Any Given Thursday

Chapter 4

October 1996

Celina hated Mrs. Somerset's class because she was a new student, and was very different from her classmates. She felt that she didn't belong with the white children. It wasn't because she was a slow learner, or had any disabilities. Mentally, she had always been a very astute child. Everytime she walked into Mrs. Somerset's seventh grade class, she felt like the entire class had singled her out, which was rather easy. Celina hadn't thought of alienating herself—if anything she went out of her way to try to fit in, but she just couldn't, and it was that stupid Jake Collier's fault. Ever since she had caught him and his brother on her family's land she hadn't liked him. He teased her, and called her names. She reported these instances to her mother, who believed that he was just being a normal child, and that teasing was merely a rite of passage for all kids. Her father agreed, and told her to suck it up, and that all schools had a hazing of some sort.

Jake had gone above and beyond annoying her however. When she walked the long walk from route 32, up the winding hill to her house, he'd be there claiming that he was going to do a little fishing. Brian, David, and he would fish until dusk. Then the two brothers would gather their fish, and head out through the woods to their own home. Now that the fall had arrived in Bainbridge and the weather was too cold to fish in, Jake simply got off where she did to annoy him. She ignored him, as well as his smart aleck remarks. He made rude comments about her constantly. He called her "bubble butt" and talked about her breasts constantly. Celina hated that he looked at her at all, but to make light of her body, something that she was very sensitive about, was a grave offense. Celina had heard her mother remark to Keesha, that when she was a few years older, the other girls would be jealous of her already developed body. Their mother believed he only teased her because he had a crush on her, but Celina knew the truth. She had never subscribed to that ridiculous theory. Jake was the rabble rouser of the group because he hated her. He was also a little bastard, but she would never say such a thing aloud. Her mother would whoop her senseless if she heard her even utter a curse.

Celina didn't really understand what that meant, and she found it hard to believe that anyone would be jealous of her, or her body. Keesha had explained that her wonderfully rounded rear would draw in the boys as she became a teenager. What were once giggles and whispers about her growing "boobs" would become hungry lustful stares. Celina didn't believe any of it, and since the kids went out of their way to torment her, she went out of her way to ignore them all. She had become somewhat antisocial, much to the concern of her family. David, having been fourteen attended the high school, and so he couldn't protect her from the annoying comments of those brats. Even if he were there, her brother knew not to interfere short of violence. The Thompson family encouraged their children to be resilient survivors, despite the odds against them. By responding to their childish taunts, she would only add fuel to the fire. As they saw that they could not rile her visibly, all of the other children left her alone. All that is, except Jacob Collier. To Celina, it seemed as if his life's purpose was to make hers miserable.

As she walked dressed warmly under a thick coat, she could see him walking in step behind her. In her peripheral vision, she saw him stop for a moment, and then continue. He looked as if he wanted to broach a topic with her, but had no idea how to do so. She hoped that he would not bother talking to her. Unfortunately, Canton Hill was winding, and it took about fifteen minutes to reach her house from the bus stop. She walked faster then, silently discouraging him from following. She would learn however, that when Jake Collier wanted something he was not deterred in any way. She had begun walking so fast, that she was almost jogging. He had already caught up to her, and she wanted to throw rocks at those long legs of his. Celina had always been tall for her age, but Jake was even taller. She silently cursed boys and their ability to grow like bean stalks.