Monday
For once this year, I'm happy to go to school.
On the drive in, Mom told me that we could stop and take advantage of the post-Palentine's Day candy sales at Krodi's, not the dollar store because she hates the mess. She has a point. You saw it in December. That place looks like Daniela's set after a cheating scandal revealed.
Scorched earth by one scorned son of a bleep!
At school, I'm disappointed in myself. I walk to where my old desk should be, twice since last week.
"Stupid..."
"Morning, Chase. What's wrong?"
"Uh, hey. No. Nothing."
I bet Ms. Tudor secretly loves this. She's probably turned this into a sick game or experiment to see how many kids go to the wrong desk, laughing at us behind our backs in the staff breakroom.
Max lives somewhere in the school. Leaving at the end of the day is a ploy or he has errands. I don't know how he always gets here before the rest of the class, but there he is, watching as I save face with a smooth walk by the windows, sucker dangling from his mouth.
"What's up?"
I...
I'm flying high from Kinsley's response in the last end and today's sugary anticipation, so I've got a little Leo in me. I turn my chair around and lean back like Max does.
Max taps my shoe. "Trying to imitate me?"
I kick his shoe back for good measure. Max recoils and leans into his desk, eyes narrowing, mouth puckering with the sucker. I'm not bold enough to yank it out.
"You blinked."
I...what?
Max sits straight and bites down on his sucker. It's like a firecracker going off. Even after I turn myself around, I can still feel Max's stare, irritating, pretentious. Why doesn't he grab his phone and take a photo? Max has my permission. It'll last longer. He can stare at me all he wants like I'm a secret crush...
Wait. Crush? I'm nobody's crush. I'm a crusher. I crush assignments. Max? I mean, he crushes my patience, but he's—
Thmp...
Don't look back, Chase.
Thmp...
Ms. Tudor is oblivious to my neighbor's antics. Max is bright, so he has this down to a science. His teasing kicks are quiet to the rest of the room but noticeable to the one sitting in the chair. I feel the vibrations shooting up my legs. I'd like to take a chair and smash it over his head, but then I'd be sent home...
Thmp...
...Not worth it.
Thmp...
Like they carpooled, Josh and Ash arriver...
Arriver?
...Josh and Ash arrive together. Our chat about Fight Night sparked something. Ash sits next to me while Josh takes the empty one on the other side.
Josh gives me a nod. "Yo, Chase!"
"Hey, hey," I say.
"What's up?" Ash asks.
There's a whole handshake now. Up. Down. Fist-bump.
"Did you watch the new guy cry like a bitch?" Josh asks.
Ms. Tudor hears him. "Josh!"
Josh isn't wrong. Procter did cry.
"...Sorry," Josh mutters.
Max shoots his ruffle-browed blades into the three of us. Lovely. What's his problem?
"Saw highlights," I say.
When my computer cooperated.
"What are you talking about?" Max asks.
Does Max have to interfere?
"The fight on Saturday," Ash says.
"What fight?"
"None of your business," Josh tells him off.
I bite my cheek.
"Thought you could keep New Boy to yourself?" Josh asks. "I don't think so!"
New Boy?
Max takes the sucker out of his mouth like business has picked up. "What's your problem? Just asked."
Josh rolls his eyes. "Just asked!"
"Dude!"
"Chase, you don't deserve this," Josh says. "This guy? He's an idiot. He doesn't know when to shut his fucking mouth."
"Josh!"
Josh doesn't know how to control his, Ms. Tudor having to give him warning number two on the day.
"You should stay away," he whispers.
"Don't tell him what to do," Max says.
"Is he your boyfriend or something?"
Boy...
Max's face twists into cherry-red oblivion. "Ew! No!"
Excuse me while I jump out a window and hop on a train.
"Okay then!" Josh turns back to me. "What was your favorite fight from Saturday?"
"Uh, Kain Aguirre," I say. "First-round knockout."
Max and I?
"Ooh! Yeah!" Ash liked the fight, too. "Punched him right out."
I...
I really feel like I'm talking to Leo. Leo has transferred schools and sat down next to me. We're talking like old times. It's odd and exciting. I don't feel at home, but this, Josh, Ash, our talk tugs old school Chase out from the shadows.
"Dude! What's...uh, what's up?"
Kieran?
"We're losing him to the dark side," Max tells Kieran.
"Tchk! Shut up!" Ash says.
"They won't shut up about some fight night," Max says.
"Fight Night?" Kieran looks at me. "You watch that?"
"Y-yeah," I say, then bite my lips shut.
Kieran frowns, his brows crinkling, a look I've seen before, during...
"You know that's violent."
"So?"
"It's so stupid."
...There goes my good mood.
Sorry, old school me. Kieran blows our standoff for his desk at the front of the room. All of us at the back have gone silent. No swearing from Josh, no echoes from Ash, Max sticking the sucker in his mouth like he wants no part of this.
Whatever this is.
I know what this is. That's the argumentative look in Kieran's eyes. If you slip back into the past, you'd see how we ignited in similar ways. A disagreement over food or who was right had served as a fire-starter, then crackled into this slow-burning fight out of earshot.
Ignore it, Chase.
You like Kieran, Chase.
Sweep it under the carpet behind you, Chase.
It isn't like that, Chase!
"I knew that this would happen," I mouth.
Whatever.
YOU ARE READING
Castling: A Novel (NaNoWriMo21)
Dla nastolatkówIt's a slice-of-life centered around "Chase the Ace," who finds himself changing schools against his will mid-year to help make the most of that brain of his. It'll be good for him, they say. He won't be so bored. He'll get to be with an old friend...
