Posters On the Wall

Jessie lives life in her own little world. But when Devin steps in, Jessie gets the chance to see life from a brighter point of view. At least until he's gone.

Posters On the Wall

It was all great until lunch.  They had the stupid posters up: Homecoming Under the Stars. Groups of desperate girls flocked around the posters, pointing and squealing.

 I’d go to hell before I’d go to homecoming.

It worried my mom that I didn’t have “normal interests” like other girls. Just because I had half a brain in my head and didn’t see the point in putting on stripper outfits and those death traps they called heels and prancing around in front of the male population of our school like a bunch of peacocks I was considered weird. I hadn’t gone to last year’s, and I didn’t plan on going this year. Lyss, me, and the guys would have our own party again.

Last year’s party pretty much consisted of six large pizzas, ten two-liter bottles of soda, six beers between the five of us, a dart board, and a few bad horror movies.  Better than any homecoming in my opinion. And I didn’t even need to wear heels. Converse worked just fine.

“So about homecoming this year…” Lyss said as she took a seat beside me.

“Don’t even give me any bad news right now. I am not in the f*****g mood.” I said, leaning back and stretching my arms above my head.

“This isn’t bad news. Look, J, homecoming is part of the high school experience. I have to go one year, and I thought maybe this year-” Her voice was pleading. She was keeping something back. I knew her too well.

“Who asked you?” I said. I knew there was someone. There always was. Why else would she ditch our party to go over to the dark side?

“Actually, James did.” I straightened up, and my jaw dropped.

“James….who?” If it was who I thought it was she was going the same way as Devin. Honest to god. The nerve of the b***h. She could miss out on the party, but she wasn’t taking the life of the party with her.

“Hudson?” She said it like it was a question. Like she had no idea why I would ask. As if I already knew.

“I’m going to kill you.” I stood up, “I honestly am.” 

“Why? What on earth is the issue? It’s not like you like him.” She pulled me back down by my arm, dropping her voice on the last line. Just in case I did.

“You know the party is like our thing. It was his idea in the first place.” I was pissed now. I didn’t even have to invite her last year. Maybe if I hadn’t, she wouldn’t be so cozy with James.

“Why don’t you come too? It might even be fun,” I could picture what was going on in her mind. Me in a pretty dress and heels parading around. Some random guy on my arm, leading me into our pathetic excuse for a gym. A slow dance under the half lights.

 She was despicable.

I retorted in my second language, “Oh yeah, being the third wheel. Always fun.”

“Get a date.” She shrugged with the suggestion, as if that would make the fact she dared suggest something that stupid any less ridiculous. There was not one guy in this school idiotic enough to try and ask me out, and not one I would want to go out with. I had never had a boyfriend, and I intended on keeping it that way until I met some quality guy who appreciates the intelligence of a girl who dips her pizza in tobasco sauce and ranch. So, in simpler terms, never.

“You’re insane.” I said, not dignifying her comment with anything more than two words.

“Come on. You know you want to, Jessie.” She nudged me with her shoulder.  That was the last straw. I stood up, dumped whatever was on my lunch tray in the trash can, and marched out of the cafeteria.

And on my way out, who would I get to see but Mr. James Hudson himself. I walked up to him, and pressed my finger into the center of his chest, “You ruined everything.”

“Wait, what?” He raised an eyebrow, confused, slowly proving my point of the stupidity of the male population of the world.

“You had to ask her to homecoming, didn’t you? What about the party? We were going to have fun! Now she’s trying to drag me along.” I knew I was shouting. I knew nearby onlookers were staring. I didn’t give a damn.

I saw James’ mouth twitch in amusement at the thought of me going to a homecoming. He gave a sigh, rubbed his chin, and then looked at me, “What if, just for once, you let yourself have fun. Maybe Lyss has a point.”

He was as bad as her.

After a second, something hit me. “Since when do you call her Lyss?” I was the only one who was allowed to call her that without being smacked.

“Well, since we’re dating now-” He started. Once again, my jaw dropped.

“You’re what?” He did not just say what I thought he said.

He leaned closer to me, and said, slowly, “Dating.” Then backed off, and rolled his neck around with his hand behind his head. “Like going out. She’s my girlfriend. I’m her boyfriend.”

“I hate you both.” I said, and began to walk out of the cafeteria. Technically, we weren’t supposed to leave until lunch was over, but since when did I give a damn?

“Love you too, J.” James called after me with a laugh.

I turned a corner in one of our two-small hallways, and bumped into someone, knocking their stuff to the ground.  Rolling my eyes, I continued to walk, not even looking at who the unfortunate kid was.

“Hey!” The familiar voice said in shock. I turned on my heels. It was Devin.

“What do you want?” I asked, watching as he picked up a book off the ground. He got up and walked towards me, one arm open.

“No apology?” He asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow. How was he still smiling at me? Even if the latter accident was unintentional, it should have gotten the point across. For the rest of his type all I had to do was throw a couple remarks in their direction and they generally left me alone. Devin was just….persistently unbreakable.

“No.” I said. Fine, if physical warnings weren’t going to work, maybe he’d pick up on more subtle clues. I began to walk away, but I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“What’s your problem?” He asked, turning me around. I shoved his hand off my shoulder, and glared at him.

“You are! God, I’ve never met someone so pushy in my entire life. Just leave me alone.” How many times had I said this already? And I was going to have to be his neighbor for the rest of my high school life? Unless I got lucky and he moved, I was stuck with him!

“You’re the one who bumped into me and didn’t apologize.” You’re the one who expected an apology.

“So what? You’re life isn’t going to be any different whether I apologize or not.” Take that, b*****d. Bet you don’t have a smart comment for that one.

“Maybe it is. How do you know?” Typical jock response. Comebacks that don’t make sense in the picture of reality.

“Like your life really depends on my apology.” Restating what I said earlier. Not my usual response, but I just needed to see if he had anything clever up his sleeve. He wasn’t smiling anymore. Good. At least he realized that I was immune to this thing called ‘contagious smiles’.

“It would be nice to think that even the worst kinds of people had the decency to apologize.” His insult was directed right at me.  

“Sucks for you,” I said coldly. And once again, I walked away.

Reviews

[Little Blue]

She is just a really angry person, and she is going to change. You'll have to keep reading to find out how.

[Daydreamer54]

Ok at forst I liked her attitude and i still do, but now she';s judt plain rude an i getting the vibe sjhe doesn't like change. Maybe devin can help chang her around.

[Aleyah]

Ha wow, this girl is really angry...is she supposed to be that way or is she the more jokingly angry kind? Anyway, another great chapter...I really like it :)) Your dialogue & the lines between them are really smooth and fluid. I love the story line so far. :D