Fast Car

Are you going to age without mistakes?

The rain thrummed down hard as Kat ran up the steps to her childhood home, the rest of the weekend had continued to bring on the unrelenting summer storm. She unlocked the door panting slightly and checking her watch, she still had an hour before she was due at school for her first day of senior year. She walked into her small kitchen, to find her dad awake and making coffee. 

'Morning kid,' He smiled sleepily at her, handing her a mug. 'Back to the grindstone so soon?' he asked eyeing her running clothes.

'Morning Daddy-o,' She grinned pecking him on the cheek on her way to the fridge, she pulled out some eggs and some cheese, placing a frying pan on the stove. 'I gotta stay fit or Alison will bump me to the bottom of the pyramid, best friend or no best friend.'

Paul Green chuckled eyeing his daughter with a bemused look. 'Ok kid, don't work too hard though. I know it's senior year but try to have a little fun.'

'I will Daddy. Omelette?' She queried pointing her spatula at the eggs and looking at him expectantly.

'I gotta get to work, is Scott giving you a lift?' Kat's car had broken down last week and had spent the last few days hanging in her father's garage being picked apart. Kat nodded at her father's question, not really listening as she poked at her breakfast impatiently. 'That poor boy, chauffeuring you around day in and day out.'

'Oh don't worry about me! If it weren't for him I'd have to walk and in this rain? Don't even imply it.' She shouted after him as he left the kitchen and headed to the front door, his only response was to shout that he'd be back late and wouldn't need dinner. Kat huffed dramatically, mumbling to herself. 'As if Scott would ever let me walk anywhere, he knows my boots were most certainly NOT made for walking.'

After breakfast, Katrina dashed upstairs for a quick shower, and after scanning her wardrobe for a minute she pulled out a black strappy bodysuit and jeans, selecting some open-toed boots to match. Despite the storm, it was still fairly hot, after all, summer wasn't over yet, so when she heard Scott beep from outside she just pulled on a light bomber jacket for protection from the rain and sped outside, hoping her hair wasn't going to frizz out in the humidity. She pried open the rusting door of Scott's old truck and slid into the hot cab. Usher was playing on the radio, struggling to compete with the rumble of the thousand-year-old engine. Scott flashed her a lazy lopsided grin in greeting, she ruffled his brown curls and laughed as the truck lurched precariously off the drive as Scott sped them towards Rushton high. 

Scott and Kat were, as always, late. They sprinted from the car in the pouring rain, laughing like goons, and crashed through the double doors of the high school earning a fair few stares from the students gathered in the hallways. There was little light from outside making it through the steamy windows, so the whole school was lit up in cheap yellow artificial lighting, making it feel more like late afternoon than early morning. Kat brushed off the stares and strode confidently to her locker, she wasn't a stranger to being the center of attention- it was practically a given when you're part of the cheer squad, but she secretly hated it all the same. Scott slung an arm around her shoulders and whisper shouted, 'What's everyone looking at Kit Kat, do I have spinach in my teeth?' That sent most of the school body back to their previous conversations.

The warning bell rang when Kat was still waiting to be given her class schedule, making her late for chemistry. She sauntered into the classroom barely glancing at the teacher and made her way to an empty seat at the back, tugging playfully on one of Alison's pigtails as she passed. Ali grinned at her and shooed her away, Kat found her place in the back row and took out her notes. About ten minutes later she felt eyes on her. She turned to her right to find Cain Sanders sitting at the desk next to her, not bothering to mask the fact that he was very clearly glaring at the side of her head.

'Is there a problem?' Kat snapped at him, giving him her best bitch-face, in the hopes he would back off. The boy made her uncomfortable, and it didn't help that he hung around that creep face Damien, or Darren? Whatever his name was. 

'I ain't gotta problem, no' He replied, his voice deep and gruff.

'Then stop staring at me, Sanders.' Kat replied sweetly, flashing him a blindingly fake smile.

'Whatever you say Princess.' He whispered, it sounded like a threat to Kat, and she narrowed her eyes at him. Git. She thought. She spent the rest of the lesson studiously ignoring Cain Sanders and his snake eyes. 

*

'Okay it's time for the news,' Shan settled down at their table in the cafeteria without even greeting Alison and Kat who had been in mid-conversation about this years fall fashion fails. 'Sophie Matthews has her eye on Matty, surprise surprise.' All three girls rolled their eyes. 'Although I think she's only saying that because Cain Sanders has once again slept with her and then dumped her by the side of the road like a tramp.' Cue another eye roll. 'I mean I'm not saying she IS a tramp, but the evidence is weighed against her on this one.' Ali giggled at Shan's comment. 'Anyway speaking of the infamous Cain, apparently he had a few run in's with the law this summer, which is of course not huge news, but I did hear his dad's kicked him out for good this time.' 

'Why do people care?' Kat asked in annoyance, feeling as if this boy was suddenly everywhere she turned.

'He's hot. People care.' Alison replied simply.

'Anyway, back to me.' Shannon glared at them. 'Katie Fisher has had a boob job, they look alright to be fair, slutty but we all knew she'd go that way. She's having a party in two weeks, to debut them I guess. Nothing big, just a keg and everyone who's anyone.' She looked at her two friends, as if too say we will obviously be going. 'And last, but most definitely not least- I heard Matty was forced to leave his other high school. Apparently, Daddy Hamilton had to bribe the school into not expelling him, so they agreed that if he left quietly they wouldn't put it on his school record. That's why he's slumming it with the poor kids and looking for a job.'

Alison and Kat both protested loudly, 'I'd like to remind you that we both have jobs,' Alison added, pouting at Shannon angrily.

'Oh please,' She gestured at Kat, 'You work for your father- hardly extreme grafting. And you,' she pinched Alison, earning an enraged squeak. 'Babysit for the Port Rushton mums and their rich babies, that job pays three times the amount of effort you have to put into it.'

Both girls shrugged at their friend, you can't argue with Shan.