Page 5 of Perfect Tragedy
“Sure,” Blake replies but then his eyes catch mine.
“Awesome, let’s go!” Jack says and takes a few steps toward our house.
Blake starts to follow then stops suddenly. “Oh, wait. We need to get your sister home and looked at. She’s hurt.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Thanks for remembering,” I roll my eyes.
“Do you need help, Sienna, or are you fine?” His tone makes it clear that he wants my answer to be ‘fine’.
“Help would be nice,” I reply and feel a flip in my stomach again when Blake smiles at me once more, but it fades when Jack sighs. I tune him out because Blake has taken my arm and walks with me all the way back to the house making sure to take it slow.
“Mom and dad are going to kill me when they get a look at you,” Jack says.
“No they aren’t. This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten hurt from fooling around. And you aren’t to blame.”
“You aren’t going to tell them it was my fault?”
I look at him like he’s crazy, “Do I ever? We don’t rat.”
He looks relieved.
When we get to the house, I thank Blake softly under my breath and get a nod and smile in return. When we walk inside, Jack starts yelling for our parents and I watch as Blake takes in his surroundings, his eyes roving around our house in every direction.
My mom, who must have returned, comes into the kitchen where we stand and immediately removes the cloth I’ve been holding at my brow. She starts muttering about crazy kids and stitches. I barely pay her any attention because I’m already thinking about getting to know Blake better. I feel excited about our new neighbor.
I may have been hoping for a young girl my age to be friends with, but something tells me this will be even better.
I had no idea then that I’d end up having a love/hate relationship with that dark haired green-eyed boy, and that he would break my heart over and over again.
2
Junior high school is the worst. You would think that dealing with the wonderful world of puberty at this age would be enough, but no. Some of the girls at my stupid school make life a living hell. Not that the boys are any better - they may be worse. It’s a toss up. One minute they act like they like you and the next, they ridicule and make fun of you. It’s funny because I’ve heard some of the boys in my grade call the girls “drama” before, but there have been times I’m positive the boys’ antics would sell movie tickets. Just give me some popcorn and I’ll be set.
High school can’t come soon enough - it has to be better, right? I can almost taste how close I am to freedom - I just have to get through this year and then the next and I’ll be there.
Jack makes fun of me when he hears me say I can’t wait to get to high school. He tells me I’m going to be disappointed, that it will continue to be more of the same. I tell him I can’t wait to make new friends and date, but he says girls will still be mean to girls, and that no boy will date me if he has a say.
He’s wrong though, on both counts. I know it. Because sometimes it’s the only thing that gets me through the bad days.
It won’t be long and Jack will be able to give me a first-hand account and let me know if he’s right. He and Blake finish junior high this year and go on to high school, leaving me behind. Thinking about it makes my stomach drop and as the year continues to pass quickly, that feeling comes more frequently.
Jack and Blake are simply my best friends. Since the day we met Blake, it’s been the three of us - even though there are times Jack wished that weren’t the case. Initially, Jack tried to tell me to leave them alone, that just he and Blake were going to play and spend time together. I get it, the last thing he wanted was his little sister hanging around, but the thing is, I didn’t have anyone else. Even when Jack was always telling me to get lost, Blake would punch him in the arm, tell him to stop being mean and include me in whatever they were doing. He never acted like he was tired of me hanging around. When Jack was mean to me, Blake would stick up for me and tell Jack it wasn’t a big deal. Eventually, for the most part, at least when we were with Blake, Jack quit trying to get rid of me. And as I grew up there were certainly times I preferred to be alone anyway, but when I did hang out with them, I made it count.
No one was a bigger cheerleader for them than me. When they played video games, needed someone to judge who threw the ball fastest, who’s army guy fought best, or to decide who crossed a finish line first, I was their girl. Of course they weren’t dumb - there were times they took advantage of the fact they knew I’d do anything just to be included. I lied for them, covered for them, made them food - whatever kept them happy. I figured it was part of paying my dues.
It really came as no surprise when I followed them into junior high and found that they were extremely popular in their class. No doubt when they go on to Mason Creek High it will be the same. Everyone wants to be friends with them, or just be around them. I’ve seen kids act extremely stupid about it. One time, a boy in my class named Seth was literally run down by Jack as he ran backward to catch a football pass, not bothering to realize that Seth was standing behind him. Seth, who had his back to Jack, couldn’t get out of the way fast enough, hit the ground hard, slid and even cut his chin open. For days after, all Seth and his friends could talk about was how Jack was kind enough to help him up and mumble, “Sorry man.”
Boys are dumb.
If they knew what Jack looked like when he woke up, how he laughs every time he farts or burps any time he drinks soda, they may think about him differently. Sighing to myself, I roll my eyes, who am I kidding? I’m sure that would just make him rank higher on their cool meter.
I suppose I should be thankful for Jack and Blake’s cool status because by association no one messes with me… much. At least not when Jack and Blake are around. No one is that stupid. When they aren’t though? Well, then it’s open season.
Like today.
Jack and Blake’s whole eighth grade class went on a field trip to the history museum. They’ve been gone all day and I’ve done my best to ignore the teasing and ridicule that seemed to start as soon as they disappeared on the bus, but it’s not easy.
