Click â to vote
ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
Iris
"I hate morning breakfasts when Mom isn't there," I say, getting into the passenger's seat of Colt's car.
Colt snickers, starting the car. "What did Steve do?"
"Lecture me about birds and bees and teenage pregnancies."
"What the actual fuck?" He glances at me in surprise, before looking back at the road. "I thought that was all done when we were in seventh grade."
Yesternight was a long night. With what happened with Mr. Radcliffe and then, Noah literally putting the whole 'let's get over that bet/date' bomb on me, the last thing I had wanted was Daisy to be pissed.
And she wasn't.
When she came back home, she talked to me first. I don't know if it was her as a sister or a future psychologist but she asked me to tell her whatever happened and how I felt. I told her everythingâevery detail, except the date, of course.
It was one of the most civil conversations we ever had until she punched my arm, lightly and I tried to punch back lightly.
In the end, Daisy was wrapped with my blue blanket while my face was under the mountain of pillows.
But it wasn't the end. Because of meâbecause I opened up my big mouth and listened to my mind, to be honest with my parents, Dadâwho was very cool with that date, may I remind youâstill lectured me about the intercourse.
Also...
"You know what he did?" I complain. "He made me watch Teen Moms in the morning. In the morning, Colt. I was eating when one of the girls gave birth to a baby and named him 'Shawn'!"
"Okay..." He draws out. "But why?"
"What goes in his mind, stays in his mindâexcept when Mom successfully takes it out."
Colt nods. "I actually asked why she named the baby Shawn?" I glare at him and he laughs. "Chill, Iry. I am just trying to loosen you up."
"I hate it, Colt." I look at him. "Daiz never got these lectures when she was a teen. Why me? Do you get any lectures?"
He glances at me, confused. "Why that stress on if I have any sex ed lectures?"
"Do you, Colten Dias, get any given that you are a virgin too?" I ask him.
He sucks on his teeth. "No, I don't."
"Exactly!" I scoff. "Because you are a guy. You do get the birds and bees talk but that's it. That's it, Colt. You don't have to watch teen moms suffer and not get a choice if they want an abortion or notâeither way, they will be judged by everyone. Does anyone even tell you that these teen pregnancies happen because a guy happens to forget to put the protective plastic around his ding-dong?
"Society expects you to lose your virginity because boys will always be hormonal, sex-addicted, sleeping around the town boys but girls are soft and daddies' princesses so we have to think a lot before we even touch a guy."
I blow out a long breath, leaning back on the seat, and look outside from the window.
Colt starts, "Irisâ"
I sigh. "I know it is morning and thisâ"
"I am sorry."
I blink, when I look back at Colt. "What? Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything! You are the only one who never mentions my virginity. Otherwise, everyone else is just so interested in my non-existent sex life."
Colt explains, "Even though I do not, I let people do that. I should not even let them do that but more importantly," He looks at me. "You shouldn't let them do that."
I roll my eyes. "As if that will stop them. I am a cinnamon roll, Colt."
"You look like a cinnamon roll but can actually kill anyone."
"Colt."
"You talked to me about your feelings after a long time, Iris." He smiles. "I think telling people off should be an easy path, now."
I narrow my eyes. "I complain to you because you are my best friend."
"Do you know?" He starts. "You... camouflage your feelings according to others. Probably, because you are too nice. Very nice for your own good. You don't do that anymore, Iris."
He continues, "So, you may call it complaining, I will always call it talking about your feelings."
I process the words. "Can you stop at the coffee shop, before we go to school?"
Colt laughs, loudly. "Did I make you uncomfortable after I gave an accurate analysis of what you do?"
I groan, turning towards my window. "I don't wanna talk about it."
"Okay, sure we will get coffee." Colt laughs, again, but after calm doing, he says, "I am proud of you, Iry."
I am almost near to tears and this guyâ "Focus on your driving," I grumble.
"Also, don't worry I will always use the plastic protection around my ding-dong."
I am never going to hear the end of that line.
***
"No, seriously," Colt guffaws as we enter the field. "You should have seen the look on the guy's face!"
I laugh with him. "I know, Duffus. I was just behind you!"
There are some things that shouldn't be revealed and this is definitely one of them.
"You both are late."
