Authors: Beverly Marsh
Turns out, detention was just the most boring thing on earth.
For over an hour or so, they were treated to Mr. Kessler’s sermons about how to be a “good student”, and how music was so great during his time that it was soothing. He went on and on about how music these days was quite ordinary, and there was nothing special about it. He was also all about how kids these days seemed rude and uncanny and said that the kids in detention were great examples of that.
More so, Karlie felt uncomfortable because she was sandwiched between Joey and Colin. Damn, she just felt so hot inside, she felt like her panties were twitching. Upon entering the room with Colin, the only available seats were those next to Joey’s, so she sat down beside Joey, and Colin sat next to her.
She was sandwiched between two of the hottest guys in school
, she thought, and all these things were ringing in her head.
She was only so glad when the bell rang, and they got to go out of the room.
“Can we not do this again?” Karlie asked no one in particular and sighed.
“Hey, you got to sit with us. That wasn’t so bad.” Joey teased.
Karlie rolled her eyes. “Shut it.” She said, but she was smiling inside.
“Wait a second,” Joey said, “You guys are not going home already, right?”
“Well, I really have no plans, so might as well—” Colin said but Joey cut him off.
“Oh, you’re not serious about that.” He said, “Why don’t we go out? The three of us? I’m pretty sure you want to hang out with your detention-mate.”
“Well, we don’t hang out with drunks.” Karlie quipped although she was pretty sure that Joey wasn’t really a drunkard.
“Funny, Karlie,” Joey said. “She was always like that even when we were kids. She’d always pretend that she doesn’t want to go out with me when it was obvious that she wants to.” He sighed. “Anyway, we’re not drinking or anything. Let’s just go for chips and coffee at
The Loft,
what do you think?”
The Loft
was this new coffee shop just near their school. It had a really artsy interior and a comforting ambiance.
So, Joey was into those things, too?
Karlie wondered.
Apparently, there were a lot of things that she didn’t know about him.
“Hey, that’s a nice place,” Colin said, in his sweet Italian accent. “Karlie, what do you think?”
“I’d love to.” She smiled. She just couldn’t contain her excitement.
“Great!” Colin said. “Come on, we can take my car.”
“Thanks, man,” Joey said, and they bumped their fists together.
Colin walked ahead of them on the way to the parking lot.
Joey walked closer to her, so they were now side by side. “So,” he said, “You like your Italian man, huh?” He teased.
“Shut up.” She said, but she had a smile on her face. “I didn’t know you like The Loft.”
“Sweetie,” he said, “there are still so many things you don’t know about me.”
“Whatever, beaver.” She said. “Come on.”
They then walked towards Colin and into the first few notes of sunset.
***
“You’re kidding, right?” Karlie asked Joey after eating a potato chip dipped in the best tartar sauce she’s ever tried. “You’re in detention because this girl egged your car? I don’t get it.”
“She’s Mr. Kessler’s niece,” Joey explained. “We went out for like, two dates and I didn’t think she would take it seriously. But, apparently, she did, and so she went to my house, egged my car, and she was shouting all these things…And you know how Mr. Kessler lives near my house, right?”
“He does?” Colin butted in. “Whoa, man, you’re really in trouble.”
“Damn, I forgot he did!” Karlie said. “Really, Joey, you should start getting on his good side.”
“I know,” Joey grinned as he sipped some coffee. He went on talking. “So, he went out of his house, and he said that I was acting like an uneducated person again, so, that’s detention for me.”
“But that’s wrong!” Karlie argued. “I mean, he shouldn’t have placed you in detention just because you dated his niece, and it didn’t work out. Why didn’t you protest?”
“Why would I?” Joey said. “Let him be.” He went on. “He enjoys punishing students, you know? And besides, what’s one last detention?” He now had a smile on his face. “I can still remember when Colin was new, and he was in detention, too.”
“Wait, you were in detention before?” Karlie asked. “This isn’t your first time?”
“Nah,” Colin answered. “I was new then and Mr. Kessler thought I was being disrespectful because my English was still pretty bad then.”
“Damn,” Karlie muttered. “He’s really insane, isn’t he? Joey and I have done worse things before. I mean when we were kids.”
“Yeah, like we used to pick the flowers that he was trying to grow,” Joey said.
“Because I wanted to be the queen of the roses!” Karlie finished and laughed. “Oh my god, that was such a long time ago.” She sighed. “Can’t believe this is our last couple of days in school.”
“Yeah, time does fly,” Colin said. “I always thought I’d go back to Italy after High School, though.”
