Mind Your Own Business

RAINEY

I slam my locker shut and nearly jump out of my skin when I see Tate leaning against the locker across from me, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

I swallow hard, blinking rapidly as I stare at him. His black hair is tousled from the wind, and his golden-brown eyes are sparkling with mischief as he bites his lower lip.

I can’t help but notice his plaid tie is hanging loose around his neck and his dress shirt isn’t tucked into his pants, a clear violation of the school uniform rules. The kids here seem to march to the beat of their own drum.

“Hi.” He smirks. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you all day, Riney.”

I sigh, turning to face him with a less than enthusiastic look on my face. “It’s ~Rainey.~”

“Right.” He clicks his tongue and points his finger at me like a gun. “I knew that.”

I shake my head and start to walk away, but he spins around and jogs to catch up with me.

“So, I’m throwing a party at my place tonight. Free drinks, food, and all the usual party games. You know, truth or dare, seven minutes in heaven.

“And you might even get a chance to make out with a total hottie like me. You should come.”

“Wow, that sounds so exciting.” I force a smile, and he falls for it, grinning from ear to ear as he scratches his neck.

“I’ll pass, Tod…or whatever your name is. I don’t do school parties. They’re not my thing. Plus, I don’t know anyone here, so…”

“Tate. My name is Tate. And it’d be a great chance for you to get to know me. I’m cool.”

“Mmm. Cool people don’t usually have to tell people they’re cool. It’s just something that’s obvious. And thanks,” I scrunch up my nose, “but I’m good.”

He bites his lower lip, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. “I can see that.”

I roll my eyes. “Excuse me.”

He steps in front of me, spreading his arms wide. “Wait. At least take the flyer, in case you change your mind.”

I shift my weight from one foot to the other, growing impatient. “I won’t, but will it make you leave?”

He giggles. “Maybe.”

I hesitate, crossing my arms and giving him a stern look.

He sighs. “Okay, yeah. It will.”

I take the flyer reluctantly, and he grins like he’s just won the lottery. “See you around then, Rainey.” He winks at me before strutting away.

I glance at the flyer. Don’t get me wrong, I go to parties and clubs, but I refuse to mix with the snobby crowd at Crosshill High.

I shove the flyer into my bag and head for the school exit.

A familiar black BMW is parked at the entrance of the school gates, and through the tinted windows I can see Jeff’s head bobbing to the music blaring from the car.

I roll my eyes for what feels like the hundredth time today. My mom promised she’d pick me up, but as usual she’s “busy,” so she sends Jeff, her creepy common-law husband.

After she divorced my dad, she started dating Jeffrey, who somehow convinced her to start smoking pot and drinking.

I’m not judging her, but it feels like she cares more about getting high than she does about me.

I avoid looking at the car as I keep walking, pretending he’s not there. I refuse to get in a car with that creep.

The car horn honks loudly, but I ignore it.

“Rainey!” He yells my name while honking the horn over and over. “Rainey!!” Kids start to stare, and I can feel my annoyance growing.

~He has no idea how much I hate him.~

He gets out of the car and stumbles over to me, but I keep walking. “I’m here to pick you up,” he says, taking off his sunglasses and grinning.

“I’m walking home,” I mumble, picking up my pace.

He grabs my arm to stop me, and I yank it away. “Fuck off, Jeffrey!”

“Whoa. Calm down, Rainey. I just want to give you a ride home, that’s all.” He holds up his hands and raises his eyebrows, looking around at all the people staring at us.

He sighs, “Let’s not make a scene.”

“I’m walking home, and that’s final. Goodbye.”

His eyes narrow as he watches me walk away. He pulls a cigarette from his pocket and lights it, taking a long drag and blowing out a cloud of smoke.

“Fucking disrespectful,” he mutters.

***

I’d rather walk all the way home from Crosshill than get a ride with him. It gives me a chance to enjoy the beauty of nature.

I count the squares on the sidewalk as I walk down the quiet street. The sun is setting, casting a golden glow, and the evening breeze tosses my hair around.

I hold down the hem of my skirt so it doesn’t fly up.

A familiar figure catches my eye as I pass the local police station. Ansel is coming out of the front doors, but he’s not alone.

A boy is clutching his arm, his face twisted in pain, while Ansel and another guy who looks like an older version of him help the injured boy towards a black car in the parking lot.

I stop walking and watch as two other boys hurry after them, one of them opening the car door while Ansel helps the injured boy get in.

The guys all dive into the car, except for Ansel. He hesitates, his gaze drifting my way. I freeze, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks as our eyes meet.

He doesn’t look surprised. He just turns away and climbs into the car. The vehicle speeds off, and I watch it until it vanishes down the road.

~Rainey, mind your own business.~

***

I push open the gate to my house, and the sight of my best friend, Riley, brings a real smile to my face.

She’s standing there with her hands tucked into her sweater, a lollipop in her mouth, looking up at my three-story house.

I gently swing the gate open and tiptoe over to her, trying to sneak up on her.

“Boo!”

I stomp my feet, and she jumps, spinning around to look at me with wide, terrified eyes. “Rainey! What the fuck?”

I burst out laughing, clutching my stomach as I double over.

“It’s not funny.” She tries to look angry, but I can see she’s fighting back a smile as she sucks on her red lollipop.

