You Don't Know..What you Don't Know

Chapter Eight: Summer

The next week for me is very busy preparing for high school.  Mom, Jim and I go back-to-school shopping. We buy "New me" clothes much to my mother's disliking.  She wasn't ready for the new and improved Tia.  My brother helps win her over.  Thankfully, someone is alright with me growing up. Torri is never far from my mind and the ache I feel for him is so real.  I have to get past it.  We live two different lives in two different cities. I don't text him and he doesn't text me.  That what I get for letting him take the lead.  Disappointment stings, but why stretch out the despair.  I hope to see him soon, but my life needs my focus.

Because of this little depression, I do not want to hang around my friends.  Truth be told, I don't want to be reminded of the old me.  I like the me that left Baltimore the other day and can't let my friends ruin it. They catch up with me though.  Brandi calls me on Monday and asks if I will walk with her up to the elementary school.

Brandi is a tall blonde with a swimmers build.  She practices night and day to swim at a competitive level.  To say her muscles are defined is an understatement.  She doesn't look like a guy on steroids, but she definitely has a body.  Add the blonde hair and blue eyes and you have a great combination.  She is alright as a friend.  She loves that I am a follower.  She assumes the role of leader.  I let her have her way in the past.  The problem is...I don't follow anymore. She's in for a huge surprise.

Brandi met some boys while I was away and didn't want to face them alone again. She needs me as a wingman.  Jamie, our other friend, is at the beach. I'm her last resort.  She likes one of them named Tim and is trying to get him isolated.  She has not been successful.  He is always with a group of boys.  They are from the Boys Home up the street from us. The Virginia Home for Boys is a mixture of Bad and Orphaned boys.  The boys bunk four to a room together and are supervised by counselors. I never dealt with any of them up to now.  They didn't go to the middle school with us.  It seems that we will be mixed with them at the high school. 

From Brandi's gushing, Tim is blonde too and looks (her words not mine) "Damn Good".  She needs me to go today to distract the other boys so she can make her move. The walk to the elementary school is at least an hour.  Brandi makes numerous remarks on my new hair, makeup and clothes.  She makes me feel like I look all wrong. "I don't understand.  You go away for two weeks and come back and you just change.   Change into that. I don't like it.  It looks horrible." Well Brandi, I really don't care what you like because I like it. Athena thought. It will be nice one day to be able to voice her opinion but today, I am the timid one remember. 

"I am just trying it out.  See where it goes for high school. My cousin spent all this money, ya know." She makes some other comments, but I start singing in my head again and tune them out.  I am determined to start school as the new me.  She really does not expect a reply anyway.

We go over to the basketball courts where I notice a group of guys sitting in the center of the small court.  There are five guys in all.  I am stunned.  I thought we were just meeting one, maybe two.  Five..Oh my gosh.  Thanks Brandi. None of them look up as we approach.  They all seem to be listening to something on their phones.   "Hey guys" Brandi makes one of them scoot over and sits down. I stand there outside the ring.  A little awkward, but I didn't really want to sit in a ring of boys. 

"What's up..Who's the new girl?" one of them says without even looking at me.  Brandi waves her hands like I am to walk the catwalk.  "This is Tia.  Tia, this is the boys." Thanks Brandi, I appreciate the introduction with names. 

One of the boys starts laughing and looks up.  His lips part in surprise at me, then he quickly changes it to that "Bad boy" expression.  "Tia, huh, what the hell kind of name is that."