Fifteen

(Cheyenne)

{This story really doesn't apply to my "plot" (if you can even call it that) but it's about Cheyenne moving to Barstow, which is a desert type of environment, much like the place she grew up in Colorado.}

Desert Valley High School was a disaster area. Cracked asphalt, peeling paint, tired old cinder-block buildings that looked more like bunkers than classrooms. Everything was litter-box gray or dirt brown, even the grass, the trees, and the distant Mountains.

Getting there was even worse.

"There's just so much i can take," Mom muttered to herself, the car leaping forward at green lights, jerking to a stop at reds. "He thinks he can ruin my life? I don't think so."

An open bag of Doritos sat between my mom's legs. Her fingers were stained orange. We'd been driving around in circles for half an hour, past the same tiny taco stand, muffler repair shop, dentist's office, insurance storefront. Nobody said a word. Except Mom, of course, who talked mostly to herself in angry, guttural grunts.

"I'm at the end of my rope. It's about time he was at the end of his."

Finally, she looked right and left out the windshield and sighed. "Hailey, will you please get the map out of the glove box? That school is somewhere around here."

While Hailey rummaged around, Mom kept circling. Past the tiny taco stand, the muffler repair shop, dentist's office, insurance storefront. Sitting in the backseat, with Chanelle on my lap, i watched Barstow pass by the window yet again. It never looked any better. I felt so many emotions-sad, scared, angry, upset- it was impossible to fully wallow in just one. Well, there was one feeling that rose above the rest: confusion. Complete mind-numbing confusion. A mere week ago, i was struggling with Geometry, memorizing the back of Zach Nash's neck. Now my life was spun around and plopped on its head, totally disoriented. It took all the strength i had just to keep my eyes open and focused so i could see the bad news coming and dodge it before it hit me, splat, right in the face.

"This is a map of California, Mom," Hailey said. "I can get you to San Diego or Sacramento."

"How hard could it be to find a high school?" Mom circled Barstow one more time. Mom took a deep breath, licking her fingers clean. "There it is!" she cried. "Desert Valley High. I should have stayed on the road i was on before!"

I groaned. Story of my life.

Mom parked right in front of the front steps.Wouldn't you know it, we got there exactly at three o' clock, just as the metal double doors were spitting out students. She stopped too suddenly and the car lurched and screeched, causing everybody to look at us.

"Oops," she said. "My heel caught."

"Don't stop here!" I shrieked, sinking low in the seat, pulling my sunglasses out of my pack and slipping them on my red, puffy face. Now my main emotion was complete and utter mortification.

"Mom! There's a parking lot!"

Ignoring me, she said, "I'll only be a few minutes." Then she heaved herself out of the car, tugged at her too-tight dress and took the car keys with her. I wanted to shrivel up and tuck myself into my own crumpled Kleenex. Better still, i wanted to disappear altogether.

"Nice car, man." Some student walked past us, looked at Hailey, and laughed.

My heart sank. How could this happen? How could life keep getting worse? My spirit felt like a marble in a fishbowl, sinking quickly and permanently to the bottom. Peeking out the car window, i observed my future classmates in their natural habitat. Most looked like thugs to me. though no-smilers. Girls with thick black hair and even thicker black eyeliner. Boys with buzz cuts and tattoos and way-too-baggy pants. Very scary. Yeah, it was hot out, but man! The girls wore high waisted shorts with platform slides and spaghetti-strap t-shirts with no bra. They pulled their long hair up in messy twists and laughed and chatted as if there wasn't less than a skimpy yard of fabric between their naked bodies and the whole wide world. Two different couples were all knotted up, making out right there on the front steps. In front of everybody. As i sat there, i the car kept getting hotter and hotter, it felt like i was stalled on the railroad track-nothing to do but hope the white puff of smoke in the distance wasn't a locomotive.

"Look, Cheyenne, I found Waldo." Hailey pointed to some nerd in a red-and-white-striped t-shirt sitting on a retaining wall, reading a book called Calculus and You.

"Now maybe you'll find a boyfriend." Snorting as she laughed, Hailey sounded just like a wild boar.

By now, tons of students had swarmed around the car, checking us out. Some pointed through the window, others indicated there was fresh meat in the midst by flicking their heads in our direction. It was so hot, sweat marks were expanding in my armpits. My sunglasses slid down the damp bridge of my nose.

Through a clenched jaw I declared, "I'm not going here. I'll live with Kayla. I'll join the circus."

It got harder and harder to breathe inside the car. We didn't dare roll down the windows, clinging to last bit of air-conditioned air. Just as i was on the verge of hyperventilating, Hailey startled me out of my impending panic attack by opening the car door and stepping out.

