Monday, February 21, 2011

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 13

Geoffry walked to the bus from gym class and thought about his day; he hadn't accomplished much. Chris wouldn't take him back, Mouse wouldn't go out with him, he hadn't made out with ANYONE that day, and Leo was still straight.
Then, two people walking down the hall caught Geoffry's eye; Julien and Tae-Hyun, and Julien's arm was around her!
"Time to try something new to wrap up the day," Geoffry said to himself, smoothing his hair from his face, "Loyalty."
Geoffry walked over to Julien and Tae-Hyun and said, "Hey, guys. What do you think you're doing?"
They looked at him and Tae-Hyun said, "Oh, we're just walking to the buses."
"Yes," Geoffry said, pointing a finger in their faces, "But you're walking together. Very close together."
Tae-Hyun and Julien eyed Geoffry suspiciously.
"Um," Tae-Hyun said, "Since when do you care?"
Geoffry crossed his arms and said, "Come on, Tae-Hyun. Leo is my friend now, and I don't think he would want you to be walking with Julien like that."
Geoffry noticed Julien's hand tighten just the tiniest bit on Tae-Hyun's shoulder.
Tae-Hyun laughed nervously and said, "Whatever, Geoffry. I'm totally over him... Tell him that. We just weren't meant to be."
Geoffry looked suspiciously between Julien and Tae-Hyun and said, "Okay, I'll make sure he gets the message... Maybe you guys should get together."
Tae-Hyun and Julien watched Geoffry walk away toward the buses.
Julien smiled warmly at Tae-Hyun and said, "Well, now we must part for buses. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye." Tae-Hyun said, smiling. She walked toward the side of the school where her brother was waiting to pick her up.
"Hey, sis." Kyung-Sam said.
"Hi, Kyung..." Tae-Hyun said, getting in the car.
Kyung-Sam started driving and he looked at his sister in the mirror.
"What's wrong with you?" He said.
Tae-Hyun smiled to herself and said, 




"Nothing."

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 12

"So... Why are you dressed like that again?" Alice asked Chris and Tae-Hyun.
"It's all about attention, doll." Chris said, taking out a cigarette, "Me and Tae-Hyun have our eyes on a guy who likes burnouts, so now we're burnouts. It's simple."
"Chris, what are you doing?" Alice said. She and Tae-Hyun eyed Chris nervously as he put a cigarette in his mouth. He drew a lighter up to the cigarette and lit it.
Chris took the cigarette out of his mouth, let out a breath of smoke, and started coughing.
Alice patted his back and said, "Are you alright??"
"Yeah," Chris said between coughs, embarrassed, "Of course I am. Ha ha ha..."
Tae-Hyun let out a breath of relief and said, "Chris, why did you do that?"
"'Cause, burnouts smoke." Chris wheezed.


"You're an idiot." Mouse said.
Chris, Alice, and Tae-Hyun looked at Mouse and I as we came around the side of the school.
"What are you doing?" I said, snatching the lighter from Chris' hand, "Mouse is right, you are an idiot. Don't smoke."
"Why do people do that?" Chris said, still coughing, "It's disgusting."
"Exactly." I said, hitting him in the stomach with the back of my hand, "Now, don't do it."
I drew back my hand and threw the lighter... Uhh, yonder somewhere. I wasn't really paying attention.
Irritated, Chris said, "Angie!"
"Shut up, it's for your own good..." I said, "...And because I wanted to throw that lighter across the playground."
The bell rang for us to go inside and Alice said, "Well, this has been... Interesting. Chris, Tae-Hyun, stay out of trouble. Please."
"Yeah, guys." I said, eyeing Chris, "I don't want to see any more cigarettes."
"Fine, no more cigarettes, but I make no further promises." Chris said snottily, putting on his sunglasses, "Come on, Tae-Hyun."
Tae-Hyun followed him away and said, "Uh, Chris?"
"Hm?"
Tae-Hyun bit her lip and said quietly, "Are you sure we should be doing this? You know, acting and dressing differently than we usually do just because we want Julien's attention?"
Chris smirked and said, "I don't know, you decide. Start by asking him."
Chris grasped Tae-Hyun's shoulders and pointed her to face Julien, who was walking toward them.
Tae-Hyun smiled and said, "O...Kay."
Julien stopped in front of them and Chris wandered off, giving Tae-Hyun a turn with their toy.
"Hey." Julien said, smiling.
"Hi." Tae-Hyun giggled.
Julien held out his arm to her and said, "May I walk you to the gym?"
Tae-Hyun smiled and nodded, linking her arm through his.

