First Comes Like #Wattys2020

15

Check out the amazingggg trailer ^^^^^made by sunflowerin.

FIFTEEN

The week passes by in a blur, until it's Friday and Dean is complaining in his car that he's tired and he's not even going to get to sleep in Saturday because: "your dad will be up bright and early in the freaking morning butchering your freaking lawn with his freaking lawn mower."

His words.

Dean slams his hand down on the car horn, like he's annoyed at the old lady in the yellow car in front of us, and not at me, in the back seat. She puts her wrinkled fist out of the window and shakes her fist at him, no doubt muttering something under her breath about the 'youth of today'.

"Don't act like it's my fault." I say to him, "I'm as much of a victim as you." I think about Saturday mornings at my house, Mom, Nina and me, groggy and grumpy at breakfast, headaches from all the noise outside.

"It probably is your fault." Dean says,"He's probably mad at the world. Having a daughter like you must be really difficult."

"Haha." I say, "And what about your dad? Tell him that there's no grass on your lawn anymore, just dirt."

Dean ignores me. "Look at me, I'm Valerie Blythe and all I do is whine and complain and OMG, like, do not touch my hair." His voice is all high-pitched and annoying and the exact opposite of mine.

"I don't even talk like--" I start, but Dean interrupts with more of his bad impressions of me.

"I wonder what dress I should wear today? " He keeps one hand on the wheel and twirls some strands of hair around his finger, "Does this make me look fat? And, Macey, like, where is my turquoise sweat-uh!"

It's almost funny how bad these are. They're literally just stereotypical girl sentences that no girl I know actual says. I roll my eyes and raise my voice over Dean's. I put on my best Dean voice and run my fingers through my hair pretending that I'm looking in a mirror. 

"Is my hair okay? IS MY HAIR O.K?"

Through the rear view mirror, I see Dean crack a smile. 

"O.K, O.K, You win." He says, "That was a pretty flawless impression of me." 

His voice is sarcastic but by the time we get to school, the car is quiet and peaceful, and not like we were arguing from the time we left our neighborhood.

The hallways are bustling as always, as people rush to their lockers or try to finish their conversations before class by blurting it out like word vomit. I go straight to Math class, and to my surprise, find Cole at his desk, at the middle of the class. Hardly anyone gets to class before our teacher does, so the class is basically empty save two girls who are talking about shampoo and Cole and me.

I figure this is the perfect time to confront Cole. 

Clarify what needs to be clarified. Ask the questions that need to be asked. I slip into the seat in front of him and he gives me an eyebrow raise and a small smile when he sees me.

"Valerie." Cole says, "Hi."

"Cole. Hi."

The mean words are just behind my teeth, waiting to jump out at him. I swallow and think of the best way to phrase what I want to say, without coming off as a psycho for the second time. 

What do I say? 

 I want to ask if he has a girl friend. And if they were together before we kissed or after.

Because after will not be easy to swallow, but it's understandable, I guess.

"Uh." I nibble at my bottom lip. More people walk into class and I know that I need to get done what I need to get done. Now.

"Do you... have a girlfriend?"

At first, I can swear Cole's face turns white, but then he's himself again and he's shaking his head. "No. Why?"

I fold my arms across my chest and stare at him, wishing I had the photo strip with me so I could shake it in his face and say, "Explain this you boy hoe!"

Or man whore.

Or something.
But instead, I do nothing.

Cole seems to change his mind about denial because he shakes his head again. "You saw me with someone?"

I nod, even though I didn't. Not really.

"Oh. You did." Cole rubs his arm and laughs a little, like something was funny. "Blonde or Brunette?"

The words ring in my ears before I can actual register what he said. "Oh my God." I say, "Oh my God! Blond or brunette? Are you going to give me an age range too? Seventeen or twenty-one?"

I know I'm getting loud when I see people looking, but I don't lower my voice, like Cole does as he leans in close. "What, Valerie? You didn't think I really liked you, did you? You kissed me, remember? And I didn't technically ask you out."

It's like I'm a tub full of water and someone has pulled the plug. I'm embarrassed and disgusted with the boy in front of me and all I'm waiting for is for my body to wash down the drain like the rest of the water.

I feel my ears get hot and my cheeks flush. My eyes burn with tears that want to stream down my cheeks like rain, but I hold them back. My face turns pink and I hate that it does because I don't want Cole to think that he has that much power over me. I stare at him, silent, and now completely understand what people mean when they say don't judge a book by it's cover.

Because you would look at Cole and think that he was sweet and shy and nervous and all the things I thought he was. 

But no. 

Cole is pretentious and he's the biggest player there is.

Blond or brunette? How many girls were there?

I push out of my seat and run out of the class, just as my eyes can take it no longer. The tears blur my vision as I dash to the nearest bathroom. I run smack! into a chest. The person grabs my wrist and with my free hand, I wipe pathetic tears from my eyes.

It's Dean. "Hey, Poof, what's wrong?" Dean looks genuinely concerned. I don't answer, just twist my wrist out of his grasp and dash into the girls bathroom.