Knocking On Death's Door

Chapter 12

"Hey you" I close my locker door, I feel myself begin to sweat and my heart races. I turn and face her icy blue eyes, she's biting her tongue and trying to appear sexy.

"What do you want Karen?" I ask, she giggles and bites her tongue again, this was Karen, she flirts with one guy, gets bored of him and moves on, and apparently I'm her next target.

"Nothing much, just that you take me to dinner tonight" she answers, looking me up and down, I shudder uncomfortably.

"Karen, I'm really not in the mood" I tell her, I lean against my locker and look into her eyes, she looks back and smiles flirtatiously.

"Six works for me."

"Are you daft? No, I don't want to go out" I say, anger rising within my voice, she's oblivious to it.

"Fine, seven it is" she replies, smiling than winking at me.

"What's going on here?" Eli's voice says beside me, his arms are crossed over his chest and he has an irritated and stern expression across his face.

"Oh nothing, Mark here was just saying how he's excited to take me to dinner tonight, he's ready to ditch the screwed up kids and their screwed up families" Karen hisses, Eli frowns.

"Bye Mark" Karen says, putting a hand on my shoulder as she walks away. I put my fingers to the corners of my eyes, Eli turns to me.

"The hell are you thinking, going on a date with that!" Eli demands, his voice is loud and resonates through the hall, some people turn to stare and Eli's cheeks are now tinted a pale pink.

"I didn't say anything, she just kind of. . . Arranged it" I say, still confused as to what just happened.

"Then cancel it, dumbass!" Eli practically yells, the entire hallway turns to glare at us, Eli's cheeks turn an even brighter pink.

"I can't, Karen will start an upheaval about it and it'll be all anyone talks about for the rest of the semester" I press my thumbs together in the air and then move my hands apart, like a banner or a newspaper headline.

"Imagine it, Mark Spier cancels a date with high school royalty, Karen Hills, oh boy what a rough year he'll have."

"Okay, I get it, ditching Karen will cause a drastic decline in your social status" Eli says dryly, his lips are drawn in a straight line and his eyes are distant and glazed over.

"Eli come on, I didn't mean it like that" I say, Eli straightens his backpack and gives me a very fake, half smile.

"Sure you did" he replies and walks off, I sigh and bang my fist against the locker, I get an irritated glance from a freshman girl with brown cornrows, I apologize and head to class, irritated at Eli for being so sensitive. I weave through the hallways until I arrive at my class, closing the door behind me I sigh exasperatedly, dreading the date and hoping I can make up with Eli.

~

Eli hasn't texted me since this morning, I'm at my desk, reading a boring book Mrs. Fields assigned us today, I skim over the rusty smelling pages, the book is old and dusted, it must be ancient because I literally found a business card for Palladium Portraits, that company shut down like thirty years ago.

I swivel around and look over at my clock, the brass hands read six fifty, I wasn't going to get Karen from her house, hell, I don't wanna think about her right now, but I do know she'll come, even if I don't pick her up. I scribble some notes down about the boring book then put it down on my desk, running my finger along its spine absentmindedly. I jump as my phone buzzes, I grab it and hold it in front of my face, the light from it is blinding.