Chapter 30

I walked out of my bedroom right into the cross face slap of my sister. Her skinny little arms lacked the space alien granted muscle. Thankfully.

“Zoë!” Mom shouted as I staggered out of surprise not injury. “What is wrong with you?”

“It’s OK, Mom,” my sister threw her hair and stalked off to the bathroom, “He already apologized for it.”

“Then why did you hit me!” I whimpered manfully. Mom rushed over to me.

“Is it over? Do you want me to punish her?” She asked.

“No Mom,” I smiled as I answered both questions and zigzagged around her to the kitchen.

“Not taking glee in getting each other in trouble?” She tutted as she followed. “You want to show her how to grow up some more?”

“Not really,” I shrugged as I excavated my breakfast from the cupboards. I often ate Honey Nut Cheerios. I put the box back. I did not want to acclimate my cereal expectations to anything more flavorful thank Flakes and Ohs.

“That’s a lot of butter and syrup, why don’t you just have cookies for breakfast?” Dad joined us in the kitchen as I had popped my Eggos from the toaster.

“Because I’d rather have you sarcastic than Mom nagging,” I answered and started to lift one around and eat with my hands. Mom dropped a fork next to the butter knife I had used.

“Sometimes it’s better not to answer every question,” Dad laughed at me. Mom set a cup of coffee down in front of him. “Thank you, Lovely.”

“Zoë’s in a mood,” She warned Dad. I had something to snark about that but I had stuffed my first forkful into my mouth. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, Dean.”

Zoë skipped out. She tied up her hair raising the hem of my old jersey high enough to flash her red panties. “Morning Dad.”

“Mornin’ sweetheart.” Dad sighed and grabbed Mom’s shoulder after he stood up. Mom rubbed his fingers as he wished us all a good day and set off. Zoë sat down next to me, not around the corner as she used to, that stopped Dad for a moment in the doorway. He accepted the change as soon as Zoë elbowed me.

“Shower up and meet me out there early enough to talk to Kia.”

“Sure thing, boss,” I grumbled.

“Dean, dishes. Dishwasher.” Mom warned me. I quarter-smiled an apology and set off for a shower. I turned up the heat a couple of times. I felt cold. Alone.

I met Zoë outside and she was on her phone. She snapped up when I was close. She flicked her head up the street and saw Kia walking down. Stepping on my toes makes my hand wave to the pretty girl. The wonders of the human body.

“Hey Kia.” I smiled. My words collided into her “Hey Dean.”

“Are you two dating or what?” Zoë interjected.

I hesitated. Kia looked surprised.

“See, my brother’s not going to say it. The way you want nothing to do with him when there’s no witnesses to you and your new boyfriend. That’s mean.”

“Don’t be so blunt,” I reprimanded my sister.

“I don’t want to lead him on,” Kia sounded a third her size. “I’m not ready for sex or anything and I was afraid I--”

“He had no idea that’s what you were doing,” Zoë snapped. “If you’re smart, you’re done with her and you’ll go see Marin today.”

“What! No, I could--”

“Yeah, force yourself to do something you’ll end up hating him for. He’ll love that.” Zoë scoffed. The bus was lumbering up the street, its brakes beginning to squeal. Zoë cracked my chest. “Come home for dinner. We need to talk.”

I looked to Kia and at least wasn’t as shell shocked as the green-haired, metal-mouthed, beanpole that was so much more striking in the box. I smiled.

“I asked you out to get to know you,” I told her. “If I’m a trophy you want to show off. I’d rather you tell me so we can move on or if you’re interested, you can’t leave me in the dark again.”

Kia nodded. She smiled. She didn’t answer. I sat by myself towards the back of the bus. Three times on the journey, Laurie popped out of her shared seat with Kia to look back at me. Each time she was looking more and more impressed. Laurie was more acne prone in the real world. She was chubbier too. I sunk down into my seat. The bus filled up. Some freshman girl dropped down next to me so she could chatter with her friends across the aisle.

Zoë grabbed Xiomara with a harsh word. I stepped off the bus. Kia and Laurie had touched base with Hannah and Wanda. Wanda rushed over to me. As rushed as she could be on crutches.

“Did you feel anyone else trying to get into your cabinet before you woke up here?” She hissed.

“No, did someone try to--”

“We’re not perfectly synched then!” She giggled.

“Hey Wanda, that’s my boyfriend your stealing.” Kia said the word boyfriend with such polite trepidation that I almost said no. I wanted a bit more energy from her. I smiled. I almost got to assuage her fears.

“Dude, I’m going to be dead in four years. Don’t be cockblocking.” Wanda scoffed. Kia turned white with me. I didn’t turn red.

