The Funny Tale Of Agnes And Gale

7. Gale.

I see one of the nerdy duos, the ginger kid, walk in with the new girl and I want to congratulate her on making a new friend but I also wanted to warn her that being friends with the nerdy duo would probably mean she would end up in one of the trash bins by next week. I sit down next to Kelly at the very back and every now and then, we'd sneak in a kiss. We're not dating but she's the head cheerleader and the most popular girl in school so it's kind of a must that her and I make out a lot and do a lot of things couples would usually do.

Once the new girl walks in, Kelly rolls her eyes and stares at her so intensely.

"What's up with you and the new girl?" I ask Kelly, raising an eyebrow at her.

"She's the one who went all psycho with me in the bathroom earlier. She's freaking crazy." Kelly says, still looking at her with disgust. A part of me wants to tell her to back off the new girl because she's a new girl in Helenston, Indiana and that's already too much for someone to have on their plate but I don't say anything. I just let Kelly stare the life out of her and it makes me feel guilty.

There's something about the new girl that gets me. She doesn't smile too much but when she does, it's the most beautiful smile I've ever seen that I have to force myself to look away. She's not the typical eye-catching girl you usually see but she's gorgeous in a way that makes me want to keep looking at her. I wonder why Jordan doesn't talk about the new girl but she's ten million times better looking than Cassidy Finch but I'm glad he doesn't talk about her. I wouldn't want Jordan disrespecting another girl, especially not her.

"Can't you smell the weirdness from her?" Kelly asks me, and she's leaning across her chair to get closer to me.

"From who?" I ask, looking at Ms. Rodriguez, making sure she won't catch Kelly and I talking.

"The new girl. I can see you're looking at her and you can't be looking at her in a good way because... I mean, look at her." Kelly says, laughing bitterly. I don't get her at all. I still think the new girl is ten million times prettier than Cassidy and in fact, another ten million times prettier than Kelly but instead, I reach out for Kelly's hand and give it a squeeze.

I sit straight and try to focus on Ms. Rodriguez but I can't understand any of the Spanish that comes out of her mouth.

After Spanish class, I peck Kelly on the cheek and tell her I can't come over to her house today but I'll try to make it tomorrow. When, really, I just want to go in my room and pretend dad will be there, waiting for me to give him a talk about life. I walk up to my locker to see the new girl using the locker opposite to mine.

We both close our lockers at the same time and walk towards the school exit at the same time. I want to move closer to her and make some small talk but I try so hard to focus on the EXIT sign. I want to move my head to the left and look at her but I resist.

Once we exit, she waits out at the front but I proceed to the parking lot and get in my car. I pull out of the parking lot to see her still waiting at the steps of the school. I want to offer her a ride but then I see Kelly coming down the stairs with her usual boring clique so I keep driving and I don't stop until I reach the red house in the corner of Wester Street. The place where Richard Ford killed himself.

I come in to see Sydney and mum watching one of their girly TV shows and I think: If dad were here, he'd be making some silly joke about how their TV shows are too cliche. I originally plan on going into my bedroom and pretend dad's there and talk to my imaginary dad. Instead, I take the empty spot on the sofa next to mum and she places a hand on my shoulder. "Hello, son." She says in her soft and broken voice.

We sit there in silence, watching the show and I can tell we're all together watching because we don't want to have a conversation without dad. It's our first full day without him here. It's just a TV show about high school drama and a girl in love with a boy but I can tell it means the world to my mum that I'm sitting down next to her with the family instead of isolating myself from them.