The Roots of Our Past

Chapter Seven

Sweet Haven, being a small town, means our class is also small. Our lockers are in alphabetical order. So, avoiding Brandi Benson and Mary Beth Baker has been difficult this past week.

Luckily, Mary Beth seems just as apt to avoid me. Hunter told me not to worry about the photo or Mary Beth saying anything. He said she'd rather not have people gossip about her, either. I'm still nervous, though.

"I reek like a cigarette now. I keep telling Wade not to smoke so close to me. He can't help himself," I hear Brandi bragging to her friends as she gets close to her locker, which is just a few down from mine. I keep my face buried in my locker as I grab my stuff and hope for an easy escape.

"Is he really seventeen?" Kelly asks.

"Yes, and he's so much more mature than the guys in our class," Brandi says. "Gabe and Billy were making fart noises the entire way to school this morning."

"Gabe is so funny," Kelly giggles at that.

"It's not funny. It's immature and annoying," Brandi corrects her.

"He's cute, though," Kelly giggles. "He borrowed my pencil in math today."

"Oh God, Kelly, keep dreaming. Gabe doesn't want you," Shelby scoffs.

"He might," Kelly says in a wounded tone.

"Whatever. Where is Billy?" Shelby asks, swinging her backpack hard enough to narrowly hit me as I start down the hall. "Watch out, Bucky!"

Kelly snickers and Brandi just makes a face as she starts spraying her strawberry-scented body spray all over herself.

"Don't call me that," I say bravely.

"Bucky doesn't work anymore with the braces anyway," Kelly remarks. "Maybe we just stick with ragdoll."

"She does look like a ragdoll," Shelby says, and both girls start laughing.

I shoot Brandi a glare. She knows how much all those years of name-calling hurt. I told her, and she said she felt bad. What a bunch of crap.

I duck past them quickly and into the science room.

"Don't call her names," I hear Brandi, and I stop right outside the open door. "Just ignore her."

I pause at that...maybe she does still care.

"Why?" Kelly asks.

"You're the one that came up with it," Shelby adds.

"Exactly, it's my name, and I said don't call her it," Brandi snips.

"I don't get why you like that girl," Shelby complains.

"I don't anymore," Brandi replies. "Just leave it alone."

"What happened?" Kelly asks.

"Nothin, she's just a baby, that's all," Brandi mutters.

"Sure dresses like one," Kelly laughs. "Her clothes are so outdated!"

"Not to mention ugly. I bet her mom makes those dresses out of curtains or something," Shelby adds as she laughs again, and soon Kelly joins in.

I get away from the door and make my way towards my seat, not wanting to hear anymore. I glance down at my light blue cotton dress and frown. The truth is Mama did make this for me. We both thought it matched the picture I found in Seventeen magazine really well. It's a pretty but comfortable dress, a little loosely fitted, with cute buttons on the top. It falls just to my knees. I paired it with some cheap flip-flops since it's still warm enough for them.