Criminal
Two
“Gaskarth. Cook. You’re free to go.”
The second the clock struck 3:45, I was up and out of my seat. I’d spent the better part of the last half hour or so studying the ceiling, scrutinizing every water-stained panel and dead bug caught in a light. I could only imagine how much worse it had been for Alex, being the central view of Mrs. Finnegan’s surveillance. Brushing my long hair over my shoulder, I picked up my book bag and pushed open the door, starting to make my way down the deserted hallway.
“Hey!” my heart jumped at the sudden noise and I spun around on my heels to see who was there. My brows knit together as I saw Alex jogging up behind me. What could he possibly want with me? “I think you forgot this,” he said, handing over a slightly wrinkled piece of paper. I took it and looked it over, becoming even more confused as I read.
“Uh…no I didn’t,” I replied and held it out for him to take back. I hadn’t unpacked a single thing from my bag since I sat down for detention. What game was he playing? A small grin broke out across his face as he accepted that he’d been caught. Though his cover was blown, he remained persistent and gently pushed my hand back.
“I know I just needed an excuse to get your attention.”
“Okay, well you’ve got it. What do you want?” I folded my arms over my chest, my patience wearing thin. I was tired and I just wanted to go home.
“My band is playing here tonight,” Alex explained, gesturing towards the flyer. “A lot of people from school are coming to check us out. There’ll be food and drinks too, if you’re in to that.”
I was still confused. It was as if he were speaking to me in Swahili. The words didn’t click in my mind. “And you want me to go…?”
“I just invited you, didn’t I?” that grin of his reappeared as he laughed softly at me.But why? I wanted to ask. We weren’t friends. Our friends weren’t friends. Hell, we’d never even had a proper conversation until this little encounter. He saw the uncertainty in my eyes and made one last attempt to win me over. “Come on, it’ll be fuuun,” he drew out the last part, flashing me his winning smile. “What else could you be doing on a Monday night anyway?”
I was about to make up an excuse for why I couldn’t go when I was abruptly interrupted by the sound of Katy Perry blasting from my phone. I cast Alex an apologetic look and answered the call.
“Mar and I are coming to pick you up. We’re going to the mall to pick out my dress,” Courtney chirped happily. I grimaced at the thought of walking around store to store for hours on end, listening to her critique every detail of every dress she tried on. I looked to Alex desperately, though he could do nothing to help. Or maybe he already had.
“Actually Court, I’m not home right now…” I said quietly so Alex couldn’t overhear my conversation. “Something came up and I can’t really get out of it.”
“Like what?” Courtney pressed. “Do you need my skills of persuasion to get you out of another dinner at Grammy’s?” she chuckled darkly and I could hear Marissa laughing in the background. I rubbed the back of my neck uncomfortably, feeling a little guilty.
“I don’t think even you can get me out of this one,” I forced a laugh and glanced back to Alex who, thankfully, was off looking at one of the bulletin boards on the wall. “I’ll call you later tonight, okay?”
“All right, I don’t know what’s going on, but try to stay out of trouble, Laur,” she said and promptly hung up. I returned my phone to my pocket and walked over to Alex.
“Sorry about that. So when does this show start?”
A smile found its way to his lips as he turned back to me, a feeling of victory sweeping through him. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I wasn’t going for him.
“We go on at 9:30,” he said. “See you there?”
“Looks like it,” I shrugged.
“Cool, see you later,” he replied and began walking towards the front entrance. He was only a few steps away when I realized something.
“Wait!” I called after him, feeling my pride sink to the floor as he turned around with a curious look settled on his face. “My mom dropped me off today…I kind of need a ride,” I explained, embarrassed. I heard him chuckle and felt the heat pool in my cheeks, staining them a scarlet red. Without a word, Alex nodded me over and motioned for me to follow him. We walked out to the parking lot together and when we reached his car, he pulled out his keys and opened my door for me. “Thanks,” I mumbled and climbed inside. Then he shut the door behind me and walked over to the driver’s side.
“Oh by the way, I’m running late thanks to our little date with Finnegan, so it looks like you’re coming to Rian’s with me.”
“What?” I turned to him sharply.
“You’re going to the show anyway,” he shrugged casually. I was about to lose my shit. He had to be joking.
“But I have to go home. I need to shower, change and get ready. You don’t expect me to go to a concert looking like this do you?” I asked incredulously. My school appearance could not be the same as my going out appearance. That’s just the way it worked.