“Yeah?” Karlie asked. She wondered if he was still thinking of this now because she hoped that he had other plans. Not that she had a lot to say about him deciding to stay here, but then again, a girl can dream…
“Yeah,” Colin answered after sipping some coffee. “But now, I’m not too sure. I mean, I feel like there are so many things about New York that I still don’t know about. I haven’t even spent lots of time in Central Park. Not that it’s a big thing, but—”
“You’re kidding, right?” Joey butted in as he ate some chips. “Central Park is the bomb.” He said. “I don’t go there often anymore, but so many good memories are connected to that place. You know when Karlie and I were young, we used to go boating there…sometimes with our parents, then one time, I think we were 12 then—”
Karlie knew this story so well that she couldn’t help but butt in. “We rode the canoes alone and it was fun.” She now had a smile on her face, and she went on. “The people there thought we were older because Joey here already looked like a 20-year-old—”
“Hey, that’s not fair!”
They then laughed and Karlie went on. “Anyway,” she said, “I guess that was the last time that Joey and I hung out. But it was amazing. We just stayed in the park for like, the whole day and we ate all the pretzels and hotdogs we could eat. Damn, it’s been too long.” She said. “I couldn’t believe we haven’t hung out that long.”
“Well, it’s not too late,” Joey said and smiled. “And besides, Colin hasn’t been around a lot so maybe we could tour him around and show him all those spots—”
“Not your make-out spots, of course.” Karlie quipped.
“Funny, Karlie.” Joey shot back.
“But yeah, seriously, Colin,” Karlie said, “Where haven’t you been?”
Colin took a deep breath, prodding over Karlie’s question. “Well, the only place my ex-girlfriend and I frequented was the Rockefeller, and we weren’t together that long. I guess she really just wanted to spend her winter there…”
“Seriously?!” Karlie said, appalled, “That’s so corny. There’s so much more to New York than Rockefeller. Have you ever been to Empire State? I know it’s like, old school, but the observation deck is still amazing. Surely, you’ve been to
MoMA?”
“Yeah, of course.” Colin quipped. “I have to say it’s really interesting there. Maybe, and hopefully, someday I could put up my stuff there.”
Karlie tapped his hand. “I’m sure it’ll happen.” She smiled. “But again, that’s not all there is to New York. We really do have to bring you in Central Park sometimes.”
“I’d love that,” Colin said. “I mean, we only have a couple of days before graduation, so…why not?” He grinned. “I’ve always wanted to go to Chinatown, you know. Just haven’t had the right people with me, I guess.”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t been there,” Karlie said. “Weird.”
“It’s because you’re still such a princess, Karlie.” Joey teased. “I’ve been there a couple of times. It’s fun. Plus, the food’s heavenly!”
“Huh,” Karlie muttered. “Somehow, I’m not sure if I should believe that.”
“Hey, I brought you here!”
“Fair point.” Karlie grinned. “Well, so that’s on the list now. And if we’re going to Chinatown, we should also go to Little Italy. I love it there! It’s quite chic, you know.”
“I like the sound of that,” Colin said as he squeezed her hand and made Karlie blush.
“You’re forgetting the really great places, though,” Joey said. “Battery Park, Central Park, High Line, Grand Central—”
“I’ve been to Grand Central.” Colin quipped.
“Well, maybe not that, then.” Joey went on. “Maybe, we could also check out the Flatiron. Pretty sure you’ve heard of that and then maybe we could end it all with—”
“Coney Island.” Karlie smiled. “I always loved Coney Island. It would be a good place to celebrate the end of our
“Tour New York Adventure
”.
“So, this has a name now, huh?” Colin grinned. “But I like how that sounds.”
“Of course,” Karlie winked, “I’m a genius.”
“Enough flirting and more doing,” Joey said.
“Excuse me?” Karlie said, raising an eyebrow. “We are so not flirting!”
“Well, maybe you have a point,” Joey said, “I mean, when was the last time you actually flirted with someone, really?”
“That’s none of your business,” Karlie said. “And besides, why would you even care about the state of my love life? I’m not the one who dates a different girl each month. And don’t even try to deny it.”
“I just don’t want to get tied down until I know that I absolutely like someone.”
“But man, that’s kind of jerky behavior, too,” Colin said. “I mean, you can’t always just be with a girl and leave her hanging.”
“It’s not always the case, though,” Joey said. “I mean, I know I’m not a saint but, most of those girls knew what they were getting.”
“But you sleep with all of them!” Karlie argued.
“Of course I don’t,” Joey said. “Just because you go out with someone doesn’t mean you’re supposed to sleep with them unless both of you want to. What about you, Colin? Any plans of getting tied down anytime soon?”
“No, not really,” Colin answered in his Italian twang. “I mean, I haven’t been in a lot of relationships, but, you know…sometimes, I feel like people care too much about finding the one when who knows? Maybe, there’s more than one person who’s meant for you. Or maybe, you find one right person for each significant time in your life. You know what I’m saying?”
“I agree,” Joey said. “You know how Frida Kahlo and her husband had this other woman with them, too, right? Or if you’ve seen the film
Vicki Cristina Barcelona
, you’d know that it could actually work out, too.”
This made Karlie think.
Growing up the way she did, it was always like people should just live in a certain path, and this path would determine how his or her life would turn out to be.
