Hopeful Undertone

Chapter 2: Lunch on Abram's Car

The first Monday of the month is always a busy one for me: I split my lunch hour between National Honor Society (where I plan our biggest fundraiser of the year) and Student Government (where I serve as Treasurer). Then I technically have sixth hour off, but since I have to be on campus for my after-school activities anyway, I usually just hang out in my Theater teacher's office, finishing homework and applying for scholarships.

After school, I'm supposed to have both Film Club and volleyball, but since Film Club was invented by Abram entirely for the purpose of looking good on college applications (he really wanted to be able to call himself president of a club) and had no other members than me, Lyla, Stace, and Abram, it was more of a free-form hangout session than a strict commitment.

I was the last one to arrive at our meetup spot in the dusty parking lot behind the school. I set down my heavy messenger bag and joined my friends, who were sitting on or around Abram's car, laughing about the paintball excursion of last weekend.

"Dude, look at this bruise!" Stace was saying, baring her upper arm to the group.

"You're the one who wanted to make it girls against guys," Abram said. "It's not my fault girls have no aim."

"My aim is fine," Stace said, "No one was safe from that lunatic."

Abram was cracking up.

"What lunatic?" I asked.

"This guy Josh that Abram brought last night," said Lyla, meeting my eyes. "Tyler's bandmate."

"This short little gremlin who's completely jacked and has zero chill," Stace clarified.

"He's not short! You're just a giraffe," said Abram, who was, in fact, short.

"Does anyone have food?" I asked, making a spot for myself on the hood next to Lyla and lying back to bask in the sun. "I forgot to eat today."

"As usual," said Abram, rummaging in his bag. He threw me a granola bar. "You also ditched us at lunch."

"First Monday," I managed to say with my mouth full. They nodded. My friends were used to my intense schedule by now.

"So how was your birthday?" Stace asked. "Did your parents even remember?"

Although I tried never to complain about my parents, my friends had no trouble forming their own opinions.

They knew I had no license because, according to my stepmother, I was too immature to drive. They also knew I could only go out with approved people at approved times, because Diane thought I was incapable of making good choices on my own. 

When my grades slipped, which they tended to do around midterms, I would lose what few privileges I did have. And most importantly, my schedule came second to Ryan's basketball. I was well aware that the sun rose and set on my 16-year-old half-brother, who was Diane's biological son. It wasn't fair, but I was used to it—and complaining only made my life harder.

"They did remember," I said. "Diane was super nice to me all yesterday. I think she came down from her tournament high and realized that it was pretty rude to keep me on house arrest for my eighteenth birthday."

"So how's she gonna make it up to you?" Abram said with detectable saltiness. He was protective of me, and I knew these situations made him feel powerless.

"I don't know yet," I said. "She said she's open to letting me do something over Spring Break, so...  we'll see, I guess."

Lyla's eyes lit up. "We were just talking about this on Saturday!" she said. "Abram, tell her about the camping thing."

"Oh, right!" he said. "So there's this retreat thing my church is doing for little kids and their parents where they do bonding activities and, like, make them swim in a lake and stuff. They need volunteers to run the outdoor activities, but when it's not your shift, you just get to hang out and do whatever."

"And it counts as Community Service," Lyla said, giving me a look.

"Nice," I said. "Are all of you going?"

"I'm not," said Stace, "I'd rather eat dirt than be anywhere near a church."

"Fair enough," I said.

"I am, Lyla is, and my friends Tyler and Josh will be there," said Abram. Lyla caught my eye again, suppressing a grin. 

"Alright, I'll ask," I said.

"Cool!" Abram said.

"No promises though," I warned him. "You know how they are."

"Yeah, I know. Do you need more food or what?" he said, throwing wrapped bundles at me from his bag.

"What is this? Did you skip lunch too?" I said, catching them to avoid being pelted in the face.

"No," he said. "My mom makes me stuff to bring to you now."

"Are you kidding? That's so sweet!" I said. "Thank her for me? And please tell her she does not have to make me food."

"Someone has to make sure you don't become anorexic," he said. "Aren't you late for your next thing already?"

I checked the time.

"Shoot! Yeah," I said, sliding myself off the hood of Abram's car. As I packed my stuff, he leaned forward and hugged me. Before I knew it, his familiar scent, like pine mixed with something peppery, engulfed me, and I found myself hugging him back. 

"See you guys later. I'll let you know what my parents say."

Volleyball practice went okay, but I was majorly distracted. Abram feeding me and getting all defensive—what was that about? What was that hug? Every time I tried to write him off, he went and did something like this, treating me like his responsibility in a way he never did with Lyla or Stace. 

I also couldn't stop thinking about Spring Break. A break from all the responsibility, all the dumb rules... 

But "camp" implied an overnight stay, and my parents would never agree to that. Especially if they knew there were guys there. Guys who sang to their moms and played in a rock band and had already lodged their songs firmly in my brain.

Still, my hopes were incredibly, incurably high.

* * *

Author's Note: 

Will Tessa's parents ever realize that she is, in fact, a full grown adult? Will Tyler Joseph ever enter the story? Will Josh Dun beat me up for referring to him as a 'short little gremlin who's completely jacked and has zero chill'? 

Keep reading to find out. 

Thank you guys so much for the support.