"I'm telling you I was fighting the guy from the cards." Lucas said for what felt like the fourth time.
We were walking down West Avenue to our school. Lucas had come to pick me up at my home like he's been doing since we were in kindergarten. Normally we'd talk about what outfit we chose and why, what we are going to eat, what class we're behind on (this was usually me) and what we'd be doing on the weekend.
Today though, Lucas kept telling me about a strange dream he had which involved his tarot card from yesterday. He'd dreamt he woke up on an open field full of ruins and a young man who was brandishing an old sword stood nearby. The man had tossed a sword to Lucas and attacked him, but his attacks were slow and not deadly.
Lucas, who knew boxing but nothing about sword play imitated what he'd seen on TV and lost the fight.
The young man, A Page as Lucas insisted he be called, had sat down and asked Lucas to help him polish the swords. Lucas had complied, and proceeded to ask where they were. The Page had not answered but asked Lucas a question instead. He'd asked if it was wrong to dream what others don't want for you, but you want for yourself.
That gave me goosebumps and I felt like I was forgetting something really important, but i couldn't recall.
In the end, Lucas answered with a yes and the Page had smiled... and stabbed him through the heart!
That's when Lucas woke up.
I found the dream to be weird but Lucas had weird dreams all the time. We both did. Whereas my dreams were horrific terrors that often shook my bones, (not all the time, I had normal dreams too or I'd be in a mad house) Lucas's dreams were usually about whatever crazy movie or artistic inspiration his brain cooked up.
So, we were teenagers with strange dreams, nothing special there and so by the time we got to school, we had changed the topic to which boys were best looking in the tenth grade.
It was good to be young and trouble free.
[4 hours later]
I was roughly shoved against the door to the bathroom stall, my hair a mess and my situation making it very clear I was in trouble.
The ladies room was spotless... Ha! As if!
The floor was a dirty brown from dust, with black and white a poco dot pattern and faded green wallpaper. Bubblegum was dry and hardened on several walls, its owners long gone. There was a mirror, with several sinks to wash hands and sanitation dispensers.
"You little creep." A venomous voice said irritably.
I turned my head to look at its owner. A young teenage girl stood a few feet from me, around my age and a few inches taller than me. She had beautiful blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, a fair complexion with a small beauty mark on her lower left cheek. She wore a pink wool top, a jean strap dress, pinky pumps and her hair was tied in a long pony tail.
This was Cindy Lanford in all her wicked glory.
Behind her were three girls, her 'friends' who had come to back her up, against me, the homewrecker creepy girl who was apparently stalking Bradley.
You couldn't write this stuff up, is what I thought when she accused me in the hallway.
Then before I knew it I was shoved to the ladies room, shoved around like a goat in a ring of wolves and now I was pressing my back against the farthest left wall, near the window. No escape there though, sorry to say, the window was tiny and large enough for a preschooler only.
"You should be very grateful." Cindy said, her voice was like a poodle humping a siren.
"Bradley told me not to hurt you, said you are probably just one of the crazy bimbos in this town who needs a stick in their hole." She continued scornfully," Honestly, he's just so good right?"
"You're just as good too Cindy" one the girls behind her said.
"Yeah totally, Bradley and you are so good it's like, so good." Another one chirped.
Cindy touched her chest and gave a helpless sigh, like her so called goodness was a curse or something.
"You're right. I am good." Cindy looked at me again," Which is why you're only getting a warning this time. Fawn over him in your dad's basement or whatever, but in the real world, I don't even want your shadow crossing our path. Got it?"
I felt wronged on so many levels but I knew fighting right now would lead to alot of problems. So I bit my tongue and nodded my head, Cindy just hissed in disgust and turned around. The other girls copied her and the whole band left.
I sighed bitterly after they left and turned to the mirror. With practiced ease I slowly tried to fix my hair to something resembling decent.
One of the stalls opened up and a girl walked out with her head facing down.
I looked at her through the mirror and said nothing, as did she.
"Wash your hands " I eventually broke the silence and carried on with my touchups.
The girl quickly washed her hands, her eyes avoiding mine like the plague. Then with a quick phrase I think was a pitiful sorry, she left the ladies room and me alone.
