The Cool Kids - JJ Maybank

The Beginning of The End

My fingers travel across the piano keys. A tune follows the actions, moving in time with my movements. As I finish playing, the song coming to a clear end, Sarah claps for me while my mother shows no reaction. So, instead of trying to read her expression, I grin at my best friend.

“That was amazing!” Sarah exclaims. “I will never understand how you can get your fingers to move like that.”

“It comes from practice,” says my mother.

Sarah’s happiness drains out moments later but she tries to keep it up when she smiles at me even if it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Either way, you did great-”

“And she would do better if she didn’t have you here to distract her and enlarge her ego with every small song she plays.”

Sarah sits up straighter, trying to keep her head high. But I notice the way her jaw clenches and she keeps her mouth closed, letting my mom win. I almost speak but Sarah shakes her head slightly, trying to offer me a small smile as well as telling me to drop it. So, with an inward sigh, I start my next piece.

. the cool kids .

Dean’s hand is on my waist, the other tangled with my fingers, as we spin regally around for our parents like show ponies. They’re watching us from their comforting little corner, making sure we’re doing what they expect from us.

“You know,” I mutter, “no one dances like this anymore.”

“They do,” he mutters back, gesturing slightly toward our parents with his chin. “And for what it’s worth,” he continues as he looks down at me, “this isn’t too bad. It’s almost like when we were kids.”

I breathe in and he breathes out, remembering how simple it had been in the past. Jake’s memory will constantly be near us. His laughter ringing through our ears while he pissed off our parents. His girlfriend was from the Cut at the time and is a better dancer than I could have hoped to be. She taught me everything I know and is the only reason I haven’t stepped on Dean’s toes this whole time.

“That sounds boring,” Sarah says later as I crash down on her bed.

I move my hair out from under me, letting the brown splay across the sheets. “Tell me about it. Dean seems like a different person every few seconds. I don’t know if he’s just unsure of who he is vs who he is told to be but it’s getting annoying because one minute, I think we’re going to be okay, getting along, and then another passes and he’s grumbling at every small thing.”

“Let’s fix that!” Sarah exclaims. She grabs my wrists, tugging me to my feet.

I get up with a laugh as she drags me around until we’re spinning. She lets go of my hands for a moment so she starts some music and as soon as it begins playing, she’s back with me, the two of us letting go of everything. Our voices - which can be pretty - are screaming the lyrics; our arms - which were taught to look nice - are flying like crazy; and our faces have real smiles plastered across them.

. the cool kids .

The blond boy sitting in front of me is perfect for a test subject. His wild hair a perfect test for my skills of drawing hair and guys in general. Women are just more fun to draw. But I need to get this right - not for any reason other than myself.

“Why is this small piece of hair being such a bitch?” I mutter to myself, erasing that one strand from my page. When I look up to see my reference, which hadn’t moved for a while so I had assumed JJ Maybank is sleeping through detention again, I find his eyes on me. “Oh, shit. Hi.”

He tilted his head, moving his hair even more. “Hi?”

“Can you turn back around?”

His frown grew a little more. “Do I know you?”