"Where are you going?!" I screeched. She didn't pay any attention to me. Typical! she got out of the car and let the crowd swallow her up. Can you believe it? Just like that. Which left me, the emotional psycho.

Soon it was clear i'd suffocate if i stayed in the airless car much longer. No way was i going to sit there and fry alone. I swung open the door and squirmed out of the backseat. "Stay," I commanded Chanelle. But it was so hot and he hung his head so pathetically i relented.

"Oh, all right." I picked him up, slammed the car door shut, and scrambled after Hailey across the school parking lot to the edge of a brown football field. Breathless, i commanded, "Hailey, get back int he car." But even as i said it, i knew she'd scoff at me. Which she did.

"Hailey..." I said again. This time I tapped my foot. That ought to do it.

"You knew?" a guy asked Hailey.

"Will be," said Hailey.

"Cool,"

"Hope so."

"What year?"

"Sophomore."

I spun on my heels and loudly stomped back to the car.

Mom still hadn't returned. Right back? yeah, right! Chanelle was panting and i was sweating so much my hair was plastered to my forehead. Everyone was looking at me, talking behind their hands. I hurried to the car, got in, and sat there like a blob of bread dough in the oven.

"The girl and the mutt are two hot tamales," I heard someone say. Then i heard lots of somebodies laugh. Totally red-faced, i rolled down the window, but it was no use. The air was so stifling, Chanelle and I had to get out of the car before we both passed out.

"Oooo, how cute."

I froze.

"Look, Sylvanna, the Taco Bell dog!"

Oh, God.

Before i could turn around, a swarm was upon me. There must have been only three or four girls, but it felt like hundreds. Chanelle and I were instantly swallowed up in CK cologne, lip gloss, squeals, and skin. Lots of skin.

"He's so cute."

"Look at the darling puppy!"

"Can i hold him?"

"Number one, she's not a puppy. She hates being called a puppy. It's not her fault that she's so small. Do you call short people little babies? No? I didn't think so. Number two, we bought her years before that stupid Taco Bell commercial. she's not the Taco Bell dog. She's Chanelle. A beautiful canine in her own right. Number three, my mother will be here any moment and we have to get going, back to our very complete lives, away from this dust bowl bump. So in answer to your question, no, you can't hold her. She's mine and she hates girls named Sylvanna who have long, straight hair and tan lets and flat belly buttons with gold hoops sticking out of them."

That's what i wanted to say.

Instead i said, "Yeah. Okay." Then i just stood there. Like a dope. I let them pass Chanelle from one set of pastel-painted fingernails to another like she was some kind of hairy, shivering football or something. That's what i did, feeling as small and ashamed as I'm sure Chanelle did.

"Can i let her run around a little?" Sylvanna asked.

"Well..."

She set her tiny paw on a patch of hot, prickly, dead grass and she hopped around pitifully.

"How cute!"

Before i could bend down to save her, Chanelle hunched up her back, brought her hind legs up close to her front legs, and squeezed one off. In front of God and Sylvanna and all of Desert Valley High, Channelle pooped.

"Oh," one of the girls covered her white teeth and tittered.

"Eeewwww," said another.

Beet faced, I lamely asked, "Anyone have a baggie?"

They looked confused, like i wanted to take it home or something. "Or a tissue, scrap paper, gum wrapper, anything?" My voice was growing weak.

Nobody said a word. They stared at me as if i'd ruined the party. Chanelle beamed. Yeah, she was feeling fine.

"This your car, ma'am?"

Wheeling around, i saw a police officer standing at the front of our car. In his mirrored sunglasses i could see my tiny purple-red face.

"Uh... no...it's....uh, my mom's." The flashing lights on top of his squad car had attracted the attention of the whole school. What, he was going to arrest me? Wasn't the Robo-Cop routine a tad over the top? I wanted to die.

"You can't park here," he said, "The school buses pull in here."

"Oh. Well... my mom.."

"Let's go," Sylvanna said to her friends. A girl nodded and stepped over Chanelle's poop, away from me as fast as possible.

"You going to clean that up?" the officer asked me, pointing to the little Tootsie Rolls Chanelle left on the grass. We were now encircled by a growing crowd of silent, gaping students. I looked up and saw Waldo with his calculus book under one arm and a superior smirk on his face.

"Cheyenne?"

Her voice pierced the crowd, panicked and shrill. "Cheyenne?!"

The students receded like low tide and made way for my mom. Fingers splayed, her dress wrinkled, her baby toe poking out of her heels, Mom rushed forward, her face flushed with worry. "What happened?"

