1: Hi, My Name Is...

The first chapter. Stacie, Devin, and Candace wait in the local diner for Justin to arrive. Once he does, they realize Erin is not working. Stacie gets into a confrontation with the clerk & they leave

My phone buzzes softly in my pocket, barely heard it over the music pumping in my ears. Eminem, not my usual choice. My hand darts to pull it out too quickly and my friends stare. They know I’ve been waiting for this text all night. They’ve seen me checking to make sure I hadn’t missed it. A casual glance should do the trick, can’t seem too eager. Please be coming, please be coming. ‘I’ll be there in a few,’ It reads, ‘Anxious to show off the new ‘do.’

My excitement must have shown across my face; they’re all staring again. Candace makes some snarky, off-handed comment about me getting a text from my ‘boyfriend’, but I’m not paying attention. I fake a laugh. “You’re a f*****g comedian,” I say, pulling a pack and lighter from my jeans. I light up and take a long, slow drag, blowing the smoke into Candace’s pretty face. She winces and shakes her head. Not a smoker, although she wishes she was. We let her pretend.

I chuckle, for real this time, and shift my gaze over to Devin. He looks jittery, like always. He’s bordering on stocky, hair left un-brushed for days. It was dyed black long ago, fading slowly. Little dreadlocks are beginning to form. They reek of booze and pot, I would know. They always have, for as long as I can remember. He shakes, tripped out on pills, his dull brown eyes looking faded as ever. I must have zoned out, analyzing his every feature like I do.

 “Damn it, Stacie. Would you stop staring at me like that? F**k, it makes me think you can read my mind or some s**t.”

If only I could. Although it might not be too interesting considering the people I associate with. I can only imagine the things that could be going through their heads.

I take a drag and wonder what he could be thinking. It has to do with Candace, for sure. He’s got it out for her, the little perv.

His eyes graze Candace’s chest. Devin smiles that devious little smile of his, proving my theory correct.

            Frown. He leans forward on his elbows, realizing she wore a bra. Not like it matters, he’s seen her tits before. Everyone and their brother have. “How many cigs you got left, Stacie?”

            I toss him one. He thinks smoking makes him look edgy. Hardcore.

He coughs on the first drag. What a cool guy.

            I’m not sure how, but we’ve managed to fit ten people in one of these booths. We practically live in this diner. It’s run down but it’s somewhere to go, away from the rest of the town. All the outcasts come here.

            The bell on the door rings. I look up; hoping it’s who I think it is.

“OK, Does my hair kick a*s or what?” he shouts, pointing at his newly bleached do. It’s getting pretty long and is flawlessly messy, like he did it on purpose.  It’s perfectly punk rock.

            Justin Thatcher. No one else takes my breath away like he does. “Very sexy, J. Very sexy” I reply.

            Justin walks up to me and pulls the cigarette from my lips. He takes a few puffs and puts it back, patting me on the head.

“Smooth.” I flick it at him.

            “Don’t mention it, babe.” He replies, without looking. He squeezes in next to Candace, half falling off the seat. He looks strange next to her. She’s pretty underneath ten pounds of make-up, her fake blonde hair falling nearly to her waist. Her dress is hot pink and her D-cups that she’s so proud of are pushed up as far as they could be. Since we got here the guy at the counter has been looking her over. Creep.

            Justin is glorious, to say the least. His hair has the look of being newly dyed and you can tell he spent a good twenty minutes getting it to fall the way it does. He has spiderbites, black rings. His left eyebrow is pierced, too. Ears gauged to a perfect 00, currently occupied by black silicone tunnels. His eyes are a crystal clear blue and make you wonder what kind of deep thought could be going on beneath them. Wonder what kind of mischievous plan is being concocted behind those baby blues. They’re so very unlike Candace’s dim grey ones. He’s got magnificently crooked teeth, like Billie Joe; always smiling his cute, dumb boy smile. He seems preoccupied. I look at him, making a feeble attempt to delve into his mind.

My concentration is broken before I can determine what he’s thinking.

God Damn it.

“Is Erin working tonight, or what?” Devin exclaims, slamming his fists down on the table. He’s anxious to go home and get stoned with Candace, I can tell by how he glances at her. Maybe, if he’s lucky, he’ll get some action.

 “I dunno. Let me go ask. She said she was, but you never know with her.” I get up and make my way across the floor. Al’s Diner. Not a classy place. It’s run down and the guy who owns it is a shady cat, but it’s really the only place in town you can eat for not a whole lot of money. We’re teenagers and we live in the middle of f*****g nowhere, so we don’t expect much.

The air in the crappy excuse for a restaurant is stale. They keep the doors closed. “Keeps the flies out,” the pig owner always says. Stale air, thick with smoke. I know it’s hypocritical but I hate the smell of other people’s smoke. My cigarettes taste like coffee and ash, some smell like f*****g campfires. But if other people can smoke inside, that means I can, too. So, no real complaints. I just like to b***h and moan, I guess.

            I reach the counter and look the guy over. His nametag is faded and discolored. Jim, it reads. How original.

            “Hey, uh… Jim. When does Erin Peterson’s shift start?”

            “Why? You her girlfriend?”

I grab him by his collar. I’m not in the mood to deal with his bullshit.

            “Hey, hey. Calm down.”

            “Just tell me when she works.”

            “Ten. She never showed up. Crazy lesbo b***h.”

I catch him staring down my shirt.

            What a f*****g pervert. “Fine,” he says. “If you’re not queer, prove it.”

I remember Jim. A few weeks ago, Erin came up and gave me a kiss on the cheek. She’s an affectionate girl; she does that to everyone. He’s been telling people we’re lesbians ever since. Maybe in his fantasy.       

He’s hoping I’ll kiss him, or something. I’m too smart for that. Still, my reputation is on the line. In a town this small, one guy says you’re a lesbian and you never get a boyfriend again.

I walk over to Justin and, in a moment of spontaneous bravery, grab him by the shirt and kiss him. As soon as I feel I’ve gotten my point across, I walk back over to Jim and flick my cigarette in his face.

            “Let’s go guys.” I say, as cool as I can manage, making my way towards the door. Over the sound of the bell ringing, I hear Justin’s Doc Martens on the linoleum, followed by the click of high heels and the scuffling sound old, dirty Chuck Taylors make. Everyone follows, except Candace. She stops to talk to Jim. I can’t help but mutter ‘s**t’ under my breath. 

Author's Note

ANY comments are much appreciated<3