That Year Page 5

everything’s going to be okay.” I stroke her long blonde hair with my left hand while I kiss her check, then her lips. I want to show her that there is nothing to be afraid of, that she doesn’t have to be so sad. I get up from my chair to head to my second period class. I turn around before leaving. I notice tears rush down her face. I want to so badly console her and comfort her, but instead I leave her.

  Leo paces the torn apart floor in the abandoned classroom that’s getting darker and darker as each day gets cloudier as it gets closer to winter. “Tomorrow is a big day not just for us, but for the entire school,” he says. I lean against the front desk looking at him. “You’re going to do great things for this school.” That I do mean. Leo is a natural born leader that the school could rally behind. “We,” he says. “We will accomplish many great things.”

  I examine the shelve in front of me at the local grocery store picking up a few items my mother forgot while she waits in the car for me. “Why don’t you come over anymore,” I barely hear. I look down from the store shelves and holding a doll clutched under her right arm is Victoria’s young sister Brianna. I smile as a part of Victoria is looking up at me with sad, curious eyes like I have let her down. I lean down so I’m even in height with her. “I missed you Brianna.” “Then why don’t you come over,” she asks again. I don’t know how to respond to her but Victoria’s mom, Barbara now stands next to Brianna. I stand up next to her, and without a second thought I hug her. I always loved Victoria as well as her family. After exchanging hugs, she holds me in front of her, scanning my face. “Matt’s been very busy with school Brianna, he misses you very much though,” Barbara says. “Yes, I miss everyone, especially you Brianna.” I kneel back down and give Brianna a hug. I stand there catching up with the both of them. I feel like I’m the person I want to be when I’m around Victoria and her family. I miss Victoria’s family, the family that had always welcomed me and showered me with love. I miss Victoria.

  I stand between Leo and Bruce in the backstage of the auditorium. The results of the Student Body Presidency are about to be announced. Bruce wears a black button down that shows his hairy chest with sunglasses hanging on the left collar. “You really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, don’t you,” says Bruce looking straight ahead into space. “You will never be able to control the monster.” “And you have,” Leo asks. “Everything seems fine to me.” “That’s because you shutter your eyes and choose to ignore all the wrong.” “And you shutter your eyes and choose to ignore all the right, the safety of your very own classmates,” Bruce snaps back. “You’re willing to risk innocent lives for some transfer and foreign students, and a few junkies. You know you’re the one we should fear. You’re the Sheppard leading in its blind sheep right into a war.” “I will not sit back and hand this school over to corrupt out of fear,” Leo responds. “Of course you won’t, just remember you’re the one that will be leaving behind a mass grave. Not me,” Bruce warns.

 

  9

  When Leo hears his named called as the new Student Body President, the auditorium erupts into a roar of ear-deafening applause. I smile and join in congratulating Leo on his victory. He embraces me before walking onto the stage as the new Student Body President. Leo takes in the moment, looking out into the vast array of students cheering for me. He smiles waiting for the applause to settle down.

  “Today is an historic day. The future members of this school, whom will be sitting in the very seats you sit it in today, the very hallways you walk today, will look back at this day. As this is the day we said no. No to the corrupt affecting our lives! No to ignoring the mistreatment of our fellow students! Yes, ladies and gentleman I’m referring to the mistreatment of transfer and foreign student who came to this school for a chance to make something of themselves and to better themselves. We have let this occur at our school for way too long. Blame you, I do not for fear could drive us to forget and care about others for the safety of ours. As your Student Body President I assure you those days are now over, there is no need to fear because today we are one. Thank you and god bless.”

  Bruce leaves out the back exit, no longer the Student Body President. Leo set out what he wanted to accomplish. The school has put their faith in him, not in the corrupt.

  Leo and I walk down the abandoned section of the school transfer and foreign students used to occupy during the school day. “Why don’t you want to clean this part of the school,” I ask. “It reminds me that my real task is not done,” Leo replies.

