Popular Outsiders

Jesse & Long Time Ago

Jesse

Thursday

Calvin and I ditched homeroom. No surprise there. We snuck out to the parking lot and over to lovely Will's car, which was parked next to perfect Henry's truck. Calvin grinned evilly while I sanded my hands. 

"You take Henry's," I told Calvin and he tossed me a Ziploc bag.

I unzipped it. You'd never guess what was inside. One permanent brand.

Sharpies! 

We'd bought three packs of the largest, thickest black Sharpie markers we could find. 

Payback is a bitch and revenge is sweet. 

Those eight words were the only I was thinking of as I doodled on Will's Ford and Calvin doodled on Henry's Dodge. 

Doodled? Fuck that! Calvin was a freaking artist and was showing it off! 

Dammit, Calvin, why do you have to make my prank look bad and yours look awesome? I thought and scowled enviously. 

~

By chem., even Calvin looked ready to fall over, curl up, and take a nap. The bell rangand Miss Myacoff began the lesson. Almost as soon as she started, the door opened and shut, signaling someone was late.

"Uh, I'm new," I heard a deep voice say.

A newbie? A new target to beat up on to relieve some stress?

I glanced up curiously only to slip out of my seat in surprise. My eyes bugged out and jaw unhinged. 

Holy shit! Jesse?! 

I instantly recognized the brunette hair that covered the high schooler's forehead, ears, and the nape of his neck, the tan skin, and the dark brown eyes. The Native American Thunderbird tattoo on his bicep for his family he'd gotten at such a young age becuase his dad owned a tattoo shop and his mother's ancestry was the Lakota Tribe. My ex-boyfriend from seventh grade for crying out loud! 

~

Long Time Ago

Everyone, including Jesse and Calvin stared at me, but my eyes were locked onto Jesse as I wondered if her even remembered me. I kind of doubted it.

I'm so different from junior high. Personality and looks, I thought. There's no way he could-

"Rachel?" asked Jesse.

Of course, he would. That's just my luck.

"You two know each other?" asked Miss Myacoff.

Neither Jesse nor I answered. It wasn't any of her bee's wax anyways. Jesse smiled, walked over to me, and knelt down. He'd walked past everyone without even looking at them. He walked by Calvin and for once, I was a little...angered by someone ignoring Calvin, but he was an outsider after all. I swallowed as Jesse smiled down at me like there was no one else except me and him in the room.

Jesse was the reason for my bad candy addiction. When ever we went over to one or the other's house, we only ate candy. Sure, we got sick. But it was worth it because we got sick together and stayed home from school together to watch movies-and maybe eat some more candy. After Jesse left, candy was my only good memory. Maybe not the most healthy thing to have a my only good memory, but it was the best-only because Jesse left.

More importantly, Jesse was the one and only boy I had really liked. He was the one person I could tell everything to. He was my outlet, my way of getting my anger out without having to hit or bully anyone because I could express myself in words. Then he moved away to Atlanta, Georgia, and neither of us had gotten our first phone by then sadly. I never heard or saw him since then until now.