4.I Don't Think About It-Emily Osment

Misunderstood
Everybody feels that way sometimes.

I wish I could fit in with all the rest but I

Got my own style

Got my own way

I don’t care what people say yea ‘cause...

A few weeks went by, Ty never brought up the event with Mickey and her mother. He was staring out the window in his first period english class, trying to elaborate the warning Mickey’s mother had given him. Was Mickey hiding something? Or was her mother just very over protective? “Mickey did say that her mom moves around a lot,” Ty thought to himself. “Maybe she just didn’t want Mickey to get attached to anyone...maybe they’re moving again.”

“Tyshaun,” Ty growled quietly, he hated when Ms.Lincoln said his full name. “Since you seem to be so interested in the reading, why don’t you explain to the class your theory on Shakespeare’s concept in writing Romeo and Juliet.”

Ty sighed, looking back at McKenna who sat in the back of class smirking at him. “Uhh,” He ran his hand through his hair, squinting his eyes, flicking his pen on the desk.

“Tyshaun, maybe if you did your sleeping at home instead of in my class, you’d understand what was going on.” Ms.Lincoln sneered at Ty, turning away from him and to the board. “Maybe if I had a word with your father...”

“Shakespeare was trying to prove a fact that teenagers are foolish when it comes down to love, showing that they came to kill themselves since they weren’t allowed to be together...” Ms.Lincoln looked at Ty, a smirk on his face as he continued to flick his pen. “When in reality it was the adults who were stupid for having closed minds and being stubborn, not allowing them to be together just because their families are rivals.”

“Hmph” Ms.Lincoln turned towards the board, the whole class snickering. “You saved your neck this time Mr.Nova.”

After class, and a long lecture of how focus is key in life from Ms. Lincoln, Ty headed down to the cafeteria. The hallway was packed and he didn’t see the others anywhere in the crowd, they must’ve already been downstairs.

“Excuse me.” Ty looked down to see a bird from his math class talking to him. He never liked her, even though at the moment he didn't even remember her name. All he knew was that she was really ignorant, had tried to pick a fight with McKenna, a total airhead and had a very bad weave. You could clearly see the tracks from pretty much any angle.

“Yea?” Ty’s eyes went up slightly then back down at her, trying to understand why a bird was talking to him. Let alone a bird he didn't even like.

“You’re name is Tyshaun, right?” She asked him. He hated when people said his full name, her ghetto accent didn’t make it any better.

“It’s Ty.”

“Whateva,” She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes scanning him up and down as she smacked her gum. “Anyway, you be going out with that freshman girl that was with ya yesterday?”

Ty jerked back, his eyes squinting in confusion. “No. Why?” He didn't even remember her being in that crowd. Didn’t really surprise him though.

She shook her head, trying to fight back a smile. “No reason.” She walked away.

“Damn birds.” Ty thought to himself as he took to the stairs. “What would make them think that though?” He froze for a second, then shook his head with a smile. “Me and Mickey…nah, no way.”

“Um, excuse me.” It was another bird. “Can you move?”

Ty kept moving, rolling his eyes.

The farther down he went, the more crowded the stairs were. When he finally got down to the cafeteria, he saw that everyone was at the table. Everyone but Mickey.

“Hey guys.” Ty sat down next to Kyle who was focused on his PS Vita. He looked up at the lunch line, still no Mickey. “Where’s Mickey?”

McKenna gestured to the passageway near the kitchen. “Bathroom. Janice spilled something on her. Probably won’t be out for a minute.”

Ty’s eyes flickered from McKenna to the passageway. He sighed, slowly getting up and headed towards the girl’s bathroom. On the way, he passed by Janice and three other girls who sneered at him, their skirts riding up high above their knees, their tank-tops showing their mid-drift. Where was the Dean when you needed him.

“Oh Ty,” Janice’s nasal voice made him suddenly hate his own name.

He froze, turning his head back to them.

“You might want to go check on your little girlfriend.” Janice smirked, Ty got a glance of her crooked, yellowing teeth as she spoke. “Bye.”

Ty stared in disgust as they walked away, shook his head and continued walking. He froze when he got to the door of the girl’s bathroom. From outside the door he could hear the sound of running water along with a voice mumbling something illegible.

“Mickey?” He called, knocking on the door.

The mumbling continued, he turned the door handle. The door slowly creaked opened and he took a cautious step inside. The mumbling became louder and clearer.
“...Damn birds, I’ll never get this off before class.” Mickey was standing over the sink a few steps in front of him, scrubbing something beneath the water.

Her back was even paler than her face, the bones of her spine clearly noticeable as it ran up to her bra strap. Her shoulder blades poked out like angel wings. As he took a few steps closer he saw stitches on the back of her head where her hair parted. Another skate accident?

“Mickey.” He called a little louder. Nothing. “MICKEY!”

