Chapter Four

 Chapter Four

 

     “What happened to the bright cherry colors?” my mom asked when I came down to breakfast the next morning.

     “Not in the mood,” I said dreading the ride to school.

     “Did something happen between you and Chris? You’ve been acting strange since you came home from the beach last night.”

     “No, not really. I don’t feel like talking about it,” I said as I munched on a piece of buttered toast.

     Whenever something bothers me I lose my appetite.  Even the little piece of toast I was eating tasted horrible and seemed to stick in my throat.  I didn’t feel like finishing it so I gave it to my mom and got my things together.

     “Your bus doesn’t get here for another twenty minutes.  Why are you leaving so early?”

     “I don’t know.  I just feel like being quiet for a while.”

     “Trinity if there’s a problem, you’d tell me right?”

     “Sure Mom,” I wasn’t quite sure if I meant it and I know she didn’t believe me, but it made me think that I was making her feel better.

     I tried to smile as I gave her a kiss goodbye.  I left my house and walked to the stop sign across the street.  I set my book bag on the ground and sat on it.  The grass was wet with morning dew and I didn’t want to get my bottom wet.  The neighborhood was so quiet and peaceful this time in the morning.  I thought about the things I had said about Star to Chris.  I didn’t really mean them.  The most horrible part was that those were the same things Becca had said about her.  Star blew them off coming from Becca, but those same words coming from me would probably hurt her.  I just didn’t want to deal with this situation.  I hoped that Chris wouldn’t say anything to her.

     After a while I started to hear kids heading toward the bus stop.  In the back of my head I knew I could just run home and tell mom I was sick or something, but that wouldn’t solve anything.  When I did go back to school, and I would have to eventually, my problems would still be there waiting for me.

     Within no time at all my quiet spot was teaming with mindless chatter.  I stood and brushed myself off then realized I had forgotten my gym bag.  I left my book bag on the ground and ran across the street to my house to grab it.

     “Trinity is that you?” I heard my mom yell from the back room.  Dad set up a room for Mom with her computer and books and reference material.  She has a phone, TV, and stereo in there.  She even has an electric tea pot.  She really has no reason to leave except to use the bathroom.

     “I just forgot my gym bag.”

     “Okay, have a good day.”

     “You too Mom,” I yelled back as I shut the door and ran back to the corner.  Luckily the bus was just turning the corner so I was right on time.  The bus came to a squeaky stop and opened the doors.  Mr. Bill greeted everyone as they came on board.  I  sat down in an empty seat and began to wonder about Meg.  No sooner had the thought entered my mind, I saw Meg racing down the street towards the bus screaming as she came.

     “Should we wait for her?” Mr. Bill jokingly asked.

     Despite the outcries of “no”, Mr. Bill waited until Meg reached the bus.  She stumbled up the steps, choked out a breathless “thanks” and came to take a seat beside me.

     “Good morning,” I said as I sat watching her gasp for breath.

     “I’m just not good with time.  My sisters usually keep me together.  I can’t wait till they’re home.”

     “Well, they’ll be home tomorrow won’t they?”

     “Actually, they finished up early so they should be home tonight.”

     Meg smiled a big grin and the bus pulled up to the next stop.  It must be so neat to live in large family.  I never had a sister, but always wanted one.  Maybe one day Bryan will get married to a really nice girl and then I’ll have a little sister.  I smiled to myself then looked out the window just in time to see Chris get on.  He walked down the aisle and slid into the seat in front of me then turned around.

     “I thought a lot about what you said yesterday and I just wanted to let you now that I’m not going to say anything to Star about it.” Chris said in a low, threatening voice.  “I don’t want to upset her.”

     “Chris, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of those things.  Really I didn’t.”

     “Okay, but why did you say them?”

     “I don’t know.  I was just…never mind.”

     “How about we just forget it?”

     “I can live with that.”

     Chris stuck his head up above the seat and looked over at Meg.  She just sat there looking at Chris then at me.

