Cool With A "K" PART 20 - CHAPTER 4

Chris didn’t get up for school in the morning. This being really weird for Chris, Mom knew something was wrong and felt bad for him. She offered to let him stay home, but Chris declined, claiming that he hadn’t missed a single day of school this year and didn’t intend to “foil his perfect record”. However, he slept in and missed the bus, so Mom drove him to school. Maybe I should try being depressed; I wanna sleep in.

We were in homeroom and I was talking to Alice, when her face fell.

“Oh, no…” She said.

I followed her gaze. Chris had come into the room and he pretty much looked like he had gotten drunk, let Mabel dress him, and gotten hit by a bus. He was wearing a black turtleneck under a black button-up shirt, which was buttoned wrong; Very unlike Chris. He was wearing black jeans… Inside out. I was just glad that he put his boxers on before his pants. His hair was a rat's nest and he had dark circles under his eyes, probably from staying up all night crying about Geoffry. The poor kid looked sicker than I had ever seen him.

I exchanged a look with Alice and she shrugged.

I stood up and walked over to Chris, putting my hand on his arm, “Chris?”

He looked at me, but seemed to be gazing right through my face.

“Hey,” I said, “Here, sit down, Sweetie.”

Alice pulled out a chair and I sat Chris down, kneeling down beside him.

“Still upset about yesterday, Sweetheart?” I said gently, starting to re-button his outer shirt.

“Nooo!” Chris wailed, pawing at my hands, “Don’t expose my innocent virgin skin to the world!!!”

I backed off and said, “Dude, you’re wearing like five shirts! Don’t worry, no one’s gonna see your skin.”

“Three.” Chris corrected, wailing, “WHO’S NO ONE? DON’T LET HIM SEE ME!! No One’s a pervert, isn’t he?”

I glanced at Alice and she shook her head.

I took Chris’ head and said gently, “Chris, it’s okay. You don’t have to give up just because Geoffry… Was rude.”

Chris started bawling and put his head on my shoulder. He wailed out something along the lines of “I can’t believe he did that. Why would he do that to me?”, but it was hard to tell.

Chris wiped his nose on his sleeve and said, “My life is ruined.”

“No, it’s not.” I said as the bell rang, “Come on, buddy. Time for first hour.”

Chris, Alice, and I walked out into the hall. Geoffry passed by us and Chris raised his voice.

“I hate my life,” Chris said loudly, “And life hates me. Why, Angie? Why? Why can’t someone just come and shoot an arrow through my heart? Oh, wait, someone already has!”

Geoffry either didn’t notice Chris’ comment or pretended not to. I just wanted to hang that jerk from the ceiling by one dreadlock, I’m telling you.

Chris stood by a locker and hit his head against it, “Ow.”

“No duh.” I said, trying to pry him away from the lockers, but he held on, “Come on, Chris, this isn’t you!”

“Yeah? Maybe that way people will stop ruining my life.” Chris said flatly.

I tried not to roll my eyes. Geez, this kid was taking it rough. I thought nowadays teens were supposed to be okay with their boyfriends being sexual…. Okay, I take that back.

During English class, Chris sat through the entire thing, staring off into space. Even Leo noticed.

“Hey, Ange.” He said, “Is something wrong with Chris?”

I nodded and said back, “I can tell you about it later, but you’ll probably find out. He’s been going on about it all day.”

Leo nodded and went back to his work, which Chris was failing to complete, scaring me. What if he was really sick?

I was scared to leave him for math class; that and History were the only classes we didn’t have together. Chris honestly wouldn’t need me, being a brainiac and all, if he wasn’t so… Clingy.

After third hour (Math), I saw Chris in the hallway. He was tripping over his shoelaces, which he hadn’t bothered to tie.

I sighed and walked over to him, “Here, I’ll help you with that.”

Chris didn’t say anything as I bent down to tie his shoes.

I gave him a look and said, “Chris? Where did you find these shoes?”

They were black converse that were about three sizes to small and half torn open.

Chris sighed, “They were in the bottom drawer of my dresser. They’ve always been there.”

“Why do you keep them there?” I said, looking at his shoes, “Dude, I haven’t seen these since, like, sixth grade!”

Chris shrugged, “That was a decent year. I loved these shoes.”

“Not very orderly.” I teased, smiling.

Chris kept a straight face and sighed sorrowfully, “Well, we should go to class, not that it would change anything. My life is already ruined.”

“You know Chris,” I said hesitantly through clenched teeth, “You didn’t technically break up with Geoffry, you don’t have to, you know.”

Chris gave me a ‘what have you been drinking’ look and said, “Oh, Angie. Untouched, innocent, Angie. Of course you would say that because it didn’t happen to you!”

Usually, Chris would then hold his head high and stomp off, but he just slouched over more and dragged his feet to the French room.

Chris was pretty much catatonic for the whole day.

At lunch, Mouse studied him and said, “Is something wrong with Chris? As in, like, more than usual?”

Chris scowled at her and didn’t say anything.

Mouse continued, not really knowing what was wrong, but simply poking fun at Chris, “Oh, I see. Boy troubles? Sucks to be you.”

Chris turned and slapped Mouse in the face, surprising all of us. That took a lot of guts, which (as you know) Chris has none of.

Mouse stood with her mouth hanging open and she glared at Chris. Leo and I got ready…

Mouse lunged for Chris and Leo and I held her back.