Colt and I look forward and see Noah glaring at both of usâmainly, Colt but that glare is affecting me too.
Colt starts, "We are justâ"
"10 minutes early? No, you are not. Practice started an hour ago," Noah says.
"What?" Colt looks at him in surprise. "When was thaâCristo. The group chats."
"You didn't check the group chats?" I ask Colt.
He murmurs to me, "I have it muted."
"Now, you know that clearly that you shouldn't have," Noah says with a straight face. "10 laps around the field for you, Dias."
"Stop glaring at him," I say to him, after snapping my fingers in front of his eyesâa trick Tom taught me; very effective one.
"I am not glaring." Noah looks at me. "And this doesn't concern you, Cooper."
Weird.
Very weird.
When has ever Noah called me Cooper? Never. I say Never.
Okay, I know I have praised this guy's leadership but I do not like the tone he is using on me. Especially, I do not like Noah calling me Cooper and not Bella.
Just saying that I prefer Bella but Cooper is fine. Cooper is my last name. So, it is fine.
The date with him is really messing up my mind.
"First, do not use that tone with me," I point at his face. Calmly, his eyes look at my finger before looking back at my face. "Second, I will be going and doing my jobâthat is being an assistant coach to you sweaty gross idiots."
Noah furrows his eyebrows. "I have been pracâ"
"Oh, did I bruise your ego? I am not sorry, Arthur."
Of course, he is not gross but definitely sweaty; I have noticed he perspires a lot. His hair has been pushed back, messily. A towel hangs around his neck. He has worn a white jersey over black trousers with maroon spiked shoes which are the only indication that he is bringing out his spring colors.
I give him tight smile and turn away.
"Arthur?" I hear Colt ask him.
He grumbles, "Do your rounds, Dias."
When I approach my cold bench, I see Michael and some guy chatting with each other. They are in a very animated discussion with hands moving a lot and, since I can see only Michael, his facial expression changes the more he hears the other guy.
This other guy has a very Adi style but the hairstyle...
No. It can't be. Can it be?
"Hey, Mikeâ" I gape when I look at the other guy. "Oh. My. God. Adi?"
Adi takes his bag and covers his headâthe curls are still very visible. Michael grins, amused.
Adi has short hair and perming them... wow, it looks like seeds germinating but the roots are just pure black. Also, it is a big commitment to even have themâpermed hair stays for almost six months.
Six months of this? People will enjoy it.
"Do I wanna know?" I ask.
"If this feelin' flows both ways," Nick interrupts from the field. "Yes, Iris, the feeling flows both ways!"
"What do you evenâ?" I look at him. "Focus on the balls."
"That's what he said!" Caleb, on another corner of the field, says.
"What is wrong with you, people?" I shout, exactly when Noah shouts, "Do you both want your balls cut off?"
"It is a nice chaotic day, isn't it?" Mike says to me while Nick and Caleb shut up.
"Should I know of any of these matters, O Michael the great?"
"Naah."
Then Adi says, "Ugh, now I remember, you are the assistant coach."
"Yes, ugh, I am the assistant coach," I say to him, sitting between Mike and Adi. When Adi tries to protest, I push the bag more on his face and he scoots over. "So, Mike, what are you doing?"
"Writing a report for school's newspaper that is due today." He holds up his notebook.
I give him a quizzical look. "Why are you writing a report on the soccer team? You have your own column for your stories."
"Remember Stella? The date I had." I nod, remembering her and not her brother. "So, I broke up with herâ"
"You were dating her?" Adi asks from my other side.
He looks at him, drily. "Yes, Adi, I was dating her. But guess what I didn't know? Her guy best friend, Stanley, is the newspaper's editor and he gave my column to some sophomore and gave me sports reporting."
I say, "You don't know much about sports unless we count skateboarding a sport."
"That is exactly what I said but he is pissed and I know better than to piss him more."
I nod. "Hard one, huh?"
Then, Adi murmur, "That's what she said."
I scowl, turning towards him. "I will put pencils in the curls of your hair and nobodyâliterally nobody will help you, you intolerable ass truck."
I let the words hang between the three of us.
Michael starts, "Intolerable Ass Truck?" He slowly grins. "I love it. I effing love it."
