The Moonwalkers

Skipping school

The invitations were done, and I was soon handing them around to my new classmates. I barely knew them, but here I am, inviting them to a party that even I'm begrudging to attend. I'm seriously not in the mood for a party, but well... maybe it could help me loosen up a bit in this town.
"You're hosting a party?" Barbara asked, looking at the glitterfied invitation in her hand. "Swell!"
I smiled. "Try to make it, okay? It's my first party since I moved into this town."
"You're new to town?" Barbara asked in surprise.
"Yeah," I smiled. "Just moved in last week."
Barbara nodded and looked at the invitation. Her eyes widened with a smile. "Hey, you live in my neighbourhood. Maybe we can hang out?"
Great... the girl who thinks she's Barbie wants me to hang out with her. Not sure if this is a good thing or not.
"Sure," I smiled. "Where do you live?"
"Less than a block away from you," Barbara said. She was gonna say more, but quickly straightened herself when the teacher walked in.
I'm not sure how many girls from my class are gonna come to the party. There's less than a week left, and I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out.

***

"You're actually planning to go to school today?" Chris asked in surprise, even adding an exaggerating crack to his voice. "Charlie! It's your birthday! I wouldn't wanna see the faces of my annoying teachers and idiotic classmates, if I were you."
"It's barely my second week here!" I frowned, tying the laces of my sneakers. "What would they think when they find that the new girl is absent?"
"No, Chris is right," Mom chimed in with a frown. "I think you better stay home today. Like how you do every year."
I frowned. It was different in the previous years. With the divorce going on and the new everything, I don't enjoy being alone like I used to. With nothing to do and a lot on my mind, I would just cry. The memories we had with Dad before he disowned us just keep coming back, the best ones I've ever had with him.
And the worst.
"It's okay, Mom, I'm going to school," I said, tucking the knot under the shoelaces, and swinging my backpack over one shoulder. "I have a presentation today." I lied.
Mom watched me stand up from the sofa. "Screw that presentation, it's your birthday, honey! Besides, which teacher would have a presentation so early in the year?"
My gaze fell. She saw through my lie.
Mom smiled and put a hand on my shoulder, her amber eyes meeting mine. "Charlie, just stay! Look, I'll even give you a letter, saying something important came up today, okay? We can spend the day together."
I looked at her in surprise. "But Mom, what about work?"
"I called in sick," Mom winked. "Massive diarrhoea."
I rolled my eyes. "Mom, seriously? You didn't have to!"
"Oh come on, Charlie!" Mom smirked, hitting my shoulder slightly. "Just stay! I'll be here with you, and maybe we can hang out?"
"Yeah me too!" Chris chimed in.
"Oi, you're not the birthday baby here," Charlene smacked his back with a grin. "It's only Charlie who's staying home now. Not you."
Chris turned to me with a frown. "Just stay here, idiot. This is a one in a million chance! Don't give it away."
I smirked. "You're waiting for one with bated breath, aren't you."
"Yeah, but I'm not getting one any sooner," Chris sighed. He looked at me and pulled my nose, much to my dismay. "Just stay home, idiot. No need to go see those whacks."
That's true too... hanging out with Mom does sound nice...
"Fine, I'll stay home," I sighed, taking off my backpack, my other hand rubbing my nose. I gave Chris a backhand. "It hurts, idiot..."
He smirked and reached over to pull it again, but I was quick enough to pull his first.
"So the two of you are going to school?" I asked, ignoring Chris's sour face.
"Do we have a choice?" Charlene and Chris sighed.
"Let's go drop 'em off first," Mom said, tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ear before grabbing her keys. "Come on,  guys. We can go to the mall after dropping them, okay Charlie?"
I chuckled. "Sweet!"
"Mom, you're taking me this Saturday too," Charlene frowned.
"And me too," Chris added, frowning too.
"Okay, kids," Mom chuckled. "But we have a party coming up this Saturday."
"And we haven't shopped yet," Charlene smirked, following behind as we walked out to the porch behind Mom. "And we need to decorate too."
"We can do those tomorrow, after school," Mom said. "Anyway, Charlie. Are you going to school tomorrow?"
A groan rumbles in my throat. "Can I actually not?"
"I should've known," Chris chimes in, getting into the backseat with a jump. Charlene shook her head and got into the front passenger seat. "Mom, we want justice!"
"Fine, you can stay over too," Mom chuckled, earning her a surprised look from Chris. "Anyway, is the moon still waxing?"
Mom's a very strong believer in astrology. She believes that growth happens best during the Waxing Gibbous phase. She believes that the Waning Gibbous meant the draining of energy, the opposite of growth.
"Yep, it is," Charlene said, looking at her phone. "Tomorrow's the last day."
"As in... tomorrow's the full moon?" Chris asked in surprise.
"Yeah," Mom nodded, sounding a little dissatisfied all of a sudden.
"Oh wow..." Chris nodded, his eyes wide. What's up with him?
I looked at him with narrowed eyes, one brow raised. He noticed me staring and grinned. "Why?" I asked, nodding my head upwards.
"Too bad your party's not during the Waxing moon," Chris simply shrugged. "At least the moon's still somewhat full, right?"
I rolled my eyes and turned back to the window. "Yeah, sure whatever."
We dropped Charlene off at college, then went to Chris's to drop him off at school. He groaned as soon as we parked in front of it.
"Why?" Mom asked with a chuckled.
"It's that idiot Brett's car," Chris groaned, grabbing his bag.
"Which one?" I asked trying to find this Brett guy's car.
Chris nodded his head upwards. "There. That red car."
I looked around and saw a red BMW M3 in front of us. A tall guy, with that typical bully haircut, steps out, swinging a duffle bag over his shoulder. How does he even put books in there?
"He's taking a duffle bag to school?" I asked in surprise. "Okay, it's obvious that he's crack."
"He is," Chris rolled his eyes. "I think that's why his people sent him here. Otherwise, he'd be bullying the girls. Not like he isn't bullying anyone here..."
"He's not bullying you is he?" Mom asked, turning around in her seat to look at Chris. "If he is, I'll be glad to give him a piece." She cracked her knuckles.
"Nah, he isn't," Chris chuckled. "He tried, but failed."
"You punched him, did you," I laughed.
"I did," Chris said proudly. "He had to wear a purple bruise for almost a week. You can still see it now if you take a closer look at his face."
Mom snorted. "Feisty, aren't we?" She gave Chris a warm smile. "I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself, Chris."
Chris smirked and opened the door. He gave us a wave and bid us goodbye. We did too.
"Alright, so now to the mall?" Mom grinned at me through the rearview mirror.
Yes!