“You know what I’ve always wanted to do?” She screamed at Chris, “Rip that cute little button nose right off your face!”

Chris ignored her and turned to face the wall.

Just then, Geoffry came over to our table. He grinned and said, “Hi, Chris. What’s up, Sweetie?”

Chris turned to him, a look of disgust on his face, “What are you doing here?”

Geoffry chuckled, kind of uncertainly, “I’m here to see you, Honey! I-is something wrong?”

Chris laughed hollowly, “Is something wrong?”

We were all watching intensely now, even Leo.

Chris stood up, “Is something wrong?! What do you mean is something wrong?”

Geoffry looked so confused, it was weird. “What do you mean what do I mean?”

Chris scoffed and sat back down, “Just go away. Apparently your intelligence is no match for mine, which isn’t shocking. If you can’t grasp why I’m angry with you, than I don’t see the point of you being here at all.”

Geoffry looked confused, upset, and maybe a little offended all at the same time. He chuckled uncertainly again and held out his arms to Chris, “Can we hug it out?”

“GET AWAY FROM ME BEFORE I CALL THE FREAKING POLICE!!!!!!” Chris screamed at him. A little harsh, Chris.

Geoffry blinked and started to back away, “Chris, Honey… Are you feeling alright? I think something might be wrong with you….”

“Something’s wrong with me?” Chris yelled, unintentionally attracting quite a bit of attention, “Something is wrong with me? I think there’s something wrong with you, Geoffry Canning! All I did was confess my love and you took it way to far!”

Chris started bawling; that was my cue. I jogged over to my little brother and he, predictably, collapsed in my arms, sobbing. I patted his back, looking around nervously at all the other students who were staring at us. Well, who could blame them? Two guys (one of them being Chris, who will always and forever be at the bottom of the food chain) just had a loud, dramatic breakup argument that mostly consisted of Chris screaming like a madman.

Geoffry stood uselessly next to the table and, seeing no further use for him, Mouse gestured for him to scram. He walked off, looking more confused than ever.

Chris leaned on me, bawling.

I sighed and said, “Chris, you’re making way too big a deal out of this.”

Chris wiped his nose on his sleeve and said, “Not true. What happened yesterday was a terrible misfortune.”

“Did someone die?” Mouse asked casually.

Chris glared at her and said, “Yeah, Geoffry’s cat… And our eternal love.”

Chris shuddered and I sighed, wishing for once that my brother would act like a guy.

“Well,” Mouse said, “It doesn’t seem so eternal now-“

“Mouse!” I hissed, “Clam it!”

Mouse looked from me to Chris lazily and sighed, “Fine, I’ll lay off.”

I pushed Chris’ shoulder with mine and said, “Okay, time to get up, Buddy Boy.”

Chris shook his head, clinging to my arm like a leech.

At recess, I explained to Alice what had happened the day before. She shook her head and said, “Man, no wonder poor Chris is such a mess.”

I raised an eyebrow at her, “Come on, it wasn’t worth going emo for!”

Alice eyed me, “Are you kidding? I can’t imagine how scared Chris must have been!”

“But-“ I protested.

“Angie, it didn’t happen to you. You couldn’t possibly know what he’s going through.” Alice said.

I clenched my teeth and, managing to keep my temper, I said, “It didn’t happen to you either…”

Alice nodded and said, “Well, I’m saying that maybe you should give Chris a break. He’s been through a lot.”

I tried not to look pissed and huffed, “Fine.”

Chris and I got off the bus and walked home.

When we got to our house, Chris went straight to his room.

I sighed and sat down on the couch to do my homework.

Suddenly, the worst music I had ever heard started blasting through the house.

All I want is a little of the good life….

I covered my ears and yelled, “Chris! Turn that crap off!”

I stomped to his room, my hands still over my ears, and pushed the door open with my side.

I gaped when I entered Chris’ room. Clothes and books and CD cases were scattered all over the floor. Chris’s bed wasn’t made and he was lying on it, repeatedly throwing a rubber ball against the wall and catching it.

“Geez, Chris.” I said, “Was there a tornado in here?”

“My life is ruined.” Chris said in a monotone.

I turned off his radio and said, picking up a CD case from the floor, “What are you listening to? The soundtrack from a funeral?”

Chris didn’t answer and I said, looking through the Cds, “Three Days grace, Donnie Darko soundtrack, Coldplay…”

I raised an eyebrow at Chris and held up a CD, “The Smiths?”

Chris sighed sorrowfully and droned, “My life is a terror, why not listen to terrible music?”

“Alice In Chains, Chris?” I said, “Really?”

Chris silently stared at the wall, throwing the rubber ball again.

“Chris,” I said, crossing my arms, “This isn’t you.”

“Can you go now?” Chris said flatly, “I would like to be left alone.”

I rolled my eyes and said, “Fine.”

“Pain, without love. Pain, can’t get enough.” Chris sang loudly, “Pain, I like it rough ‘cause I’d rather feel pain than nothing at all.”

I groaned, “Fine, I’m leaving now!”

I closed the door behind me and walked back to the living room.

Cool With A "K" PART 20 - CHAPTER 3

I sat on the couch, lazily watching T.V., when I heard a knock on the front door. I turned off the T.V. to answer it. 

I opened the door and, to my surprise, it was Chris. He looked like he had been crying.

“Chris?” I said, “What-“

Suddenly, Chris flung his arms around me, sobbing.