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 11

Leo and sat down across from Tae-Hyun at the lunch table.
Tae-Hyun looked at him and said, "What do you want?"
"Uh, hey, Tae-Hyun..." Leo said, "I've been thinking a lot about you lately and I..."
Hesitating for just a second, Tae-Hyun said, "Sound like an idiot?"
Leo's jaw clenched and he said, "No... But you're being kind of hypocritical. I mean, you got mad at me for being a jerk, but now you're being a jerk to me. What do you call that?"
Tae-Hyun leaned across the table and said, "Leo, let me tell you something. You think I am being hypocrite, but I call it revenge. You hurt me and many other people. And guess what? This isn't all about you. Sure, getting back with you is fun, but-"
"Getting back at me." Leo corrected.
Mouse, Alice, and I walked up to the lunch table and stopped.
"Whatever, I don't care." Tae-Hyun snapped at Leo, "Getting back at you is fun, but this is not all about you. Have you ever thought that I might do something for myself sometime? Huh? Think about it, Leo. I taught you guys those Korean dances for the talent show because I wanted you to have fun. I gave up my secret identity because I loved you and I wanted you to be happy. Where do I come in? Where?"
Leo gritted his teeth and said, "Oh, so you didn't want to teach us all that dancing? Well, guess what, they weren't that cool anyway. And you were a terrible teacher!"
"Shut up, Leo!" Tae-Hyun snarled. 
"What about revealing yourself?" Leo said, "Being able to walk down the hallway without telling everyone a dirty lie about yourself? Look, that's what you're doing now! You're lying to yourself and everyone else about who you are."
Tae-Hyun looked down at her clothes, then at Leo.
"I can be whoever I want to be." She said, "Don't screw that up because you're jealous."
"Jealous!" Leo cried, "Why would I be jealous?"
"Because I'm getting attention from boys that are not you." Tae-Hyun said quietly.
Leo stared at her and got up.
"Don't." I said.
Leo glanced at me, then looked at Tae-Hyun.
"All of you suck." He said, and he left.
Alice and I looked at each other in concern and Mouse whistled.
"Dang, Korea, who knew you had such a mouth on you?" She said, almost in awe.
Tae-Hyun looked up at her and looked like she didn't know what to do. She scanned the lunchroom for Chris.


"Chris, please just listen to me for a second." Geoffry said, following Chris around the lunchroom.
"Forget it, Canning. I'm not interested." Chris said.
Geoffry sighed and said, "Why does everyone call me that all of a sudden?"
Chris rolled his eyes and said, "It's all a matter of politeness and relationships. Notice how we call all the teachers by their last names with 'mr.', 'mrs.', or 'miss' in front? That's out of respect."
"So, you're respecting me?" Geoffry asked, confused.
"No," Chris said, "You have no prefix, you're just your last name. I would call my friend or my boyfriend by their first name, but I call you by just your last name because you're a piece of crap that I don't care about."
"Jesus, Chris, please listen." Geoffry said, "That is so... Uhh..."
Chris stopped walking and turned to look at Geoffry, crossing his arms.
"I just... Ever since you came back to school all dressed like that and talking like that, I just..." Geoffry said.
Chris looked Geoffry up and down and smirked.
"Is that a roll of quarters in your pocket or are you happy to see me?" Chris said coolly.
Geoffry looked down, then at Chris, and took his hands.
"Please go out with me." Geoffry said.
Chris pulled his hands away from Geoffry's and said, "Beat it, Canning. I don't want to see your face again."
Geoffry smirked, like this was some sort of game, and said, "Sure, I'll go now, but I'm here when you want me."
Chris sneered and walked away.
"Chris!" Tae-Hyun hissed.
"Huh?" Chris said flatly.
Tae-Hyun whispered, "Help me, I yelled at Leo and now he's upset and I don't know what to do."
Chris sat down next to her and whispered, "It's easy, just act like nothing happened. I know it sounds cruel, but they'll get over it."
Tae-Hyun hesitated and said, "Are you sure?"
Chris nodded, "Totally. Trust me, I know what's best."
I was sitting across from Chris and Tae-Hyun, laughing so hard I almost fell off my seat.
All my friends looked at me in question.
"That... Was SO funny!" I cried, laughing and hitting my fist on the table, "When you were all 'is that a roll of quarters in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?' HAHAHAHAHA!"
Everyone stared at me.
"It wasn't that funny." Alice said.
"Yes, it was!!!" I exclaimed, laughing harder,  "You totally told him, Chris!"
Tears were running down my cheeks now.
Chris fought back a grin and said, "You are so weird."
"I mean, why did you even go out with him?" I laughed, "He's a total a**hole."
"I think he gets it, Ange." Mouse said.
And I laughed about Chris' insult to Geoffry for the rest of lunch.

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 10

Chris came into English class and sat down across from me.
"What... The hell?" I said.
Chris pursed his lips and asked, "What, you don't like my outfit?"
"Uh, no." I said, "You look like a stripper in a gay bar."
"Shut up." Chris said, putting his feet up on the table, "My goody-two-shoes days are over, Angie. Me and Tae-Hyun are gonna be the next hot mess at this school."
My eyes widened and I gasped, "Chris! You just used improper grammar!"
Chris smirked and boasted, "Pshh I know, I'm so rebellious."
I think he's serious. I thought.
I crossed my arms and said, "So, what made you decide to do this?"
Chris crossed his arms and, putting his feet up on the table, gave me another smirk.
I scrunched up my nose angrily and said, "Chris!"
"Uh-huh?" Chris said, looking at his nails.
I lowered my voice and hissed, "You talked to Julien, didn't you? I know you did."
Chris sighed and said, smiling and still looking at his hands, "Of course I did."
Then he looked at me and added with a giggle, "Don't you know anything about being a girl?"
I gritted my teeth and Chris grinned arrogantly.
Leo came into the room scowling. He quietly sat down next to me and glared at Chris.
"Why the long face?" Chris said sarcastically, pouting. He laughed and took his feet off the table.
"I hate you." Leo said.
"I know, doll." Chris said, looking at himself in a little pocket mirror, "Let me guess, you hate me because you can't handle the fact that the gay kid is cooler than you now?"
Leo gritted his teeth and Chris added calmly, "Oh, wait. Or is it that I'm hanging out with Tae-Hyun all the time and you're jealous because now boys are lining up to talk to her and she still hates you. Huh."
"I hate you so much, Chris." Leo said.
Chris shrugged, "What can you do?"
Then, Julien came into the room and Chris smiled at him. I was too confused to be flirty with Julien.
He smiled at Chris and sat down by him.
"Wow, Chris. You look... Really great." Julien said.
A huge smile on his face, Chris said, "Oh, thanks, Julien."
Leo caught Julien's eye and Julien said, "Hey, buddy. What's wrong?"
Leo scowled and Julien stayed completely calm.
"Nothing, buddy." Leo said sharply, smiling tightly. He turned to his work and Julien smiled to himself. He looked at me and said, "Oh, hi, Angela."
"Hi..." I said quietly. I gave my brother a dirty look and he smiled triumphantly.


