Unbreakable

Chapter 4: Shake It Out

Chapter 4: Shake It Out

Keene, Jill, and I sat with Juliet at lunch. We all felt distressed next to Juliets tan, and slender friends. I shifted uncomfortably in my spot, feeling their fixed stares on me.

“This isn’t a good idea.” Keene says, tapping the table.

“What do you mean?” I ask, nervously bitting at my fingernails.

“She’s up to something.” He says suspiciously.

Juliet returns to the table, carrying a tray of food. I wondered if she’d actually eat it.

She picked up her fork, nudging a bite of macaroni.

“Ick.” She scoffs.

“So, Kamie… what’s your deal?”

“Uh, I’m…I’m sorry?” I say, thinking she was making a rude statement.

“Relax. I just wanna know some stuff about you.” She says, pulling out her I-Phone.

“Ok. I’m from Ashland.” I suggest, at least she wanted to know about me-maybe.

“No, I mean like personal stuff. What makes you so special? Hmm? What makes you think that you’re so much better than me?” She asks coldheartidly, pointing her phone at me.

“There it is.” Keene says. “There’s the insanity.”

“I…never said I was better… than you.” I say slowly.

“Well, Keene dumped me. And I figured you’re trying to take him away from me. Isn’t that right?”

This girl was a loon.

I look over to Keene for a reaction.

“Serial…killer.” He whispers.

“We’re just friends.” I mumble.

She swiftly stands up, picking up her open milk carton off her tray.

Without warning, a brisk cold feeling swept over me. I felt something wet all over my body. And then came to the realization that I was covered in milk.

“There, how does that make you feel?” Juliet cackles as she high fives her besties.

With no other way of escaping, I ran. Jill followed me.

“It’s ok.” She says, placing a hand on my back.

She couldn’t be serious. “How is this ok?! I tried to be friends with people and they ended up dumping their milk on me!”

She stared at me, befuddled.

“Uh, here.” She put her hands on me-driving me like a car- walking towards the girls bathroom.

“What are you doing?” I ask her.

“Trust me, my mom’s a hairdresser.” She assures me.

                          _______________________

KEENE

Jillian and Kamie went down the hallway. Juliet seemed proud of herself. She sat down and high-fived her friends.

“What the hell was that, Juliet?” I ask, infuriated. Kamie is much sweeter than Juliet, she was trying to make friends and I guess she hadn’t been succesful.

“I don’t like her.”

“Well, that doesn’t mean you throw your drink at her!”

“I still like you, Keene.” She says.

“I’m sorry Juliet, but I don’t… like you that way anymore.” I say honestly.

I’m sure about anything anymore. Juliet clearly wants me, but Kamie… well, she’s perfect. I don’t know if she feels the same way, though. She could hate me for all I know. I had only just met her today. Things would move way to fast, and from what she’d already told me about her life- watching her dad die and her verbally abusive mother- it sounded like she needed some…stability. A friend. My mom always said that if you like a girl, you have to be a friend to her first. I could live with that. Just for a while at least, then when the time’s right, I’ll make my move. And, it’d also be important that I make myself clear between now and then. I’m not in it for the grinding like most guys. I actually feel love for this girl. I’m not going to ‘do’ her and then break her heart, I love her. Love her.

                             ______________________

Kamie

“I feel rediculous, Jill.” I confess.

“Well you look smokin’. Chica, I got this. I wouldn’t let you go out there looking stupid.” She says, brushing out my hair.

It feels weird to not wear glasses and even weirder to wear more makeup.

Jill made me change out of the ‘Spiderman’ t-shirt, and into a ‘Gun N’ Roses off-the-shoulder blouse. She put eyeliner on my top and bottom eyelids, and made me where red lipstick. She bobby-pinned my hair to the side, and gave me contacts to put in.

“Why do you have a ‘Wal-Mart’ in your purse?” I ask.

 “You never know when you have to look sexy.” She smirks.

“Alright, are you ready to go give those guys heart attacks?”

“Jillian, I don’t like being judged. They might laugh at me. I look like hooker Barbie.”

“Kamie, you look amazing. Ok?” She smiles.

I nod, taking a deep breath. And very slowly, I exit the bathroom. The uproaris babble from the cafeteria was around the corner.

“It’s a cafeteria, Kamie. No one’s going to kill you, just walk forward.” I tell myself.

Keene’s face comes into view. My heart skipped a beat. Litterally.

He looks at me and warmly smiles and walks up to me.

“Hi.”

“You look… wow.” He chuckles.

“Oh, uh thanks.” I say, looking at the floor.