Surprised, I put an arm around him and closed the door with the other. “Hey, um… It’s okay, it’ll be okay….”

I sat him down on the couch, “What happened? What’s wrong?”

A feeling of panic started to flow through me. What if something terrible had happened?

Chris shuddered, swallowing, “Um…” He almost looked a little guilty.

“What?” I said, trying to stay calm, “Just tell me, Chris.”

Chris shuddered again and said, “I… I went to Geoffry’s house.”

“You what?” I said, trying not to sound mad. Chris had gone to Geoffry’s house without talking to me first! I knew better than to yell at him, so I let him go on.

Chris nodded, “I went to Geoffry’s house and we were in his bedroom…”

He must have seen my horrified expression, because he said, “No, no, nothing like that…. Well…. Not quite.”

Chris took a deep, shuddering breath, “We talked for a while and I told him that I loved him…”

I wanted to say, ‘You what? Oh, I can’t believe you did that, you moron!’, but I knew better.

I sighed and braced myself for the rest of the story.

“A-and he kissed me and…. He…” Chris whimpered, his eyes glossy.

“What did he do? Tell me, Chris!” I said anxiously. Oh no, what did that creep do to my little brother???

Chris bit his lip, “He… He… He tried to…”

Chris shuddered and I put my hand on his shoulder, “Chris, Honey, please tell me.”

Wow, I sounded like Mom.

Chris nodded and bit his lip again. He stuttered, “Um…He put his hand in my pants."

My jaw dropped and Chris started bawling. He leaned onto my shoulder and I stroked his hair.

“Don’t worry,” I said soothingly, “It won’t happen again. I promise.”

I promise: Never a smart thing to say in a situation like this one, but I felt so bad for Chris. He’s just so little and helpless sometimes…

I had always had a feeling that there was something weird about Geoffry ever since I met him, but I didn’t know what it meant. I wasn’t really in an I-Told-You-So mood and, clearly, neither was Chris, so I kept quiet.

My shirt was soaked with tears. Poor Chris was sobbing his heart out as I stroked his hair and told him everything would be alright.

“Hey, Chris.” I said. He looked up at me and I said, “I don’t think we need to tell Mom about this, she’ll just worry….”

Chris looked at me in surprise, “What? N-not tell Mom?”

I nodded, “Yeah, she’ll just get all upset and… you know. So, I think we should not tell Mom. Okay?”

“Not tell Mom…” Chris tried out the alien phrase.

I nodded and smiled, “Yeah, so we can just not tell her, right?”

Chris cocked his head to the side, “You mean lie?”

I gritted my teeth, “No, we just won’t tell her…”

“Which means lying.” Chris said, looking overwhelmed, “Oh my gosh… I can’t lie to my own mother!”

I was getting annoyed now, “No, not lying! Just…. Not telling her.”

“Which is the same thing as lying!” Chris sputtered. We started arguing about whether not telling was the same thing as lying, but it didn’t last long. We sat in silence for a while.

Chris sniffed and I looked at him. He shook his head, tears refilling his eyes, “I just can’t believe Geoffry would do that to me… I thought we understood each other so well.”

He started crying like a baby again. Oh, geez… I hugged him and he cried more.

It occurred to me that if this went on, we would have to come up with some sort of excuse in order for our plan to work. If Mom saw Chris crying, she would be all over it and Chris would spill the beans and our plan would fail.

Hmm… What should I tell her? I thought, My yogurt maker broke? Lady Gaga just got killed? I don’t know!

I would come up with something, I would…. Hopefully.

I ended up telling Mom that Geoffry’s cat, who Chris knew well (he didn’t, really), had just died and that Chris was heartbroken. I know, I’m almost as bad at lying as Chris. Harper family curse.

Luckily, Mom and Dad were out to a party at their friend’s house that night. I heard the phone ring and Chris answered it. I sat down by his bedroom door, holding the other phone. I got tears in my eyes as I heard their conversation.

“B-but Chris, I didn’t do anything wrong! I mean, I’ll apologize if that’s what you want-“

“You did do something wrong, actually.” Chris’s voice had an edge to it, but was slowly faltering.

“What? What’s wrong with you? Why did you freak out like that?” I heard Geoffry say.

“Just stop talking to me, okay?” Chris was yelling now.

“Wait, Chris-” Geoffry’s voice came from the other end of the phone.

“I don’t love you anymore, comprende?” Chris yelled, his voice cracking, “Stop calling me, you pervert!”

“Oh, you don't love me now? And come on, I’m not a pervert, now please, Chris-“ Geoffry sounded anxious and desperate, but Chris had no mercy. I couldn’t blame him.

“Goodbye, Geoffry!” Chris said, choking back sobs.

“Call me tomorrow?” Geoffry said, sounding cheerier all ready.

Disgusted, Chris slammed the phone down on the receiver.

I opened Chris’s door a crack more as he sat down on his bed, his head in his hands.

I sat down next to my brother and he let out a shuddering sob. I put my arms around him and he leaned onto my shoulder, tears streaming down his cheeks. I felt so bad for Chris. I mean, yes, I had always hated Geoffry, but he made Chris so happy. Now I suspected, being as modest as he is, Chris would never talk to Geoffry again.

I wanted to say something to help, but all that seemed to come out of my mouth that night was, “It’s okay, everything is alright.”

I was gonna kill Geoffry.

