gave her a smugish smile. “Be nice,” T said in my defense. Mary rolled her eyes and the bell rang.
Finally, I’d be able to get to go to Science class. I crossed my fingers and tried to slow my heartbeat as I entered through the door. I had checked myself in the bathroom before this class and as I looked in the mirror I couldn’t help but wonder what I thinking this morning when I got dressed. I looked like a dumb little kid in these clothes. He’ll only end up liking me if he has a Lolita complex. And that would just be creepy.
I walked in and quickly scanned the room. If he was in this class then he wasn’t here yet. I sighed and sat down in an empty desk. I put my head down, hitting it a little harder than I had wanted. I let my arms dangle at the sides of the desk. I really wish I wasn’t smart. I’m in a class with people that are two years older than me. Two years! These people scared me with how big they are. I feel so small; maybe I’ll drop the class and get into the junior’s science.
“Hey, you are in this class.”
My head snapped up and I mentally slapped myself for seeming so eager to see him. “Um, yeah, my friends had dragged me to that thing in the auditorium yesterday.”
He smiled. “I’m glad you’re in here. I had thought you weren’t. Maybe class would be a little bit more interesting with you here.”
I felt my cheeks flush and I was happy that the teacher had all of us face forward. I had to keep myself from staring at him all class hour. I watched him from the corner of my eye. He was so hot. I felt like T right now. Swooning over a guy I didn’t know anything about. He was literally tall, tan, and handsome. I would love to see him with his shirt off in the heat of passion…
Whoa! Where was my mind going? I noticed the teacher was passing back papers and I was glad that I would be able to distract my mind with a worksheet.
“Hey, I never did get your name.” he said and I looked over at him. My eyes became locked on his. Trapped within their depths, their beauty.
I remember he’d asked me a question and I felt myself blush slightly. I looked away and mumbled, “Toki Zanza,”
“Toki,” he said trying it out. “Why’d you look away, Toki? I loved looking at your eyes. They’re a very pretty blue.”
I knew by now my face was probably pure red by now. He could’ve just said like, he didn’t have to say love. My heart was thudding hard and I thought my ribs would burst so it could escape.
“My name’s Max, Max Gringer.” he said.
“I know,” I said quietly. “My, um, my friend told me.”
“You’re friend?”
I nodded and I risked looking over at him. “Yes, um, Tamara Bishop. T for short.”
He nodded. “Yes, I remember her. You’re friends with her?” I nodded. “Hn, I wouldn’t’ve guessed that you two were friends. You’re both so different, but I haven’t really gotten to know either of you yet. I’ll find out, though.”
I blushed again and pretended to work on my worksheet. I saw him smile from the corner of my eyes. It was a sweet smile.
“You’re cute when you blush.” he said and I looked at him, but he was working on his worksheet.
On Saturday Kim, T, and I all met at the town’s café. We’ve gone to school for a full week, and it’s now finally the weekend. We’ve been waiting Saturday to take our first trip to the café. Of course it’s just our first trip of the new school year.
They weren’t there when I had arrived so I ordered some food and found a seat. The place wasn’t very busy and there were only a couple people still in line and just one other person sitting at a table. He looked distant as he stared out the window.
I couldn’t help but notice he was very good-looking. I wonder what’s gotten into me. I’ve never really found very many guys really attractive until this year. Has puberty finally hit me or something? Was I just now developing the hormones that made me think guys were attractive? I’ve been able to grow a baby inside me since I was 12, going on 13, but at the age of 15 I’m just now starting to develop the attraction between a man and a woman? God, my body’s quite screwy, or something.
As if he felt my eyes on him he looked over at me. Embarrassed, I smiled at him. He seemed confused at first, then smiled, then looked back out the window. I tried to look at anything other than the guy, but my eyes were glued to him. His hair was bleach blonde, but I wasn’t sure if it came from a bottle or not. His skin was fair and I couldn’t tell if he was an outside person or not. He looked disheveled, almost like he had just gotten out of bed or something. He looked skinny, but not scrawny. He was wearing a dark blue, checkered flannel shirt with a white shirt underneath it. He left the flannel shirt unbuttoned and I found a thin silver chain go under the white shirt. His hands cupped a steaming Styrofoam cup and I wondered why he was drinking something hot, even though it was cool in here.
He stood then, and I quickly looked away. I sipped some of my smoothie so I looked natural. Then I saw him come right by the table.
“Sorry, I’ve gotta leave.” he said as he passed by and watched in confusion as he left.
Why had he said sorry? Did he know I had been staring at him? I wonder if he was new in town. I’ve never seen him before. He must go to a different school, or I’ve just never noticed him before.
I heard the door open and looked over at it.
“Bye Max,” T called as she walked in with Kim by her side.
The smiled and waved at me, then ordered something and sat down.
“I take you ran into Max?” I asked as they sat down onto the other chairs.
“Yeah, but he couldn’t stay to talk or anything.” Kim informed me.
“Yeah, mumbled he had somewhere to go, but wished he didn’t have to.” T added and bit into her scone.
“That looks good. Is that the new smoothie?” Kim asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, try some.” I said, though, they were both already digging into it with a spoon.
“Mmmm, that’s really good.” Kim said. “I should’ve gotten that.”