She shot up, pulled her headphones out and looked back. Her eyes widened as she turned around, pulling a wet t-shirt in front of her chest to cover herself. “What the hell are you doing in the GIRLS bathroom?!?!?” Her face slowly went extremely red.

“McKenna told me what happened.” Ty stuck his hand in his pockets, looking up at the pink walls, the water stained mirrors. The meatball sized orange stain on her white t-shirt. “Need some help?”

“No, just get out.” She turned back around to the sink. “You’re gonna get caught.”

Ty shrugged, walking closer to her. He took off his button down, fixing the t-shirt that was underneath, placing it around her shoulders. “Here, wear this ‘til you get home.”

“But this is your shirt.”
“You need it more than I do right now.” Ty shrugged, helping her put the shirt on properly. “It actually looks good on you.”

Mickey blushed as he buttoned the shirt up for her. “Thanks alot.”

Ty smiled, putting his hand on her head. They suddenly heard someone coming into the bathroom. “...Omg Kiesha, you o.d funny.”

Mickey shoved Ty into the nearest stall, squeezing in there with him and quickly closing the stall. Ty sat on the metal part of the toilet where the flushing trigger was, his feet on the porcelain bowl. Mickey sitting on his lap, putting her finger to his lips.

“You dead a*s though?” Janice’s nasal voice was all too familiar to Ty. “What he say?”

“He claim he don’t go out with her.” The second voice sounded like the girl who had spoken to him earlier. “But I think he do ‘cause he stay waitin outside her classes and I be seein him on the bus with his arm wrapped around her and s**t.” That must’ve been Keisha.

“I’m not surprised though.” Janice started to speak again, Ty feelin Mickey gaze up at him as his eyes remained glued to the black speckled door that separated them from the two girls speaking. “He stay going after them depressing lookin ones, I mean didn’t he go out with that other girl that be on his dick all the time?”

“He probably gonna do the same s**t to this one.” Keisha added. “Yo, I tell you what McKenna was doing today in gym though?” There was a moment of silence. “So, let me tell you, we was getting ready to play volleyball. Tell me how this b***h stay lookin at me. Yo, Imma get my boyfriend on her if she don’t stop lookin at me, her ugly, lesbian a*s.”

“Why was you even paying her any mind?”

“‘Cause she was bein a damn creep.”

The more they spoke, the angrier Ty got at the way they were talking about McKenna. He felt Mickey move and looked down. She had moved off of his lap, standing with one hand balled up and the other reaching for the door handle.

“She ain’ the only creep.” Janice spoke, Mickey freezing with her hand on the handle. “That girl Mickey even worse.”

“What she do?” Someone turned on the faucet as Keisha spoke again.

“She stay feenin over Ty.” Janice continued, Ty taking a curious glance at Mickey.

“Whatchyu mean?”

        “Well for starters she…”

        Ty slammed the door open. He silently and quickly walked towards the door, dragging Mickey along with him.

*        *        *

“Ty?” Mickey said, he didn’t answer. “Ty, will you please say something?”

Ty had originally left her at the table with the others without saying a word. It wasn’t until he was already out of the cafeteria and in the auditorium that he realized Mickey had followed him. He kept his gaze locked on the stage as they both sat on the floor in the back of the dark auditorium.

Ty wanted to say something but he just didn’t know what was it he wanted to say. By the way she was sitting beside him, her knees tucked into her chest, arms locked around them, head down, he knew he was making her feel at fault. How could he possibly comfort her when he was afraid he would say the wrong thing and make matters worse. He didn’t like talking when he was upset.

“Ty…” Mickey said quietly. He glanced at her wordlessly. “I’m sorry…”

He sighed, putting an arm around her and holding her close to him. “It’s not you I’m mad at. I’m just tired of those damn birds always talking about other people’s business.” He took a breath and leaned his head back. “Me and McKenna just happen to be their favorite topic.”

“So that guy they were talking about earlier…it was you?”

“That’s the thing, none of it’s true.” Ty laughed sarcastically. “She made that up last year when I turned down one of her friends and everyone believes it.” He took another heavy sigh. “Everyone believes that I slept with McKenna and dumped her afterwards. They laugh at her for being a s**t and this one girl I liked thought I was a complete a*****e.”

“She must not have known you that well then if she believed that.” Ty could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke.  “I know the feeling of people starting rumors about me.”

Ty thought about what Janice was saying earlier about Mickey. “What did they say?”

“It was all mostly about my constant transfers.” She shifted slightly so that her head was in the center of his chest. “Some thought it was because I was a trouble-child, always getting expelled. This one girl made up a rumor that I was under the witness protection program and that Michelle probably wasn’t even my real name.”

Ty’s hand went up to the top of her head, tracing the stitched line beneath her beanie. “They didn’t believe that it was because of your mom’s work, did they?” Mickey shook her head. “Mickey, what’s the real reason?”