"He's not gay." I told Chris after class, "Why would he be gay? Gay guys don't like burnouts."
"What are you talking about, Angie? You're stereotyping. Plus, I'm kind of getting used to this. It's fun." Chris said, waving flirtily at Lester.
Lester turned and looked at him and ran into a locker.
Chris giggled and sighed, "Ah, it's like having the world at my fingertips."
I crossed my arms, "Chris?"
"What?"
I pursed my lips and said, "Do you know what the term 'burnout' literally means?"
"Of course," Chris said with a little bit of uncertainty, "It means being really badass."
I shook my head and grinned, "Nope, you're wrong."
"No, I'm not." Chris said.
"It means the pothead kids who stand behind the school smoking and getting high." I said, smirking, "So, that's you and Tae-Hyun now, huh?"
Chris didn't say anything, he just stared at me.
"Should I tell your therapist about this?" I said, putting my hand on his shoulder in mock concern, "Should I be worried about my baby brother taking the wrong path?"
Chris shook my arm off of his and said, "Whatever, Angela. No one cares what you think. And you know what? Me and Tae-Hyun are the top of the school right now. Everyone's talking about us! I'm not letting you take that away from me."
My grin faded as I watched Chris walk down the hall. I had gotten him for a second, but telling him that he didn't fit the exact description didn't fix everything. Sure, it made him self-concious, but it wouldn't make him stop trying to win Julien over.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 9

It felt weird for Leo to be walking down the hall with Geoffry at his side the next school day, but he had to get Tae-Hyun back.
Then, Geoffry stopped walking. Leo bumped into him and then said, "What is it?"
Geoffry grasped Leo's face with his hand and turned his head to where he was looking.
Leo's eyes widened.
Walking down the hallway was Tae-Hyun and Chris. Tae-Hyun was wearing a tight black shirt with the sleeves torn off and black skinny jeans. Her hair was spiked up and she was wearing eyeliner and a haughty smirk.
Chris had on a loose black cropped shirt with the sleeves and part of the bottom torn off. He had black skinny jeans with slits all up the front of each leg and his hair was spiked and combed to the side.
Geoffry and Leo stood at the other end of the hall, staring in shock as their exes turned heads.
"Geoffry..." Leo said, "What the hell did we do to loose them?"
"I don't know..." Geoffry said, sniffling, "But I'm not used to regretting things and this is kind of hard on me."
Tae-Hyun and Chris reached them and looked them up and down, smirking.
"That's a nice look for you, boys." Chris said, studying their shocked faces.
"You should keep it." Tae-Hyun said.
With one more superior smirk, Tae-Hyun and Chris passed the boys. Chris waved tauntingly at Geoffry and Tae-Hyun pushed past Leo's shoulder.
Leo and Geoffry turned and watched them walk down the hall and high five. At the same time, Leo and Geoffry said, "Damn..."
They looked at each other and Leo said, "Well, what do we do now? I didn't see that coming!"
"Me neither." Geoffry said, "But I've been trying to get Chris to cut loose ever since my first date with him. I'm gonna kill the bastard who finally did it."
Geoffry and Leo looked at each other and looked down the hall.
Standing amongst the other watching students, dazed, was Julien.
"Oh, hell no." Leo said, crossing his arms, "You've gotta be kidding."
Geoffry shook his head, "Nope, it's him. I know it."
Leo put his hand on Geoffry's shoulder and said, "Excuse me while I tell this guy off."
"Be my guest." Geoffry said, "But save me some."
"No promises." Leo said through clenched teeth.
Julien, who hadn't noticed Leo and Geoffry's dirty glares, turned and went into the bathroom.
Leo followed him in and let the door hit the wall with a loud bang!
"Hey! Julien!" He said.
Surprised, Julien looked at him and said, "Oh, yes, Leo?"
Leo stormed over to Julien and pointed a finger in his face.
"You better stay away from my girlfriend." Leo threatened, "You better!"
"Tae-Hyun?" Julien chuckled, "Don't take this personally, Leo, but first of all she's not your girlfriend. You guys were never dating."
"What are you talking about?" Leo snarled.
Julien shrugged and said, "Well, I've been talking to Tae-Hyun a lot lately and she said you were never officially dating, so the only reason you should be mad at me is jealousy. I have done nothing wrong."
Leo shook his head and said angrily, "Maybe you haven't done anything wrong upfront, but you're devious. I can see it in your eyes, there's something you're hiding."
Julien shrugged again, "Okay, have it your way, but you know she's not that into you."
"What are you talking about? She loves me!" Leo scoffed.
Julien shook his head and said, more gently, "She loved you. She has moved on to men who won't hurt her."
Leo's face fell in surprise and Julien passed by him to leave.
"And she thinks she isn't hurting me by hanging around you all the time?" Leo said.
Julien turned to look at him and said, "Ask her that."
Julien left and Leo's jaw tightened. As soon as the door closed, Leo screamed into the small, echoing room, "I HATE HIM!!!"
He kicked one of the stall doors and stormed out of the bathroom.
Geoffry was waiting outside for him. He said anxiously, "What happened? Did you kill him?"
Leo shook his head, "No, the jerk just made me feel bad about myself and I froze up."
"No, no, no, Leo." Geoffry said, stepping in front of him, "That is not how this is supposed to work. You and me, we're the tough guys here. Together we can be unstoppable!"
"Yeah, together. I was alone just then and I swear, he saw into my soul!" Leo said.
Geoffry nodded with interest, "I've read about those kinds of people. They're called soul-seers. Please, continue."
Leo shook his head, "There's not much more to tell, just that stupid Julien guilt tripped me about Tae-Hyun."
"We have to confront him again, together this time." Geoffry said.
Leo nodded in agreement, "Yes, we do. When?"
Geoffry thought and said, "How about tonight, at midnight?"
Leo sighed, "Or how about sometime less dark at school where I know I'm... I mean, where Julien thinks he's safe."
Geoffry's shoulders slumped and he whined, "But they won't let me bring my machete to school..."
Leo's eyes widened and he said, "Machete?!"
"Yes, machete, Leo." Geoffry said, "It's like a little sword thing that you use to kill zombies... And boyfriend slash girlfriend stealers."
Leo sighed and said, "Okay, whatever. How about today at recess. We can talk to Tae-Hyun and Chris before then."
Geoffry nodded, "Got it."

