Oleander

Chapter 11

Oleander : The Clueless

Oleander wasn't surprised to see no sign of Kenneth at school. It did disappoint him to no end but it was expected. Kenneth seemed like a free bird and not something to be kept in a cage like a pet. Oleander was scared that if he tried to hold on too tight he would break him. So he ambled to class without even paying attention to anything going around him. He didn't even fight back as a boy shoved him and whispered "faggot". He hated this town and it's backward thinking. Homophobic was not even enough to describe this god forsaken town.

Oleander wished he stayed in one of the big cities where he could be whoever he wanted and people wouldn't judge him for who he was. Of course he knew that not everyone would be accepting but not to the extent of the people in this town. They went on poking their noses in everyone's business and what he once thought was concern was now something uglier and unseemly. Their eyes had started to scare him.

*

Just as he thought of how dull this day had been he heard someone call out his name. He instinctively looked back to see it was one of his old friends who were not really his friends anymore. He gave her a cold look as she walked up to him briskly. Classes had just gotten over and streams of young boys and girls walked past him stumbling and fumbling in the never ending crowd. She pushed past the crowd like she was swimming upstream against the current while Oleander just stood there his fists curling and not understanding why he was waiting for her to reach him.

Imogen Arlington was the definition of stuck up. She was rich and beautiful and she thought that was a one way ticket to being ruler of all. She was a tyrant and Oleander knew it. He had not liked her all that much or tried to get closer to her then the usual "hey, what's up?" and small talk. She was dating one of his football friends but he never came to the conclusion of which guy it really was. He steered clear when it came to dating drama and gossip and he knew anyway that Imogen hopped from one boy to the next like she was playing hopscotch.

She caught his arm and he stared at her perfectly painted crimson nails digging into his bicep. "What do you want" Oleander gritted absolutely livid at her for touching him for some reason. "Let's talk somewhere where people aren't trying to maul us and suffocate us with body odour" her pretty face scrunched up in disgust. He didn't say a word as he followed her because he couldn't think of anything else to do. It almost made him sigh.

I'll just listen to what she has to say and leave as fast as I can Oleander thought. He followed her into the Teaching Faculty parking lot. It was relatively more empty than the parking lot for the students. She tapped her heels impatiently on the tarmac as she waited for the last of the cars to whizz past them. Oleander couldn't even think of what she had to tell him in private that he didn't already know. After all he had been King in the playground of High School. He knew everything he had to know about the popular kids except maybe who was dating whom which was basically the majority of what was interesting about them. Maybe he didn't know everything.

"So I heard you have been hanging out with Kenny" she blurted out quite suddenly. Oleander frowned as he didn't understand how it concerned her and he was about to say the same when she spoke before he could say anything. "It won't do you any good if you hang out with him sweetie" the sweetie seemed forced to Oleander and he was even more agitated and confused. He couldn't even understand how she knew he had hung out with Kenneth when he had met him only once at school and the second time he met him he had kissed him. Oleander could feel the heat in his ears when he thought of the kiss.

"How do you know him?" Oleander had many questions in his mind but he decided to start with that.

"That brat is my cousin. Ugh! He is so embarrassing honestly, but Lee I am only telling this because James is really worried about you. I know we were never really that close but I care about you" she sighed. Oleander was now more confused than ever but at least he got to know who's girlfriend she was. He was rather clueless and a tad bit careless.

"I don't understand -" he had started to say but was rudely cut off by the blonde headed girl. "You've shut us all out. Even the ones that really care for you Lee. James and Darren have been trying to talk to you but you always ignore them and then I heard that you have been hanging out with that ridiculous cousin of mine. Don't look so clueless now Lee! Get yourself together!Kenny Rogers is bad news. He's trouble I tell you and you've already had your fair share of it. I hope you're wise enough to stay away from him" she rattled quite seriously.

Oleander was so confused that he didn't know what to say as Imogen went on about staying away from Kenneth like he was some biohazard. Why was she telling him to stay away? but before he could even begin to understand she was off with a "shit I have cheer practice. I'll see you around yeah?"

Women confused the hell out of him.

a/n : hey guys, are you still reading this?