me, texas, and the popular boy

chapter 2

"So, like, what's the deal with this Sunfall East Coast West Coast feud?" We were in my dad's car once again. Which, might I add, was sick. He was a bachelor living alone in Houston, so he had a little black two-seater convertible. We were going to go find me a bike in downtown. My dad chuckled.

"I don't think it's a feud necessarily," He collected his thoughts for a moment, "There's no "rich" or "poor" side of town. The commercial district just separates the two. I'm not an expert, though, I just moved here a few weeks ago."

"How many people go to each school?" I was a curious person, "I mean, if you know."

"I have an all-seeing eye daughter. My third eye shows about 700 students in each high school," he held his hand to his forehead.

"Get out," I pushed his arm.

"Of course I know Mags," He chuckled, "I wasn't about to send you to a school I knew nothing about."

Our little chat fizzled out, so we sat in the car, listening to a playlist of songs that I couldn't differentiate from one another, so I just called each one "Born to Run." I started thinking about my mother. I suspected they divorced because she cheated on my father. I hadn't listened to them talk in a very long time. Just a quick hello when I was face timing my father. But I also remembered them playing when I was little. Maybe it was glorified in my head as I was a child looking at her parents, but I wondered. I looked up at my dad before saying, "Do you miss Mom?"

He didn't reply for a little bit. He'd obviously heard me. He focused on the road as he said, ''I miss your mother from when we met. I miss her laugh, but her laugh left long before I left her."

I didn't respond. I smiled at him. We rode in until we reached a parking lot in downtown. We walked to the shop and I picked out a red skirt bike. It was kind of expensive for a bike, but my dad didn't bat an eye. While we grew up a little bit poorer, my parents' careers had since developed and money wasn't really a problem anymore. 

As we were walking out of the shop, my dad starting talking to me, "So, Margaret I have a proposition for you."

He then took out a package of sunflower seeds from his jean pocket, put some in his mouth, then pointed the bag towards me as to offer me some. I was wheeling the bicycle to the car and needed both hands. I couldn't have taken sunflower seeds if I wanted them. I narrowed my eyes at him, "That better not have been the proposition."

"'Twas not!"

"So what is it then?"

"Well," he took another handful of sunflower seeds, "You're supposed to go register at the school today. And we could try to fit the bike into the car."

I looked at the two seater and pretty much decided that it would be impossible for my bike to fit in it, "Uhuh."

"Or..." he continued, "You could just ride it straight down main until you reach the school, and then when you're done you could meet me at home and we can go to the city for dinner."

"I've been tricked."

"Not necessarily tricked, rather manipulated.

"I hate you so much," I sat on my bike.

"Hey, kid." He grabbed my arm, "Good luck."

I kissed his cheek and I was off.

~~~

I cruised right into the bike rack at the school. Let me tell you, it wasn't Boston. Bikes were parked next to mine, with no locks in sight. There were directions to each parking lot - one for each grade, excluding freshmen, the front was "For faculty and our distinguished guests." A custodian was hanging up a royal blue and orange banner with an octopus on it that read "Welcome and Welcome back"