     “Oh I’m sorry.  Meg this is Chris.  Chris this is Meg.  She lives up 6^th Street.”

     “Nice to meet you,” Meg whispered.

     I secretly wondered if Meg’s sisters were as scatter-brained as Meg.

     When we all arrived at school Star was waiting by the bus.  Chris leaned over to the window to wave and she waved back.  No more words were said about yesterday and the beach and I was glad.  I really hoped that those words would be lost forever even though I could feel envy fighting to surface watching how happily they looked at each other.

     “Hey Chris!” Star said with a huge, toothy smile.  There was definitely something there I told myself.  

     “Trinity hi,” Star said turning to me, “I thought maybe I could walk with you to Art.”

     “That would be great.  I’ll meet you after homeroom.”

     “Super.”

     Star took Chris’ hand and walked into school.  I was left standing beside Meg speechless. Jealousy is a terrible monster and I was at the point I had to admit that I had been brutally bitten.

     “They make a cute couple don’t they?” Meg asked smiling.

     “Shut up Meg,” I said and stiffly walked into the building.

     When I got to my locker there was a rose taped to the door and a small note:

 

        On a hilltop in the morning

        Stretches one beautiful flower

        It’s petals collect the drops

        Of a late night summer shower

 

     I took a look around.  Who I was looking for, I wasn’t quite sure.  Becca was at her locker and I asked her if she had seen anyone.  She had only gotten there five minutes before I had.  I stood and talked to her a while then went to my homeroom.  I took out my novel and began to read.  The minute the bell rang I slowly got my things together.  I wasn’t looking forward to my walk to Art with Star.  Even though Chris and I agreed that last night’s conversation was buried, I still felt a little awkward being around Star.  Just as I walked out of my homeroom door I noticed the guy from my grammar class.   The minute Mr. Metal Head made eye contact with me he headed straight in my direction.  Luckily Chris was right behind him.  Chris walked around the weird guy and came up to me which discouraged the other guy and he left.

     “Who is that guy?” I asked Chris somewhat annoyed.

     “That’s Lester Polansky and by the looks of it, he has a crush on you.”

     “Oh please don’t say it.  The day has just started.  What are you doing here anyway?”

     “I just wanted to say “hi” to Star.  That’s all,” he said avoiding eye contact.

     Men can be so slimy.  I just couldn’t figure it out.  On one hand I had a nerd who was in love with me and on the other hand I was really attracted to my best friend’s boyfriend.  I waited for Star patiently though.  I didn’t feel like talking to Chris anymore so I peeked through the door to see what Star was doing.  I couldn’t believe what I saw.  Star was talking to this really cute guy and it looked like they were exchanging numbers.  I pulled my head back and tried to wipe the smile off my face as the guy walked out the door followed by Star.

     “Hey guys!”  Star greeted as she walked out the door.

     “Hi,” Chris said, “this is for you.” And he handed her a little folded up piece of paper.

     “Oh thank you,” she said.

     Chris just smiled and waved as he walked down the hall toward the steps to his first class.  

     “So,” I said trying to dig up a little dirt, “who was that guy you were talking to?”

     “Oh, nobody,” Star said with a shrug.

     “I saw you give him your number.”

     “You saw that?” she said guiltily. “His name is Tom.  He’s just a friend who stopped in to say hello.”

     “A very nice looking friend,” I said.

     “Yeah, I guess,” she said as she walked into Art class. She sat down and began reading her note.  I could see her expression change as she read, but her smile was consistent.  We didn’t say much more through class.  Ms. St. Claire gave a lengthy lecture on color as I sat and watched Star scribble away mushy sentences to Chris.

     After class Star ran right out of class and to her next class.  She didn’t even wait for me and she didn’t even say goodbye.  I trudged upstairs to an uneventful pre-algebra class.  Mr. Doyle was a homework demon.  Our entire class seemed to be homework oriented.  He gave us 50 problems to do by tomorrow, but at least was nice enough to give us some time before class ended to start on it.  I tried to do as much as I could so I wouldn’t have a lot to do at home later that night.

