Almost Famous: The Next Phase

Chapter 20

The rest of the school day went slower than I thought it would. It was a so much of a drag that every moment of the day felt as if I was sitting in each class for an eternity. All I wanted to do was go home and get ready for the formal. It was actually exciting to have a date to the dance. Truthfully I almost didn't think I was going to get a date in time anyway. If anything Rachel would have been more than happy to go with me just so I wouldn't feel left out. I swear I really don't know what I'd do without her sometimes. In fact she's the only person I'd rather spend my time with this week since he who shall not be named decided he wants to be my father instead of my friend. Prince can be such a jerk! I can't believe he really had the balls to tell me who I can and can't hang with. I tell him all the time that Andre is an idiot and will kill his IQ with every second he's around him but did he listen to me? HELL NO! So he has not right to say anything about what I do! God what's his issue?!?!? You he'd take how I feel into consideration but he doesn't. So now that the tables have turned I bet he'll be a little more sensitive about what I want. At least that was what I thought. When the bell rang and I was dismissed from biology I was met with a note on my locker from an unknown.

"Who's this from?" I thought as I snatched the note from the tape used to hold it on to the door.

I opened it and it was a picture of a rose. It was very well drawn and at the bottom it said "thank you for blooming into my life." It was a cute gesture but where did it come from and who left it for me. If it's even for me at all. Maybe someone got the wrong locker or something. Still I kept the note and opened my locker to grab my algebra book when the sound of laugher rounding the corner hit my ears. Peering from behind the door I could see Andre and the guys heading my direction. I turned my attention back to the inside of my locker and prayed to god that they wouldn't notice me. I guess god was too busy to answer that call because the next thing I knew a hand grabbed my shoulder.

"Girl what's wrong with you?!?!?" Andre asked angrily.

"What are you taking about Anderson?" I flatly asked keeping my focus in my locker.

"He's talkin' bout you and Skip having a verbal beat down this morning before homeroom!" Morris chimed in.

Letting out a huff I closed my locker and turned to face the small group of four.

"So you hanging out with the clans offspring huh? Don't you know that's a fucked up thing to do Mouse? What if something happens to you?" Andre asked in frustration.

Once again I found myself explaining the situation and getting pissed off all over again.

"Look I'm gonna tell you assholes the same thing I told him. Peter nor his family are apart of the KKK. Our moms work together at the hospital and his father is a preacher at the Catholic Church uptown. Now if you don't mind I'm gonna be late for class."

I tried to push passed Morris and Jerome but they decided to block me in.

"Not so fast woman!" Andre said to me standing just to the right of Morris.

I rolled my eyes and tried again to push passed them but I failed again.

"Come on nerds let me by!" I exclaim in anger.

"For what? You owe Prince an apology!" Andre said.

"Like hell I do! If anything he's the one that should be apologizing to me!"

"Both of y'all need to get y'all shit together and apologize to each other! Y'all are supposed to be cool but y'all acting all hormonal and shit! Damn just fuck each other and get it over with already!"

All of us looked at Andre with confused and oddly disgusted looks on our faces. When he figured out why we were all looking at him that way he did his best to explain himself.

"I don't mean it like that. What I mean is..... you and him like each other and I get that but y'all can't fuck up the friendship at the same time."

"Tell that to him! I already told him how I feel about him. Ya think he gives a shit?"

"Mouse I get that but I heard him talking to Dez last week and he just doesn't know how to tell you right now. I guess he thinks that if he can't have you then nobody can."

"Well Dezzy did he say anything else about me?" I asked him facing his direction.

"Not since that day no. But Andre is right. You two need to find some common ground. I know told him how you felt but he's gotta do the same and unfortunately he won't do it until you beat it out of him."

The obnoxious laughed or Jerome and Morris made me cut my eyes at their inappropriate humor.

"He said beat it out of him!" Jerome snickered as he leaned on Morris laughing until he was red in the cheeks.

"C'mon Mouse beat him real good too!" Morris replied.

"You two are disgusting!" I said with a slight smile.

  "Come on Mouse you know it was funny you can laugh!" Dez said as he giggled his heart out.

I finally couldn't hold it in and just laughed OT out and leaned against my locker for support. Just as we were all getting out of a tense situation the dark cloud that was Prince came strolling in and the laughed subsided immediately.

  "Aw hell here we go." Morris said under his breath as he cleared his throat.

  "What are y'all doin'? We're gonna be late for class!" Prince hissed at his friends.

His glaring eyes looked at me as if I was the reason he was going to be late.

  "Man get the drum stick outcha ass the bell ain't ring yet and it's only study hall! All you ever do is sleep anyway!" Morris shot at him.

Prince just sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes.

  "Whatever. I'll see y'all slackers later." He said before leaving.

  "He's such a jealous ingrate!" I hiss to his back.

Prince stopped in the middle of the hall but didn't turn to face me once. I burned a hole in the back of his head as he stood there.

  "Chill out Regan you know he flies off the handle when things ain't going his way." Jerome replied as we all watched.

Prince shook his head and kept walking until he made a left down the hall and was out of sight.

  "Well we better get going too. See you at lunch Mouse." Andre said as he gently backhanded Morris as a cue to leave.

The guys went down the hall and made the same left into the study hall room as the bell rang. My Language Arts teacher came out of the classroom as she was about to close the door and signaled me to hurry. I stood up from my locker and ran down the hall and into the room.

  "Nice to see you can join us Miss Jenson. Now shall we proceed?" Mrs. Carrie asked.

  "Yes ma'am." I said to her taking my seat.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see Peter looking over at me with a grin. I looked over and he gave me a wave and I waved back. Finally someone who actually appreciates me!