Double Jinx (Wattys2017)

Chapter 2

I woke the next morning to a beeping sound coming from my phone. I unburied my hand from beneath the covers to reach for the device which rested on the bedside table. A name popped up on my screen. Surprisingly, not my brother's name.

It was Lady, my one and only friend in the entire world. Her real name was Pink-Lady Newcomb, due to her parents obsession with the movie Grease. And due to them picking out her name weeks after she was born when they were both higher than a kite. Lady despised her folks for that decision but they were otherwise good people, I met them once.

Believe it or not, Lady and I met in the office of our speech therapist, Dr. Young. I was there for obvious reasons, unwilling to talk. Lady was there because of an overwhelming stutter which left her nearly incomprehensible. But after many years, Lady's stutter was eradicated though even now if she got too excited the stutter would return. And me, well, you can see how I turned out.

As I unlocked my phone, I saw a text strewn across the screen, How's hell babe?

She made me smile because she was everything I wanted to be. With her pixie cut blonde hair, baby soft blue eyes, flawless skin, and unbelievable facial structure, she was basically perfect. The stereotypical gorgeous teen who hadn't many friends but contained the ability to befriend anyone. And out of the billions of people on this planet, she decided to talk to me one day in a therapist's office, even though neither of us could really talk.

My thumbs flew over the screen as I replied, Very hot and very dry.

A few seconds later her reply popped up, Sounds like you're living the dream. If it makes you feel any better, my mom found my birth control so Tyler isn't allowed over anymore.

Tyler, her boyfriend, was never someone that I particularly liked. He treated Lady well I suppose but he was always obsessed with having sex, even when she wasn't ready. Then, from what Lady has told me, he kind of pressured her into doing it last year after junior prom. She tells me all the time that it doesn't bother her and that she enjoys spending her time with him, but to me he always seemed, slimy ... weaselly. You know the type.

Not knowing what else to say, I replied back with, That sucks.

Lady knew I wasn't fond of Tyler but she always promised that if things ever got too bad between them, she'd leave in a heartbeat. But now I wasn't there to oversee their ... fling ... so I had no idea if things were smooth.

We talked for a while longer about several different topics as usual. Then she bid me goodbye because her mother was taking her shopping for a graduation dress.

That reminded me, graduation was only a few short months away. I didn't want to walk across a stage with a class I barely knew. Not that I had any friends at my old high school but at least I knew them. We've moved from class to class with each other since preschool. They were familiar, comfortable.

How would I survive at this new high school when everyone would be asking me questions? I've seen plenty of movies, I know how the new kid is always treated. I didn't want to be the center of attention, or get up in front of a class and explain my name and where I'm from. I didn't want anyone to look at me or talk to me or even acknowledge me.

These thoughts were enough to cause my heart to hammer away within my chest, anxiety already eating at my insides. This was going to be an awful couple months. Then the summer would provide sweet and welcomed solitude from everyone in this town. But then ... what about the fall?

That was another thing. I have applied to a few different colleges, receiving letters of acceptance to almost all of them. But I haven't chosen one yet, mostly because I'm trying to pretend I never applied in the first place.