Rushlow in the Making

Chapter 11

               You reply to almost everyone, to your family, to your friends, to your teachers, to life even; but it depends on who it is, that changes the meaning of the reply or even your actions towards it.
I remember once when I was around 10 years old, my dad asked me to clean up the playroom, but all I wanted to do was watch TV.
Then my mom walked in, and she could be very scary at times and asked me to clean up the playroom, and I did, because it was who I was replying to that changed my actions.
There are things like this every day, and sometimes things, even in the air, can change your emotion or action towards someone.
I was eating breakfast watching TV, and since my dad was downstairs, we had to watch the news.
"A boy named Gordon Taylor missing from 3 years ago, from a small town of Yolo, California," (still an actual place by the way), "we now have finally got some information on when he was last seen" A picture shows a white car. "'A Dover White 1959 Cadillac was his car  when we were last in contact' Tristen Taylor, the father of Gordon says."
"That's so sad," my dad says breaking the silence, "don't you ever get kidnapped" he looks at me with a threatening look.
"Okay I won't, I promise."
"this is the last known image of Gordon," a picture on the screen shows a scrawny looking boy with a triangular face, dark blue eyes, short sandy blond hair, thin lips, and slim glasses standing against the white Dover.
"If I do go missing, promise me you'll pick a better picture than that?"
"Sure," just then my sister appears at the bottom of the stairs, "Finally! What took you so long? It's time to go."
"I was picking out my amazing outfit of the day, obviously!" She did a cute twirl.
And off we went to the school. The place where dreams don't come true, only drama, idiocy, and most of all homework.
After everything that's been happening I keep running out of time to do my homework, I might as well pay someone to do half of it and that would still be too much.
But of course, that comes up with one problem... I have no money.
And I should find time to sit down and do it, but where do I find time with hanging with my friends, watching YouTube all day, and having to deal with the two idiots Aiden and Jason as an option instead.
But alas my grades are going downhill and it's not fun when my dad has to get involved, so I deem this day a work day!
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I ended up at The Elephant Shack doing my homework, by myself, with an eaten waffle and cold fries, listening to music.
So it came as a surprise when Avery, Lynn, and Laila walked in and sat down in my booth with no warning.
I jumped as Laila's lips started moving, I couldn't understand them, but that's when I remembered I had my earbuds in.
I removed them, "wait, what?"
She chuckled and repeated herself "How long have you been here?"
"For about an hour or longer," I say guiltily
"How long?" Avery piped in.
"5 hours" I moped, "I'm almost done though!" I said in defense.
"We need four strawberry milkshakes with extra whip-cream over here, stat!" Lynn yelled at the waiter, and he writes it down and hands it to the person over the counter.
"Wait I don't have enough money for mine!" I say.
"Don't worry I'll cover all of them" Laila looks over at my half-eaten food, "and for your food."
"You don't have to do that" I politely declined, but she insisted and I got a free lunch.
The milkshakes appear at the table and Lynn makes an evil grin over the glass and inhales the drink.
I work on my homework while we chat. Granted, I didn't get much done, I still got enough to the point where I could be done for the day.
We start towards the door while Laila pays, and I see a "WORK NEEDED" sign on the outside of the building.
"Hey, didn't you say you need money?" Lynn mentions to me.
"Yeah! And with that, I can drown the rest of my time down the drain!" I say sarcastically.
"Oh come on! You're already here all the time and you know everyone here! At least more than I do." Avery makes a point, which is hard to argue with.
"I don't know you guys," I say hesitantly.
Laila walks out and the bell on the door jingles "what's going on?"
"Oh, nothing just some good 'ol peer pressure into getting a job where you all can steal my employee discount!" I exclaim bluntly and start to walk to the car motioning the rest to follow, but no one moves.
"I didn't even think of that!" Avery says excitedly.
Laila looks at the sign then back to me, "actually that's not a bad idea. Think about it, you need money, a distraction, and a place you can loiter because my house is not always an option my friend." She gives me a look.
"What about the dance we have to plan the rest and we're not even close to being done!" How am I supposed to get myself out of this one, I don't like work.
It took an army to just get me out of bed. An army that consists of my body, an alarm clock and pressing snooze 10 times.
"Kenzey, what do you have to lose?" Lynn puts a hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eye for a second then bounds off towards the car, with Avery following close behind.
Laila proceeds to end her sentence with "think about it." And was calm to the car.
"Kay," I say grumpily because I know they are all right but I just don't want to.
I mean who wants to have to do so much to earn so little while at the same time sucking up time?
They chat while Laila drives us home as I stare out the window being as quiet as possible, trying not bring up the subject I am dreading to have with myself tonight.
Lynn and Avery were dropped off first because their houses were the closest and I assume Laila wants to talk to me more.
I'm in the front seat, sitting in silence.
"Why don't you want to?" Laila says breaking that silence I wanted to last forever.
I look at her and then back on the road. "I don't know."
"Oh, come on, what's going on? You can tell me."
"Really? Because literally a few days ago you could have cared less about how I felt, and now all of a sudden I'm the top of your list!"
"That's true," she paused. "Do you want to know why?
"Sure why not? I'm sure you're you would tell me anyway."
"Because, I saw something in you that I saw in my self when my parents got divorced, my mom left and my dad got remarried."
I looked at her with concern "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"Because I didn't tell you," she laughed and pulled into my driveway. "The thing I saw in you- what I see in you now, is hope, and potential, and anger, lots of anger that are fueling that fire in you. But most of all, you're compassionate. There's not a lot of people like that these days especially people that can kick ass like you can!" She nudged me. "I just hope that you're not done becoming you  because you're not done yet... you're, Rushlow in the making!" She waves her hand in the air like she's showing me a new movie title.
I laugh, "thanks, I needed that. I'm still not so sure about this job though."
"Well, I know that the girls and I support you no matter what crazy decision you make," she waits as I make my way out of the car "see you later?" She points finger guns at me.
"See you later" I return the finger guns.
I plop in my bed going over what just happened and I'm not mad.
Who knew, Laila Brochet, being actually nice, to me, Kenzey Rushlow, with actual feeling and stuff!
I guess she's more complicated than I originally thought.

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A/N

Hey hey hey! I know you don't even recognize me now, it's been so long!!

Well, I'm back and I had a burst of inspiration!

Now I'm going to go crawl back into my hole of self-depreciating jokes and my multiple sarcastic personalities!

See yah! Wouldn't want to be yah! Em out!✌️