170I was staring down at my tupperware full of fruit trying to decide if I wanted to eat all the pineapples first or if I wanted to eat all the oranges first. Pineapples weren't in season yet so they'd probably be a bit sour whereas oranges are always pretty sweet. Did I want sweet first and then bitter or did I want to delay my gratification and eat the bitter first and follow it up with sweet?
"Hey, new kid" A loud and eager voice yelled down at me, swooping to sit across from me.
I looked up, puzzled. New kid? When did we get a new student?
Sitting across from me was Jacob Cross, one of the more well known students at my school. And by well known I mean popular.
Let me stop you now…you're probably thinking Jacob is a huge douchebag who makes less popular kids lives a living hell. He isn't. He's just a fool who likes to laugh too much and happens to make 90% of our student body laugh as well. And he's also pretty good looking. So those things combined make him a prime target for easy popularity.
Beside Jacob on each side were Ethan Jones and Michael Campbell, while Charles Amer stood directly behind him. They are also popular nondouchebags.
I stared at the four of them. They stared back, grinning like loons.
"So what's your name new kid?" Jacob asked.
I looked around trying to see who he was talking to but it seemed like he was talking to me.
He was staring directly at me and there was no one beside or behind me.
He was still smiling and looking at me as he waited for his answer.
Finally it dawned on me that they think I'm a new student.
Just as an FYI now, I've been going to school in this district since the second grade. I'm in the tenth grade. I've been going to school with the four of them for eight years. For fuck sakes…how do they mistake me for a new student?
"Um…I'm Ian?" I finally answer.
I probably should have included that I wasn't new but that is a much longer sentence then just saying my name which is what he basically asked for and I'm not really into talking too much. Which may be why they think I'm a new student…
Although I did get a haircut last Friday. But it wasn't that much of a drastic change that no one would be able to recognize me. It was more a trim really anyway…
"Mmmm…Ian. I like it. It's a good strong name" Jacob said, nodding his head as he said it. "Don't you like his name boys?"
Apparently Jacob's three stooges liked my name because they nodded along.
I blinked at them and turned back to my Tupperware of fruit. I decided to eat all the pineapples first, then the oranges. I wanted to leave lunch on a good note.
As I was digging my fork into the Tupperware to pick out some pineapples I heard Jacob clear his throat.
I looked up at him.
He was still smiling at me and looked as if he was waiting for me to say something.
"Oh…um thanks. I was named after my Uncle Brian. Except my mom cut off the BR part."
Why did I say that? Who the fuck cares about why I have my name? I don't even care why I have my name. Jesus Christ on a stick I'm an idiot.
"Oh well…that's nice" Jacob said running his fingers through his short brown hair and nodding his head as if he actually thought my dumbass naming story was nice.
"Mmmhmmm" Maybe if I just start answering in noises they'll go away and I can stop being socially awkward and eat my fruit bowel in peace.
I looked down into my Tupperware and started eating my pineapples.
"So um…I'm Jacob, and the beautiful man with the curls is Michael, blondie is Ethan and the exotic Arab man behind me is Charles."
"Half-Arab" Charles interrupted "You know my mom's white!"
"Charles I am introducing my new friend Ian to my old friends" Jacob said turning around to Charles and gesturing at me.
"I already know who you are" I interrupt and turn back to my fruit. All the pineapples are gone so I move on to attacking my oranges.
"Oh you do? Good! Good, good good!" Jacob said clapping his hands together "Glad to know you've already decided to indoctrine yourself on the whose who of our dear high school."
"Mmmm" I said nodding as I chewed an orange.
"Well anyway…enough about us! Lets talk about you!" Jacob said smiling and gesturing towards me.
I stare at him blankly for a moment before answering.
"No…thank you?"
"Well more importantly let's talk about your singing today in music."
Oh God. I signed up for music because I like music. Simple concept really. However, I do not like being forced to perform in front of the class like a well-trained monkey. The music teacher drew my name out of a hat and made me sing a Frank Sinatra song in front of everyone. At least my voice is semi-decent. A few of the kids really fucking sucked. That is the kind of shit that scars kids for life and makes them contemplate blowing up the school or offing themselves.
Not me though…I'm not that mentally unbalanced.
"You were really brilliant! Me and the boys…we liked your voice" Jacob said
I snapped my head up and stared at him and "the boys". They all looked serious.
"Thanks…"
"Yeah. We wanted to know if you wanted to try out for our band"
"Well actually Jacob wants to know…I'm still unsure of your ability" Michael said, speaking for the first time and leaning over to glare at Jacob.
"What's to be unsure about? You heard him! He's good!"
"Well yeah…but YOU'RE THE lead singer…we don't need another lead singer"
"Can you play any instruments by any chance Ian?" Jacob asked interrupting Michael
"I play some piano" I answer without thinking. I don't even really want to be in their band. I've heard about their band, everyone at school has. They play at parties sometimes and actually get paying gigs every now and then. Most people think they are pretty good.
I wouldn't know. I never get invited to stuff like parties…
"See! We need a keyboard player!" Ethan said standing up and leaning over to pop Michael in the head with the palm of his hand. Michael batted his hand away and rolled his eyes.
"Fine! Come audition for us today" Michael said flipping his curls out of his eyes like Justin Bieber…with curls.
"Yeah…we'll find you after school and give you a ride to my house" Jacob said smiling, his blue eyes practically glowing with excitement.
"Um. Okay"
What the fuck. I need to learn to start talking more. I should have said "No thanks…I don't wanna be in your damn band. I want to sit at home and read and avoid my crazy ass stepfather and hang out with my sister and not speak to my mother and avoid any kind of social situation where I have to speak to or interact in any way with people."
Instead my dumbass says okay.
"Great! See you after school" Jacob said, standing up and leaning across the table to punch me in the arm. The other two get up to leave as well and give me half-waves.
I go back to my oranges.
What the fuck have I just agreed to?