2

2

 

"I gotta go," I said, sliding out of the booth. We had been sitting there for two hours, talking about random things and singing more Panic! songs.

     "Where're you off to, Fishie?" Kat asked, slurping on her second smoothie.

     "The Drama Queen's going to be worried if I'm not home soon," I said, getting my backpack from under the table.

     "I gotta go, too," B.B. said, motioning for Chugga to get out of the booth so he could get out. "Gotta help my sister make dinner."

     "She's twenty six," Kat said. "Why hasn't she moved out yet?"

     "She was going to," B.B. said, shoving Chugga out of the booth and onto the floor--"Insert laughter here!" he shouted--when he wouldn't move. "but her b*****d of a fiance was cheating on her, so the engagement is off."

     "Awful," Kat said.

     "No kidding," I muttered.

     "Wait, wait," Chugga said, getting up and brushing off his pants. "There's a funny side to this story."

     "How could anything be funny about Marie's fiance cheating on her?" I asked him.

     B.B. and Chugga glanced at each other, and then shouted in unison,"He was cheating on her with another guy!" We all started laughing extremely hard, and Kat almost blew smoothie out of her nose.

     "That is the BEST THING I've heard all day!" I said in my laughter. Kat was holding a napkin over her mouth and nose, still laughing as well. B.B. and Chugga high fived.

 

B.B. and I were on our bikes as we made our way down the sidewalks and such to our neighborhood. We were neighbors, living five houses apart.

     "See ya later, B.B.!" I called to him as he turned into his driveway.

     "Yeah, see you!" he shouted back. I waved and then faced ahead of me again, pedaling slower than I was before.

     My neighborhood was quiet and didn't judge anyone, mainly because most of the residents were in their seventies and eighties.

     I rode my bike up my driveway and got off of it, going to the number pad so I could open the garage door.

     "Morning, Fisher!" my neighbor Mrs. Pahr shouted from the rocking chair on her porch.

     "It's five in the afternoon, Mrs. Pahr!" I shouted back. I punched in our garage code and went back to my bike as it started opening.

     "Would you mind mowing my lawn again this summer, Fisher?" she asked.

     "Not at all," I replied, picking up my bike. "Just call. You remember our home phone number, right?"

     "No," she said. "but I have it taped on my ice box."

     "Good to know," I said, grinning. "I'll see you later, Mrs. Pahr."

     "See you later, Fisher," she said. "and tell your father I said hello."

     "I will." I walked my bike into the garage and and put it in the back, where I usually put it, and walked to the right where the white door leading into the house was. I walked up the two steps there, opened the door, and hit the button that closed the garage door.

     I stepped in the house, closing the door behind me, and kicked off my Bumpers.

     "Dad, I'm home," I called. "Sorry I'm later than usual." I walked into the kitchen, where my dad was sitting at the table, cell phone pressed to his ear, a look of pure worry on his face.

     "Dad--"

     "Never mind, never mind!" he said quickly into his phone. "Fisher's here now, he's here!" He quickly snapped his phone closed and got up, his blue sundress flowing behind him.

     "Thank God, you're okay!" he exclaimed, sounding close to tears. "I was so worried about you, Fisher." He was going to hug me, but I took a step back.

     "Dad," I said. "I'm fine. You have to stop worrying so much."

     "Were were you?" he asked, tucking his long blond hair behind his ear and putting his hands on his hips. "You know I get worried sick when I don't know where you are!"

     "After school, Kat, Chugga and I went to meet B.B. at the coffee shop across from the school," I said, going to the fridge and taking out a 'Fruitables' juice box. "We just lost track of time."

     "Well, at least call next time," he said, slumping against the wall. "I was so scared for you, I was on the phone with the police!"

     "Dad!"

     "Like I said, I get worried," he said, shrugging. I pinched the bridge of my nose and heard my dad's cell phone blasting his ring tone, 'Firework' by Katy Perry.

     He snatched his phone off of the table, opened it, smacked it to his ear, and said, in his woman voice, "Hello, this is Janice."

     His name was originally Jack.

     "Change your ring tone, pops," I said, walking past him and down the hall, to the stairs, and up to my room. Once in my room, I closed my door, sat on my bed, and pulled out my laptop. I quickly got on Facebook and put as my status:

 

"Finally, the last day of eighth grade at Clear Lake Middle School! Had some laughs after w/ the gang at the coffee shop across Hell's Gate."

 

In less than one minute, Chugga liked the status and commented: *BURP*

     In less than ten seconds, Kat liked his comment. So did B.B. I grinned and logged off, shutting down my computer. My friends were the greatest.

 

Kat and I met Chugga in the middle of sixth grade. The kid I threw the corn dog at was a big fat bully, literally. His name was Carson Condon, and everyone knew not to mess with him. He was your sterotypical bully that gave wedgies, broke into lockers, cut in front of the lunch line, and just acted cool to act cool...which he wasn't. 

     He was always followed by his two friends, nicknamed Bone and Chuck.

     Chugga, having the personality that he has always had, decided one day to mess with him. Chugga wasn't very smart.