Cool With A "K" PART 20 - CHAPTER 2

It was Sunday. Chris went to Geoffry's house and Geoffry suggested that they go to his room. It seemed like an odd request to Chris at first, but he trusted Geoffry.

So there they sat in Geoffry’s room, not saying a word. It was clear to Chris that Geoffry wasn't interested in being tutored by his boyfriend, but he didn't know what Geoffry did have in mind.

Chris swallowed and said, blushing a little, “Hey, Geoffry?”

“Hm?”

Chris looked Geoffry in the eyes and said, without thinking, “I… I think I’m in love with you. Really, you're.... When I'm with you, I just get this feeling..."

Geoffry smiled at him, “Come here.”

Chris scooted closer to Geoffry and kissed him on the lips. When he started to pull away, Geoffry grasped his shirt sleeve.

Geoffry gently put his arm around Chris’ shoulders lied him down, tilting his head and pressing his lips against Chris’. Chris didn't think he had ever been this close physically to anyone like this before; It was all new. He couldn't decide whether it was a good feeling or a bad one. He thought it was a bit weird, but he figured Geoffry wouldn’t do anything bad. No, he knew Geoffry wouldn’t do anything bad.

But Chris was wrong. Geoffry slid his arm around Chris’s waist and, to Chris’s horror, slipped his hand down into the back of Chris’s jeans.

That did it. Chris shot his hand out and grabbed Geoffry’s wrist, pulling away.

“Geoffry, what are you doing?” Chris said, surprised and a bit offended.

Geoffry blinked, “Is something wrong?”

Chris couldn’t believe Geoffry actually had to ask that question, “Well, yes, actually!”

A sudden feeling of fear rushed over Chris.

Geoffry stared blankly at Chris and Chris said, "Geoffry, why did you invite me over today? You're obviously interested in something besides homework..."

Chris thought of about what Geoffry could've wanted from him. He had been with Geoffry for quite a while now, but this was too much for him. They were so young....
Then, Chris figured it out.
Chris looked at Geoffry like he had betrayed him.
"What?" Geoffry said.
Chris covered his hand with his mouth and said, "Geoffry... You're trying to get me to... To..."
"Yes, Chris?" Geoffry said, smiling.
"And I fell for it!" Chris cried.

Geoffry stared at him blankly.
Then, when Chris didn't say anything else, Geoffry got the impression that he would just let it go like he seemed to do everything else. 
Geoffry smiled at Chris. He pulled Chris closer and slid his hand back into his pants.

“Geoffry!” Chris cried, pushing him away, “Stop!”

Geoffry blinked again, not sure what to say. “Stop what?”

Chris felt his face flush with fear and embarrassment. He stuttered, “Stop touching me!”

Geoffry laughed stupidly and Chris looked at him, as if saying, What the hell is wrong with you?

“That sounded pretty sexual, Chris.” Geoffry said stupidly, almost matter-of-factly.

Chris swallowed and he blinked back tears, “Exactly.”

Geoffry looked confused for a second, but smiled and scooted closer to Chris. He tried to kiss him, but Chris backed away, not taking his eyes off Geoffry.

Geoffry laughed uncertainly, “What’s wrong, Chris?”

Chris stared at Geoffry and stood up. He could feel his throat close as he choked back tears. “Geoffry…. I can’t believe you did that to me…”

The smile slowly faded from Geoffry’s face as he realized he had done something wrong. But what had he done wrong? Obviously he had done something, but Geoffry just didn’t understand what he had done.

“Hey… Wait. W-where are you going? What did I do?” Geoffry laughed nervously as Chris backed toward the door, reaching for the handle without looking away from him.

Chris shook his head. His eyes were red with tears. His voice cracked as he said, “I can’t believe you really did that to me…. I trusted you and you were gonna- You were gonna...”

Chris sucked in a breath, trying to hold back his tears, but it was hard.

Geoffry was so confused. He grinned and said uncertainly, “Hey, Chris, don’t be that way….”

“You jerk….” Chris sobbed, “You pervert….”

“I’m not a pervert, Chris…” Geoffry said, "Come on, I'm your boyfriend. You can trust me." 

He held out his arms, hoping a hug would fix things. 
When Chris didn’t run into his arms and cry, “Oh, Geoffry! I’m so sorry! I love you!”, Geoffry got up and took a step toward him.

Chris flinched and cried, “Don’t touch me!”

“Come on, Chris…”

“Please, Geoffry!” Chris wailed, “Just stop! You’re scaring me!”

Geoffry took another step toward Chris, who yelled, “I said stop!”

Before Geoffry could say anything else, Chris opened the door and stormed down the hall.

 “Wait! Chris!” Geoffry went after him. By the time Geoffry caught up with Chris, he already had his jacket on and had one hand on the front door.

Geoffry grabbed his wrist.

“Wait, Chris. Please.” He said, feeling desperate, which wasn’t something he was used to. “Don’t go. Please just…. stay.”

Chris tried to pull away from Geoffry and wailed, “Let go! Please!”

“Come on, Chris…” Geoffry said, laughing nervously.

Chris pawed at Geoffry’s hand helplessly and cried, “Geoffry, let go or I’ll call the police!"

Geoffry laughed uncertainly again and said, “You wouldn’t do that, Chris…”

“Watch me!” Chris hollered, tears pouring from his eyes, “Police! Someone call 911! Harassment! He’s sexually harassing me!”