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 8

Geoffry slammed his math books on the table across from Leo and sat down.
Leo looked up from his notebook and said cautiously, "May I... Help you?"
"There are tons of clever things I want to say right now, but this is serious." Geoffry said, leaning in toward Leo, "We need to take down Julien, you and me."
Leo raised an eyebrow at him and said, "What are you talking about, Geoffry?"
"You and I..." Geoffry said, grinning, "Need to take down the big guy, Julien. He's getting all the attention we crave and we're gonna knock him off his feet."
"How are we supposed to do that?" Leo asked, crossing his arms with slight interest.
"Come on, Leo." Geoffry said, "You and I are two attractive, extremely popular guys-"
"Are you sure you've got your facts straight?" Leo said, adding, "Pun not intended."
Geoffry ignored Leo's question and continued, "Together, we can defeat this guy and get our girls back!"
He held out his hand to Leo and said, "What do you say, Linguine?"
Leo eyed Geoffry suspiciously and said slowly, "I don't know if I should be offended by that Italian crack, but that's not a bad plan. I'm in."
Leo shook Geoffry's hand and Geoffry said, "What Italian crack?"


When fourth hour came, French class, Chris and Tae-Hyun stood outside of the French room.
"Okay, you're gonna go in first." Chris said, "Remember what to say?"
Tae-Hyun nodded, "Just like we rehearsed."
"Exactly." Chris said, gesturing for her to go in.
Tae-Hyun walked over to Julien and sat down in the desk in front of him.
"Hey, Julien." She said, smiling flirtily.
Julien smiled back and said, "Oh, hi, Tae-Hyun. What's up?"
"Oh, nothing much." Tae-Hyun said, fluttering her eyelashes, "I was just wondering..."
Julien nodded and Tae-Hyun glanced at Chris, who nodded.
Tae-Hyun twirled her hair and said, "I just wanted to know what kind of people you're into?"
Julien's smiled faded and he looked surprised.
"Oh?" He said, grinning slightly, "Well, I suppose I can say I like... People with an edge."
Tae-Hyun shot a quick confused glance to Chris who shrugged.
"Well, what do you mean an 'edge'?" Tae-Hyun asked.
Julien shrugged and said, "Oh, you know, like burnouts and badasses and such."
Tae-Hyun's eyes widened. She smiled tightly and said, "Oh, cool. Thanks. I-I'll see you later, Julien."
"I'll see you." Julien said, smiling warmly at Tae-Hyun as she left.
Tae-Hyun joined Chris at the door and said, "Was that too much? I felt like it was."
"No, no, you were great, darling." Chris said, lowering his voice, "But burnouts? Did he just say burnouts? And badass?"
"Yes, yes, he did!" Tae-Hyun said, sighing wistfully, "We can never pull that off. What are we going to do now?"
Chris looked at Julien and said, "Tae-Hyun, how badly do you want Julien?"
"Hm?" Tae-Hyun said glumly.
"How bad do you want Julien?" Chris said, turning to Tae-Hyun, "With all the burning passion in your heart? Do you want him like crazy?"
"Uhh..." Tae-Hyun said, "I'm not sure how to answer that."
"Tae-Hyun," Chris said, "Are you serious about liking this guy?"
Tae-Hyun nodded and Chris put his arm around her shoulders.
"Well, then." Chris said, smirking in Julien's direction, "It looks like we're gonna have to to something we've never dreamed of...




"Go badass."