“Wanda, I just told you that--”

“Yeah, yeah,” Wanda rolled her eyes. I was not prepared for her to shout, “Connie! C’mere!”

Kia immediately stepped back. Connie, Renée and clutch of other cheerleaders in civilian clothes looked confused. Connie saw me, grabbed Renée’s arm and walked over. Renée was kept purposefully on my side.

“Hi Connie, Hi Renée,” I greeted them.

“Hey Dean,” She said with a slow calculated decision. I saw her fingers squeeze Renée’s arm. Renée’s yellow decorated bookbag jiggled as she swayed.

“Hi Dean. Hi Wanda.” She murmured.

“So, c’mere?” Connie turned up the corner of her grin in contest with the crutch ridden girl.

“Yeah, Dean’s been really nice to me. Where would I go on campus for some privacy for a,” She tried to gesture a fist towards her mouth as her tongue poked out her cheek. She scrambled back for her crutch. I put a steadying hand behind her shoulder blades.

“Wow.” Connie laughed. She almost turned to leave. Renée looked at her captain and gestured with her head. It was a clear signal, “Tell the girl.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no,” Kia crossed her arms and shook her head. I tried to laugh. That was a strangled attempt at being above this situation.

“Renée drove today, maybe she’ll let her use her back seat in the parking lot.” Connie shrugged. “What kind of slut do you think I am, Wanda?”

“The best kind?” Wanda grinned.

Connie was laughing. “Alright, alright, thanks for calling me over like a dog. I’m glad there was a whole schoolyard of witnesses.” She was grinning. “It’s in your hands now, Renée.”

“Why would it be in her hands?” Kia huffed.

“She wants to steal your boyfriend or Wanda’s whatever,” Connie gestured.

The blonde with the big tits was fire hydrant red, “You don’t just tell a boy that!”

“Yeah,” Wanda put a finger in Connie’s face. She grabbed back on her crutch before she continued. “At least do what Marin did and promise to suck his dick so hard that he dumps Kia.”

“Marin?” Connie scrunched her nose, “The tall pale chick with the buckshot of freckles. How the hell did you become Mr Popular?”

“Alien abduction,” I answered. Kia and I had to grab Wanda who laughed herself off of her crutches. The first bell rang, 10 minutes to class.

“Walk me to English, Dean?” Renée asked through her embarrassed red face.

“The hell he will!” Kia grabbed my arm and her red face was all wrath.

“If bitches weren’t crazy, I’d envy you, Dean,” Connie said. “You want to walk to class with me, Wanda?”

“You’re just being nice to me so I’ll blow you,” Wanda grinned and started off with Connie. I shook my head.

“I have to go to English. As does Renée. You’ve got math, Kia. I’ll see you later.”

“OK, I’m sorry Renée,” Kia huffed. “His sister is mean.”

“Of course she is,” Renée rolled her eyes, “It’s not like I haven’t known Zoë for years.”

I chatted with Renée on the way over. I was going to have to get to know her better in the box. I didn’t know much of what made her brain tick. It wasn’t like Xiomara or Pat. We sat through class and said bye before splitting for second period. I rushed to art class. I got there before Marin and looped the hallways a few times until she had arrived and chosen a seat.

“Hey you,” I grinned as I flumped down next to her.

“Am I going to have to separate you two again?” The teacher sighed. Knock knock on the door frame. We all turned and I saw Kia.

“Yes Ms Parker?” Our teacher greeted with a tempered grimace.

“I need to talk to my boyfriend for just a moment. I’ll be gone by the bell. I won’t interrupt your class.” She said. She stared me down as the teacher warned her the bell was less than a minute away. Marin shook her head as I walked over to Kia.

“I will treat you as good in private as I do in public.” She rushed out. The bell rang. She kissed me and bolted. She wasn’t going to arrive at her history class in time. I walked back and sat next to Marin.

“I changed my mind,” Marin told me. “You have to dump her first.”

“Good,” I nodded, “Otherwise I wouldn’t get you at your best.”

“Don’t say that if I’m not going to get any.” She whispered.

The rest of the day was school. Classes I saw even less of a use for than before the box. Friends that tired me out. Girls I had come to expect more from. Social games I had no respect for. Kia sat next to me on the bus.

“You’re not getting off?”

“A couple stops later and I can make a quick trip to Dashawn’s.” I told her. A true story. Another stop after that was my destination though. I checked my phone. I hoped her school got her home by the time our late-as-shit buses got me home.

“Oh, hi,” A tall blond man opened the door. Her father was 6’ and then some? He should get a genetics test done.