I was at my locker, getting some textbooks. I was supposed to meet up with one of my friends to help her out with some homework she didnt' understand. I was about to close my locker when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and saw Anthony.
"Oh, hey!" I greeted, holding my algebra 2/trig textbook close to my chest.
"Hey," He smiled that smile that made all the girls' hearts melt, including mine, "I was wondering if you got my email yesterday?"
"About the party?" I clarified.
"Yeah, that one," He slipped his hands into the pockets of his purple skinny jeans, "Are you going to come?"
"I'm not sure yet," I replied, "I'll have to see if I have a project to work on or any homework to do."
"You should really come, Lennox," He said, taking a step closer to me, which in response, made me take a step back. "Everyone would love it if you came." He put his hand over my shoulder on the locker right behind me. My heart rate picked up slightly.
"Anthony, I really don't know," I murmured nervously, "Now, please, I have to somewhere to be."
He chuckled, "I'm sure no one will notice if you're a few minutes late."
"I really should get going, Anthony!" I snapped, pushing him away and turning around, grabbing one more textbook and slamming my locker shut. I looked back at him and sighed before storming off to the library.
I scanned the room before finding her at one of the tables near the windows. I walked over and sat down across from her. "Hey!" She greeted, putting the phone she had in her hands aside and smiling. I smiled back. "What took you so long? I thought you were going to ditch me or something."
"Someone caught me in the hall and dragged me into this conversation," I told her, "Sorry, Meghan."
"It's alright," Meghan retorted, pulling out the sheet of homework and a pencil to write with. I did the same, except my homework was already completed. "How do you do that?" She exclaimed, grabbing her hair, "I didn't even understand what the first question was asking!"
I laughed before helping her through the first question and then going on to the next. By the end of the period, we had finished her homework and she knew what she was doing, but just to make sure, she and I made plans to meet up tomorrow, same period, same place, to help her again.
As I was walking to my last class of the day, I couldn't help but think about what Anthony had told me. And what he did.
"You should really come, Lennox," He said, taking a step closer to me, which in response, made me take a step back. "Everyone would love it if you came." He put his hand over my shoulder on the locker right behind me. My heart rate picked up slightly.
I snapped out of the daze I had gone into when I bumped into someone and ended up falling on my ass. I looked up and saw that it was my sister and a new group of friends behind her that I had never met before. I thought she skipped, I thought to myself. But thing was, she didn't look like my sister. But I knew it was her. She was just dressed in all black clothing I'd never seen before and she was wearing dark makeup I didn't even know she owned. She kind of scared me.
"Watch where you're going next time, bitch," She growled before walking around me and her new posse following after her.
What the fuck just happened?
*****
I don't know when it happened or why it happened, but ever since Monday, the day Kalel and I had our little fight, not to mention that it happened the same day we fixed everything up, she's been different. And I hate to say it, but I want the old Kalel back. This new Kalel isn't the girl I knew and grew up with.
Her new friends have been over at the house every day this week and I usually ended up hiding in my room because her friends take up the living room and refuse to let anyone else in. That Joey guy's become a normal visitor too. I can only imagine what goes on when the two of them go upstairs and her bedroom door closes behind them...
She's changed, and I don't like it. Mom and dad don't like this change either. She's always out of the house at all hours of the night, coming back wasted (sometimes even high), and she doesn't listen to anyone. Not even mom. And whenever mom and dad get her to sit down and be part of the family, someone mentions something that doesn't even usually have to do with her and she gets upset and storms off.
"I don't know what to do anymore, Phil!" My mom cried into my dad's shoulder. We were sitting in the living room and Kalel had just stormed off again.
"She's probably just trying to find out who she really is, Claire. All high school students are," My dad tried to convince her. And by the way he said it, I think he was trying to convince himself of that too.
That's when my phone went off, vibrating the couch I was sitting on by myself. I picked it up and opened the new text message I had received.
Today 7:45p.m. Quinn: You coming to the party tonight?
I gasped, I had totally forgotten about the party. I quickly texted back, Today 7:46p.m. Me: Yeah, but can you pick me up? I don't have a way to get there.
Today 7:47p.m. Quinn: Yeah, sure, but it's going to have to be Anthony, he's got the keys. Oh great, I thought to myself, This is going to be awkward.
"Hey, um, I'm going to go to Marzia's tonight," I told my parents, getting up from the couch. They both looked up at me, "She's having a party and Quinn wants me to go with him so things aren't so awkward. I promise I'll be home by midnight, and that's the absolute latest I'd be out."
"Okay, Len," My dad retorted with a smile, "Go have fun."
I flashed them a smile before rushing upstairs to go change into something a little nicer than my sweatpants and tank top. I opened my closet and scanned the rack before picking out a wine red colored dress with short-sleeves and a thin black belt around the waist. I slipped into that and paired it with a pair of black flats. I fixed my hair a little before turning around to walk out of my room. I froze though when I saw Kalel's door was slightly ajar and, in the shadow, I could see her looking at me. I swallowed hard before walking past her and down the stairs. I opened the front door and saw Anthony's convertible parked in the street with him leaning against the passenger side door
"I'm going!" I called back to my parents before pushing the door open and walking out to Anthony. He peeled himself off of the car and met me halfway.
"I'm glad you decided to come," He greeted with a smile.
"I'm glad you could pick me up," I retorted.
He slipped his arm around my back and guided me to the car. "You look great by the way," He complimented me, looking down at me.
I blushed, "Thanks."
He opened the car door for me and helped me in. He closed it behind me and walked around to the car, getting in and speeding away towards Marzia's house.