Geoffry let go of his wrist and Chris went out the door, slamming it behind him.

Geoffry opened the door again and called after him, “Wait, Chris! Don’t go…”

But Chris was already halfway down the block, wiping his nose on his sleeve as tears ran down his cheeks. 

This was the worst day of his life, he thought.

Cool With A "K" PART 20 - CHAPTER 1

Twenty. It's a nice even number, isn't it? A great place to start.

Sunday, April 18, 2010. That was when it happened. First, let's back up a bit to a perfectly, mind-bogglingly normal school day....

"Waterloo! Couldn't escape if I wanted to! Waterloo! Knowing my fate is to be with you!"

"Chris," I said, "Not to sound mean, but will you please shut up before I have to punch you in the face?"

"ABBA is sooo great!" Chris cooed, smiling cheerily.

"Not after a week of it non-stop..." I said under my breath.

"Don't fight, you two." Mom said from the front seat of the car.

"We're not..." I said, bored, "Are we there yet?"

Mom sighed, "We're almost there, Angela."

Mom was driving us to school today because she said she wanted to 'spend more time with us'.

"We're here, kids." Mom said, smiling.

Chris and I got out of the car and Chris said, "Bye, Mommy!"

Mom hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Goodbye, Sweetheart."

"See you, Mom." I said flatly.

"Bye, Honey." Mom said, smiling, but looking disappointed that I hadn't given her a more heart-felt goodbye. But, seriously, we would only be gone for, like, seven hours.

Chris and I walked up to our school and Chris turned to wave to Mom.

"Goodbye, Mom!" He cried, waving frantically.

I glanced around, wishing he would stop.

Three football players passed by and one of them mocked Chris in an exaggeratedly feminine voice, "Bye, Mommy! I'll miss you! Golly gee, I can't believe it will be four hours until I see you again!"

I rolled my eyes and said, "School is seven hours long, Smart One."

"Aye," The football player said, "Who you talkin' to, Blondie?"

I didn't say anything and the football players laughed.

"Yeah," The first guy said, "I thought so."

They slapped high fives and walked off down the hall, laughing.

I shook my head, "Just ignore them, Chris."

Chris shrugged, "You're right, I don't need to let them get me down. I'm having a good day!"

"That's nice, Buddy Boy." I said, patting his shoulder.

When Chris was at his locker, getting his books for Math class, Geoffry came and held the locker door open.

"Hey, Chris." He said, smiling charmingly.

Chris beamed, "Hi, Honey. Hey, did you do the math homework?"

"No." Geoffry said casually, "Did you?"

Chris closed his locker and studied Geoffry. He said, "Hey, um... I can help you with your homework if you need help... You could come over."

Geoffry smiled and said, "Or you could come over to my place. You know, if you'd like that."

Chris started to smile, but looked uncomfortable.

"Something wrong, Darling?" Geoffry asked.

Chris shook his head and said, "No, it's just.... I don't know if Angie will..."

"We don't have to tell her." Geoffry said quickly.

Chris studied Geoffry again. There was an anxious look in his eyes that Chris didn't really recognize.

Chris pursed his lips and said, "... I'm not sure... What you mean...."

"You don't have to tell your sister everything, Chris." Geoffry said, putting his arms around Chris' waist, "This is our relationship, not hers."

"Geoffry," Chris said, blushing and gently pushing Geoffry's hands away, "Can we talk about this later?"

"How about at my house?" Geoffry said, grinning, "Sunday at noon?"

Chris bit his lip and thought about it. 

Angie would get so mad.... He thought, and I can't lie to her.... but Geoffry's right. This is our relationship, not Angie's. I should try to be responsible.

Geoffry put his hands on Chris' shoulders and looked him in the eyes, "You can take care of yourself, Chris. You're fifteen, you're old enough to not need her around all the time."

Chris gasped and drew his hand up to his heart, "You mean Angie can't come?"

Geoffry stared at his partner for a second and said, "My house? Sunday? Twelve o'clock?"

Chris swallowed and hesitantly said, "Um, okay. I'll come."

Geoffry smiled and the bell rang.

"Well," Geoffry said, "Time for class. Later, Love."

Chris nodded and smiled weakly. Part of him thought it would be nice to have some time alone with Geoffry, but another part of him thought that if in order to do something, he had to lie to his sister, than it was probably bad.

Chris just didn't know what to think.