"Yay, women unity and empowerment." I said dryly as I looked at my reflection," Damn I hope Lucas doesn't notice this "
I left after that lonely sentence.
...
Lucas noticed it the moment I sat down at our bench for lunch.
His eyes zeroed in on my face, despite my award winning smile, and a frown descended upon his face.
"You... Cindy did something didn't she?" He asked in a slow voice, that was bad, he only talked slowly when he was furious!
"Nuh," I said in a high and squiky voice, damn that was an obvious lie!
"Okay. Where the fuck is she?" Lucas got up, dusting his pants,"She thinks she's some God damn-"
"Lucas please don't, if you mess with Cindy, Bradley will retaliate." I told him and he gave a frustrated growl.
Then he sat back down and I gave a sigh of relief.
"Such a bitch." Lucas muttered softly. His eyes were in a very frightening scowl and I looked at him with concern.
Lucas had a very hot temper when it came to those he cared about, me especially. I remembered back in kindergarten when one of the older boys had poured sand in my hair and made me cry. Lucas, in a fit of rage, stole the boys lunch, tossed it into the sandbox and hit him on the head with the toy shovel. It had ended with Lucas's parents taking him home and him staying away for a week.
When he returned, no other kids would play with him, too scared of the screaming monster they had seen last week. As for myself though, I remained his steadfast friend, and the rest was history. No time for a full background story with his bubbling rage still in my face.
"Two friends in the woods, went to deliver goods," I said with a small smile.
I waited a few seconds for Lucas.
"But tripped on their feet, and dropped the treats." Lucas reluctantly said but my smile grew wider.
"If one friend goes to pick fruits," I continued.
"The other picks roots," Lucas looked at me, his scowl diminishing.
"But wherever they are, they're close and never far."
"Cause best friends have each other, and are always together." Lucas finished.
"Feeling better?" I asked him as I lay my head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, although why that stupid ryhme we made when we were kids calms us down makes no sense." He said snort.
It was true, it was a fun little ryhme that we had made with the help of my... Dad, before he passed away. Truth be told it started off as a nursery rhyme our parents sang to us when we were in the crib, growing up and hearing it, it made us feel good and safe. When I was panicking or when Lucas was tipping on the edge of a tantrum, we'd say the words, calm each down and just sit together. Letting our friendship ease whatever was the problem.
"It just does." I answered," Now, did you do your geography homework?"
"No, I figured there was no point. Especially after what you did to Mr Robinson ." Lucas said dryly," Whether I did it or not he is so not giving me a passing grade because of my association with you."
"Me!?" I was outraged,"You duncked him too. I wasn't alone."
"But I didn't do a victory dance after every bullseye." He countered and I gave a small chuckle.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that." I shrugged,"Oh well, I was never going to do that homework anyway. Too lazy."
"End of year is coming up, and I don't think lazy will be good for college." Lucas said practically.
"Do you have to remind me? I mean, we're in the last year of highschool, next year would be college, and jobs and stuff." And, it would require us to leave our sweat little town, since there wasn't a college here.
"Do you think college will be more deep and profound or more childish than what we have here?" I asked him.
"People are different everywhere and besides, we rarely know anything outside of Oakwood. The world is literally going to be nothing but wonder I'm guessing." Lucas said with a small smile," But if you're asking me whether college guys are great, Luca video called one time with his roommate in the background. He'd just come from a shower and -"
"Towel or no towel?" I shot up and looked at him in the eyes. This was serious!
"Towel, luckily." Lucas gave a small blush," But his abs... I ... I almost whistled or fainted and shit. Damn my face was red."
"And what did Luca say to your change in colour?" I asked curious.
"Eh, I just told him I was getting a cold from the rain." He said nonchalantly.
"He believed you? It hasn't rained in a month."
"Eh, he's Luca. If it isn't about wrestling, his interest drops by fifty percent, you know." Lucas sighed," Anyway, about that dream I had last night -"
"Oh my Glob kill me." I groaned in exaggeration.
"Well as I was sayin'," Lucas continued as if I said nothing and that's how most of the lunch hour was spent.