Duality: Vol 1, Melancholia (A New Adult Paranormal Romance) (5 page)

“Hey, I got five days too!  That’s cool, right?  You and me can hang out.”  He kept pace with me, knocking into people and ignoring their cries of annoyance.

I said nothing.

“So, what about that chick, Rae?  Pretty sweet, huh?”

“If you say so.”

“Don’t tell me you’re not into her.  That’d be a fucking lie, man.  She’s hot as shit.”

“Sounds attractive.”

“Don’t be such a downer, man.  You know she’s cute.  Why don’t you just admit it?”

I looked over at him sharply.  Miserables never tell me to cheer up.  They like it when I get pissed.

“What’d you say?”

Caden punched me.  “You heard me.  Don’t be a douche.  Come on, let’s go.  We’re doing basketball in gym today, and you’re on my team. Yo!”  He held up his hand for a high five, and I responded without even thinking about it.  The crack of our hands echoed over the heads around us.

It was so strange to see him happy and all lit up like this around me, I forgot to try and ditch him.  Or frown.  I smiled all the way to gym class, listening to him cut up about Mr. Adams and the gnarly hairs that were always climbing out of our teacher’s nostrils and ears.

Chapter Six: Rae

I WAS HOPING SINCE IT was my first day that I’d be able to skip out of phys ed, but no such luck.  The husky P.E. teacher handed me a pair of sweatpants that were two sizes too big, a t-shirt with the school’s logo on it, gray socks, and a pair of used kicks in my size.

“There you go.  Everyone dresses out.  And don’t come here crying to me about being on your period, either.  Everyone participates, every class, every week, all year long.  End of story.”  She looked at me with a curious expression on her face before smiling.  It was pretty clear this wasn’t a normal thing for her.  She seemed surprised by the fact that her teeth were showing, hurrying to cover them with her lips after a few seconds.

“Okaaaay,” I said, taking the clothes and turning slowly towards the locker room.

“I don’t mean to be rude,” she said at my back as I walked away.

I waved over my shoulder, saying nothing.

Someone laughed.  “Did I just hear The Hatchet apologize to you?”

I looked to my left.  Jasmine was standing there wearing her gym clothes, a modified version of the ones I had in my arms.  The sleeves had been cut off her shirt, and some words were written in permanent marker on the front of her pants.

“I guess.”  I said, shrugging.  The teacher’s name was Hatcher, but her nickname seemed pretty appropriate.  She had a pretty severe face and very short hair that could very well have been cut with an axe.

Jasmine threw an article of clothing into her locker before slamming it shut.  “Somebody write that shit down. 
The Hatchet apologizes. 
Wonder what the occasion is.  Maybe she got laid last night or something.”

“Isn’t she a lesbian?” asked a girl just down the bench from Jasmine.

Jasmine rolled her eyes and shook her head.  “Somebody put that girl out of her misery, would you please?”

“What?  What’d I say?”  The girl looked around and then gave up on finding an answer.  “Shut up,
Butts
.”  She stormed off while the other girls standing nearby giggled.

I walked over and put my things down on the bench next to Jasmine, relieved she and I had this class together.  I like sports, but school gym class was pretty much universally lame, no matter what district or state I’d been in.  “Do we have assigned lockers?”

“Nope.  Just bring a lock and use whatever’s free.”

I held out my purse that was still hooked over my shoulder, wondering what I should do.  I hadn’t brought my lock, which was stupid because I knew better.  Several of the schools I’d been in before had the same policy.  Most of them gave me a few days’ grace period, but still.  I should have known.  A girl doesn’t go through eight different high schools and not learn a few basics.

“Use mine for today or until you get one.”  She opened her locker again and gestured to the inside before sitting down to tie her purple high-top basketball shoes.  The ragged pieces of multi-colored cloth tied on her wrists flapped around as her hands moved.

“You don’t mind?”  I put my purse down on the bench and used my toes to pry off the back of my other shoe, balancing by holding onto the wall of lockers.  I’d worn short black boots with black socks and jeans - nothing that would work for gym class, so I was stuck with the loaner outfit the teacher had given me.  I looked at it with distaste.  It was hideous, but would probably be perfect for keeping people away.  At least it smelled clean.

