Darling Clementine

Five

“So, how are your classes so far?” Jezebel asked biting into her turkey and tomato sandwich. “Make any new friends?”

I shook my head, propping my elbow on the table and resting my cheek on my fist. I was only four periods in and already immensely annoyed with the day. I was fed up with everyone asking me questions, and looking at me like I was some kind of meat. I didn’t want friends, or much less be at that damned school. And I was really dreading my next period. Ditching was out of the question. I was already in scalding water. I saw no point burying myself any deeper.

Jezebel’s lunch group consisted of three conventional looking seniors, including Mikey. One girl, Brooke, couldn’t keep her attention off of me. As soon as I sat down and Jezebel introduced me to her friends, Brooke was flipping her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder and smiling sweetly at me. She asked me all those questions new girls get asked like where I was from, how old I was, why I moved here and she even had the audacity to point out that my hair dye was fading and the blonde of my roots were showing. I had quickly decided I didn’t like Brooke.

Jezebel’s other friend, actually cousin, was almost the spitting image of Jezebel except her skin was darker and the dark ringlets of her hair were tighter and more pronounced. Jezebel’s nose was also a little flatter, but overlooking those slight differences, the two could have passed as twins. Jacqueline was quiet, not as quiet as me. She didn’t seem to like Brooke much either from the occasional glare Jacqueline would send her.

“Clementine, a bunch of us are going to the beach after school to boogie board.” Mikey said smiling my way, scooping some kind of pasta out of a tupple wear and shoving in into his mouth. “You should come.”

I didn’t miss the look Brooke sent Mikey with her dark brown eyes.

I ran a hand through my hair, pushing back the hair that hung in my eyes. “I can’t. I have to work.” I also don’t exactly know how to swim or boogie board for that matter. When you lived in a mountain town with only one lake that was frozen year round, there wasn’t much swimming.

“Oh come on girl!” Jezebel exclaimed leaning into the lunch table. “You could ask Vivian for the night off. I bet she would let you. C’mon, it will be fun.” Jezebel insisted.

“I said I can't.” I retorted and Jezebel frowned.

The table filled with silence. After a few moments, Mikey chuckled faintly. “Alright, another time then.”

“Where do you work Clementine?” Brooke questioned with her raised penciled in eyebrows.

More fucking questions? Why don’t you mind to your own life? “I deliver flowers.” I answered quietly tapping my finger nails on the table.

“That sounds like a cute little job.” She perked unscrewing the cap to her water bottle.

“Yeah,” I sighed rubbing my temple. I felt a headache approaching. “it’s great.” I uttered sarcastically.

“I used to deliver Pizzas.” Mikey commented shoving more bowtie pasta into his mouth. “It sucked.”

I nodded in agreement.

“I remember this one time I was delivering like thirty pizzas to this huge house party and it was bad enough that my car could barely fit all the pizza but the lady didn’t even pay in full and I got in so much trouble with my supervisor.” Mikey rolled his eyes. “Delivery business is the worst.”

 “Cheers to that.” I responded grinning at him. “I deliver flowers on a bike.”

 “With that broken arm?” Mikey’s eyes widened.