TEENAGE DIRTBAGS ❇ SHAWN HUNTER

the univited

"Thus the transcontinental railroad spelled the end of the Pony Express." Mr. Feeny spoke as notes were passed, I grinned when one from Zach landed on my desk. "Mail service was faster, more reliable...." He trailed swiping all the notes.

My face burned as he read off the notes. "Mr. Hart would like to know if Ms. Keller has a date to the party."

"No, I don't." I whispered back to him. "Good."

"Ms. Wilder wants to know what Ms. Harrington thinks she should wear to the party. Ms. Harrington wants to know what makes Ms. Wilder think she's invited."

The girl scoffed. "I'm not invited?" Melissa shrugged. "We'll see okay?" She said rudely.

"Mr. Matthews wants to know if this is going to be a make-up party?" He read out. "Well sure Cory, you can bother my lip gloss." Melissa said making everyone laugh. "Out, not up. Make-out party." Cory cried.

"Ah so it is." Mr. Feeny grinned. "Mr. Matthews wants to know if this is going to be a make-out party." He read again. "Not for him." I giggled.

______________

"I blew there's no way Melissa's gonna invite me to the party now." Cory complained. "So, Mr. Feeny cut you off at the knees, people will forget." Shawn said.

"You'll get invited to the next one." I told him. "You think?" He asked. "Of course, you have to. You're our friend."

Cory rolled his eyes and looked to Shawn. "This is high school, to much is going on for people to remember." Shawn corrected.

"Don't think I forgot about you Baboon." Harley said walking up to us. "Spoke to soon." Shawn muttered. "Don't think forgot last Tuesday, you sat in my chair in the cafeteria."

"Can't you give him a break, we have bigger issues right now." I said. "Not now Runt." He held a finger to my lips.

Joey jumped in. "Everybody knows that's Harley's chair, everybody knows it's always been Harley's chair and it's always gonna be Harley's chair every year that he's a senior."

"Ain't that right Frankie?" I rolled my eyes at the boys. "What are you saying? I like my sister?"

"No, no I'm not saying that. I'm just saying you have a very close family." Joey corrected but Frankie walked away. "Hey, where ya going?" He chased after him. "I wanna call home."

Cory looked between us. "Is he alright?"

"He's got some issues." I told them. "Now, I, on the other hand have one issue and that's you Baboon." Harley told Cory. "I don't like you. I look at your face and I wanna hit it, is that so wrong?"

I shrugged. "I do sometimes too..." I muttered to him.

"Dude?" Cory smacked me. I chuckled a little.

"So there I am, finals of the chess tournament, a mere three moves away from checkmate, and out of nowhere I swallow my rook." A boy walked past us. "Pardon me, that me eleven o'clock."

Harley grinned at the boys. "Care to help out Runt, Matty will be proud?" I glanced to the pack of smokes in pocket. "Why not."

"Let me know about the party, okay?" I asked the boys.

"You going with him?" Cory asked. "Look I'm not gonna do anything, just hangin' out for a bit with him and Matty." I assured. "Go ahead, we'll get your invite." Shawn assured.

I smiled following after Harley.

______________

I sat on floor outside the school with Harley, blowing out smoke when Matt came over.

"Mandy, you know I don't like when you smoke." He commented stamping it out. "Give the kid a break, she's having a rough time at home. You too obviously." Harley said pointing to the new bruise on his cheek.

Matt frowned. "What would you know?"

"Your trailer's right next mine, we hear everything." He said glancing down at me. I slid further down the wall.

Matt dropped beside me. Harley passed him his own cigarette, before relighting mine. "If you ever need to get out come next door." He told us.

"Better yet, call me over and we can beat that douche's ass." He chuckled.

______________

I ended up ditching the rest of the day with Matt and Harley, sitting back in my trailer.

"Hunter's a the door." Matt yelled from the living room. "Hey." I said walking over to the door. "You ditched without me again?" He asked.

I shrugged letting him in the trailer. "Sorry."

"It's fine." He muttered glancing at Matt and Harley in the living room. "So, bad news. We didn't get invited." He told me. "What?" I asked closing the fridge. "Cor did."

I scrunched my face in confusion. "I know, the universe shifted. But I was thinking we could go hang at Chubbie's." He suggested.

"Sure, just gotta change." I said pointing to the old over sized shirt i was wearing. "Come on." I pulled him to room behind me when I saw Harley staring him down.

I rolled my eyes as Matt yelled. "That door better stay open, and Hunter you better be in the hallway.

"Mind your own business." I shouted back shutting my door. "It's not a big deal, I can wait out there." Shawn stuttered. "When will you stop being scared of him?"

Shawn shrugged. "Never?"

I chuckled grabbing the clothes I wore at school. "Turn around." I told him sternly He sighed but turned to the door so I could change. "Ready."

"We're going to Chubbie's." I told Matt when we got to the door. "Fine, be home by ten."

_______________

"Hey, Shawn, Mandy. Over here." Someone called from the large group of kids when we got down the stairs.

We ran over finding a seat in the middle of the clump. "Is that Melissa?" I asked. Shawn followed my gaze over to the girl that just entered to clump of kids. "Uh yeah."

"Mel, why you skipping your party?" I called over. "You think I wanna sit there with all those nerds? My parents checked my list, why do you think you guys didn't get invited?"

I frowned turning back to Shawn.

"Hey, hey, everybody. Hand in your homework right now!" Mr. Turner suddenly caught everyone's attention. "Shawn, Mandy, your friends here." I sent Cory a sad smile. "Just kiddin' about the homework thing, good night."

"C'mon." Shawn helped me through the crowd.

Cory sighed when he saw us. "Don't worry about me, I'm leaving." He said. "Why? We got an order of chili cheese fries, extra gravy." Shawn told him.

"No, your to busy with those other guys." Cory pointed. "What other guys?" I asked, "The other thousand guys at your table."

We both looked back. "So they'll make room." Shawn told him.

"They'll see you guys talking to me." Cory said. "So?" I asked him. "Is this because of the party?"

He sighed and nodded his head. I stepped over and grabbed his head in my hands. "It doesn't matter what any bitchy girl thinks about you, you'll always be our best friend. Okay?"

"But I'm a geek!" He shouted. "Like you don't know." He said the table of stares.

"Cory, do we hang out with geeks?" Shawn asked him."You don't think I'm a geek?" Cory asked us. "Of course not." Shawn told him. "So you think I'm cool?" I giggled. "Of course not, you're Cory, he's Shawn, and I'm Mandy."

"Just like it's always been." Shawn added. "What else do you need to know?"

"I need to know how to be cool like you guys." Cory said. "We're not cool." I told him. "Have you met yourselves, you're the center of the cool party." He continued.

I shared a look with Shawn. "Let's bail."

We walked out of Chubbie's, Cory stuffed in between us.