“I offered, so I guess the answer is no, I don’t mind.”  She reached in the locker and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

I watched her, wondering if she was going to light one up in here.  I couldn’t imagine the Hatcher lady just ignoring that.

Jasmine caught me staring.  “What are you looking at?”

“You with that cigarette.  I was just wondering if you were going to smoke it in here.”

“Are you an anti-smoking campaign on legs too?”  She tucked the cigarette behind her ear.

“Um, no.  I don’t smoke, but if you want to that’s your business.”  The truth is I think smoking is dumb, but I wasn’t going to offend the only friend I might ever have in this place by telling her that.

“Good, because I like smoking.  It calms my nerves.”

“Good.”  I smiled at her.  I was anxious to change the subject, so I smiled and said, “Sorry if my shoes stink.”

Jasmine looked down at my feet.  “You’re putting smelly shoes in my locker?”

I grimaced.  “I might be.  I was nervous today.  First day and stuff.”

She sighed.  “Fine.  But you owe me one.  And if you get any of that stink on my stuff, I’m going to be pissed.”

I refrained from telling her that her smoke smell was getting all over
my
stuff.  Beggars can’t be choosy about stink.  “Deal.”  I shoved my shoes in on top of hers and then put my purse in above them on a hook.  I was dressed in the borrowed clothes in less than two minutes and cinching up the drawstring when I heard people laughing.

I turned around to see what they were doing and noticed a group of girls standing in the doorway, looking out into the gym.

“What’s up with them?” I asked, folding my clothes and putting them in the locker.

Jasmine shut the door and attached her lock, turning the dial to make sure it wouldn’t open.  “Who knows.  Probably some dumbshit acting stupid.  Chicks around here dig that stuff.”

We walked over to join them.  “You don’t?”

“No.  I like more mature guys.  College guys.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”  We walked out of the locker room and into the big basketball court area.  There was one full-size court going length-wise and two smaller ones going the other direction, with a total of six basketball nets around the periphery.  Bleachers were accordioned in around most of the gym, but one set was pulled halfway out, and it was there that some of the students were gathering for the start of class.  The sounds of sneakers squeaking on the court and the echoing of basketballs bouncing all over came at us from every direction.

Jasmine talked louder to be heard over all of it.  “Not right now.  I don’t have time for guys.  I’m too busy with … stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?”

“Stuff stuff.”  She walked ahead of me and took big steps up to the top of the bleachers, sitting down well away from the others.

I looked at my options and decided pretty quickly to follow.  Several girls were smiling at me in obvious invitation, but I didn’t want to encourage them.  They’d be on me soon enough.

I got to the last row and walked over to join Jasmine.  Sitting down, I gazed out across the gym.  Groups of guys were standing around below us on the court, some of them busy taking turns at making baskets.  A few others were walking on their hands, seeing who could go the farthest across the floor before falling down or knocking into someone else.

One of the guys was making everyone laugh.

Jasmine shook her head and breathed out a sigh of annoyance.

“He was in my last class,” I said.

“Kootch.  Total dumbass goofball.”

“Kootch?  I hope that’s a nickname.”

“Yeah.  It’s short for Kucharski.  Polish or something.”

“Do you know him?”

She looked at me with a frown.  “Why, you interested in him?”

“No,”  I nudged her a little with my arm, “not at all.  He was just really funny in my last class too, so I was just wondering about him is all.”

“He lives next door to me, so yeah, I know him a little.”

I looked from her to him, wondering if there might be something to the way she’d said that.  “Boy next door, huh?”

“Ew.  No.  Don’t say it like that.”

“Why not?”  We watched as he walked on his hands and then fell over into a somewhat graceful cartwheel.  “He’s got a nice body.  He seems nice.”

“Yeah, he’s all muscle and dumbassedness and no brains.”

I laughed.  “Dumbassedness?  New word.”

“Don’t try to deny it makes total sense.”

“Oh, I won’t.  I get it completely.”  I smiled, loving this feeling of two girlfriends talking about guys.  It felt so normal, and normal for me was so
abnormal
it was like a gift.  I would cherish it as long as it lasted.