Cool With A "K" PART 19.5 - CHAPTER 7

Right before English class started, Chris went up to Mouse and slammed his hand down onto the table she was sitting at.
Mouse looked up at Chris' angry, accusing face and she smiled.
"Hi, Chris. What's up?" She said cheerily.
"Oh, don't play dumb with me, Sweetheart." Chris said.
Mouse stared blankly at him.
Chris chuckled and smiled tightly, sitting down across from her.
"Hey, Mousey," He said through clenched teeth, "I was just wondering what the hell you're planning?"
"Naughty word." Mouse said flatly.
Chris eyed her, "I beg your pardon?"
"You said a naughty word." Mouse said, shaking her finger at him.
Chris shook his head, "You know what? I don't care about all your bull crap! What do you have up your sleeve?"
Mouse smirked at him, looking satisfied, "Here's a thought. What if I'm just being nice for a change?"
Chris was silence and Mouse said, "Hm?"
Chris blinked and said slowly, "So... You're saying that... You're just acting nice to mess up peoples' heads? Is that what's going on?"
Mouse shrugged, smiling, "What, I'm not allowed to have fun?"
Chris chuckled, patting Mouse's shoulder, "Ah, clever. Very smart, Mouse."
Mouse's smile turned into a scowl and she stood up, putting her hand on Chris' shoulder. He looked confused for a second and then Mouse kneed him in the groin.
"Ow!" Chris yelled, trying hard to avoid swearing, "What was that?"
Mouse shook her head at him and said coldly, "I know I'm clever, but you don't compliment me. I torture you, you suffer, I enjoy myself. It's a win-win deal."
"How is that win-win?" Chris squeaked, "You kick me and I suffer and that's a win-win?" 
Mouse studied him and nodded.
Chris sighed and said, "I don't like you."
Mouse smiled, sitting back down, "Yeah, that's what I wanted to hear. Glad to have you back, Buddy."
"You too?" Chris asked.
Mouse shrugged again, "Sure, I'm back."




I came into the English classroom right when class was starting. 
I sat down by Mouse and Leo came in, sitting with us.
Our English teacher, Mr. Sullivan, came into the room and clasped his hands together. He gestured to Chris, who was standing up by our table, and said, "Mr. Harper, have a seat."
Chris shook his head and said weakly, "Can I stand, please?"
Mouse grinned, looking very pleased with herself. I didn't know what she had done, but it apparently hurt Chris enough so that he couldn't sit down.......




No wonder she was so cheerful today.

Cool With A "K" PART 19.5 - CHAPTER 6

 "I just don't understand."
"You don't understand what, Sweetheart?" Mom asked Chris, being very mom-like and sewing.
Chris shook his head, sketching out yet another meaningless drawing, as if it would help him figure out his situation.
"What I don't understand," He said, "Is how I signed Mouse up for community service and after a week, when we were all sure she would crack...."
Chris turned to face Mom, "She was nice."
Mom blinked, "Alright, what's so weird about that, Honey?"
Chris shook her shoulders, "Don't you understand? This is madness! Pure madness!"
Mom pursed her lips and said, "Hm... Why do you say that? Mouse is a very nice girl..."
Chris and I gave her a 'you've got to be kidding' look and Chris said, "Summer, 2004. When Mouse and Leo came over to go swimming."
Mom's face fell and she said, "Oh, Chris, I thought you had forgotten about...."
"Dad set up the kiddie pool for us," Chris went on, "and I didn't want to swim in it. Remember why?"
Mom didn't say anything and Chris said, "Because Mouse had put dog poop from the neighbor's yard it in."
I snorted, "That's not very Mouse-like. Not good enough."
"I'm not finished yet." Chris said, clenching his teeth, "Then she pushed me in."
"Who?" I said stupidly.
Chris gave me a 'you're such a moron' look and said, "The pizza man, Angie. Who do you think? Mouse!"
I pouted and said, "Well, you don't have to be so sarcastic."
Chris turned back to Mom and said, "Well, the point is that Mouse is not 'a very nice girl.' She's a demon! She was sent here to torture me from he-"
Mom grabbed Chris' ear, which she didn't do very often, and said firmly, "Chris,"
"What?" Chris said through clenched teeth.
"You are not allowed to say that word!" Mom scolded, "Where did you hear that word?"
I snorted again, "Where do you think, Mom? Everyone from this generation talks like that, even Leo's mom."
Mom scowled and, with her hand still clamped on Chris' ear, she asked him, "Chris, did you learn to talk that way from Leo's mother?"
"I almost never see her!" Chris exclaimed, "Plus, Angie's right! Everyone talks that way! It's high school!"
Mom shook her finger at him, "Oh, everyone, Chris? Yes, I'm sure everyone talks like that at your school. Well, that's not a very well-formed school, now is it?"
"Mom," I said, a bit sharply, "You're starting to sound like Mrs. Coleman. That's a bad sign."
All the firmness faded from Mom's face and she let go of Chris' ear, coming out of her little faze.
"Oh, Chris, Sweetie! I'm so sorry! I don't know what got into me." She hugged Chris and he hugged her back.
"There, there." Chris said soothingly, "You're fine, just remember not to channel your anger out in such ways."
I rolled my eyes. It's kind of ironic that my brother could easily get a job as a psychiatrist, except for the fact that's he's not to far off from a shrink himself.
After a big, dramatic forgiving ceremony, catered by Mom and Chris, I said, "So, Mouse was being nice?"
A grim look crossed Chris' face and he nodded, "I don't know what the deal is. It's probably some kind of public scandal and she's planning to mess up our brains by acting out of the ordinary. Well, no, I will not settle for that! I will not!"
Mom and I blinked, totally lost.
Chris sighed as if our intelligence levels offended him and said, "You know what, I'll talk to Hilary about it."
"Hilary?" Mom and I said at the same time.
Chris nodded and said in a 'duh' sort of tone, "Yes, Hilary. She's the leader of the volunteering committee."
We both made an 'oh' face and Chris shook his head.
Chris picked up a book and said, "Well, I'm going to go read."
We nodded and Chris left the room.
I sighed and shook my head. Well, at least I got to see what Mouse was going to do next.




