Friday, April 9, 2010

Cool With A "K" PART 19.5 - CHAPTER 5

Mouse was bent over, breathing hard, "I HATE THIS!!!"
The volunteer group was cleaning up trash at the park nearby their school, and they had been at it for four hours.
Chris frolicked over to Mouse, beaming. It was as if their was a cheerful glow around him, which made Mouse hate him more.
Chris patted Mouse hard on the shoulder and said loudly, "Doesn't being a good person feel nice?"
"No." Mouse said, "How did you not even break a sweat?"
Chris threw his head back and laughed. The other volunteer kids joined him and he said, "I've been working here as a volunteer for almost two years now! See, this is a good way to get good exercise and lose weight too!"
Mouse glared at Chris as he poked at the topic of her weight, "Do you even know how much I don't care about your 'manorexia' issues, Chris?"
Chris scoffed, "I do not have- Wait, what did you call it?"
Mouse rolled her eyes and Chris said, "Well, have fun cleaning the other side of the park, TIffany!"
Mouse's eyes widened and she said, "Wait, wait, what? The other side of the park?!"
Chris nodded, grinning, "We've done our share, but you were working about four times slower than the rest of us."
He picked up Mouse's litter stick and held it out to her. She snatched it from him and dragged her feet on the way to the other side of the park.
Chris slapped high-fives with the other team members.
"Good work, team." He said and the team cheered.

Cool With A "K" PART 19.5 - CHAPTER 4

We all eyed Mouse cautiously at lunch. She didn't say anything, she just sat in her seat, picking up spoonfuls of... Erm... I think it was potatoes and gravy that day... and plopping it back onto her lunch tray. She seemed to be waiting for something....
"Hey, what's up, sista?" Chris cried over-enthusiastically, beaming cheerily as he appeared behind Mouse, "How's my fellow volunteer? Are you ready to help the environment, make blankets for the homeless, and become a better citizen?"
Mouse bent the spoon in her hand and didn't say anything.
Chris grinned and bent over her shoulder, saying quietly in her ear, "I'm not afraid of you."
Lie.
Mouse chuckled and, without looking at Chris, whispered, "The feelings are mutual."
Chris grinned and replied softly, "Ah, building your vocabulary I see. Good job, Tiffany."
Mouse bent her spoon a bit farther and didn't say anything for a while. 
Chris whispered into her ear, "Meeting at 3:15 today."
He walked away grinning and Mouse sat still as a statue.
"I hate him." She said through clenched teeth.
"I know." Leo and I said at the same time.
We were all quiet for a long time.
"So, where are Alice and Chris sitting?" Leo said, trying to start a conversation before Mouse boiled over.
I pointed at a table near the back of the lunchroom, "They're sitting with the volunteering kids."
Leo looked at the volunteer kids, then at me, then at Mouse. He grinned and, scooting a bit closer to me, said smugly to Mouse, "Hey, Tiffany, how about you go sit with the volunteer kids? After all, you're one of them."
"Keep in mind," Mouse said, "After your neck is broken, it takes forever to heal."
Leo's breath shorted out and the color drained from his face, "Erm, hey, Angela, I think I'm having a stroke!"
He pretended to 'faint', hoping I would catch him, but I casually backed away and he fell off his seat, onto the floor.
A few of the cheerleaders sitting at a nearby table giggled and Leo blushed.
"Angela!" He said, "Why did you move?"
"Because I didn't want a Leo in my lap." I said flatly.
Leo smiled at me, letting his head touch the floor. The lunchroom floor. Gross.
I shook my head, "Not smart. Think about it."
After about half a second, Leo jumped up and sat at the table again.
Mouse stared at us for a second, the tenseness draining from her face. She smiled brightly, which was a little bit creepy, and stood up, "Okay then, I'll go sit with my fellow volunteers."
Leo and I sat in place, stupidly staring as Mouse walked over to the volunteers' lunch table.
She sat down with them, beaming and saying something. Every one of the volunteer kids looked surprised. Chris tapped Alice's hand under the table and she did so to the next person, who repeated the step. Slowly, they all stuck tight smiles on their faces and Chris said something that was probably some kind of greeting. 
Wow, good job, little brother. I thought sarcastically.
Mouse looked a little confused, but smiled sweetly and started talking with the group. 
Leo whispered to me, "How long do you think she can go on with this?"
I shook my head, "I don't know, she's not as smart as she thinks she is."
"But she's still pretty smart." Leo said, "This should be good."
I grinned, "Yeah, it will."

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Cool With A "K" PART 19.5 - CHAPTER 3

"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Mouse."
"Yeah, caller ID."
"So...." Mouse said, "I hate your brother."
"Uh-huh." I said casually, randomly drawing on my desk.
"He's not supposed to be smart." Mouse said.
"Well," I said, "He skipped a grade, he's on the honer roll, he hasn't gotten a grade below a B- since 8th grade."
"Yeah, I know all that," Mouse said, sounding annoyed, "But he signed me up for volunteering! How did he think of that?"
"Well," I said, "He's a member of the volunteering committee at our school. He's not that stupid, you know.... Except for when it comes to choosing boyfriends...."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Mouse didn't say anything for a second, but groaned, "What's wrong with that kid? I didn't even get him suspended! It's not like I asked him to hit me."
I started to say something, but Mouse interrupted me, "'Hey, Chris, wouldn't it be just swell if you punched me in the face and got suspended? That sure would be great!' Yeah, that wasn't how it happened. All I'm saying is he put it on himself and he shouldn't punish me for it."
I shook my head, "No, actually, you started it, Mouse. You hurt him, you are rude to him, you have no sense of his feelings! Chris is fragile, be careful with him."
"Oh, yeah, the kid's real delicate." Mouse said sarcastically, "I 'get him suspended' and he ruins my life."
"Don't be so dramatic, Mouse." I shot back, "Will you try not being so sarcastic for once?"
"Ah, no can do, Blondie." Mouse said, "I'm afraid sarcasm is the only language I'm fluent in and if I try to speak in any other tongue, some parts of our conversation could be misunderstood."
"You're unbelievable!" I said, "If you weren't Leo's step sister, none of us would ever hang around you because you are a jerk."
"Tell me something I don't know." Mouse said cooly. I couldn't believe this.
I laughed hollowly, "Okay, one day, when we've had enough of you and we all leave, let's see where you'll be."
"Do tell," Mouse said with mock enthusiasm.
I clenched my teeth and said into the phone, "Nowhere. Without us, you'd be sitting at the back of the room, all by yourself with no one there to take care of your messed up little self."
Mouse sighed and said sarcastically, "Oh, you're right, Ange. I'm nothing without my friends."
That was it, I hung up the phone. Sometimes, I really don't remember why I'm friends with Mouse. I sometimes even wonder if the only reason I hang around her is because Leo's stuck with her. Maybe I just think she needs someone to take care of her.