As Michael and I give each other high-fives, Adi gasps and gets up. "I just have the most brilliant idea."
Michael asks, "After she insulted you?"
"Well, she said that because she loves me. Isn't that right, milady?"
Adi grins.
He is standing and is still grinning.
...It is almost like time to stop because, god damn, this man hasn't moved an inch of his body.
I sigh and mumble, "Yes, that's right."
Adi winks at me, finally getting out of that posture, and runs towards the school building. He says, running, "Bye, Daddy Noah!"
On the field, Noah freezes and slowly turns towards Adi. But before Noah can give any comment with the gist that he will kill him, Adi has vanished.
I say to Michael, "I want to forget that."
"I know," He replies.
"Iris!" I look on the left-most side of the field and see Juliet waving her pom-poms at me. "We still on for today's practice at Julio's studio?"
"Yup! Remember you areâoh, never mind."
I stop when Stacy comes to the field with the whole cheerleading squad. Stacy rolls her eyes when she looks at me and I give her a quick sardonic smile.
Juliet says she is passing her time by cheerleading but I know she mainly wants the gossip first. Also, Stacy Penelope likes to keep her for difficult routinesânot that I disapprove, I mean Juliet is one of the most flexible people I've ever met.
Freshman year, I was into a lot of activities. Cheerleading was one of them. A minute with the team, I quitâit still remains the only thing I wanted to do but I still quit.
Stacy's very nice attitude was one of the reasons.
She says, "Squad, we have to crush those low lives of Crescent High this week. So, just like we practiced in the room, practice here."
"Should I talk and distract you before you dig a hole into her blonde hair?"
I turn and I cannot help my smile. "Tom!"
"Hey, you have been too busy than toâoh! We're hugging." He laughs, hugging me back.
"When did you come back from LA?" I ask him when we pull away.
Tom got a huge DJ gig in LA, recently, and had gone to LA last weekend. I remember Alyssa, even though she wouldn't admit it, getting jealous when she looked at Tom's snaps.
But now, looking at him, there is not much difference. He is still that red newbie who would give me flowers from the school's garden in fifth grade.
"Last night," he tells me. "I was not going to come today but a text from my best friend definitelyâ"
Michael shows me his phone's screen and I laugh. "You bribed him with the pic of Adi's permed hair?"
"Difficult times called for desperate measures." Michael shrugs.
Tom says to us, "You should have seen how fast Alyssa got ready after seeing that pic. She is still on a hunt for him and I am pretty sure I saw him hiding in the computer's room."
"But you didn't tell Aly?"
He shakes his head. "Let my twin suffer for some time."
I say, "These are the circumstances I wonder how you came to earth before her."
Michael states, "Mount Olympus wonders the same about Apollo coming before Artemis."
"I like how you compared me to the hotter one. Thanks, man." Tom claps on Michael's back after I lean forward so that he can do that.
"I didn't meanâ"
"Juliet!"
But all the king's horses and all the king's men can't put Humpty together again.
***
There are infinite reasons why I hate our school's cafeteria but my top three would be following.
Third: The whole school has to be present here and chat so loudly, i.e., noise pollution.
Second: The pizza is colder than the water in Cold Water. They give away cupcakes once a month. Every type of milk rots faster than an apple.
First and the most important one: People have marked their territories in the cafeteria. This cafeteria is the dream of every cliché teenage story.
All are exaggerations; don't mind much.
"Can people tone down their laughing giggling or whatever they are doing?" Victoria groans out, putting her head on the table.
"Vic, this is lunch. People talk." Michael tells her and she swats him on his arm, straightening up.
"Thank you, Captain Duh."
Since some freshman puked in the courtyard, some of that person's friends started to vomit too, making the whole area smell like, well, digested food. So, here we all are in a whole packed cafeteria and the only good here is that we are way away from Thomas's table and Stacy's table.
"Damn that guy who made us come back to this shit hole," Caleb says.
I start to get up from the seat and everyone groans. "What? I need to check up on her."
Nick says, "This is literally the tenth time you are getting up."
Alyssa tells me, "You and Stacy are not allowed to go in the medical room."
In the cheerleading practice, the squad had decided to do a pyramid for the end of their routine, and guess who was going to be on top? Juliet Armani. And on top of that, she had to a spin before landing back on the ground.