“It is, and you know it.” I grin, waggling my eyebrows at her.

She finally smiles. “You’re lucky I missed your crazy ass.”

I chuckle. “So, what brings you here?”

She pulls the candy from her mouth, pretending to be hurt. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Of course! I’m thrilled. But how did you get here?”

“Freetown isn’t that far, you know. Plus, there are these things called subways and trains. You know, the long things that carry people around on tracks. Those are called railroads, by the way.”

I laugh, “Shut up! You haven’t changed a bit.” I throw an arm around her neck. I’ve missed my best friend. “Let’s go inside.”

***

“So, how’s that fancy school? Do you guys drink tea from silver cups and eat off golden plates?”

Riley takes a hit from her joint, squinting as the smoke fills my room.

I shrug, tucking my feet under me on my bed. “It’s boring. I miss Freetown.”

“Well, Freetown sure doesn’t miss you. Kendra’s been talking shit about you since you left.”

She passes the joint to me. I take a hit, coughing like crazy, and she laughs at me.

“Have you forgotten how to smoke weed already? Is that school changing you?”

“You wish!” I pass it back to her, grinning.

She looks me up and down, taking a short drag. She chuckles. “You guys even have a uniform. That’s so…uptown.”

“I hate feeling ‘uptown’”—I make a face—“even though I live in a house like this.”

I glance around the room as if I’m seeing it for the first time, and Riley does the same. My parents are rich, really rich.

My dad owns several merchandise stores across the country, and my mom has about five branches of her fashion brand. Money isn’t a problem for me, but I’m not really happy.

I got kicked out of Freetown High because of some crazy stuff that happened, stuff that could ruin my reputation for life.

What happens in high school tends to stick with you forever.

It’s like a stain on your favorite shirt that you can’t get out, but you can’t bring yourself to throw it away because it means too much to you.

My mom didn’t move here because it’s closer to Crosshill High. She moved here to be closer to her new store in the district.

She doesn’t really care about me, unless I’m a tightly rolled joint.

If there’s one good thing I can say about Freetown, it’s that it made me feel normal, like I was just one of the kids. It wasn’t a rich school like Crosshill, but it felt like home.

Riley doesn’t have much, but she’s loyal, and that’s worth more than any material things. I’d trade this mansion for a happy home any day.

“I’m still upset about what happened that night,” she says, and I see the sadness in her green eyes.

I sigh. “It’s over. Why dwell on it?”

She nods. “You’re right.” She taps the ash from the joint onto a plate on my bedside table, then grins. “New topic. Met any cute guys?”

I look up at the ceiling, thinking, and Riley excitedly grabs the fluffy pink pillow from my bed and hugs it.

For some reason, my mind goes to Ansel, with his mysterious blue eyes behind his glasses and his confusing mix of nerd and bad boy.

He seems like the kind of guy who wouldn’t be caught dead at a party, but then he has a tattoo and both his ears are pierced.

I can’t figure him out, and I’m usually good at reading people.

“So?” Riley tilts her head. “Anyone?”

“Well…there’s this guy in my math class who sits right behind me. He seems nice.”

“Ooooh.” She grins, and I roll my eyes. This has always been Riley’s favorite topic.

“And there’s this guy who invited me to a party tonight—”

“Wait. Party?” She sits up straight, her eyes lighting up.

“No, Riley. No way. I’m not going.”

“Please? Why not? We party all the time, don’t we?” She pouts.

“I just...I want to change my life,” I confess, my voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to be the same girl I was back in Freetown. I don’t want to be a ‘disgrace’ anymore.”

Riley gives me a slow, understanding nod, and I manage a small smile.

A quiet moment settles between us, only to be shattered when the door swings open. Jeff leans against the doorframe, his gaze intrusive as he looks at us.

“You girls smoking something in here?”

I shoot Jeff a glare while Riley just looks at me. “You should knock before you barge into my room.”

He laughs, shaking his head. “Your mom and I own this place. I can open any door I want. I don’t need permission.”

Riley’s eyes narrow as she stares at him, and I let out a heavy sigh. “Excuse us.”

His eyes flash with a hint of mischief, and he smirks. “Okay. Just so you know, your mom won’t be back until midnight. You’re stuck with me. And you’re Riley, right?”

He points at her, and she just stares back, unblinking. She knows how much I can’t stand him, but she doesn’t know the real reason why.

“Okay, well, if you can ‘speak’ or understand human language, Miss Riley, I suggest you head home. It’s hard to get a taxi around here after eight. You kids wrap up now.”

He closes the door behind him.

Riley makes a face as he disappears. “What’s his deal? He’s not even your dad.” She shakes her head and starts picking at her nails.

I let out a sigh, “How about we go to that party?”

Riley looks up at me, her eyes wide and sparkling. “Really? Are you serious?”

“Yeah. Shut up before I change my mind.”

“Yay!!” She throws her hands up. “I thought you wanted to turn your life around. What made you change your mind?”

I shrug, “I don’t know. I just think it’s better than staying here until my mom gets home.”

“Best choice, Rain.”

I laugh, grabbing my pillow and throwing it at her. “Whatever. You’re such a bad influence. Help me find a dress or something.”

“With pleasure!”