Chapter #11The Beat of the Humdrum by: rugal b.   As interesting as it might be to have some kind of dirt on Kelsey, you realize that there's no point. After all, what would you even do with it? You're not a gossip hound like Deanna Showalter and it's not like you're going to be climbing up the social ladder or bring her down since you get the impression that, as usual, you're the last to learn about these things. Now if there's stuff happening between a student and a teacher... but you don't really know who was talking in the bathroom so you wouldn't know where to start looking.
So as you leave Walberg's classroom you resign yourself to simply going home.
* * * * *
Thursday is another boring day of a so far boring week and this time you don't even have the benefit of overhearing a possibly bullshit bathroom rumor to at least make the day a little more interesting. You trudge through your classes and then you trudge back to Walberg's for your detention and this time there's nothing going on outside that grabs your attention. So you instead just focus finishing up the two papers you have to turn in to him.
Because it's not enough that you write a paper on the hair dryer or the joint, oh no. You instead have to write a paper on both items and that kills your attempt to actually try anymore. Well that and the fact that he said he wasn't going to give you anything higher than a D grade. And that's exactly what you get after he's looked over both of them and, with a sigh, he writes the grade on each one. He's as unhappy with it as you but if he wanted you to try then he should have given you a reason, is all you can think.
You get a little bit of excitement on Friday when Yumi Saito joins your group for lunch. It's not an uncommon thing, as she's Jenny's best friend, but she's always a welcome sight for she's a gorgeous Japanese-American cheerleader. Though you find yourself a bit surprised by what she chooses to talk about.
"So, anyone coming out to the Warehouse tonight?" she casually asks. This causes a few glances around the table. "You're looking like I just told you I was going out to a party at Chelsea's," she says.
"Well it's just," starts James.
"You're not the Warehouse type," finishes Carson.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Yumi asks in a rather challenging manner.
"I don't think we've ever even seen you out there," Carson answers. "Most of you cheerleader types avoid it."
"Eva and Jessica and Lin all go out there," states Jenny.
"Sure, but does Yumi?" James retorts.
"Maybe," Yumi replies, "I'm looking to switch things up. You do the same thing day in and day out and you get stuck in a rut, you know? Is there anything wrong with wanting to do something different once in a while?"
"I'd love to switch it up," you say glumly. "But I'd have to get out of jail first."
Yumi looks at you with curiosity, asking (without saying it) what you mean by that. But it's Carson who jumps in with the whole tail about Walberg, the hair dryer and the joint. Hearing it told about you makes it embarrassing and you hang your head in your hands but Yumi's voice gets your attention.
"You know," she starts while finishing up a laugh, "it's not that bad."
"You're right, it's worse," you reply bitterly.
"Well, I mean, think of it like this," she starts,"who ever thought of breaking into a teacher's desk so they could plant weed inside of it? It's kind of," she pauses for a second as if trying to think of the right word, "ballsy, I'd say. You wanted to spice things up right? That definitely counts."
* * * * *
You would think that would be the end of it but you're given another surprise in eighth period when everyone is milling around in the classroom before class officially starts.
"—can't believe that Tackett would do something like that. That's wild!"
"What'd Tackett do?" you ask as you turn to Andrew Harding. He's a beefy guy—made even beefier by his thick blonde hair—who sits next to you, opposite of the side that Cassie Harper sits.
"Pfft, I'm not the one you gotta ask, Prescott," he says as he motions to Lee Reynolds, his buddy who sits behind him.
"It was last period," Lee starts with a grin. "Me and Spencer and a few guys were out at the portables... you know," he says as he mimes smoking a joint. "So Tackett comes over and we figure he's gonna join us since he's got study hall, right? But nah, he looks pissed."
"Pissed?" you repeat. Andy Tackett, from what you know of him, is usually a pretty even tempered guy.
"Dude, yeah! And he marches up to Spencer and is like 'Why'd you do it?' and shit."