Kootch took that moment to try and do a breakdancing move that didn’t work out so well.  The sound of his head hitting the floor made me flinch.

Jasmine gestured casually.  “Exhibit A.  Kootch face-plants into the wood floor.  Total fail.  Dumbassedness in action.”

All the guys jogged over to see if he was okay - all of them but one.  The lone unconcerned classmate only caught my eye because he was standing off to the side by himself, stopping himself from going over to check on his friend with obvious effort. He took a half step out towards the court and then turned back around, shaking his head.

“There’s that guy again,” I said, mostly to myself.

Jasmine turned her attention away from Kootch and was staring at Malcolm now.  “The ghost.  You still on him?”  

“I’m not
on
him, I’m just … curious.”

“I told you, he’s a ghost.  You’re not going to get to know him so you should just let it drop.”

“That sounds like a challenge to me.”  I don’t know why I said that.  I shouldn’t have been trying to get to know anyone at this school, least of all a boy who’s bigger and stronger than me.  A Rainbow’s want and need can be such scary things when paired with superior strength.

“Go for it.  If you think you can get him to even give you the time of day, when he’s turned down pretty much every girl at this school, then he’s all yours.  Trust me, no one gets through to that guy.  Many have tried.  All have failed.  Crash and burn.  Horrible to watch, really.”

I shrugged, acting like it didn’t matter to me.  “No, I’m not interested in him like that.  I was just wondering what his deal is.”

“His deal is that he’s a ghost.”  She stood, knocking me in the arm with the back of her hand.  “Come on.  Let’s go shoot some hoops.”

“I’m pretty good at basketball, you know.”  I made sure to put the challenge in my voice as we walked down the bleachers.

“I’m better.”  She walked out onto the floor, stealing the first ball that came her way, ignoring the cries of the offended guys and walked over to the farthest net.  She stopped when she was at the free-throw line, bent down, and put the ball between her legs.  She launched it at the net granny-style.

I laughed when it went in.

Jasmine made a gesture with her hand, imitating the ball going in.  “Swish.  All net, bitches.  Let’s see you beat that.”  She turned around and blew me a kiss.

“What are we playing?”

“I have the letter D.  First one to spell the word wins.  You have to make a shot from where I did or you don’t get a letter.”

“What are we spelling?” I asked, taking my spot and aiming the ball, using the technique my dad had taught me many years ago.

“You’ll see.”

I launched the ball up, putting just the right amount of backspin on it. 
All net.  Oh, yeah. 
“Swish.  Letter D for me too.”

Jasmine nodded.  “Respect.  That wasn’t half bad.  But can you do this?”  She did a lay up, once again managing to throw the ball up from between her knees and getting it in the basket.  It was so not graceful.

I couldn’t stop laughing.

“What?  Jealous?” she asked, bouncing the ball as she walked over my way.  She switched from dribbling with her right to her left.

“Jealous of your granny action?  I don’t think so.”

“Hey, Rae!”

Jasmine and I looked over at the same time as Kootch came jogging up to us, dribbling a ball at his side.

“Check it,” he said as he cruised by, throwing the ball up in a casual toss as he went under the net.  It bounced off the rim and out into the court where someone else snatched it up.

“Nice moves, Kootch.  Been practicing a long time?” Jasmine snickered.

He stopped jogging and turned, walking back in our direction.  Gym class had barely started, but he was already sweating.  “Don’t be jealous, JB.  You know you want this.”  He stroked his hands from the top of his chest down to his waist.

She feigned retching.  “Oh, man.  I just vomited in my mouth.”

Kootch stopped in front of me.  “You’ll have to forgive little JB there.  She’s had the hots for me since she was five.  Poor kid.  I had to let her down easy like eighteen times so far.”

Jasmine stared daggers at him.  “Kootch, get your stank-ass jock off my court before I have to school your stupid dick in front of all those girls.”  She jerked her head over to the gaggle of them sitting on the bleachers.  They’d moved down to be closer to the court.  Several of them were looking over at us.

“Oh, you wanna play, JB?”  He started moving back and forth, pantomiming dribbling an invisible ball or something, staring at her no matter where his body went.

“Stop calling me that idiotic name.”  She stared at him, her expression clearly saying she thought he was a complete fool.