Cool With A "K" PART 28.5 - CHAPTER 17

I had no idea how to help anyone and I didn't want to make things worse. I couldn't ask biased Chris the Therapist or Alice and Mouse wouldn't give me a straight answer, so I turned to the one person in my school that I knew would be honest and would probably give good advice; Tina Fackler.
During gym class, I went up to Tina. She was sitting on the gym floor with her short legs stretched out and her tomato-red head almost touching the floor.
I leaned over her and said, "Hey, Tina. Am I interrupting?"
She looked at me and said in her usual soft, calm tone, "Oh, hello, Angie. No, you're not inturrupting. How are you today?"
"Um, bad, I guess..." I said, "Can I talk to you?"
"Oh, sure." Tina said, standing up and walking with me.
I wrung my hands and said, "So... You know my friend Leo, right?"
Tina nodded, "Yes, the dark-haired boy you're always with? Guillermo?"
"Yes." I said, "And you know Kathy?"
"Yes, I do. The girl who just returned from being suspended. Poor thing." Tina said placidly.
I nodded, "Yep. Well, a few weeks ago we had a small party at Leo's house and... It didn't end very well."
Tina patiently nodded for me to go on.
"Basically, it ended with Kathy mistreating Tae-Hyun," - Like how I used the word 'mistreating'? It's all big and fancy like the ones Tina uses - "Leo getting really mad at Kathy because of her obsene behavior," - Obsene. There's another one. - "Jenny being upset, and Kathy getting mad at everyone."
"Ahh..." Tina said.
"Yeah." I said, "So, now Kathy's back in school and I don't know the update on her, but Leo's really depressed because Tae-Hyun's mad at him."
"Why is Tae-Hyun mad at Leo?" Tina asked.
"Because he's been a total jerk." I explained, "Leo's been really inconciderate lately, but now he's just really sad. I don't know what to do and I was hoping you could help me. You're really smart."
Tina chuckled and said, "Thank you. Well, maybe you don't need to do anything."
I studied her and asked, "What do you mean?"
Tina said, "Perhaps you don't have to take care of your friends. Try just playing it by ear."
I thought about that and echoed, "Playing it by ear... Huh."
I looked at Tina and said, "Thank you."
"No trouble." Tina said, just barely smiling.
"You know, you really are smart." I said, chuckling, "I'm kind of jealous."
Tina shook her head, "Don't be. I'm not smarter than you are, you and I simply know more about different subjects. Teachers may seem like they know more than other people, but really, they just know more about specific subjects."
Tina smiled her little faint smile again and said, "I'm sure they couldn't recite the name of every episode of Heroes in all four seasons."
I gave her a look and questioned, "Heroes?"
Tina nodded, "It's a science fiction T.V. show. I adore it and I've memorize every character's name, the actor or actress who played them, and the name of every episode."
I laughed, "Four seasons? Wow, you really are something..."
"Thank you for your flattery." Tina said, smiling a little more.
The gym teacher blew the whistle and Tina said, "Oh, we have to go."
"Yeah." I said, "Thanks again, Tina."
"You're very welcome." Tina said, and she jogged off.
I smiled to myself. Tina Fackler is really her own person. I never have and probably never will meet anyone else like her.




I like that girl.