"Hi, everybody! Time for todays' meeting!" Hilary said, smiling widely. Hilary was a very pretty girl with light brown hair that had blonde highlights. All of the popular guys would definitely all be in love with her, if she wasn't the leader of the volunteering committee and if she didn't dress like a first grade schoolgirl.
"Has anyone seen Tiffany?" Hilary said.
Just then, as if she had been waiting, Mouse (A.K.A. Tiffany) came into the room. She was smiling hugely and carrying a plate of cookies.
"Hello, friends!" Mouse cried cheerily, setting the cookies on a table, "Cookies, anyone?"
All of the volunteers exchanged a nervous glance and Chris heard a girl named Jennifer whisper to her friend, "Do you think they're poison?"
When no one went for a cookie, Mouse smiled warmly and said, her voice as sweet as syrup, "Oh, come on, don't be shy! There's enough cookies for everyone!"
She picked up a cookie and took a bite, "Mmm! See? They're fine."
Mouths hanging open, Chris and Alice exchanged a nervous glance.
Chris snapped his fingers and said, "Becky! Hilary! May I have a word?"
Hilary and a girl with thick glasses and stringy blonde hair, the junior girl who had alerted Mouse that she was on the volunteering team, ran over to Chris and the three started whispering.
"What should we think?" Hilary whispered.
Becky shook her head and whispered back, "I don't know. I'm not eating one of those cookies!"
Hilary shrugged, "Well, what if she's changed?"
Chris shook his head and whispered, "Not going to happen. I've known Mouse since we were little kids. She's a demon and will forever be. You can't change Mouse!"
"Tiffany." Becky whispered, snickering.
A worried look on her annoyingly beautiful face, Hilary turned to Chris and whispered, "Well, who knows? Maybe spending so much time with such good people, we've rubbed off on her a bit."
Chris gave Hilary a look and shook his head, "Fine, eat the cookies."
Hilary smiled weakly at Chris and turned to Mouse, "Oh, um, thank you, Tiffany."
Mouse kept the grin on her face as Hilary and Becky each took cookies. 
All the other team members exchanged looks and, seeing that Hilary, Becky, and Mouse were all still standing, they got up and got cookies. Everyone except for Chris and Alice.
Mouse's lips twitched, but she kept smiling, "Hey, Chris, Alice, do you two want some cookies?"
Alice shook her head, "Nope, I'm a vegan."
Mouse smiled more, "That's okay, I made a batch of vegan cookies too!"
Alice looked at Chris for approval and he mouthed, No.
Alice whispered to him, "Chris, she made vegan cookies just for me. It would be rude to decline..."
"Do you seriously think she made those cookies, Alice?" Chris hissed, "She's a cold-blooded fiend!"
Alice reluctantly walked over to the cookies and, smiling tightly at Mouse, took one.
Feeling betrayed, Chris turned away haughtily.




His teammates had turned on him, along with his best friend.

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."

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.

Cool With A "K" PART 19.5 - CHAPTER 2

Mouse got off the bus and started walking to the school. A boy named Lester then bumped into Mouse and she whirled around, "Watch where you're going!"
"Oh, s-sorry, Tiffany." Lester stuttered, forcing back a grin and running off.
"What did you just call me?" Mouse yelled after Lester, but he had already disappeared from sight.
"How did he....?" Mouse wondered to herself as she walked to class.
When Mouse was at her locker, one guy said to her, "'Sup, Tiffany?"
"WHAT?!" She whirled around, "What's wrong with you?"
"That is your name, isn't it?" The kid said, smirking.
Mouse shook her head, "No, I'm Mouse!"
"That's not your real name." The kid said, turning around and walking away.
Mouse slammed her locker shut and stomped to math class, not amused.




Mouse came into Social Studies and sat by Alice, Leo, and I. She looked really pissed and I exchanged a look with Leo.
"What's wrong, Tiffany?" Alice said innocently, knowing that Mouse wouldn't hit her if she called her by her real name.
Mouse glared at Alice and said, "That! Everyone has been calling me Tiffany and I don't know why!"
"Well," Leo said, "It is your real name, Tiffany."
"It is not!" Mouse yelled at him.
Leo snorted and said, "Actually, it is and everyone knows it."
Mouse's eyes widened and she said through clenched teeth, "You told them!!!!"
Leo shook his head, "No, I didn't."
Mouse thought about that for a minute and scowled, "Chris...."
Alice and I looked at each other as Mouse slowly turned around in her seat. She was quiet for the rest of class.




