Chase
Not only did this morning start off bad it just kept getting worse. First I woke up to mom and dad having another scream match about who knows what this time. Like always it ended with dad storming off to his firm and mom drowning her cries out with the blender. She claimed she liked starting her day off with protein shakes, but I’d known for years now that nothing was being blended in that blender, and that those protein shakes were nothing but Vodka and God knows what else. She must have heard me coming through the foyer because she started humming something sweet and happy.
“Good Morning sweetheart!” Mom squealed with extra sugary sweetness. I could already smell the Vodka on her breath.
“Morning mom. Dad already left?” I asked already knowing the answer.
She hesitated a little before saying, “Oh yes, um Sarah called and said that a meeting had been scheduled for this morning. Apparently she must have forgotten to write it down. You tend to forget things when you’re out all night doing my…” She stopped suddenly and just smiled at me while she sipped her concoction. She added that last little part with edge in her voice and kinda under her breath. I ignored it like I did everything else nowadays, kissed her on the cheek and went upstairs to get ready for school.
I had barely pulled on my Polo when I heard Taylor Swift’s You Belong With Me coming from my phone. I groaned and shook my head because once again Stacey, my girlfriend of 3 years, had set that bullshit as her ringtone. I tried to shake the irritation out of my voice as I answered the phone.
“Hello”.
“Hey baby! I was thinking you could pick me up this morning since you got your new car and all, and you know Daddy is having mine fixed. Plus it will give us a chance to show our new classmates who the king and queen of Valley are and we get to show off your new car at the same time. What do you think baby?” She practically squeaked into my ear.
“Yea, sure Stace. I’ll be there in 10.” I sighed into the phone.
“Kay. Just honk and I’ll be right out babe. Love ya ciao.” She giggled into the my ear.
The crazy thing was that I had loved Stacey since the 4th grade when girls were still supposed to have cooties, but all that didn’t matter to me. I knew we were supposed to be together. Stacey was always thought of as the golden girl all through school and nothing had changed when we got to high school. When we reached freshman year she had fed into all the golden girl bullshit and became what everyone else thought the golden girl should be. She dyed her beautiful brown hair bleach blonde, went tanning like crazy, made sure her nails were done to perfection, and plastered her face in make-up. She was the very definition of a rich spoiled Barbie princess, and she had no problem flaunting it in people’s faces. Still she was beautiful, and I still loved every fake inch of her. Recently however, I could feel myself growing away from her. I was sick of all her little games, her friends, and her attitude. It didn’t matter though, because as the “golden boy” I was supposed to be with Stacey. My dad liked her, rather he liked looking at her, and mom loved her.
My mom always said, “that’s the type of girl you want on your arm. Comes from a good family and is beautiful.”
Which basically translated to she comes from money like us and will stay pretty enough till she needs plastic surgery like the rest of my mom’s friends. Stacey’s family loved me as well; of course they were just like my family. However, unlike my lawyer father, hers was a big construction tycoon none the less she was loaded just like me. So naturally our families thought we were a great pair of course, and we were, at first. I was just sick of it I guess, but it didn’t matter. Eventually I’d probably end up marrying her, and have little “golden children” just like everyone expected. So, like I had for the past few months, I put on a good face for my mom as I walked out and hopped in my car to pick up Stacey.
The whole ride to school Stacey kept going on and on about how she didn’t feel safe with the kids from Central being rezoned to Valley. Or how she had a feeling something bad was going to happen with them now attending our school.
“I mean for fuck sake they have drug dealers, gangbangers, and goddamn shootings there! Don’t get me wrong I know their school burned down but shit!”
“Honestly Stace I don’t think it’s going to be that bad. I talked to coach and he said with the talent from Central we’re like guaranteed championships in basketball and football this year.” I knew she wasn’t listening because I wasn’t agreeing with her. Plus I could see her texting out of the corner of my eye. She just sat there silently laughing at something she was texting. She put her phone up, plugged in her ipod and blasted Gucci from my speakers.
“I'm starting off the day with the paper, the paper me and Flockaveli nigga ballin is my major.” Stacey was rapping along as we pulled into the school parking lot. As I drove past some spots in the back of the parking lot I noticed an empty space next to Impala.
“Fuck!” I screamed slamming on my brakes as I damn near rammed dead into a black Mazda. I thought I could hear screams from the other car until I realized I had forgot Stacey was in the car with me. I looked over at her to make sure was alright, just as 3 huge black dudes walked up to my car looking mad as hell.
“What the fuck!” I could hear the one with the dreads saying. The two with fades just stared at me and Stacey looking extremely pissed. I jumped out of my seat so quick, I didn’t even remember taking off my seatbelt.
“Dude I’m so sorry. I wasn’t pay..”
“I don’t give a shit what you were doing. You damn near hit my girl!”
While I was talking to dreadhead I forgot all about the driver of the other car until I looked behind him. She got out of the car and stood behind dreadhead, but when she did it was like everyone else in the parking lot disappeared. She was absolutely beautiful. I had never in my life seen anyone that shockingly pretty before without them being on TV or something. I had practically hit her and she didn’t even look mad. Well she didn’t until Stacey got out of the car and started running her damn mouth.
“Omg Chase! Are you ok? Do I need to like call school security or something? Did they hurt you baby? See just like I said in the car the rezoning was a bad idea. These people are dangerous!” She shrieked.
As soon as the words “these people” came out of Stacey’s mouth I knew this situation was about to get a lot worse. By the looks of Stacey’s face she knew it to because she ducked back into my car without saying another word. Dreadhead and the girl then turned their angry gaze on me.
“Wha da fuck dat gal mean by dat! Dese people?” The driver screamed with an accent that sounded like she was from some island.
“I don’t know, but I bet his punkass knows!” Dreadhead shouted.
“Look you guys I’m sorry I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, my bad. And I’m sorry about what she said. She hasn’t really figured out the whole think before you speak thing. I’ll just find another space, it’s not a big deal. Oh, and welcome to Valley.” When I got back in the car Stacey was clearly replaying what had just happened to one of her friends. I didn’t care. All I was concerned about was finding a space and leaving the still gathering crowd right where they were. I’d just have to find out who the driver was another time, and hopefully on better terms.