But when she started her jump from the top, she lost her balance and... the fall broke her ankle.
Also, Stacy and I did have an ugly fight in the medical room.
"I want to do something but I cannot do anything," I put my head in my hands.
"Because you kind of screwed it," Caleb states. "Also, there are some fractures that do not come out to be fractured at allâthey can be swellingâthey can beâ"
"Caleb," I look at him through my fingers. "Don't say anything biologyâthe subject I hate a lotârelated. Okay, Cally Bear?"
Colt snorts. "Cally Bear? Real original, Iris."
I glare at him. "Sorry that I am going through 'my friend just broke her ankle. Ps: she is one of my best dancers' stage."
Victoria keeps her hand on mine. "Iris, it is going to fine. Really. She will be okay. You will be okay. Everything will be okay."
"I am not angry because of that. You, guys, do not understand." I groan. "Juliet was going to have her Julliard audition this weekend. The sole reason she has been practicing till late at Julio's studio for the past few weeks. She was supposed to fire up the stage."
No, this is not a safety hazard. 'Fire up the stage' is something the team members say to each other. Oh god, Juliet is the one who actually came up with this.
"Holy shit," Victoria murmurs, knowing that getting a Julliard audition is really hard.
"Oh, Iris," Nick hugs me. "It is going to be okay."
"The fight would have gotten ugly," Tom says, drinking Gatorade. "Why didn't anyone record it?"
"Because we were trying to stop Iris punching Stacy and Stacy trying to kick her in her high heels," Mike states.
Aly huffs out a laugh. "Wow, imagining Stacy getting punched by Iris is sure a sight."
"What?" Adi exclaims when Noah and Adi come to the table. "Also, telling us about the change in seating would have been nice."
Caleb mumbles, next to me, "It was very intentional."
I elbow him as Adi sits between Aly and Tom while Noah (surprise, surprise) sits between Colt and Mike. Nick is on my left while Caleb is on my right. Colt and Victoria are sitting on the left of Caleb.
"Aw, you found yourself a hat," Aly coos and Adi pouts.
Adi says something back but a text message on my phone diverts my attention.
Unknown Number
11:50 am
Meet me under the stairs in the field ASAP
- Stacy
Iris
11:50 am
How the hell did you get my number?
And I am not coming.
Tell me on text.
Unknown Number
11:52 am
Justin is with me.
"I will be back," I say, getting up. Most of them groan again while Caleb tells me to stop but I walk away, giving no attention to them.
Under the stairs in the field is the only secure place of the schoolâthat I know of. Also, the only place I do not see any couple making out. So, thank goodness.
When I reach, I notice Justin and Stacy are standing in the most awkward way possible. Justin? I am not surprised but Stacy? This is something I will remember forever.
When Justin sees me, he lets out his breath, and looking at this, Stacy turns and notices me.
"Is Juliet okay?" I ask Justin. "Nothing serious, right?"
"Nothing serious," Justin tells me. "But yes, her ankle is broken. And you both know the recovery time is...almost two months."
I groan and Stacy looks crestfallen. She says, "The match is this week. We need someone to complete that pyramid."
"Are you kidding me?" I turn to her. "You are seriously thinking about doing the pyramid after one of the best just got her ankle broken?"
"You do not understand, Irisâ"
"I do not understand?" I scoff. "We have been practicing for the Nationals for the last three months, Stacy Penelope. Juliet and Justin's routineâtheir routine was the one that solely took a month to be perfect. And now, because of this, I have to find someone to replace Juliet in the team."
"You at least have a month! I don't even have a week!"
"You can change pyramid to something!"
"Then, you can change the dance routine to something different!"
"Guys, guys," Justin steps in between. "I have an idea which you both probably won't like."
"What?" Stacy and I ask him.
"You both can replace Juliet in the respective acts."
ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
- a u t h o r ' s n o t e -
okay, random question: The Neighbourhood or Arctic Monkeys? Do not ask me to choose cuz i love them both but i ask this only for research purposes.
i think my first sem ended but still it feels like my first year ended and i do not like this feeling at all. AT ALL, i say.
stay calm and hydrated, ya'all.
Inerys