“You got any skunk on you?” the voice slobber-whispered into my unprotected orifice. I cringed as his spittle slow-dripped into my earhole.
“Can’t you see I’m napping?” I grumbled, irritated that my pot-laced brownie high had worn off after such a short amount of shuteye. I really needed to sell better shit.
“Well, you might want to wake up, because the bell’s rung, and as we speak, Mrs. Lee’s on her way over to kick your ass.”
My eyes flew open as I raised my head and looked around. The class was indeed empty, and the little drill sergeant of a chemistry teacher was stalking her way to the back of the classroom.
“I’m going,” I said, catching her eye as I hastily grabbed my backpack and bolted to my feet. But in the melee, the strap of my pack caught on my lab partner’s stool, tipping it, and me, sideways. I tumbled ungracefully to the floor.
“Oh, my god.” Mrs. Lee hurried over and pulled the stool off me. I was about to thank her for her concern when I noticed her checking the chair for damage instead of me. Well, okay then. At least now I knew where I stood in this awkward threesome – squarely behind the inanimate object.
Rising to my feet, I dusted myself off, grinning. “Yes, I’m fine. No worries, Teach.”
Teachwasn’t amused by the shortening of her title, or maybe her distaste was with me in general. She pursed her lips as if I were a particularly unsavory flavor in her mouth. “You’ve been in my room thirty minutes, Mr. McKallister, and already you’ve disrupted the class, enjoyed a siesta, and destroyed my property.”
“Actually” – I directed her attention to the unscathed stool – “I don’t mean to be a stickler for detail, but technically the chair landed on me, so I think it’s fair to assume I cushioned its fall.”
A steely-eyed glare was her only response.
“Look, I’m sorry,” I said, attempting to ease the rising tension between us with a little schoolplace humor. “My lab partner dropped the ball on this one. But don’t blame her. She’s new to this whole thing, and evidently I forgot to outline her duties, which include waking me up at the bell.”
Like a rocket flaming on the launch pad, Mrs. Lee exploded. “Out!” Her finger shook as it pointed me toward the front door.
“It was a joke,” I mumbled. Jesus. She needed to take a chill pill. Come to think of it, I probably had one in my pocket for her. “I’m leaving; relax.”
Exhaling audibly, my chemistry teacher appeared worn and, dare I say, disappointed in me. “Why are you here, Keith? You obviously don’t care about your future, so if you don’t want to learn, go home. All you’re doing is wasting your time and mine.”
Normally I would have responded with a snarky comment, but her judgment bothered me enough that I was left speechless and feeling like a fool. With heat burning up my cheeks, I turned and exited the classroom. That’s when the anger set in. Who was she to talk down to me? It was her job to deal with wastes of space like me. If she didn’t like juvenile delinquents, then why the hell was she a teacher in the first place? Poor career planning, if you asked me.
Still, Mrs. Lee’s words knocked me off my game. I hated getting lectured by authority figures, maybe because deep down, I thought of myself as a good kid – redeemable. Although I suppose I could understand how others might not see me in the same light.
“So…” Gnat buzzed in my face as I stormed down main hall. “You got anything?”
“Not for you,” I answered, without even the benefit of a sideways glance.
“I got money,” he whispered, at least smart enough to keep his voice down to an almost inaudible squeak. “I can pay.”
“Fuck you,” I scoffed. Like I needed Gnat’s money. There were a hundred more insects just like him hovering in the wings ready to throw cash at me for a good time. Besides, after Mrs. Lee’s diss, I was in a foul mood, and someone had to pay. “You ruined my beauty sleep, Dipwad. Thanks to you, I’m going to be twenty percent uglier for the rest of the day.”
His buddies laughed. Gnat did not. “Come on, Kali. Don’t be a dick.”
Clenching my teeth, I fought the urge to pop him in the jaw. This was the downside to being Pearl Beach’s bagman. They never left me alone. And shits like Gnat really irritated the hell out of me. He knew the rules: no money or drugs exchanged hands within these walls. Everyone in the loop knew where to find me after the bell rang.
But he wouldn’t stop; kept pestering me for a dime. I’d had enough, so I grabbed Gnat by the shirt and pushed him against the wall with enough force to wipe the smirk right off his face. Careful to keep my voice low, I growled in his ear. “I’ll be sure to let my boss know who to thank for getting me kicked out of here.”
Horror swept across the kid’s face. “No. No, that’s not…”
“If you think you can do it better, take your paisley ass downtown and make the deal yourself. Have fun playing with the big boys, Gnat.”
If possible, his eyes grew even wider. These rich boys never wanted to get their hands dirty. They paid someone else to take the risk. Someone expendable, like me.
I let Gnat off the wall, and as he flew away, my eyes passed over several students glancing warily in my direction. Ah, shit. I hated that look. I wanted people to like me – no, I wanted them to love me. I wasn’t a heavy; never had been. But one thing I’d learned in this business was if you gave gnats a little space to spread their wings, they’d take over the world.
“Nice, Keith.” A slow clap accompanied a sarcastic female voice. “Way to make a scene on day one of senior year.”
I flipped around only to find my sister Emma standing before me with her flowing blonde hair, a dangerously short and low-cut flowered dress, and beach-ready flip-flops. Good lord. Could she get anymore cliché California girl?
“I see you left the Uggs at home,” I said. “Good for you.”