“Relax, Princess,” he rolled his eyes and pulled out of the parking lot. “First of all, it’s a shitty bar. Second, you look fine and third, who cares?”
“I care,” I huffed and turned away from him to glare out the window at blooming trees and random passersby. Watching the transition from winter to spring was usually something I enjoyed, but not today. Alex shook his head and muttered something under his breath, but I didn’t catch it. When we reached what I assumed was Rian’s house, Alex parked on the street in front and got out of the car. I waited for him to open my door for me again, but when he didn’t I opened it myself and hurried up the driveway, trailing behind him.
Such a gentlemen.
***
“Hey dick, what took you so long?”
“Detention. Have you guys done nothing without me?” Alex’s face turned from silly to serious as he looked around the small basement. The floor was covered with wires of all colors, amps, guitars, and other equipment. I never realized how much was needed to put on a show.
“Aren’t you that girl who slept in Finnegan’s class today?” the same boy who yelled at Alex for being late questioned me. He had dark hair with streaks of blonde swept across his forehead. He looked familiar; I was so sure I’d seen him a few times before. “Hello? Do you talk?” he asked, but not in a mean way. He cracked a smile and waited for a response. I looked at him carefully for a moment and then it hit me. He was the cashier at Rita’s who took my order almost every day.
“Shut up Jack,” Alex intervened. “This is my detention buddy, Lauren. She’s coming to the show tonight.”
“Oh,” Jack mouthed, raising his eyebrows. I wasn’t sure exactly what had registered in his mind just then, but I felt the urge to tell him that it wasn’t at all like whatever he was thinking.
“Hi Lauren,” a friendly face appeared in front of me. He was a bit stocky and had brown hair that fell in his eyes a little. All in all, he didn’t look too intimidating. “If you’re coming with us, you wouldn’t mind helping us load the van?”
“Um actually—” I began to say, but was cut off by Alex shoving a heavy something or other into my arms. “Fuck,” I grumbled under my breath, nearly dropping whatever Alex gave me.
“Everybody helps out,” he said, patting my back. I was beginning to think that going to the mall with Courtney would have been the lesser evil. At least there I didn’t have to do any physical labor. With my knees buckling under me, I followed the stocky kid's instructions and followed him outside to the van that was parked in the driveway. Every step of the way the same thought went through my mind:What have I gotten myself into?
The second the clock struck 3:45, I was up and out of my seat. I’d spent the better part of the last half hour or so studying the ceiling, scrutinizing every water-stained panel and dead bug caught in a light. I could only imagine how much worse it had been for Alex, being the central view of Mrs. Finnegan’s surveillance. Brushing my long hair over my shoulder, I picked up my book bag and pushed open the door, starting to make my way down the deserted hallway.
“Hey!” my heart jumped at the sudden noise and I spun around on my heels to see who was there. My brows knit together as I saw Alex jogging up behind me. What could he possibly want with me? “I think you forgot this,” he said, handing over a slightly wrinkled piece of paper. I took it and looked it over, becoming even more confused as I read.
“Uh…no I didn’t,” I replied and held it out for him to take back. I hadn’t unpacked a single thing from my bag since I sat down for detention. What game was he playing? A small grin broke out across his face as he accepted that he’d been caught. Though his cover was blown, he remained persistent and gently pushed my hand back.
“I know I just needed an excuse to get your attention.”
“Okay, well you’ve got it. What do you want?” I folded my arms over my chest, my patience wearing thin. I was tired and I just wanted to go home.
“My band is playing here tonight,” Alex explained, gesturing towards the flyer. “A lot of people from school are coming to check us out. There’ll be food and drinks too, if you’re in to that.”
I was still confused. It was as if he were speaking to me in Swahili. The words didn’t click in my mind. “And you want me to go…?”
“I just invited you, didn’t I?” that grin of his reappeared as he laughed softly at me.But why? I wanted to ask. We weren’t friends. Our friends weren’t friends. Hell, we’d never even had a proper conversation until this little encounter. He saw the uncertainty in my eyes and made one last attempt to win me over. “Come on, it’ll be fuuun,” he drew out the last part, flashing me his winning smile. “What else could you be doing on a Monday night anyway?”
I was about to make up an excuse for why I couldn’t go when I was abruptly interrupted by the sound of Katy Perry blasting from my phone. I cast Alex an apologetic look and answered the call.
“Mar and I are coming to pick you up. We’re going to the mall to pick out my dress,” Courtney chirped happily. I grimaced at the thought of walking around store to store for hours on end, listening to her critique every detail of every dress she tried on. I looked to Alex desperately, though he could do nothing to help. Or maybe he already had.
