Breaking Point

Chapter Two

My foot taps against the white tiles, as I drum my fingers on my lap. Being in here makes me anxious and this conversation makes me uneasy. Never in my life I thought I'd be here hearing these words coming out of our principal's mouth and him acting like a complete fool.

"You've got to be kidding?, why do I have to work with her?" Joshua says unpleasingly. Joshua Anderson, the captain of every sport team in the school males can obviously play. Ever since my brother graduated four years ago, Josh has been the captain and continuously takes the teams to state championships and wins. The only thing is Josh hates nerds just like every jock in this small yet amazing town. Hint the sarcasm.

"You and she are the most known individuals among your groups therefore you two are the perfect candidates." Mr. O'Connor, the school principal states as he glances at Joshua sternly. I couldn't believe I had no say in this whatsoever. My whole life, I've had a say but never in my life was I told to work with someone other than the nerds and this is a new territory for me. I can barely remember a time when I communicated with someone that wasn't Jackie, Nate, or Douglas. The debate team and the nerds don't exactly count.

"Hey, yo AP," I heard nate say as he waves his arm in front of my face. I slowly shake my head. "You've been out for a while what has your mind so occupied on?" he asks a little curious and concern.

"Nothing, just a bit exhausted," I said scanning Nate and Jackie's face to see that they didn't believe me; but knowing my two best friends, only Nate would be asking me later. But I can't tell him and the worst part is, I can't lie to him. He will see right through me. My phone bleeps taking me out of my thoughts. I pull my phone out of my backpack which was on my right. It was a text from Josh. I've got practice but lets meet at your house and keep this between us like Richard said. I read the text and rolled my eyes, as I shoved my phone back into my backpack.

The rest of the day went by surprisingly smoot. Nothing was out of the ordinary except for my morning and starting Monday my schedule. Jackie drove Nate and I home. Jackie and I made plans before I left her car and made my way into my home.

"Kim, is that you honey?" my mom calls from the kitchen as soon as I walked through the front door. It's very odd how she is the only one who knows when the doors in the house has been opened and closed without having to be near them.

"Yes mother, it is I," I answered making my way towards the kitchen where my mother was making her amazing pasta dish. One of her many dishes that every single one of my friends and their family loves.

"I'm so happy you're home safely," she says turning around and wiping her hands on her apron that my older brother got her a few years ago. "Will Nate and Jakie be over today?" she asks reaching for the cake in the oven.

"No," I said dipping my index finger in the sauce "but I am expecting a guess," I finished as I put my index finger in my mouth. My mom nods in understanding and she asks no questions and I liked that. She and my dad shows me how much they trust me when they ask no questions and let me make the decision that is best, not just for now, but for my future. I grab a water bottle and made my way upstairs to my bedroom.

Upon arrival, I dropped my backpack on my neatly made bed and made my way to my desktop. I started doing research to see if I can find any internships for the summer. I was so focused on reading that I didn't hear my mom telling me to get the door; but I heard the doorbell ring. Impatiently, I started making my way down but it was too late. My mother already opened the door. She looks shock and confused. My first instinct was to run up and never come back but my feet were doing their own thing. Before I knew it, I was across Josh and next to my mom. Josh was standing tall with blues jeans, a white t-shirt, and his athletic letter jacket. I think thats why my mom was shocked.

"Mom, Joshua Anderson," I said attempting to introduce them. "Anderson. My mom, Mrs. Powers," Josh put his hand out as my mom took it and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Powers," he says as my mom simply nodded. She was too shocked to form a sentence, too shocked to even say a word.

"We will be in my room working on the project," I said heading straight upstairs not waiting for a response; which she will be able to give in less than five seconds. We arrived in my room as I opened my bedroom door for us both to enter. "Make yourself comfortable," I said as he takes a seat on my red beanbag chair located near the right corner of my bedroom. He had this uneased attitude, as he sludged on the comfortable yet very uncomfortable chair. I wanted to say something to make him feel at ease but I don't know what to say. So instead I turned around to finish with the research I started earlier. I was in the middle of reading about an internship when I heard him say something.

"I didn't know your parents are the most jocks?" he said it as if my parents are still attending high school and still play sports.

"It's not something one could say while you were screaming at the principal," I stated absent mindedly as I kept reading.

"I should've recognized the last name,"

"Why do you say that?" I ask finally turning around. I found him looking around the room trying to connect one thing to another. I know my parents were well known in high school but I didn't know every detail. Since I'm not a jock, I don't know as much as they do.

"Well your dad used to be an 80's version of me," he says observing my face. "Are you offended?" he asks as I give him a confused look.

"No. why you ask?"

"You just had this look on your face," he says putting his hands in his jacket pocket. Psychologically speaking, he is extremely uncomfortable.

"You're uncomfortable," I state bluntly. "why?" I added as he gave me a weird look.

"Because I'm only comfortable around people I know,"

" But why is that?"

"Because they know me, and unlike you, I'm not in my house."

"So the environment is making you uncomfortable?"

"Are you analyzing me?" he asks studying my face. "Because if you are, that would make me even more uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry," I said pushing my glasses above the bridge of my nose. He smiles his usual smile at me. It wasn't even genuine because I could see it didn't reach his eyes like it would with Nate.

"I've heard you analyze people but I always thought it was a rumor,"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because it's odd, no one actually take time to figure people out,"

"So, it's rare not abnormal," I said as he whispers something that I couldn't comprehend. I shrugged it off as we started working on our project.

Joshua Anderson is pictured.