Y2k part 2
Broken wings
The moment I saw her sobbing with tears slithering down her cheeks, it was gut-wrenching. I stood there frozen, backpack still slung over one shoulder, watching from a distance I didn't know how to cross. I didn't know what to do.
I've seen heartbreak many times, and this is now one of them. I wanted to comfort her and hug her, but something was keeping me at a distance. Was I even someone she wanted comfort from?
Thankfully, she wasn't alone. Betty, the blonde girl that Bear has been crushing on, and Theresa, a girl I have seen many times at the Island, were both with her.
Theresa was the definition of a social butterfly. As part of the student council, she knew just about everyone on campus, whether personally or just seen around. She had her dark hair tied back in a ponytail and wore glasses that framed and complemented her round face perfectly.
Betty had her hand on CC's back, rubbing slow circles between her shoulder blades. Teresa was crouched down in front of CC, saying something soft that I couldn't hear.
I hadn't seen CC like this since…well, ever.
What happened to make her cry like that?
I continued and entered the library with the image of CC's heartbreak still burned into my mind. Looking around at the different tables and beyond the shelves, I found the guys. They were in the middle of a campaign discussion for DnD.
"Holy shit! ALFIEEEEE! I didn't expect to see you this early." Boss looked surprised to see me.
"No more swimming for this guy, that's why," I said. "So what'd I miss?" I popped a seat with the rest of the table.
James, the one who had all the attention at that moment, put his scribble-filled notebook down. "Lots."
While I was at swim practice throughout last semester, he had become the dungeon master for a campaign that had been ongoing.
He was a nerdy athlete and part of the school's basketball team and track. He wore his blonde hair in an open book style and had red-framed glasses. What was really special about him was that he had a very good way of using words. A silver-tongued Wizard.
"So far, my campaign has killed 2 of Victor's characters, Bear's character now has a flat, deformed head from a trap he was lucky to survive, Boss is still hanging in there, and Nate is trapped again for the billionth time," James said snarkily as he stared over at Nate, unamused by it.
I looked over at Nate, who had a careless and blank expression. "Damn, Nate. Get it together."
Nate chuckled and shrugged. "Hey, if I see shiny or gold, I'm taking it."
My eyes narrowed in suspicion. "He's playing a goblin again, isn't he?"
The table answered simultaneously, annoyed, "Yup."
Nate smirked proudly.
"Okay. What I meant is, what did I miss out there? I saw CC crying her eyes out."
James hummed and peered over towards the direction of the library entrance to see if they were still there. "I heard that Kenny broke up with her during the break?"
"What the fuck? Seriously?" I sat back against my chair, feeling very confused and lost for words.
I truly believed CC and Kenny were a solid couple. The kind that you can see lasting. The kind of couple I was inspired by. What happened?
Something didn't seem right.
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Once the school bell rang and everyone went their separate ways to their first class, I made it down to the tennis courts.
Seeing my new classmates arrive, I recognized four of them from the swim team who were also transferred in. We traded in our Speedos and swimsuits for tennis racquets.
Where am I going to get a racquet, and how am I going to get the money for that?
Lucky for me, I made a new friend right away. His name was Manny. Manny was short and stout, but was also good at tennis. He had seen me drawing a few times in the courtyard whenever he walked by the Island of Misfits.
He offered me a deal I could not refuse: A racquet for 5 dollars, along with a drawing of Misty from Pokémon. Simple enough, right?
The only catch was he wanted Misty to be...Busty...and in a lewd, suggestive pose.
*Sigh*
Have I just become a smut peddler?
The tennis coach, however, was very blunt and sarcastic. He had me and all the newcomers to tennis start with the basics, and hitting the ball to the wall. I'm ashamed to say I was bested and beaten by a brick wall.
Math class was a usual headache, but chemistry after Math became a nightmare. I was expecting to mix different solutions and observe reactions, but it just turned out to be another type of math.
Why?