“Actually Court, I’m not home right now…” I said quietly so Alex couldn’t overhear my conversation. “Something came up and I can’t really get out of it.”
“Like what?” Courtney pressed. “Do you need my skills of persuasion to get you out of another dinner at Grammy’s?” she chuckled darkly and I could hear Marissa laughing in the background. I rubbed the back of my neck uncomfortably, feeling a little guilty.
“I don’t think even you can get me out of this one,” I forced a laugh and glanced back to Alex who, thankfully, was off looking at one of the bulletin boards on the wall. “I’ll call you later tonight, okay?”
“All right, I don’t know what’s going on, but try to stay out of trouble, Laur,” she said and promptly hung up. I returned my phone to my pocket and walked over to Alex.
“Sorry about that. So when does this show start?”
A smile found its way to his lips as he turned back to me, a feeling of victory sweeping through him. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I wasn’t going for him.
“We go on at 9:30,” he said. “See you there?”
“Looks like it,” I shrugged.
“Cool, see you later,” he replied and began walking towards the front entrance. He was only a few steps away when I realized something.
“Wait!” I called after him, feeling my pride sink to the floor as he turned around with a curious look settled on his face. “My mom dropped me off today…I kind of need a ride,” I explained, embarrassed. I heard him chuckle and felt the heat pool in my cheeks, staining them a scarlet red. Without a word, Alex nodded me over and motioned for me to follow him. We walked out to the parking lot together and when we reached his car, he pulled out his keys and opened my door for me. “Thanks,” I mumbled and climbed inside. Then he shut the door behind me and walked over to the driver’s side.
“Oh by the way, I’m running late thanks to our little date with Finnegan, so it looks like you’re coming to Rian’s with me.”
“What?” I turned to him sharply.
“You’re going to the show anyway,” he shrugged casually. I was about to lose my shit. He had to be joking.
“But I have to go home. I need to shower, change and get ready. You don’t expect me to go to a concert looking like this do you?” I asked incredulously. My school appearance could not be the same as my going out appearance. That’s just the way it worked.
“Relax, Princess,” he rolled his eyes and pulled out of the parking lot. “First of all, it’s a shitty bar. Second, you look fine and third, who cares?”
“I care,” I huffed and turned away from him to glare out the window at blooming trees and random passersby. Watching the transition from winter to spring was usually something I enjoyed, but not today. Alex shook his head and muttered something under his breath, but I didn’t catch it. When we reached what I assumed was Rian’s house, Alex parked on the street in front and got out of the car. I waited for him to open my door for me again, but when he didn’t I opened it myself and hurried up the driveway, trailing behind him.
Such a gentlemen.
***
“Hey dick, what took you so long?”
“Detention. Have you guys done nothing without me?” Alex’s face turned from silly to serious as he looked around the small basement. The floor was covered with wires of all colors, amps, guitars, and other equipment. I never realized how much was needed to put on a show.
“Aren’t you that girl who slept in Finnegan’s class today?” the same boy who yelled at Alex for being late questioned me. He had dark hair with streaks of blonde swept across his forehead. He looked familiar; I was so sure I’d seen him a few times before. “Hello? Do you talk?” he asked, but not in a mean way. He cracked a smile and waited for a response. I looked at him carefully for a moment and then it hit me. He was the cashier at Rita’s who took my order almost every day.
“Shut up Jack,” Alex intervened. “This is my detention buddy, Lauren. She’s coming to the show tonight.”
“Oh,” Jack mouthed, raising his eyebrows. I wasn’t sure exactly what had registered in his mind just then, but I felt the urge to tell him that it wasn’t at all like whatever he was thinking.
“Hi Lauren,” a friendly face appeared in front of me. He was a bit stocky and had brown hair that fell in his eyes a little. All in all, he didn’t look too intimidating. “If you’re coming with us, you wouldn’t mind helping us load the van?”
“Um actually—” I began to say, but was cut off by Alex shoving a heavy something or other into my arms. “Fuck,” I grumbled under my breath, nearly dropping whatever Alex gave me.
“Everybody helps out,” he said, patting my back. I was beginning to think that going to the mall with Courtney would have been the lesser evil. At least there I didn’t have to do any physical labor. With my knees buckling under me, I followed the stocky kid's instructions and followed him outside to the van that was parked in the driveway. Every step of the way the same thought went through my mind:What have I gotten myself into?
1/4/13