     It was a day that Carson didn't have Bone and Chuck with him, so I guess Chugga thought he could take on Carson. He followed Carson around outside the school yelling, "Hey, hey! Condom!"

     Carson, of course, didn't like that. He snapped Chugga's old skateboard in half, grabbed hold of his neck, and held him against the wall on the far side of the building where there were no teachers and hardly any students. Chugga, realizing that it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do after all, began to panic, realizing he was running short of air.

     Kat and I saw what happened from the bike rack.

     "I'm helping him," I said to Kat. Before she could stop me, I ran over to the scene. She followed.

     "Hey, Condom!" I shouted. Carson turned around, dropping Chugga, and shouted at me, "What, now you want your face beat in?"

     "That sounded really stupid, man," Chugga said, crawling away towards me, grinning. I helped him up, and Carson looked like he was going to murder both of us.

     "Kat, go get a teacher," I said under my breath. She whispered back, "Okay," and ran back around the building.

     "How do you wanna take care of this guy?" Chugga asked, cracking his knuckles.

     "Seriously?" I asked. "Does this really need to turn into a real fight?"

     "I wasn't ready before," he said. "Now, I am. You with me, kiddo?"

     "Name's Fisher," I said.

     "Make a move, already!" Carson shouted. A group of kids had already started to stop and watch what was going on.

     "I'm walking away," I said. "I can't afford to get suspended or anything, my dad'll kill me."

     "Suit yourself," Chugga said, an even bigger smile on his face. "my 'rents don't give a damn!" Chugga started charging toward Carson. Carson, realizing that Chugga was serious about it, flinched and looked like he was panicking. That made me realize that Carson had never started or had ever gotten into a real fight.

     Chugga got behind him and put him in a full nelson, thus wrestling him to the ground.

     "Say uncle!" Chugga was shouting. "Say it!"

     "Uncle, uncle!" Carson shouted. He was practically in tears when Chugga released him, and he quickly ran away.

     "P***y!" Chugga was shouted, starting to laugh. "P***y p***y p***y!"

     "So much for him being the big bad bully," I said as I walked over to Chugga, who was sitting on the ground, still laughing. The small group that had gathered dispersed as I helped Chugga stand up.

     "So, you're Fisher," he said. "Name's Chugga Stakeman."

     "Chugga?"

     "'Cause I chug a few cans of either Mountain Dew or Monster every morning by the flag pole," he said.

     "Oh, yeah," I said, mostly to myself. I had seen him there a few times chugging cans of pop and such.

     "As of today," Chugga said, hooking an arm around my shoulders. "we're buds, ya dig, dog?"

     "Sure, I dig," I said, trying to throw his arm off of me. "just keep your hands to yourself, man."

     "We'll see," he said, grinning and taking out his cell phone. "Say cheese!"

     "Why?"

     He snapped a picture of me with his phone and said, "That's why, new buddy o' mine."

     He did the same thing with Kat when she came back, without a teacher with her. To this day, I have no idea what she was doing while she was gone.

 

It was awkward meeting B.B. Still in sixth grade, after Kat and I met Chugga, B.B. and I were in the same English class and we got assigned to work together on a book project. Believe it or not, it was on 'The Outsiders' by S.E. Hinton. That was how it became B.B.'s favorite book.

     When we got assigned to do it, we didn't know each other at all. B.B. looked almost exactly the same in sixth grade, except with shorter hair. He was very shy and socially awkward. He didn't talk to anybody, and I had a feeling he didn't have any friends.

     We had lunch right after English, so after we got assigned the book project, I asked him if I could sit with him at lunch. He just shrugged.

     Lunch came, and I caught sight of Kat and Chugga sitting at our usual table. I glanced the other way and saw B.B. sitting alone. I walked over there and said, "So, is it okay if I sit here? You didn't really answer me before."

     "I...guess it is," he eventually said. I sat down across from him and said, "So, my name's Fisher, if you didn't catch that earlier."

     "Benjamin," B.B. said, staring at his lunch tray. He had an apple and a carton of one percent milk.

     "Do you want my bag of chips?" I asked him, holding up my bag of

Sun Chips.

     He shook his head, no.

     "You sure?"

     He nodded.

     I set down the bag of chips, cleared my throat, and said, "Okay, working on this project is going to be awkward and difficult if one of us is permanently silent, so, how about this? I'll ask you a question, you answer, and then ask me a question. That way, we can get to know each other, okay?"

     He didn't respond, just kept looking at his tray.

     "Well, uh," I began awkwardly. "do you...have any siblings?"

     "One," B.B. replied. "an older sister. Do you?"

     "No," I said back. "I'm an only child. Any pets?"

     "A cat named Arthur. Do you have any pets?"

     "A pet rock named Beowolf," I said, grinning. "I've had him for years. He's a pretty good rock."

     B.B. smiled and made eye contact, finally.

     "Favorite color?" I asked.

     "Purple," B.B. replied. "You?"

     "Green. Is this game creeping you out a bit?"