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 7

Chris stormed into math class in a fury the next day. He sat down in his desk and sighed angrily.
Tae-Hyun and Julien stood in front of the door and Julien left, smiling at her. Tae-Hyun smiled back and went into the math room. She sat by Chris and said, "Hi, Chris. Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Chris grumbled, "Geoffry's just a big, fat, stupid, lying jerk. But whatever, I'm not dating him anymore."
Tae-Hyun nodded awkwardly and Chris said, "So, what was that just now?"
"What?" Tae-Hyun asked.
"You and Julien." Chris said, both curiously and with a bit of envy, "You guys were all flirty-smiley in the hall just now."
Tae-Hyun blushed and said, "Oh, nothing. I just..."
Chris nodded and Tae-Hyun asked sheepishly, "Can I tell you something?"
Chris nodded again and said, "Of course."
Tae-Hyun looked at him and said, "Well... I kind of... I've been really upset with Leo lately and I... I guess I met Julien and I kind of liked him and I knew Leo still likes me and..."
A grin spread across Chris' face and he said, "You sly little thing."
Tae-Hyun looked at him, "Excuse me?"
"You're hanging out with Julien to get back at Leo, aren't you?" Chris asked curiously.
"Kind of..." Tae-Hyun said, nodding guiltily, "I... I suppose."
Chris smiled and said, "Look at you, learning the way of the American teenager."
Tae-Hyun chuckled and blushed a little.
Chris folded his hands on the desk and said, "Tae-Hyun? Can I... Ask you something?"
"Yes." Tae-Hyun said.
"Do you... Like... Julien?" Chris asked, "You know, like-like? Romantically?"

Tae-Hyun studied Chris for a while before saying quietly, "You like him too, don't you?"
Chris nodded and smiled warmly, "It's okay, we can share him. I know that you and I won't get into a bloody battle if one or the other gets him."
Tae-Hyun laughed and said, "Great."

After a pause, she sighed and asked Chris, "Do you think I am doing the right thing? You know, hanging around with Julien?"
"Totally." Chris said, pointing his pencil at Tae-Hyun, "Leo pissed you off and as a girl, this Julien guy is a perfect opportunity to say, 'Hey, you're an ass! Time to clean up your act and treat me like a human being, not a toy!' Show him who's boss, girl!"
Tae-Hyun laughed and nodded, "Yeah, you have a point..."
"I know I do." Chris said, smiling knowingly, "I've had lots of practice with dating Geoffry."
The bell rang for math to be let out and Chris and Tae-Hyun headed for the Study Hall classroom.
"It's really good to have someone to talk to about Leo." Tae-Hyun said.
"No problem. I like a little girl drama here and there." Chris said.
"Yeah..." Tae-Hyun sighed, "I just... He made me so mad. Sometimes I even forget why specifically I am mad, but the more I see him and think about him..."
"The more mad at him you get." Chris said, "I know the feeling."
"Exactly." Tae-Hyun said, "Wow, you do know a lot about this."
She and Chris laughed.
Chris sighed and said, "Well, you and I are now both single. What shall we do about that?"
"Do we have to do something?" Tae-Hyun said, "And what do you mean by single?"
"No longer dating anyone."
"I know what single means," Tae-Hyun smiled and raised an eyebrow at Chris, "I am saying that Leo and I were never dated."
"Dating, you mean." Chris corrected her.
Tae-Hyun laughed, "Yeah, yeah, that. Whatever. Basically, what are you saying?"
Chris put his hand on Tae-Hyun's shoulder and said, "I'm a boy, you're a girl. We don't know what this Julien guy is into, so why don't we both try for him and see what happens?"
"No hard feelings?" Tae-Hyun asked.
Chris shook his head, "No way, girlfriend. We're a team now. What do you say?"
Tae-Hyun grinned and gave Chris a high-five, "Totally. So, what do we do?"
Chris looked down the hall at Julien and said, "Phase one, we find out what he likes. Popular kids, nerds, movie junkies..."
Chris glanced Tae-Hyun up and down and joked, "You would probably make an adorable catholic schoolgirl."
"Chris!" Tae-Hyun shrieked.
Chris started laughing, then stopped and said seriously, "We have to get down to business immediately. What do you say we stop by to stalk him in fourth hour, 'kay?"
"Sure." Tae-Hyun said, smirking.
The bell rung and Chris said, waving, "See you later, partner."
"Later." Tae-Hyun said. She smiled confidently as she walked down the hall.
With help from Chris, she was going to do something devious.




Or at least something more adventurous than usual.

