Waiting Outside the Window

Chapter Four

Ryan told her everything that had happened that day that he could remember. He told her about Eric and his stick figures in math, Caleb the super hippie, and Jesse with her pound of eye makeup. He described his teachers and classes that he had that da as best he could, and ended with what had happened during lunch. He felt a bit ashamed about his friends, so he saved it until last.

“I don’t like where this is going,” she said, staring off into the lake.

“What do you mean? Why not?”

“Because, knowing you, they’ll convince you to do something and then you’ll get hooked and you’ll be screwed, always trying to get your hands on a cigarette or some kind of drug. Kids like that are bad news. Remember James, from seventh grade?’ How he convinced you to be an asshole to everyone because it was ‘fun’? You didn’t take long to break.”

Ryan stared at his shoes. “I remember that… But this is three years later. I’ve changed.” Val snorted.

“Hardly. I guess it’s a possibility, but not a large one.”

“Tell me about your first day so I can tell you how you shouldn’t hang out with your new friends and such.” Ryan folded his arms over his chest.”

“OK.” Val adjusted how she was sitting so her back was straight against the wall. “First period Mondays I’ve got Spanish, where I have the best teacher in school, says my new friend Amber. She’s short, brown hair, green eyes, and is the most talkative thing I’ve ever met. It’s non-stop gossip with her, which is quite entertaining. So in Spanish I met this chick named Tess, who’s an emo-punk-goth character. She’s really cool, though. She’s taking Spanish because apparently it’s the easiest language class to pass.”

Ryan laughed. “That rhymed.”

“Idiot,” Val said under her breath as she shook her head slowly. “Anyway. So in my creative writing class, second period, I met this girl named Felicity, who just so happened to be my locker buddy. We got partnered together in an assignment as well. Can you believe we’ve already got stuff due?” She didn’t wait for a reply. “History class has to be the most boring class in the world. We’re studying the United States like we did in eighth grade apparently.

“During lunch I hung out with Felicity, Amber, and this other girl named Melissa. She’s really shy, but I think she’ll be interesting. All lunch we pretty much ate and listened to Amber talk. It was amazing how long she could talk at the rate she was going.

“After lunch I had Math, where I paid no attention and drew for an hour or so. Then I had a free period, where I finished all my homework, ending the day with zoology, where apparently we will be dissecting things every other week. Oh joy.” Val watched a bug crawl across the sidewalk.

“Sounds fun.”

“It was. I thought you were going to criticize my new friends.”

“I am. Give me a minute to come up with something…OK. They sound too preppy for you. They’re gonna turn you into a Barbie or something.”

“That’s all you have to say? In the six years I’ve known you have I ever shown any sign of becoming a prep from hanging out with them, or becoming an asshole from hanging out with them? No, no I haven’t.”

“What else am I supposed to say? I’m no good at coming up with that kind of stuff,” Ryan said.

“Psh, yes you are. You make up stupid comebacks all the time that piss people off. You just can’t find anything bad about them.” Val crossed her arms over her chest.

“Se, you’re already starting to act like them.” Val glared at Ryan. “I’m kidding. God. But yeah, I thought you hated preps.”

“I never said or implied that I hated preps. You’re the one that said you hated them. I occasionally hung out with them and had entertaining conversations with them; getting the latest gossip and such. And plus, they’re not quite as preppy as you make them out to be. That’s only Amber. Felicity is somewhat like me, only smarter, and Melissa is shy and quiet, which is quite the opposite of loud and social.

Ryan rolled his eyes and nodded his head. “Fine, you win…” Val smiled.

“This time.”

“Face it, I always win,” Val smirked.

“I can totally win,” Ryan said, “I just always let you win because you’re a girl.”

“Oh yeah? I doubt that. You used to cry when I always beat you at Candyland. Your mom told me that you would storm into the house and break into tears asking why you could never win at anything with me.”

“Hey, I thought we agreed never to bring up Candyland ever again.”

“Too late; I just did.”

Ryan gave Val a nasty look, telling her she’d crossed the line. Val stopped smiling and went over to him.

“Oh, you know I love you anyway,” she said, giving him a hug from behind.

Ryan tried not to smile, with little success, and then hugged her arms, telling her that he had forgiven her. With that, she sat back down in her spot against the wall.

“Why don’t we hang out inside?” Ryan suggested.

“Oh, yeah, right as I sit down you wanna move,” Val smiled. “Oh alright, let’s go.”

The two of them got up from their spots and went inside, where there were video games and warm chairs waiting for them. This is where they spent their afternoon until dinner, when Val was called home.

That night Ryan lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Maybe it’ll all end up all right, he thought as the clock beside his bed flashed. The power had gone out that summer and he had never bothered to reset it. Maybe nothing will change, and I’ll fel silly for ever thinking we wouldn’t stay friends. There was a shuffling sound as Ryan’s cat, Willie, jumped on his bed and lay down on his feet.

“Willie, you’ve gotta lose some weight,” Ryan said to his cat. Willie just stared back with sparkling black eyes.

Or maybe we’ll stop hanging out like I said before and we’ll never talk again. What if I end up how she said, always looking for a cigarette or some crack or something? What happens then? And if she’s already perfectly happy with her friends, who’s to say I won’t be cut out of the picture?

Ryan tossed and turned for a few hours with pessimistic thoughts entering his mind before finally falling asleep. His clock flashed 6:04 a.m.