     "Slightly," he replied. He paused, and then asked, "Are your parents divorced?"

     "Yeah," I replied. "I live with my dad."

     "But, I've seen a woman entering and leaving your house before," B.B. said, a little confused. "I-I mean...I'm not stalking you, or anything, I live a few houses down from you, and that's just what I see."

     "Huh," I said. "Well, that...is my dad."

     B.B. didn't ask questions about it, just looked back at his tray and picked up the apple. I asked, "What about you?"

     "My parents are together, living in the same house, but they don't speak to each other."

     "Seriously?"

     "Have you ever seen the movie, The Sixth Sense? The one with Bruce Willis?"

     "Yeah, I have."

     "It's like his character's deal," B.B. explained. "They live in the same house together, but they're like complete strangers. They don't even talk to each other."

     "That sounds like a terrible environment to live in," I said. "How old is your sister?"

     "In her twenties," he said. "She's hoping her boyfriend proposes to her soon so she can move out of there."

     "Gee," I said, not sure how to respond.

     "Fisher, aren't you supposed to ask me a question now?" he asked, grinning.

     "Okay," I said. "Do you want to stop this game and meet my friends?"

     "Why?"

     "Everyone needs more than one friend," I said. "I think it'll be good for you. Remember, since we live so close, come over to my house anytime you want. You're always welcome with me."

     He looked at me a moment, as if unsure he should believe me, but he finally smiled and said, "Alright, I'll meet your friends."

     We got up, and I led him over to our table, where Kat and Chugga were sitting. I introduced him, and Kat said, "Benjamin is such a long name! What's your last name?"

     "Buckley," he said, a little nervously as we sat down.

     "You're nickname is B.B., then," she said, sounding pleased with herself.

     "I like the sound of that," Chugga said, taking a drink of the Coke he was hiding under the table. He burped, loudly, and B.B. snorted as he tried not to laugh.

     And from that day on, we had our little inseparable group. We stuck together all throughout middle school, and it was the best three years of our lives. We all agreed.

 

Thunder crashed, and I bolted upright in bed, my heart hammering a million miles a minute. I looked around my dark room and saw my digital clock. It was almost one in the morning.

     I had fallen asleep after putting that post on Facebook, and felt a bit stupid. But, I felt more thirsty than stupid. I got off of my bed, walked slowly through the darkness to my bedroom door, and opened it, feeling my way down the hall, down the stairs, and to the kitchen. After I turned on the kitchen light, I walked over to the refrigerator and took out another 'Fruitables' juice box.

     It thundered again, and I jumped, closing the fridge. I've always been a bit jumpy.

     I caught site of my reflection in the microwave door. My black hair was messy as hell, and I looked more tired than I felt. I yawned, and then stuck the straw through the juice box. 

     It thundered again, and I didn't jump that time, but I jumped when I heard a heavy pounding on the front door.

     "Fisher, what are you doing down there?" I heard my dad call from the top of the stairs.

     "It's not me," I said. "There's someone at the door." He came down and turned on the hall light as the pounding on the front door continued. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying not to laugh. His long hair was in a messy ponytail and he wasn't wearing a very attractive nightgown. Baby blue with small ribbons all over it along with white polka dots.

     "Fisher, stay in the kitchen," he said, getting a bat out of the hall closet.

     "Put the bat away, pops," I said, having an idea in my mind as to who was as the door. I went over and opened it, not surprised when I saw B.B. shivering in the rain.

Author's Note

Bumpers are an old brand of shoes, in case no one knew. :P They're like Converse, except without the big star on the side.

Reviews

[compositionc]

THAT WAS AWESOME.
I liked the little back story of how they all met and got along. It really brings out their characters to the full potential. Gnarly. Man. Gnarly.

[Imara]

I liked knowing how they all met, enhances their personality more. It really makes me wonder whats going one. The story had a nice flow to it and no awkward pauses in it except where you wanted them

[M Garcia]

This was a really good chapter. Its good to get some history for the group and I like how they all met. Thank you for sharing this. Keep up the good work.

[castargirl]

I really liked this chapter! I loved how you tied in how B.B would end up going to his house! Can't wait to read the nest chapter when it shows up!!! Keep it up!

[dachildofevil]

oh no!! dont make your sub-conscious-Kyouya stand out in the freezing rain!! whats going on here??

[Angie Diane♥&hea..]

I thought this was funny and awesome. LOL I love B.B. he loves my favorite book. He was so shy, but I'm glad he opened up. His father is so annoying! I wouldn't want a father like that. -.- I love the cliffhanger!
Haha anyway good chapter! I can't wait to read on. Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

CONDON?!?!? LOL YOU WOULD! I want to know why B.B. was standing out there in the rain, poor little kid. And, seriously, I'm never going to be able to take his name seriously... Beyond Birthday XD

[Ki]

Interesting characters. Waiting so see the importance of the father, and also plot! Good work! I was intrigued by the casuality and easy friendship of he 4 teens; it reminds me of my friends and me. So I was excited today to see a second chapter posted! Anxious for more!