     When the bell rang I somberly walked to my geography class.  I took a seat beside Amber and she turned around and smiled.

     “How are you doing?” she asked.

     “Fine, I guess.  Just a little bummed.”

     “Bummed about what?”

     “Don’t know.”

     Just about that time Summer came flying into class and flung herself in the seat behind Amber.  

     “Okay,” she started, “yesterday afternoon Chris asked Star to go out with him right?”

     “What!?” I said completely unaware that my voice carried so much concern and volume.

     “Shshshsh,” Summer said with her finger to her lips, “what’s wrong with you? Do you have a thing for Chris or something?”

     “No…I…well…NO!” I stammered.

     “Well, can I finish my story then?”

     “By all means,” I mumbled.

     Summer told us of how Chris had stayed after school to walk Star home, like I figured.  He brought her a daisy, her favorite and a locket with his picture in it.  He asked her to be his girlfriend.  Of course, she said yes.

     “Then he kissed her,” Summer continued.

     “Oh that’s so cool!” Amber whispered trying to contain her excitement.

     “So why are you telling us all of this?” I asked desperately hoping the conversation would change soon.

     “Well, actually I was just wondering about that other guy she’s been hanging around with.”

     “You’ve seen them together too?” I asked Summer.

     “Oh yeah, all over.  If she’s going to cheat on Chris she should be less obvious.”

     Our conversation was cut short by Mr. Brooks’ entrance and the beginning of the role.  We did agree though to meet outside for lunch.

     After geography I went to Earth Science and walked into class immediately noticing a smile on Becca’s face.  It wasn’t a warm, affectionate smile though.  It was cunning and devious.

     “So,” Becca started as I sat down beside her, “looks like Star has found herself a few friends.”

     “I guess so,” I answered trying to sound uninterested.

     “Maybe I was a little off the mark the other day.  She’s not only a little weird, but she’s also a little easy.”

     “Okay Becca, that’s enough.  Star is with Chris and the other guy is probably a friend or something.”

     “Do you kiss your friends?”

     “Huh?”

     “Which word didn’t you understand? I saw them kissing out back on the bleachers this morning before school started.  It was so obvious.”

     “I’m sure there’s logical explanation,” I said totally dismissing the conversation.  

     I couldn’t believe I was defending Star.  Let’s face it, Summer had been doing the same thing and I had no objections.  I tried to reason that Becca was being hateful while Summer was just a gossip, but no matter which way you looked at it, they were both wrong.  My thoughts were broken as Star came walking through the door and took her seat across the room.  She looked over at me and smiled and waved.  I half-heartedly smiled and flopped my hand in her direction.  What was going on I asked myself?

     By lunch time I had completely had it with the rumors.  I abruptly left class as soon as the bell rang and walked back to my locker to drop off my books before meeting the rest of the gang upstairs.  As I got closer I noticed something on my locker.  When I walked up there was a little pouch of chocolate raisins and again a note that was left unsigned.  I opened the note and read it.

 

        Roses are red.

        Violets are blue.

        You don’t know me.

        But I know you.

 

     I read the poem over again.  Something didn’t seem right.  The first poem was so beautifully written and this one...well, it was quite generic.  This one was also written in pen whereas the other poem was typed.  I couldn’t possibly have two secret admirers.  It was hard to believe that I even had one.  Again I found myself scoping the halls looking for any type of clue and that’s when I found it.  I had just closed up my locker and was ready to head down the hall when I noticed something yellow under my locker.  I bent down to pick up the object and found that it was a personalized pencil like the kind you can order through junk mail catalogs.  Who brings personalized pencils to high school?  I looked at the pencil and slowly rolled it around to see the name:  Lester Polansky.  That only made too much sense.  I gasped and dropped the pencil.  That would explain why I got two notes!  He didn’t seem too swift.  I grabbed my wallet and hurried to the lunchroom.