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 6

Leo walked from Study Hall toward the bathroom, deep in thought.
Stupid Julien, getting all the girls' attention. Leo thought grumpily, He even has Chris bowing down to him! Why do my only guy friends have to be an attention-hogging exchange student and a boy-crazy gay kid who's in love with him??
Then, Leo thought, You know, maybe I'm just being paranoid. Julien's only been here a few days. I should give him a chance.
As Leo passed a group of lockers, he saw something that stopped him dead in his tracks.
"No..." Leo said out loud, "Please, no!"
Julien was talking to Tae-Hyun and they were smiling warmly at each other.
Leo's eyes widened in horror and his jaw hung open.
Tae-Hyun glanced over at Leo and he saw something in her eyes that he hadn't recognized with her before; revenge.
That's right, Tae-Hyun's still mad at me. Leo thought, But what for? My personality? Is she getting back at me by hanging around Julien?
Leo's face fell in horror and Tae-Hyun, her cold eyes still on Leo, hooked her arm through Julien's and walked down the hall with him.
Furious and upset, Leo dashed into the boys' bathroom. He was surprised to see Geoffry there, standing in front of the mirror on the wall.
"Geoffry?" Leo said, closing the door, "What are you doing?"
Geoffry set a little white bottle on the shelf in front of the mirror and inspected his bared teeth in the mirror.
"Oh, just freshening up a bit for the ladies." Geoffry said, painting some of the white stuff from the bottle on his teeth with a tiny brush.
Leo stared at him, completely confused.
"With white-out?"
Geoffry rolled his eyes and said, "No, silly. It's tooth-whitening paint. I got it from some guy behind the drag store down the street."
Leo studied Geoffry awkwardly and said, "Is that legal?"
Geoffry shrugged and looked in the mirror again, "Who knows? All I care about is getting my fans back."
"Your... Fans?" Leo asked.
Geoffry nodded, "Yeah. That new French guy, what's his name? Pierre Von Croissant or something?"
"Julien." Leo said.
"Yeah, whatever, him." Geoffry said, looking at Leo, "I'm gonna take him down."
Leo raised his eyebrows in surprise and said, "Wow... Uh, really?"
Geoffry nodded and said, pointing his tooth-painting instrument at Leo, "Yes. He's stealing my fame and, more importantly, Mabel. She was my girl toy and now he has her in his clutches. Who knows what else he's capable of?"
"Well, I think he has Chris under his spell, too." Leo said.
Geoffry's eyes widened and he said, "What? Really? That's awful!"
"Yeah, I know." Leo said, sighing, "Julien was walking down the hall with Tae-Hyun just now..."
Geoffry looked up and said, "Oh, you're still into her?"
Leo nodded, walking over to Geoffry, "Yep, and she totally hates me."
"I know the feeling." Geoffry said. 
At the same time, the boys let out long, mournful sighs.
"I just can't believe I got all excited about this guy coming to live with me and go to school with me and be my friend..." Leo said, "But when I saw him with her, I just... Wanted to punch him!"
"Yeah," Geoffry agreed, nodding. Then, he got an idea.
Leo sighed and said, "Well, I'll see you later, Geoffry..."
Geoffry watched Leo leave and said, "Yeah... See you."


Our P.E. class was gathered around the field to play some sort of sport with metal bats and soft balls. I don't know and I don' care what it was...
Geoffry came up behind Mouse and said, "Boo."
Mouse whirled around and groaned, "Uhg, you again?"
"Don't sound so disappointed." Geoffry said, grinning.
Chris, Alice, and I passed by Mouse and Geoffry from a few feet away. Chris narrowed his eyes and huffed, "Why does Geoffry keep pestering Mouse?"
"I dunno, isn't that what he does?" Alice said, "Pester girls... And you."
Chris scoffed, "But she's Mouse! And at the dance..."
He gasped and then squeaked, "What if he likes her???"
"What if?" I said, "You aren't jealous, are you?"
"Leave me alone, Canning." Mouse said to Geoffry.
"Please, darling," Geoffry said, stepping in front of her, "There's no need to be formal with me. Call me by my first name."
"Out of my way before I rip your hair out of your head." Mouse said, adding mock-cheerfully, "Geoffry."
Geoffry smirked and said, "Sounds like fun. When are you free?"
Mouse scowled at him for a long time.
Geoffry sighed and stood next to Mouse, "You know, you didn't act like this when we were at Leo's house..."
Mouse's eyes got wide and Chris studied her and Geoffry carefully.
Geoffry leaned over to Mouse and said at regular volume, "In the closet... With each other..."
"SHUT UP, GEOFFRY!" Mouse screeched.
"Oh, I got another 'Geoffry'. That's a start." Geoffry said, grinning.
Chris walked over to Mouse and Geoffry and said slowly, "What do you mean at Leo's house? What happened when we were playing Seven Minutes In Heaven?"
"Oh, you don't know?" Geoffry said, laughing. Then, his face fell when he realized how mad Chris would be if he found out.
Mouse had the same realization and she grinned with delight. She was willing to give up her pride for one second to make Chris and Geoffry miserable.
She turned to Chris and said, "No one told you?"
Chris slowly shook his head and looked from Mouse to Geoffry.
"About what?" Chris said uncertainly.
Mouse smirked and said, "That Geoffry attacked me when we were in Leo's closet."
"That's not true!" Geoffry cried, "Shame on you, Mouse! Accusing me of adultry... Ha ha ha."
Chris' eyes widened and he said, "What?"
"That's right." Mouse said, "He kissed me, while he was dating you."
Jaw hanging open, Chris looked at Geoffry.
Geoffry held up his hands defensively and took a step back, "Hey, Chris..."
Chris slowly picked up one of the aluminum bats sitting on the ground and walked toward Geoffry.
Alice and I looked at each other, eyes wide.
"Hey, honey..." Geoffry said, taking another step back, "No hard feelings, right?"
Chris raised the bat over his head and screamed, running at Geoffry, "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"
Geoffry started running and Chris ran after him, fast. Faster than the Chris I knew could run. This was angry Chris; furious, bat-wielding Chris.
Mouse, Alice, me, and a bunch of other kids in our gym class watched Chris chase Geoffry with the bat for a while.
"Wow," Mouse said, laughing, "This is sooo worth it!"
I nodded, then my face fell. I looked at Mouse and said quietly, "You... And Geoffry?"
Mouse gritted her teeth and said, "Please, Ange, this is my moment. Don't ruin it."
We watched Chris and Geoffry until the gym teacher came and took the bat away from Chris.
"I HATE YOU, YOU STUPID CHEATING PERVERT!" Chris screamed. The gym teacher held him away from Geoffry and Chris snatched at the air angrily.
Geoffry stared at him in fear, panting from running.
I laughed to Mouse, "This is better than T.V."
"I know, right?" Mouse agreed, chuckling.
I even saw Alice smirk a little bit out of the corner of my eye. But, really...