But, what if Joey and Colin were right?
What if sometimes, you really don’t have to find “the one” but rather enjoy time with people who get to touch your heart at important parts of your life?
“Do you seriously believe that, though?” She asked. “I mean, do those things actually happen in real life?”
“Who knows?” Joey said. “But one thing that I’m sure of is that life’s never really in black and white. And you’d never realize the beauty of it unless you open up your mind.”
“Thanks, Colin!” Karlie called out as Colin stopped his car in front of her house. Joey went down with her, too.
“See you guys tomorrow.” He said.
“Bye!”
Karlie couldn’t help but grin as soon as she realized that she actually was in detention and that she had to hang out with two of the hottest and dreamiest guys in school.
Maybe, she was insane for thinking that way, but still, it was a good way of spending time, she thought. It wasn’t conventional, of course, but she’d be lying if she wouldn’t admit that she hasn’t had this much fun in a while.
Plus, it was exciting because they made plans of going to all these places in New York that they have never been in together before. Joey also said that they’d be taking his pick-up truck because it would be more fun than just using a good old classic car.
“Damn, it’s seriously been too long since I’ve last been here,” Joey said. “I shouldn’t have stopped hanging out with you.”
“Well, maybe, if you didn’t stop hanging out with me, we both wouldn’t be in detention.”
Joey laughed. “And that makes you sad because then, you wouldn’t have been able to spend time with the Colin Perry of your dreams.”
“Shut it,” Karlie said. “And…it’s not just him, you know. I did have fun with you, too.
“Oh, you did, huh?” He said and looked her in the eyes with a smile on his face. “Did you miss me, Karlie?”
“Duh.” She said.
“You know, I really did miss you.” He said. “Growing up sucks that way, you know…when you have to sort of, let go of some friends just because they’re not supposed to be on the same wavelength as you are anymore. And, you grew up well.”
“Perv.” She teased.
“No, I’m serious.” He said and took a deep breath. “I just…Sorry I haven’t been around for so long.”
“It was my fault, too.” She said. “I mean…I was under all this pressure of having to be cool and all that and…and I missed you, Joey.”
She didn’t know how or why it happened, but for a couple of seconds there, they just looked each other in the eyes and moved closer to each other. Afterward, they were holding each other’s faces and went on to kiss each other like it’s something that they’ve always wanted to do in the past.
She didn’t feel worried. She didn’t feel scared. It was like, what was happening has always been bound to happen.
Finally, when the kiss ended, they looked at each other and laughed. “Oh my god,” Karlie said. “That was—”
“Amazing?”
“Yeah, well, can’t deny that.”
He laughed, and just then, the front door opened, and Karlie’s mom went out.
“Karlie?” Mrs. Anderson said. “What are you doing here? Why haven’t you gone inside yet? It’s late. And who’s—” She then noticed that it was Joey who was standing with Karlie.
“Joey? Wow. It has been a long time.” She went down the front steps and gave him a hug. “Wow, look how much you’ve grown! It’s been a while since you last came here. What are you guys doing outside?”
“Uhm, no, actually, I just stopped by.” He said and smiled. “I really do have to get going now, but you might see me around again.” He said, putting his hands in his pockets. “I mean, Karlie and I are working on this project and you know…”
“Oh,” Mrs. Anderson said. “Okay then. You take care, Joey, it’s late.”
“Will do.” He shook her hand and gave Karlie a hug. “
See you tomorrow.”
He whispered, and she smiled.
They watched him walk away and then Mrs. Anderson spoke again. “What were you doing out here, really?”
“You heard him, mom. We’re working on a project…just had last minute details to think of.”
“Karlie,” She said, “I know you were friends with Joey before, but that doesn’t mean that you actually still know him now. I’m pretty sure that things have changed and you guys…I am not really sure what’s going on—”
“Why are you so quick to judge?” Karlie asked. “Joey’s a good guy. Sure, he may not be clean and pristine and all that, but you know his parents. And besides, we’re in school together.”
“But what kind of project would you be working on when it’s just a couple of weeks away ‘til graduation? You’ve had some of your final exams already, right?”
“Some, yeah…but wait, since when have you actually been this interested in my studies, mom?”
Mrs. Anderson took a deep breath. “I’m just concerned about you.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be,” Karlie answered. “I’m not a kid anymore, mom.”
“Don’t talk to me like that.”
“Sorry,” Karlie said and took a deep breath. “But you really have nothing to worry about. I’m growing up. I’m making friends. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”
“Not when you have the kind of friends who are like, on the dark side.”
Karlie rolled her eyes. “Because I should be friends with like, people who go to church every Sunday but are actually hoes and actually trash people’s houses right?”
Karlie saw her mother’s eyes go wild.
“Right,” Karlie said. “Sorry, mom. Maybe should just have dinner, yes?”
She went inside the house without waiting for her mother at all.