  I sit in my third period class on a Friday, anxious for the weekend to begin. I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket, so I take my phone out of my pocket quickly to see who texted me. I get out of my chair to head to the bathroom to look at the message Kayla had sent me, so Principal Burns doesn’t catch me. Once in the bathroom I look the message on my phone. It reads “Hey babe what are you doing later.” “Nothing planned, you,” I text back. I get a quick response, “Come to my house tonight, parents not home until Sunday.” “Okay,” I send back. Again a quick response, “Can’t wait, love you.” Loves me? What exactly was going on here? I don’t know how to respond, so I don’t. Besides I’ll see her soon.

  I don’t know what to expect when I go to Kayla’s, but I decide to go. I text her to let her know I’m at her house.

  “Hey,” Kayla says opening the door to let me. “Hey, how has it been since you know,” I ask as I step into the house. “I try not to think about it,” she answers as she hugs me. “Not everything was so bad that night,” she finishes as she locks eyes with mine. “You have amazing eyes,” she says as she leans in to kiss me.

  I sit in her living room couch waiting for her as she gets beer from her refrigerator in the other room. She enters the living room. “I hope Yeller Light is fine.” “It is,” I respond. This is different from the last time I was over. I have one beer, she has one, and we are talking, scratching the surface of whom we really are. Although it feels like the beginning of my relationship with Victoria, that is not a bad thing. I like that I’m connecting with another person, getting to know them. When Kayla first came up to me and talked to me on my first day of high school I didn’t believe I had a chance despite the fact I used to be with Victoria, but now I don’t even think about it.

  After an hour or two of drinking and getting to know each other, we decide to watch a movie on Netflix. She cuddles with me in a blanket as we watch a comedy. Half way through the movie, I come to a realization of where I am. A beautiful girl that isn’t Victoria, that I didn’t know three months ago cuddled against me. I look at her, and I feel bad for my past self believing that there was nothing out there without Victoria. I loved Victoria, but I’m beginning to fall for Kayla.

  The next morning Kayla drives us to diner for breakfast. We talk and laugh like we have known each other all our lives. There was no question about it, I was in fact falling for Kayla as the images and memories of Victoria were placed on the wayside.

  10

  “You have a girlfriend,” Mrs. Snow asks. I smile. Kayla and I have been sitting next to each other in class now, have been hanging out with each other more, but we haven’t actually given it a title. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you two. I see the way you look at her,” she says rubbing her hand up and down my leg. “God, I wish someone looked at me the way you look at her,” Mrs. Snow says unhappily. “Do you think I’m attractive?” “Yes,” I say without hesitating. She smiles and sits on my lap, her face facing mine. “Tell me it again.” “You’re very pretty.”

  “You have amazing eyes,” she says before kissing me on my lips. I kiss her back. I can’t handle it anymore. I give in to my sexual desire and lift up her shirt. She begins to take off mine. The thought and images of Kayla pop into my head and my sexual desire for Mrs. Snow settles. “I can’t,” I say while unlocking the classroom door, leaving Mrs. Snow behind without looking back.

  “Today’s the day,” Leo says to me as I enter the abandoned classroom.
“Today we make our first move.” “What do you mean,” I ask. “I wanted to wait until I was President, so I knew the school was behind me. That Pyramid Company truck is not just delivering food. It’s smuggling in and out Fontane’s drugs.” “Are you sure about this,” I ask. “Yes,” he responds.

  I try to keep up with Leo as we attempt to get to the pickup zone in the back of the school before the trucks arrival.

  We wait outside hidden in bushes in the cool November air. I hear the sound of the truck getting closer, and I see it park. We wait until a white male wearing a black knit winter hat gets out of the truck. Leo and I appear in front of the man from the bushes as he lifts open the back of the truck. I can’t tell if he’s nervous because he didn’t expect anyone to come out of the bushes or because he’s about to get caught. “How you gentlemen doing today”, he asks taking boxes out of the truck. “What’s in those boxes you got in there,” Leo asks. The man continues doing his job unpacking the truck. “Ahh you know the usual chicken, burgers, pizza.” He puts down the last package from the truck down. “Could I help you with something,” the confused man asks. Leo takes out