Geoffry had kissed Mouse right under our noses?

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 5

Mouse turned the dial on her locker and opened it. She got out the books for her next class and when she closed her locker, Geoffry was standing there with his arms crossed and a rose in his clenched, grinning teeth.
Mouse jumped slightly and pulled herself together.
"What the hell do you want, Canning?" She snarled.
"Please," Geoffry said. He took the rose out of his mouth and held it out to her, "Call me Geoffry."
Mouse wrinkled her nose and said, "People may call me gross, but I would rather die than I touch something that has been in your mouth."
"Like what?" Geoffry said coolly, "Your tongue?"
"Shh!" Mouse hissed, lowering her voice and snapping menacingly, "You better not have told anyone, Canning. If you did, I'll rip your nuts off."
Geoffry laughed charmingly and said, "Your insults have always been quite creative, and kind of sexy."
"Piss off." Mouse said, walking down the hall.
Geoffry walked alongside her and she glared at him, quickening her pace. Geoffry sped up with her.
Mouse cried out in frustration, "Look, just leave me the hell alone, okay? Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth? I don't like you!"
"No, maybe you don't," Geoffry said, walking up to Mouse, "But you do love me."
Mouse stared at him, speechless.
"You can't deny it." Geoffry said, "You know you love me, you're just too macho to admit it."
Mouse's face turned red with rage and she screamed, "Get out of my face before I kick your ass!"
Geoffry chuckled and walked away, head held high.
A few kids stared at Mouse and she shrieked at them, "What are you looking at? Huh???"


Still in a good mood for being able to control Mouse yet again, Geoffry strolled down the hall and stopped by Mabel's locker.
"Hey, baby." He said, smirking.
Mabel turned her head toward Geoffry and said, "Oh, hi, Geoffry."
Geoffry pursed his lips, waiting for her to kiss him. When she didn't, he said, "Uhh, Mabel?"
"Geoffry, I was meaning to ask you," Mabel said, closing her locker, "Have you seen that new guy recently? The French kid?"
"Julien?" Geoffry offered.
"Yeah, him." Mabel said, smiling, "I can't seem to find him. I wanted to know if you could help me look for him."
Then she laughed and said, "Well, not look for him. You know what I mean."
Geoffry stared at Mabel, blinking.
Mabel furrowed her eyebrows and said, "Geoffry? Are you there?"
"Um..." Geoffry said, clearing his throat, "Yeah, I'm here. So, uh, why do you want to find this guy?"
Mabel smiled and said, "I like him. He seems really sweet. Of course I don't know what he looks like, but I'm sure he's bound to be hot. Otherwise why would anyone like him?"
For some reason, that comment reminded Geoffry of Chris, one of his other previous lovers.
That sounds like something he would object to. Geoffry thought, Something where he would come in and start talking about people's personalities and how love isn't all about looks and sex.
Geoffry sighed at the thought of Chris and said softly to himself, "He hates me now..."
"What?" Mabel said.
Geoffry smiled tightly and said, "Nothing, Mabel. I'll talk to you later."
"Yeah, sure." Mabel said, giggling.
Sure? What is that supposed to mean? Geoffry thought, paranoid.
Then, he realized something.
"Oh, God." Geoffry said out loud, 




"What if all the girls fall for this new guy?"

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 4

A FEW DAYS LATER


The more Leo walked around the school with Julien, the more he noticed the looks girls were giving Julien. In fact, none of them were looking at Leo! Even less than usual!
They were all too busy staring googly-eyed at Julien, who smiled back at them charmingly.
Leo decided to take a survey; he asked a bunch of girls what they thought of Julien.
"He's a dream!"
"He's so handsome!"
"He's charming!"
"He's incredible!"
"He's perfect!"


Leo walked into ELA that day with a scowl on his face. He sat down by Chris, who said, "Hey, why the long face? Did something happen?"
Leo nodded slowly and said, "Yes, something happened."
"What is it?" Chris asked.
Leo glared in the direction of the door and Chris followed his gaze. Leo pointed at Julien, who had just entered the room.
"That happened." Leo said flatly.
"Julien?" Chris said, "What do you mean? He's wonderful."
Leo groaned, "You too? Come on, you're a guy, you should be on my side!"
"I'm a gay guy." Chris said, setting his chin on his hand, "The bro code is broken between us if the enemy is that cute."
"You're disgusting." Leo scoffed, sulking.
Chris smiled at Julien and said flirtily, "Hi, Julien."
"Good morning, guys." Julien said, sitting down.


I came into ELA and sat down with Julien, Chris, and Leo.
"Hi, Julien." I said, beaming.
Julien waved hello and Leo groaned loudly, throwing his head on the table.
I looked at Chris and said, "Uhh... What's..."
Chris said, inspecting Leo, "Oh, nothing. Don't worry about him."
Leo moaned louder and whacked his head on the table over and over.
I wonder what's wrong with him...

