Hometown Glory

Chapter Two

"Hey, come to youth group tonight."

It wasn't a question but one of Jarvis' many demands. I closed my mouth that was going to take a big bite of my meatball sub. I narrowed my dark eyebrows at her so I could try to find her angle. I remember Jarvis looking at me expectantly as she sat on the cafeteria table. Her romper was bright yellow and really brought out the auburn tint in her hair and the hazel in her eyes. Jarvis was undeniably pretty which many people found hard to believe considering how her parents looked.

"You know why I don't go to youth night," I say to her with a stern voice.

"They wouldn't allow me in their houses."

They mainly being Bo Frank and Brin Kemper. She crossed her legs and dipped forward to grab a chip from my lunch. I swatted her hand but there was no use. She smiled when she finished the chip, "that's why my dear Anna, after many unsuccessful attempts I have finally convinced my stubborn friends to let me hold it at my house. So you have to come. I fought long and hard." Her legs uncrossed revealing her butterfly tattoo on her ankle. It had a blend of blues and purples.

We always knew the reason that they all opposed holding youth night at Jarvis' house was because they didn't want me to attend. That was why I was a little suspicious when Jarvis had told me that they had finally let up. I knew they must have been planning something though, and I was stupid enough that I wanted to find out. But I should have never went because that night was the beginning of the end.

.............

"Okay, Anna, everyone should be showing up any second now." Jarvis looked at her cheap watch on her hand that happened to be one of the McDonald's happy meal toys. It was unfair how they accepted Jarvis, McDonald's toy and all but I was the outcast. However, she told me once that they think it's for fun and to add quirk to herself. They were dumb beyond belief.

Jarvis looked at me with nerves evident in her hazel eyes. She silently nodded at me which I replied with a small smile. Jarvis was lucky that I was tough but then again, my classmates made me like that. I was ready for anything.

"Casey is coming." He wasn't coming at the moment but she was just alerting me that his presence would be there.

I looked down at my phone as if I had the actual chance of receiving a text. I shrugged my shoulders and folded my legs underneath my butt. Jarvis clicked her tongue at the fact that my shoes now rested on her couch. I looked up at my beautiful best friend and smiled.

"Why don't you admit you like him, Anna? That is why you tolerate this all. You don't want to hurt him or any of his friends in fear that it ruins your chances". I rolled my eyes and looked back at my phone. Even if I did like him, thinking I had a chance would be ridiculous.

"You're crazy, Jarvis. Besides, Darby and I have been texting lately." I said a little too defensively.

She wrinkled her nose up. "Puppy chow, really? I mean, they call him Desperate Darby, Anna!" I shrugged my shoulders. My reputation was already in shreds, on the ground.

"They call me Dykeman. I think we are a match made in hell." I sadistically smirked at my best friend. She sat down on the couch across from me. Her stare was focused off somewhere to the side and she blew out a huge breath of air. Lately, I had been really testing her patience.

"You know, I really hope after tonight you are accepted. I need you to be accepted." I didn't like that, the fact that she needed it. Did I not need it more than her? I put my phone down on her glass table to answer her. As soon as I opened my mouth, the bell rang.

Jarvis looked at me and stared for a few seconds. She shook her head and got up to open the door. I was nervous, as soon as they saw me they were all going to blow a gasket. The first one that walked in was Jarvis' current boy toy, Rick. He wasn't really mean to me as in he never said rude things but he never tried to be my friend. He also pushed me in the halls from time to time. Behind him followed Marcus who never said mean things or touched me. Marcus just laughed and sometimes that's all it took for him to hurt me. They came in and sat across from me but never looked at me.