See you next Saturday

Lennon

"I talked to Stockton today." Jai says with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"I'm so happy for you, it only took 7 years." I tease.

It's loud in here. I usually avoid the lunch room but now that Mrs. Kimball retired I can no longer run and hide in the art room so here we are.

I follow Jai's eyes to see he's staring at Stockton, the guy he's been crushing on for way too long and Stockton's friends. Like usual he's sitting with Eve and Jaz but there's someone new with them. The girl I ran into this morning.

She's pretty, well actually she's breathtaking. So much so that I could barely get out two words out before running away from her this morning. 

"He was like, hey do you have an extra pencil, and I was like yeah and lent him a pencil. But it was my only pencil so for the rest of class I couldn't take notes. But it was so worth it because when I gave him my pencil out hands kinda brushed and he smiled and said thank you and I was like no problem and, god isn't he gorgeous." 

I stare at my friend dumbfounded. He was whipped. It was interesting to see because to everyone else he had this broody, badboy thing going on but he really just had the worst RBF I've ever seen. His tattoo sleeve didn't help fight off the "bad boy" rumors either but I think he liked the idea of people fearing him so he just went with it. 

"So what you're saying is you're already failing one of your classes because you talked to your crush for 2 seconds?"

"Best two seconds of my life."

I laughed. Jai was my best friend, my only friend really. He's the first person I've met that didn't use me to get to my brother.

I feel a hand grip my shoulder. Speak of the devil.

"Lenny!" Kurt exclaims.

"Thought you didn't want me talking to you at school." 

Kurt leans into my ear. "I'm not in the mood for your attitude." 

He backs away and his smile appears again.

"You don't mind if I borrow your car after school, you can catch a ride with Jai right?" 

I grimace. Kurt crashed his car last week going off-roading. Don't worry, mommy and daddy are buying him a new one.

"Whatever." There was no use in fighting, he'll get his way one way or another. Either someone nearby would think I was an asshole for not helping out king of the school or he'd complain to our parents and then they'd make me.

"Attaboy, thanks man." I hand him my keys and he struts off.

"You gotta stop letting him push you around dude.' Jai looks at me with pity.

I hate that look. Pitiful, that's how everyone see's me. I'm the lesser twin. Not as athletic, not as popular, not as wanted. It's not like I didn't have any talents of my own, just none that this town cared about. Kurt liked sports, I liked art, Kurt was social, my social anxiety was through the roof, Kurt was blonde and blue eyed, I has muddy brown hair and hazel eyes. For being twins we really weren't at all. I know Jai didn't see me as pitiful but he did feel bad for me and I wish he didn't. I didn't want people to feel bad for me I wanted people to separate me from Kurt completely.

My thoughts are cut off from a loud crash heard from across the room.

One of the janitors was lifting a garbage bag that had broke and spilled all over the new girl.

Fuck that's mortifying.

Everyone was laughing except for Eve, Jaz, and Stockton who look sympathetic and the Janitor who looks guilty.

My focus is on the girl though. Though looking embarrassed at first she quickly recovers and starts reassuring the janitor that she's okay.

She's covered in half eaten food but is making sure the one who dropped it on her is okay. 

She picks a banana peel off her shoulder and gives the janitor a pair of jazz hands as if to show that she's all good. 

She reassures the janitor that she's okay one last time before turning and saying something to her friends and then rushes out of the lunchroom.

"Damn that's rough." Jai says cringing.

"Yeah, I feel bad. Not the best impression to make on your first day." I say staring at the door she exited out of.

"She's in my Physics class. Kept to herself. I think her name's Joy."

"Hmm." 

"If she's friends with Stockton maybe she can hook me up." Jai lights up.

"Why not ask Jaz, you guys are neighbors aren't you?"

"Nah, everyone else thinks I'm some bloodthirsty killer. Joy doesn't have any preconceived notions of me yet." I just nod in agreement.

"Can I stay at your place Saturday? Kurt's weekly parties are starting up again and I can't stand it."

"Nah sorry man, my auntie is turning 50 so we're headed down there for the weekend." 

I groan. Every weekend during the school year Kurt throws these elaborate parties that get way too out of control. I usually escape to Jai's place to avoid it all. Parties are too overwhelming for me, people in general are too overwhelming for me. All the noise and mess make me anxious and I freak out.

Why couldn't I just be a normal teenager? That's what my family would always ask me.

I don't know, and if I did I'd try and fix it, fix me. But for now I was stuck being myself and it was something we'd all have to just deal with.