FATE

10. New Girl

JONAH

I have never understood the point of sports which is probably why I'm not the best in gym class. Across the field are sweaty football players running around and tackling each other for the possession of a weirdly shaped ball.

Is it solely for entertainment?

Is it to satisfy the competitive nature of humans?

Or do they just like being buried in dirt?

Not too far away from the tough jocks are the preppy cheerleaders, throwing themselves in the air and yelling in high pitched voices with wide smiles on their faces.

A figure walks briskly towards me and I raise an eyebrow when I realize that it's Cheryl.

"Hey Jonah", she says when she gets closer and motions to sit next to me on the bleachers.

"Hey", I say flatly, taking a sip of my orange juice. She gently takes it from me and drinks too, staring at me as she does.

"Here you go", she says, handing it back.

"No thanks, you can have the rest of it"

"You're such a darling", she beams and drinks the rest of it before flinging the empty bottle away. I turn to watch the footballers, hoping she'll leave soon.

"I saw you after school yesterday ", she says softly, her hand moving to caress my upper arm.

"Oh"

"Yeah, I had cheerleading practice after school. I was really hoping we would go home together"

I was with Brooke yesterday.

"Oh well, sorry"

"You were with the new kid", her tone is filled with disgust.

"Her name is Brooke", I say, not appreciating the tone in her voice.

"Yeah whatever. She doesn't matter anyway", she waves her other hand.

Brooke does matter.

She sighs, "why do we always get interrupted when we're together?"

I glance at her, "I don't understand"

An angry stare is fixed above my head. I frown slightly at Cheryl before turning to see who she's staring at. Hailee is walking up with a smoothie in her hand and her lips wrapped around the straw. I grin at her and her eyebrows crease together when she sees Cheryl who stands up abruptly.

"I guess we'll talk some other time then", she says as she walks down the bleachers and away before Hailee gets closer.

"Yeah, you better run Blondie!", Hailee shouts after her and Cheryl flips her off as she walks away without turning back.

I chuckle, "what was that all about?"

"It's a long story", Hailee says as she climbs the bleachers and sits next to me.

"Seems like a funny story to me", I say as I lean back and watch her sip the rest of her smoothie.

She releases the straw, "She was being a bitch in the hallway this morning"

"Cheryl does have her extra moments"

"I think it was worse this morning", she says as she drops the empty smoothie cup next to her, "she's usually irritating on a normal day but I couldn't stand it today"

"I see"

"She was trying to start a fight with that new girl, what's her name again?"

I frown, "Brooke?"

"I guess. The one you said was pretty"

I sit up, my attention captured, "yeah Brooke"

Hailee seems to notice the change in my tone but she doesn't mention it.

"Cheryl was telling her to stay away from you.", Hailee says, her nose scrunching up in disgust, "and then she called her a slut"

I slowly use my fingers to crack my knuckles. I've always found confrontations to be unnecessary but they seem to be the norm in high school. Cheryl did say she saw Brooke and I leave the school together. That's why she was attacking her.

"And what did Brooke do?", I ask.

Hailee smirks, "she looked like she was going to smack all that makeup out of Cheryl's face", she says, chuckling to herself. I can't help but smile.

"Okay"

"So, you want to tell me what's up with you and new girl?"

"Brooke"

"New girl"

I roll my eyes, it's not as annoying when Hailee says it.

"We hung out once", I shrug, "well on our way to becoming friends"

"You don't have friends"

"I have you"

"Yeah well I'm your only friend"

"Now I have two"

She opens her eyes wide and studies my face. I chuckle, "what?"

"I just never thought you'd willingly do that"

I didn't too.

"Yeah, me neither", I say, turning to look across the field. I notice Cheryl watching Hailee and I as she practices and I look away immediately.

"I don't know", I say turning to stare at Hailee, "I like talking to her. it's refreshing"

She raises an eyebrow, "I don't get it"

"I don't get it either", I say with an exasperated sigh. "I just think she's refreshing to talk to and pretty", I add, "maybe I'm biased?"

She nods, "it could be that but I won't know. I've never talked to the girl so I wouldn't know if she's as cool as you say she is or not"

"I guess", I say, "you will at some point though"

"Hmm", she trails, "at some point..."

She glances across the field thoughtfully. A light breeze blows her hair across her face and she frowns, "I'll go over there and stick a javelin into Blondie's asshole if she doesn't stop staring at us"

I laugh, "it's not worth it"

She sighs, "you're right", she pauses, "what are you doing tonight?"

"Staying in my room and hoping my Dad doesn't come back home and try to bond with me", I frown.

My father had left the house with his partner after my "disrespectful act" the other night. I try not to think about it, telling myself that he's free to do whatever he wants as long as he doesn't disrespect the memory of my mother while he does. I'm already used to him leaving town for days and sometimes weeks for work so I can't say I'm exactly bothered about where he ran off to this time.

"You should come over. Let's have fun", Hailee says with a mischievous grin.

I smirk, "sounds like a good idea"