The End of the Beginning-Chapter 2-Nikki Stat

Very, very, VERY rough draft

 

Chapter 2-Nikki Stat

 

            I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror. Seriously, why me? Why do I have to have a mother that is so 1999? She’s making my invite Shay Raquel to my birthday party. Which would be fine, if she wasn’t an anti-social, self-centered, emo freak. And this is my last birthday before sweet-sixteen. Does she really think I’m going to go through with it?  Ho hoh. If she does she is surely mistaken. The only person in the whole school, West Isle High, that has invited her to anything ever, is her boyfriend, Venom Starke. That bugs me to no end. How can she have a boyfriend since eighth grade and I can’t keep one for two weeks? It’s absolutely and completely unfair.

            “Nikki, come on! You’ll miss the bus!” Crap. My mother.

            “Coming, mom!” I called. She knows I make it on time. 

            Okay, besides my mom being a complete idiot, she’s a nag. I couldn’t leave the house until I promised that I would invite Shay to my party. That was one promise I wouldn’t be able to keep. Okay, she might be trustworthy, (I doubt it. She’s a freaking emo!) But since when do people invite outcasts? I know there’s no written law, but it’s given. But enough about that. Back to the present.

            On the bus, I sat close to the back. My seat was right in front of Rudy Gearshift, WIH’s best student in ten years. He was a good-looking guy. He had moose-brown hair, clear skin, blue eyes, and a well-built body. He was smart, but he had a major attitude. Along with being the best student-athlete, he’s also the best bully, the biggest idiot, and he had the biggest ego. He made big stars like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, and Orlando Bloom look like saints of modesty. He kept rattling on nerds and emos like Shay and Venom-which was fine, if it stopped there. He rattled on cheerleaders-including me-and other jocks. As I said, major ego problem. And I was sitting right in front of him.

            “Hey, Raquel! Who did you hair today, a bat?” He called out. Everyone behind him cracked up. Was that supposed to be funny? I turned around, watching as he moved from nerd to nerd. I rubbed my temples and tuned him out.

            “Hey, Stat.” He sneered. Oh, crap.

            “What is it, Gearshift?” I asked, annoyed. He was so not on my list-of-people-to-talk-to.

            “Did your grandmother do your hair this morning? That ‘do is so last 1901!” I glared at him. He’ll pay for that one.

            “At least I can choose my own styles instead of having my mother pick out my clothes every day.” He turned pink. Score one for Stat.

            At school, Shay was sent to the office. We had a few minutes before class started and my friends and I-well, the rest of the cheerleading squad-were standing outside my locker when who should show up but Shay Raquel and all of her books. They looked heavy. She gave me her usual bored face and asked, “Excuse me, Nikki.” I shot her a glance that said, ‘What do you want?’

            “Could you open the locker next to you?” I didn’t answer, waiting for her to explain. She didn’t.

            “Why?” I asked, making my voice as cold as possible.

            “I’m being moved.”

            “By who?” I was waiting for her to drop her pile of books. She didn’t falter. What was she lifting at home?

            “The principal. Now please, open the locker next to you.” Just then, Rudy Gearshift came by, knocking straight into Shay. She tripped, and all of her books fell out of her arms. She caught herself, grabbed her Civics book, Math book, English book, Advanced Literature book, Advanced Biology book, and two Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe books in two swift motions. I stared at her, my jaw open. I remembered to shut my mouth while she just gave Rudy a cold glance, and then turned back to me.

            “Please?” She urged. I opened it and she started piling her books in. She closed her door and turned. I swear I saw a smile on her face for a fraction of a second. “Thank you.”

            The rest of the day passed slowly. For some unknown reason, I had Shay on my mind all day. Her move in the hall just wouldn’t leave my mind. I stayed in a daze all through cheerleading. I didn’t dare admit that I was thinking about Shay Raquel. What would that do to my reputation? I caught a ride home from my newest friend, Rachael, and found my mom in tears.

            “Mom? What’s wrong?” I asked. Sometimes she just spontaneously burst into tears, so I kept my distance.

            “It’s Shay.” She said, trying but failing to keep her voice solid. I rolled my eyes.

            “What about her?” Like I could care less.

            “The police are asking you to come over.”

            “Why?” Uh oh.

            “Shay is,” more swallowing, “she’s dead. She took her life.”