I smiled and leaned onto my hand. “Maybe we should go shopping.” I mumbled.
“That sounds like a good idea. We can take the bus.” Kim said.
“You didn’t take your car?” I asked her.
“If had taken my car then how, may I ask, did we meet up with Max?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, magic?”
They smiled and we stood. “Alright, shopping time, girls.” Kim said and we all went to the bus stop.
“I don’t know…” I said as Kim held a skirt up to me.
“Oh, come on, you’ll look great in it.” She insisted.
I touched the plaid material and shook my head. “No, my legs are to scrawny for it. You’d look great in it, though.”
“I have plenty of skirts. You don’t have any.” She said, placing a hand on her hip.
“I hate skirts.” I mumbled and continued looking at the rack of jeans.
Kim sighed heavily and scanned the shop. “I’m gonna go look at the lingerie.” she said and walked off, leaving me alone. I knew T had gone over into the guys area to look for some shirts, so I glanced over there and found her still over there.
I grabbed a couple pairs of pants and wandered over to her. “Hey,” I said as I neared her.
“Hey,” she copied. “Where’s Kim?”
“Over looking at undergarments.” I informed her.
She nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.” she said, grabbing some flannel shirts. “I think I’ll head over there now, too.”
I sighed, forced to go along unless I wanted to be left alone. This is going to suck.
“I bought you the skirt.” Kim told me at lunch.
I choked on my drink. “What? Why?”
“Because you need a skirt. Toke, you don’t own one skirt or dress. You’re practically ashamed of your body, and I’m going to change that. You’re fine the way you are, and you don’t need to hide it.” Kim said.
“She does have a point. Toki, you’re adorable.” T added and ate another fry.
I rolled my eyes. “Putting me into a skirt is like putting a scrawny, 12 year old boy in a skirt.” I said and took a bite of my burger.
They both sighed heavily. “Toki, just try it on.” T said.
“No,”
“Here, if you walk around the rest of the day in the skirt, then I won’t bother you for the rest of the year.” Kim said.
I considered it. “And I don’t have to pay for the extra treat until fourth quarter, then it’s back to normal.”
Kim and T looked at each other as if having a silent conversation. Then turned to me at the same time. “Deal,” they said and we shook on it.
“It’s to short.” I said, pulling it down. “And my shirt doesn’t look good with it.”
“Here, put this on then.” Kim said and threw a white tank over the stall door.
“Thanks,” I grumbled.
“You’re welcome,” Kim said cheerfully.
I took my shirt off and replaced it. I looked down at myself and pulled the skirt down more. I slid my sandals back on and gathered my clothes up. I walked out and made a face at my reflection.
“You look good.” Kim said.
“Yeah, see Toki? I told you that you were cute.” T commented.
“Whatever,” I said and stuffed my clothes into one of my bags.
We walked out of the bathroom and continued shopping at the mall.
“Where do we go now?” Kim asked.
“I want to go to the book store. Lucy wants me to buy a certain book.” I said and we walked into Borders, and I found my way to the new age section.
“Well well, we meet again.”
I looked over to my right and found that blonde guy I had been staring at. He was glancing at a book about astrology. He looked a little bit more put together, his hair was brushed neatly and now he didn’t wear the white shirt, and the flannel was buttoned except for the last two. I noticed his eyes scope me up and down.
“You changed your clothes.” He said with a smile. “You look better in that.” He said.
“Um…thanks,” I said awkwardly and started looking for the book Luce wanted me to get.
“Are you looking for anything special?” he asked. “I work here, but today’s my day off.” he said after I had stared at him for little.
“Um…yeah, I was looking for Herbology: Protection and Deflection, by Erin Danning.” I said.
He nodded. “Very useful book.” he said as he easily found and plucked it from the shelf. “She’s a very good author. I think I’ve read all her books on magic. I’ve found her information to be quite useful.”
I nodded dumbly at him as he handed me the book. He smiled and I felt my face blush.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
Innocent question, right? “Um, Toki,” I said. “My names Toki Zanza.”
His expression looked shocked, but it went away so quickly, and replaced with a smile, I wasn’t sure if it really happened or not. “Toki?” I nodded. “Well, Toki Zanza, I hope to meet you again.”
I nodded and watched him leave.
“Who was that?” Kim asked as she walked up behind me.
I looked at her and felt my eyes widen. “Omigod! I didn’t ask for his name!” I said. “I gave him mine, but I didn’t ask for his.”
T smiled at me. “Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”
I nodded, and then paused. “Wait, what does that mean?”
Kim smiled. “He did say you looked good.”
“You were eavesdropping!” I screeched.
They both gave me an innocent look. “We would never.” T said with a smile.
Kim giggled. “It is to bad you didn’t get his name, though.”
T nodded her agreement. “Yeah, he was cute.”
“Oh, by the way.”
We all jumped and turned towards the end of the bookshelf. The guy was peeking out from the other side, smiling and seeming amused.
“My names Jake Meyer.”
We stood there, speechless. He left and we all stared at each other.
“Omigod! He was listening!” Kim shouted.
“Still am,” we heard from the other side of the shelf.
“Lets go,” I whispered to them.
“Bye now,” he said and we scampered out of the store.
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