"Do it? The hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Dunno," Lee says with a shake of his head, "and Spencer didn't either. But he's telling Spencer to stop playing dumb because he knows what he did and then Tackett just fucking slugs him, just a big ol' body blow, before storming off."
"Jeez, that is nuts," you admit. "I didn't even know he was here today either since I didn't see him in second period. Today's been kind of weird in general I guess."
"Yeah?" asks Andrew.
"Just, uh, Yumi was hanging out with us at lunch on account of we were hanging out with Jenny," you say, "and she was talking about going out to the Warehouse tonight. But that's the first time any of us have ever heard her talk about that. She was saying something about changing things up."
"Pfft, yeah it's bizarro day or something," Andrew says with a chuckle. "'Cause I share a few classes with her and she actually, y'know, talked to me. Like said hi." He then turns his attention to Lee, "Fuck, maybe we'll see her out there tonight." He turns back to you, "You should come out too, Prescott. Have yourself a little fun."
"Can't," you say with resignation. "My dad flipped his shit over this whole thing with Walberg and a joint."
Harding's eyes go wide. "Oh shit, that was you!?" he asks with surprise. "I'd heard someone planted a spliff in the Walrus' desk but I didn't know that was you." His face lights up and his grin is wide. "Well hey, whenever you're out of jail you should come out to the Warehouse with us some time. Consider it a parole party."
* * * * *
That turns out to be the highlight of the day and of the weekend. Because with all of your newfound free time, your dad enlists you into doing various chores around the house all day Saturday. Gutter cleaning, weeding, and all of that other fun stuff occupies your day and you're exhausted come evening. Sunday is your "day of rest" but with nothing to do and nowhere to go it turns out to be even more dull than Saturday.
But relief comes that night when your dad officially ends your grounding, albeit a little too late for you to be able to do anything.
Monday at first proves to be as uneventful as the rest of the previous week. You do see Tackett in second period but when you try to ask him about what happened Friday he's evasive, saying only that Spencer "ripped him off" and that he's over it now because "being pissed isn't going to change anything."
You get something a little spicier in fourth period when Caleb tells you that Eva told him in second period—and that James and Carson (having heard from Jenny) and Lin all backed it up in third—that Yumi apparently just walked out of cheerleading practice during first period. None of them know if she's quit or if it was just a one off thing. "Eva said that Chelseas was riding her really hard right beforehand," is all Caleb offers.
So whatever drama there was between Tackett and Spencer seems to have been a flash in the pan but it's been replaced by a new one involving Yumi. And the day keeps getting odder when you find yourself Shanghaied by Andrew before you can even sit down for lunch.
"Hey, so you seen Tackett today? Talk to him at all or anything?" he asks.
"He was in second," you tell him guessing as to what he wants to know about.
"What's this about Tackett?" asks Caleb who you'd been walking with.
"Nothin', 'cept that he punched Spencer's lights out on Friday," Harding says with a grin.
"Yeah, and he told me that Spencer ripped him off but he was over it," you explain. "You want something interesting though," you say as you glance over at Caleb, "apparently Yumi stormed out of practice this morning."
"No shit, really?" Andrew asks as he practically licks his lips. "Always knew she had a little spice to go with that sugar."
"Christ, Will, why don't I get you a bullhorn?" Caleb retorts.
"It's not like it'll be a secret by the end of the day," you snap back. "You know, that Yumi quit the squad and cussed out Chelsea."
"She didn't quit," Caleb says, "and Eva didn't say anything about her cussing Chelsea out."
"No but that'll probably be the rumor that Chelsea spreads," you reply. You don't want to claim to know Chelsea's mind but given all you've heard from Jenny and the others, you think that's probably what she'd do.
"Well we can ask her ourselves," Andrew says.
You follow his gaze to see Yumi sitting at a table not too far from where you are. But she's not with the usual crew or any of her other cheerleader friends. She's sitting, to your surprise, with Fatima Zahedi and Jelena Petrovic.
And Andrew's started heading over there.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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