She's twenty two

Part two All Stars

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. What is that noise?  Is that my phone? Time for school already. Ugh. "Risa done want to be late!" My mother yells as she does every morning. "I know mom!" Into my closet I go, and out I come with different image. Converse, warn out and beaten, ripped jeans, a plain black a white striped tee, and my base ball cap I got from my father before he disappeared into the abyss, not to be spoken of again. "Risa c'mon so I can lock the door!" "I'm coming mother." Tuesday's always seem to be better than Monday's. " Ready to go?" "Yeah" " okay, go wait for me in the car, I'll be out in a second." "Got it." Into the hot humid air of the outside world. I'd rather be n the shaded woods under the tall trees that stretch for miles long. We're I live it's not hard to get lost in the woods, specially if you're trying to. I lie on the outskirts of the inner city but not considered the country. It's a bigger than a town and smaller than a city, so I'm not sure what to call it, a community? "Sorry it took me so long, I was packing my lunch for work." "You're fine, I don't mind the wait." " so after school I was thinking maybe we could go down and get some ice dream after school." "Sounds great" "only on one condition" "okay, what's that?" " tell me more about this play date?" My mother loos at me with a smile starting the car and lulling out f the drive way. "Well' I start off talking. We talk the whole way to school. "So ice dream after school?" " yeah!" " have a good day sweetie" "I'll try." I wave at my mom and get out of the car walking towards the school. As usual the doors slam shut behind me sealing me inside the school where I spend most of my time during week days.
"Good morning Risa" "morning" I reply sitting down in my seat towards the back of the class. "Okay class, we're switching seats today." Ugh. I hate when she switches our seats around. I always get put by someone I don't like. The first few rows get called. "Risa you sit I the back next to Stevie." "Stevie?" I look over towards my seat, and sit down. "Risa?" "Hey" I say quietly. "Funny, who were to think I'd be right next to you" she smiles. "Yeah" Stevie, so that's her name. I'm drawing as usual but are interrupted by a note passed onto my desk. " look at Mrs. Sura's neck.""what about it?" I write back. Then continue my drawing. "Do you see the bruise like spot?" "Yeah" "that's a hickey" "really how can you tell?" "You can see where the teeth marks were." "Oh I see" "someone had fun last night" I laugh quietly. " Risa, is there something funny?" "No, ma'am" the words come out of my mouth containing my laughter. "Can I continue?" "Yes." My voice get quiet. I continue to draw in my sketch book until class is over. "Your only homework is to work on the Martin Luther King March and write a one page essay, due Friday, see you all tomorrow." Risa" Stevie stopped by at my locker and waits for me to speak. "Uh hey" I say nervously, " where do you sit for lunch?" Stevie ask me. " I usually sit at the bar and chat with the near by teachers walking around. " good." " why?" "You're sitting with me." "I am?" "Yep, see you then" Stevie walks away. Alright first the play date, now lunch, what else is in store for this week. Second hour I go to science. I'm not really listening to whatever it is he's talking about, I do this in most every class, I'm not even sure how I made it this far. Third hour goes by fast as usual, we just work with our partners, but mine is ne'er here so I just listen to music the whole time. Me and the teacher are pretty cool, I finish my work early and we just talk half the hour.
Fourth hour math. Stevie's in that class, but she sits on the other side of the room, and this teachers a real jerk, we don't move, we don't talk, just work in silence.

Now. It's my favorite time of the day. Food time, I usually get pizza and watch YouTube but today, things are different. Today I eat with Stevie. I'm really nervous every actually. On my way to the office to say hi to my favorite teach on her lunch break, Mrs. Cola calls me over. "Your mom left me a message, to give to you." "Okay" "she said she can't make it for your after school plans, sorry" "it's okay, tell Mrs. Henning, I said hello." I leave the office. "Risa!!" My name is yelled down the hall. "Oh there you are, ready?" "Yeah sure" okay let me stop by my locker quick" we stop at Stevie's locker to put her things away. My arm is held out as I speak "shall we?" I ask Stevie links arms "we shall." Then we laugh. " I like your hat, where'd did you get it?" "Um actually my father gave it to me when I was younger, before he left" "may I ask where he went?" It takes me a second to at her my thoughts, I haven't talked about him in a while. "My mom and he would fight a lot, and they just couldn't seem to get along Rey well after they were married. They got divorced when I was little, and I still I sited him often, that all changed when his girlfriend came into the picture, but he completely aniseed when they had my sister and moved away to start fresh." "Oh I'm sorry I asked." Stevie looks down. "It's okay really, so what about you?" "Me?!? Well my father was a low life, dead beat, good for nothing loser, but he's alright sometimes." We laugh together and accidentally touch hands, I don't know if she noticed or not, so I don't mention it. Lunch is over and I actually enjoyed Stevie's company. "Only two more hours until the day is over. " she says getting up out of her seat and throwing our trash away. "Thanks" " no prob, see you after last hour?" "Okay" we part ways and trail off into the last classes of the day. Usually I'm laid back and take my time out of the classroom but today I found myself rushing out of sixth hour, to my locker and back. Could it e because of Stevie? Can I not wait to see her? Oh well. She walks over to me putting her jacket on. "Do you ride the bus?" "No actually I walk" "oh really" "yeah you?" My mom usually picks me up but since she can't today I guess I'm stuck walking. "Sometimes I walk, others my mom picks me up." "What are the plans for today?" She ask heading towards the doors. "Today's a little different." "How so?" "Well I was hoping to walk you home?" "Sounds great" Stevie smiles. I had never noticed what a great smile she has. It's hard not to stare. " so are we still on for tomorrow after school?" "Yes" "okay cool, any idea where we're going?" "I have a place in mind." 'Is that so?" "Indeed" I reply. We stop in front of a house "is this it?" "Yep, this is it" looks cozy. "We'll see ya later" I walk her to the steps at her front door and watch her unlock and open it. "Goodnight" we hug and before I could answer with a night I feel a soft touch against my cheek. Gentle yet warm. What is this feeling? Her hand? No warmer, her cheek? "See ya" she goes inside and closes the door. Could it be? A kiss?!? My heart starts to race, pounding louder than a clock at twelve. "She kissed me" I say quietly under my breath "wait she kissed me!" " she kissed me!!!" I completely forget about gravity and leap not the air. Have you ever seen a cartoon where the character floss in the air dumbfounded and the lovey dove you look on there face? Yeah that was me, the ground beneath me just disappeared, and the shy quiet me went way as I yelled down the street dancing on light post, and adding a step in my way as if I weren't in public but in my room behind a mirror with my favorite song playing. Wearing my converse always seems to make my days better.I'm really hoping she didn't see all of that, but in the moment I was to happy to care.