Smoke Fight Ride

Chapter 4

Thanking the school Nurse he hurries to the last few minutes of Pop Culture Club, turning right past the office while planning ways to seek revenge on Billie Wight for her actions.

Wouldn't it be ironic if she copped a black eye before photo day? What a shame that would be... Maybe he best not wish for others misfortune, it might bite him in the ass when he least expects it worst than a broken nose and two partial black eyes.

Pushing the thoughts aside, he considers everything as worth the pain if he can make for the Japanese room now and at least participate in the final minutes of the club's first annual session.

It was supposed to be Kit's last first club session for his entire high school life, what with his lack persay of extra curricular involvement since ninth grade. He was never much the spirited participant his parents wished he was.

Approaching the classroom door voices manifest within the quiet. Some he recognised, others not so much.

"I can't believe we've never met before, you're amazing and your Pop Culture knowledge astounds me. Like, where have you been all this time?" Kit pinpoints the familiar sound of Scarlett Johnson's melodic tone.

"Well, I figured I might as well make the burden of senior year as easy as possible. Why not do so by joining a club where I'm practically a Jacqueline or all trades?" Wait, that voice isn't Scarlett's, is it? No, It couldn't be... here too?

Rounding the corner he pauses beside the lime green door, welcomed by a circular setting of plastic chairs —the scene identical to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings— centre of the vacant classroom.

There she sat reverse on the chair so her folded leather arms rest on the arch back, her legs straddle the seat whilst multitasking a toothpick in her mouth mid conversation.

"Don't get me wrong, Kit's all well and good, but it's refreshing to find someone who can rival his extensive knowledge." Johnson adds as an aside which he was clearly not supposed to hear.

Kit clears his throat to which Scarlett's cheeks match the shade of her name. "Hey Kit—what the hell happened?" Jesse asks leaning forward in his seat, drawn with concern, Scarlett's embarrassment transitions to shock as curious eyes rake his dishevelled appearance.

Their mouths hang agape clearly taken aback. Two other students —the Redfern twins— cock their heads at different angles like confused puppies, strands of identical ginger hair cascading over their cheeks and shoulders. "Shit, that looks like it hurt." They say in unison.

"Funny you ask that, Scarlett. Why don't we ask the newcomer?" He says with a sour look on his face while nodding toward Billie who stares at him through her eyelashes, accompanied by a challenging smirk.

"Trust me, dude, I've been cuming ages before you even knew what the word meant." Whistles and dramatic 'ooohs' echo through room bouncing off their surrounding, Jesse stifles a chuckle bitting his lip, "Hey, COOL IT! Come on, you know that's not what I meant." Kit adds sternly, fed up with her lack of responsibility for his injury which she inflicted.

"Personally I think it was an improvement from my perspective but unfortunately it's a case of mistaken identity on my part." Billie says, gesturing a sincere hand over her heart.

Who is she trying to fool?

"That's your excuse?! 'I'm sorry I broke your nose man, but I thought you were someone else, we cool now?!'" He imitates Billie's disregard for her actions, clenched fists turn bone white at his sides eyeing her careless manner. She remains unflinching clearly unimpressed.

"Why not? It's our last year. Let minor bygones be bygones, whatcha gotta say about that?" Scarlett intervenes uncertainly. Kit contemplates her proposal, emotion difficult to register among Billie's controlled expression.

"Wait a minute, I'm lost. Is anybody else lost? Yes? Well then, looks like an explanation is in order." Jesse asks and answers his own question.

The Redfern twins, Scarlett and he stare at them on the edge of their seats awaiting a reply. Replacing the well worn toothpick with chewing gum Billie responds in advance of Kit. "Thought he was Peat Huang." She states bluntly, a watermelon scent wafting in his direction as she speaks. They stare at each other.

The Pop Culture Club members share mutual quizzical glances, mouths open like Jesse. "Shit happens." She adds deadpan, clicking her tongue.

There would be nothing more satisfying than wiping the smug look off her unique face.

Leslie Redfern pipes up, her brother nodding along as she talks. "What did Peat Huang ever do to you, Billie? As far as we're concerned you're a force to be reckoned with and we just met you." They all murmur agreements in her direction. 

Billie is expressionless, cracking her knuckles one handed with an unbreakable off distance stare, she replies testily, "He did something I can't forgive, believe me I've tried." She shakes the stony expression that overcomes her gaze after a few seconds, leaning back to reveal a sliver of exposed skin above her waistband. 

Kit averts his eyes hoping his bruised eyes were enough distraction from his red face.

Between chews in the silence she adds as an after thought, "Karma's a bitch with bad anger management."

"Well," Scarlett exaggerates checking her watch to signal the present club members, as Rita Woodrow —their final member, a shy underdog— is absent. 

"Ok everyone? I guess we'll pick this up tomorrow, that way we can set up the weekly calendar and start organising our trademark events so that we can avoid the mishaps and last minute screw ups we've had over the last few years." Kit remembers an incident that resulted in the fire department making a sudden appearance. Don't ask.

Gripping the nearest object he steadies himself, head starting to spin, pins and needles speckle his head and vision. 

Pinching the fleshy section of his nose between his eyes, until Scarlett pats his shoulder tenderly wishing him a fast recovery he barely heard. 

He comes to noticing all the chairs had been stacked against the walls and he was alone in the Japanese rooms. Or so he thought.