Between what I've learned this morning before school and what I've endured the last 3 classes, lunch sounded good. I went through the line and grabbed my standard-issue school pizza, fries, chocolate milk, and a zebra cake from the a la carte line.
I don't even know why I got the pizza. The Crust was like cardboard, the sauce was pretty bland, and the cheese was very waxy. Probably because the pizza was the best choice compared to the rest of the lunch options.
At least zebra cakes have never been disappointing.
Instead of going to the table in the cafeteria where everyone was sitting, I went outside to the island for some cool, fresh air and to clear my head.
After my quick meal, I started to shuffle and sift through my Magic cards to restrategize and switch some cards around based on the last time I played with the group.
Every so often, I would peer up to look around the courtyard. At one point, I noticed Kenny walking around with a group of guys from the JROTC program. I began to get curious.
Last school year, Kenny, CC, and I were all in the JROTC program. The JROTC program was created by the Army and was used as a military cadet training class. This earned you credit as a PE course and looked good if you pursued a career in the military.
The guys I saw with Kenny were higher-ranking officers in that course and were their own clique. It looks like Kenny moved on and joined them. Something still didn't seem right. Why would Kenny just break up with CC after a year? She deserves better than that.
When the rest of the group finished eating, we went to the library for our lunch game of Magic: The Gathering. I wasn't as engaged as I would usually be. I was playing poorly and not being as vocal or strategic, which even the group noticed was off.
In reality, I was playing another kind of game. One that involved navigating feelings, assumptions, and how to interrogate a break-up without seeming like an asshole.
I wanted to know more about the break-up and how it happened, but I just didn't know how to ask.
CC is already hurting from this. Asking her would be like rubbing salt into a fresh wound. Kenny didn't seem as distraught and was the one I really wanted to ask, but how could I approach him?
This strategic thinking carried on throughout the French class after Lunch. Part of being in the French class was that we had to pick a name to say in French. My name became Frédéric.
As I walked out after class, I spotted Lilly walking right toward this classroom.
"Salut, Lilly! Je m'appele Frédéric." I smiled and waved.
"Ah. Are we taking French this year?" Lilly smirked.
"Well, I would have liked to learn Japanese, but this school sucks. It was either this or Spanish? " I gestured at my entire body. "I'm Mexican. Spanish is my first language."
Lilly chuckled. "It would have been an easy A."
"Yeah, but..." I paused, realizing she was 100% correct. "You know what? Fuck you!"
She started to laugh and shake her head. "Oh, Goofball."
I couldn't help but laugh with her at my foolishness. Instead of taking an easy route, I challenged myself unintentionally.
"How was your break? Get anything good for Christmas?" I asked.
"It was...short. I got some clothes, a blacklight, and a few more CDs. Deftones. And you?"
"Got some clothes too, and grandpa got me a leather jacket and a Mexican blanket. It's comfy as hell. That's about it."
"Ooh. Nice."
"I thought so. I've been wanting one forever." I leaned against the wall. "How have classes been so far?"
Lilly had a twinkle in her eyes. "Fuck. I love Tech in the mornings. Best laid-back art class I ever had with lots of cool people there. How about yours?"
I shrugged. "It could be better. All my morning classes suck. This class was fun, though. I got sociology next..." I became distracted mid-sentence, seeing Kenny step into my next class. "...Door."
"No shit," I muttered under my breath.
"What?" Lilly looked over.
I blinked rapidly and shook my head. "Um...nothing. Things...got interesting."
Lilly hummed, questioning me. "O-kay?"
"Anyways, you're going to love this teacher. She's a trip." I said as I walked away.
"Ok. Talk to you later, Frédéric." Lilly taunted playfully.
I raised my arm with my middle finger pointing in the air and doing little circles. She clearly saw it by the way she chuckled before going into class.
Was this some sort of answered prayer or a twist of fate to have me in the same class as Kenny when I was looking for answers?
Whatever it was, fate handed me a chance to get some answers, and I wasn't about to waste it.