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 3

I sat in homeroom, tapping my foot impatiently. This was the day that Leo's new French host student would begin coming to school with him. I assumed he would have the same class schedule as Leo, so I would get to meet him in first hour.
The bell rang and I got up and rushed out the door.
"Wait up, Ange." Chris said, irritated.
He and I walked into ELA and spotted Leo. We sat down by him and I said, gesturing the unfamiliar boy sitting next to him, "Is this Julien?"
Julien smiled and held out his hand, "Yes, I am Julien. It's very nice to meet you."
My face slowly fell as I took his soft hand in mine. Then, everything kind of blurred...
I gazed at Julien and said dreamily, "I'm Angie. It's nice to meet you, too."
Leo gave me a confused look and Julien smiled politely, melting my heart.
"I'm Chris, Angie's brother." Chris said, holding his hand out.
Julien's attention left me and he shook my brother's hand. Damn you, Chris.
"Nice to meet you, Chris." Julien said, smiling warmly at him.
I glared icily at Chris. Was he going to try to steal away another attractive exchange student from me???
I cleared my throat and said, "Hey, Chris. Let's sit down, shall we?"
Chris looked at me and said, dazed, "Sure..."
I sat down next to Julien as fast as I could and Chris glared at me. I smiled adoringly at Julien and Chris, sulking, sat down by Leo.
"So, are you excited to be at an American school?" I asked.
"Angela," Chris said, clearly annoyed with me, "Just because he's French doesn't mean he's never been to an American school. Don't be racist."
I glared at Chris and Julien said, "Oh, I've never been to an American school, actually."
He has an accent. Heeheeee...
Chris smiled tightly and said, "Oh. I see."
"And yes, I am excited to be at an American school." Julien said, looking at me, "It is very cool."
I laughed dopily and said, "Oh, cool."
Chris rolled his eyes and Leo said, clearing his throat awkwardly, "Uh, yeah, so w-we should probably do our work now, right?"
"Of course." Julien said, turning to his work.


After ELA, Leo pulled me aside in the hallway and said, "What the heck was that?"
"What was what?" I asked.
"You know what I mean." Leo said, "You and Chris were all over Julien!"
I crossed my arms and said, "Why are you talking to me, then? Go yell at Chris."
"Seriously, Ange, it was weird." Leo said, "Like, in a creepy way."
I raised an eyebrow at Leo and said, "Leo, do you still have a thing for me or something?"
Leo shook his head, "No, no, Ange, that's not it. The first day Julien comes to school, you guys act all weird!"
I scoffed, "Please, Leo. I don't know about Chris, but I can say that as a girl, he probably doesn't mind attention from me."
"Whatever, just don't scare him off." Leo said, "It's not like I have very many guy friends."
"What do you mean? You have Chris." I said.
"Well, yeah, but I mean..." Leo sighed, "Guys like me. Straight guys. The last time I had a friend like that, he turned out to be a girl."
"Leo..." I said.
Leo held up his hand, "Drop it. I'll see you in class."
I watched Leo walk away down the hall and I said, "Um... Okay. See ya."

Cool With A "K" PART 29 - CHAPTER 2

TWO WEEKS LATER


Jessica came into the living room to see her son sitting on the floor in front of the door, waiting patiently.

She put her hands on her hips and said, "Leo, what are you doing?"
"Waiting." Leo said, staring at the door.
Jessica rolled her eyes, "For that new French exchange student? Don't be silly, Leo. We have to pick him up at the airport this afternoon."
Leo whirled around and said, "Really? Like, now?"
Jessica sighed and nodded, "Sure, we can leave now."
"Yes! Thank you! Thank you!" Leo cried, jumping to his feet.
"Um... Alright." Jessica said.
"I get a brooootthhhheerrr!" Leo yelled, running down the hall.
Jessica sighed to herself, "I'll get my coat."

Leo held up a sign at the airport that read, "Julien", shifting nervously from foot to foot.
Suddenly, Jessica said cheerily, "Hello, Julien. It's nice to meet you!"
Leo turned around and came face-to-face with his new roommate. The very first thing to come to Leo's mind was, Crap! He's handsome! Maybe even more than me!
"Hey, Julien. I'm Leo." Leo said, smiling.
Julien smiled back politely and held out his hand, "It is very nice to meet you, Leo."
"Yeah, you too." Leo said, shaking his hand. Gahh, he has an accent, too.
"My name is Jessica." Jessica said, also shaking Julien's hand, "I'm Leo's mother."
Leo looked at his mother, then at Julien, and said excitedly, "So, what do you wanna do today, Julien? We can play basketball or Call of Duty or something! What do you think?"
Julien said, "Um, I guess we can play Call of Duty."
"WOO! AWESOME! Did you hear that, Mom? Julien likes Call of Duty!" Leo cheered.
Jessica shushed him and said, embarrassed, "Leo, please, keep your voice down. You sound like a child!"
Leo looked at his mother and said seriously, "And what am I to you, Mom? A fraud? A fake?"
"Leo, what are you talking about?" Jessica said.
"Yeah, I thought so." Leo said, nodded and slitting his eyes, "Denial."
Embarrassed yet again, Jessica looked at Leo, then at Julien, then back at Leo. She grabbed her son's arm and said nervously, "Um, alright then, let's go home, boys."
Julien smiled politely and Jessica whispered in his ear, "Leo isn't usually like this. He's just excited to have a new friend."
"Does he have friends at school?" Julien asked.
Jessica laughed, thinking he was joking, and said, "Oh, yes, he does."
Then, she turned away and watched Leo skip through the airport merrily.
Jessica sighed and said under her breath, 


"Sometimes I still can't believe he has so many friends..."