At lunch, Mouse came over to our table and sat down across from Chris, scowling. He ignored her and she said, "So, I guess I underestimated you, Chris."
Chris and Alice were sharing the earphones on Chris's ipod and were singing 'Telephone' by Lady Gaga loudly.
"Stop calling, stop calling, I don't wanna talk anymooreee!" They sang loudly, ignoring Mouse.
"Hey, listen up, girls!" Mouse said, smacking her hand down on the table.
"Stop telephonin' me-eh-eh-eh-eh..." Chris sang louder, holding up his cellphone and trying to annoy Mouse.
"Will you shut up?" Mouse said, yanking the earphones out of Chris and Alice's ears.
"Ow!" They both said.
"Listen to me!" Mouse said, "What's wrong with you, Chris? You're not supposed to be smart enough to outsmart me."
Chris laughed hollowly and said, "Tiffany, Honey, I skipped a grade. I've been on the honer role since fifth grade. I'm not the idiot you think I am."
I could've sworn Mouse retracted a bit, but it was hard to tell. She studied Chris suspiciously and said, "I'm still not afraid of you. You can do whatever you want, but I will never be afraid of you. After all, you can't do much more."
Chris grinned smugly, "Be careful what you say, Mouse. I can do more damage than you think. I thought I gave you a fair warning."
He gestured to the lunchroom doors and said, "And plus, I've already spoken to a few of my friends on the volunteering committee."
"What?!" Mouse hissed, but was interrupted by a blonde junior girl, wearing a white blouse and a plaid skirt.
The girl smiled and announced, "Here is the new list of volunteers this quarter,"
"Chris, what did you do?" Mouse hissed.
"Shh." Chris said, gesturing to the girl again.
"Chris Harper," The girl listed, "Lester Wolfe, Katie Sharp, Josephine Steele, Tiffany White..."
A few kids giggled and the blonde girl pushed her thick glasses up on her nose, "Now, who is that? I don't recognize that name.... Tiffany? Tiffany White? Do we have a new member."
Almost everyone in the lunchroom, including Leo, pointed to Mouse.
The blonde girl's jaw dropped and she stuttered, "M-Mouse?"
Chris stood up next to Mouse and put his arm around her shoulders, "Yes, Tiffany has newly signed up to help her fellow good citizens of Withrow High School to pick up trash around the neighborhood, make blankets for the homeless shelter, and visit the Senior Home weekly."
"What is wrong with you?" Mouse sputtered.
Chris hugged her tighter and said, beaming, "See? Young Tiffany is so excited to become a new member of our team!"
It was obvious that Chris had set her up, but the idea of Mouse being on the volunteering team was so funny, that everyone laughed and clapped for her.
Chris patted Mouse's shoulder and said, "I'll see you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school for eight weeks, Tiffany."
Mouse glared at Chris as he walked away and I tried not to laugh. 




I felt a little bad for Chris, if he didn't keep his guard up, Mouse would kill him.

Cool With A "K" PART 19.5 - CHAPTER 1

Chris was still mad at Mouse for "getting him suspended". He was sitting at his desk in his room on his last day of suspension, deep in thought.
"What's up, Chris?" I had asked him.
"I need to get back at Mouse." He answered back, surprising me.
"What?" I asked, "As in, like, revenge?"
Chris nodded, "She got me suspended, ruining my perfect record. Angie, she messed with my education."
Oh goodness! His education! I thought.
"Actually," I said gently, "You got you suspended. You're not supposed to hit people, especially at school."
Chris shook his head, "But Mouse started it. It's her fault and you know it. Stop trying to back her up, she's just not a good enough person for that to work."
He was kind of right.
Stumped, I scoffed and said, crossing my arms, "Chris, you can't plot revenge. You're Chris." 
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris asked, sounding slightly offended.
"I bet you don't even know how to be mean." I said, grinning.
Chris scowled and stood up. I think he tried to hit my arm, but it was hard to tell.
I raised an eyebrow at him, "Are you serious, Chris? Come on, man! You punched Mouse in the face! you can do better than that!"
Chris groaned, "I can't do that again! I was mad." 
I raised an eyebrow at him and sighed, turning to leave, "Good luck with that, Chris."
Chris stood up, crossing his arms, "Oh, you don't think I can be mean?"
"Nope." I said curtly, leaving Chris's room.
At first, Chris didn't do anything, but then he threw a pillow out his door, missing me entirely.




At lunch the next day, I watched Chris as he eyed Mouse, who was walking toward our table. Looking up at the ceiling, as if he was staring at something, Chris stuck his foot out and tripped Mouse.
 She hit the floor, recovered, and stood up, "What the hell, Chris?"
Chris gasped and held his hand up to his mouth, "Oops, didn't see you there."
I rolled my eyes. Did I mention that Chris pretty much learned how to be mean from watching dozens of Chick Flicks over and over?
Mouse eyed Chris suspiciously and sat down across from him. They glared at each other as they ate their lunch. 
Suddenly, Mouse gagged, "Gross! What is this?"
"That's called tofu, Mouse." Chris said mockingly, giving Alice a high-five and barely smiling.
Mouse glared at him and said, "Dang it, Chris! I thought that was apple sauce."
I know, there's no resemblance between tofu and normal apple sauce, but you haven't seen the food at our school. The saddest thing is that you can't tell the mac and cheese apart from the meatloaf and tasting it doesn't help much.
Mouse eyed Chris suspiciously, but curiously. A grin broke across her face and said, "Oh, is somebody still mad about being suspended? Poor baby."
Chris scowled at her, but cleared his expression to just looking suspicious, "Maybe so."
Wow, nice comeback, Chris.
"Look, Buddy," Mouse said, putting her hand on Chris's shoulder and Chris shrugged it off, "You can try to get back at me, but don't think that you're gonna win, 'cuz you're not."
Chris looked her up and down and said curtly, "Try me."
Mouse smirked and said, "Ooh, this is getting interesting! Good luck with getting your little revenge, but you and I both no it's not gonna work."
Chris sneered at her, "Oh, don't be so sure, Mouse! What if I know what I'm doing, huh?"
Mouse smirked again and said, "Then I guess you'll take me by surprise."
When she turned and walked away, a smirk slid across Chris's lips. It was kind of scary on him, being so unusual.
Alice whispered to him, "W-what are you going to do?"
Chris smiled evilly, watching Mouse walk away, "Oh, you'll see. I have a favor to ask you guys, by the way...."