"Nothing, Mom, we-" Before i could say more, she took one more fatal step and landed smack dab on the center of Chanelle's poop.

"Eeewww." The crowd groaned in unison. Turning my head away, i silently prayed for a quick, massive heart attack to put me out of my misery.

"What on earth?" Mom looked down. "Oh, Cheyenne!"

"Oh, Cheyenne!" Someone in the crowd loudly mimicked her.

"Move along, kids. Party's over." The cop sidestepped the poop pancake and dispersed the crowd. Someone joked, "Ah, don't be a party pooper!" and everyone howled. Mom slipped her shoe off and scraped it on the curb while Chanelle toddled up the hill with the group.

"Chanelle! Get back here, you little runt!" Chanelle, looking scared, ignored me and quickened her pace.

"Hailey, go get him!" Hailey skulled up the hill to get Chanelle, who had stuck her head inside somebody's lunch bag.

"Where are your keys, Mom?" All i wanted to do was crawl into the backseat, turn on the air conditioner, and stay there.

"Will you at least give me a Kleenex?" Her smelly sandal dangled from one finger.

"Here." Hailey appeared with a fresh tissue in her hand.

"Thank you," Mom said to Hailey, sneering at me.

What did i do?

"Your keys, Mom?"

"Your dog, miss?" An unfamiliar voice spoke behind me.

Turning, i was suddenly face-to-face with a kid. This guy wore an Alice Cooper t-shirt, his faded jeans fitting nicely around his hips. This guy had blond hair and pearly-white fingernails and firm ancillary veins that snaked all the way up his naturally muscled arms.

"Miss?"

"Cheyenne." Mom's impatient voice felt like a toothpick in my ear.

"What?"

"Take the dog."

Oh. Suddenly i became aware that the guy was holding Channelle out to me. Chanelle's little legs were wiggling frantically, her neck strained. She looked like a cockroach flipped on its back.

"Oh! Sorry." I came to, blushing instantly, grabbing my dog.

"This is Channelle." Great, Cheyenne, introduce your dog!

"I found him in my lunch sack," the guy said. "Apparently Chanelle likes leftover meat loaf sandwiches more than i do."

I laughed way too loud and long for the joke.

"Cheyenne, take the damn dog, get Hailey, and get in the car."

Mortified, I stammered an awkward "thank you" and glared at my mother as i struggled to slither gracefully under the seat belt strap, into the backseat of our crappy old car. 



Be Agreeable and Easy to Get Along With

Cheyenne quietly opened her bedroom door and stuck her head into the hallway. Her mother and father's voices were soft murmurs in the kitchen. They were talking divorce. Cheyenne knew because she'd overheard the word late last night when she'd gotten out of bed to use the bathroom.

Now her parents were probably talking terms or maybe other options.

At this point, Cheyenne didn't care and maybe that was worse than being upset.

Back in her room, she grabbed her keys and her bag. She had to be at work in fifteen minutes. She seriously considered sneaking out her bedroom window to avoid her parents, but she didn't want them thinking she'd run away like her mother had.

Groaning to herself, she headed down the hallway, her pace quick, her head down. She hoped to slip past the  kitchen without being noticed. Unfortunately, as soon as she entered the kitchen, both her parents stopped talking and looked up.

"Cheyenne?" her mother said.

Cheyenne hesitated between the kitchen and the living room. The stupid fish clock on the wall ticked, filling the awkward silence. Cheyenne hadn't said more than ten words to her mother since she arrived, and she didn't plan to say more than twenty total.

"What?" She quirked a brow.

Cheyenne looked from her mother and her dad. "Do you have any free time tonight or tomorrow so we can talk?" her mom asked.

Why had her mother even come back? Guilt? Money?

Cheyenne tightened her grip on the car keys, the points of the key digging into her flesh. "No," she answered and marched out the door.

Hot Cash

(I know Johnny Bravo wasn't a show of the 70s, but i love Johnny... So, i'm putting him in here.)

"Hey, Kayla?" Quin said from the doorway to the media room. "Can you grab me"-he looked at a sheet of paper to his hands-"Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers and Peter Pan?"

"Sure," she said and went to the movies lined up neatly on the shelves. She scanned the spines of the movie cases and found the Scooby-Doo one quickly. Peeter Pan was a harder find-it was all the way on the bottom shelf next to the Flinstones movie.

Movies in hand, Kayla went to West Two and found Quin in room 412 with the new patient staying overnight after surgery.

"Boo Brothers right here," Quin said, turning on the TV.

The little boy, Seth, clenched his hands into fists and waved them about in the air excitedly. "I love this movie," he said. "It's my favorite," he said to Kayla.

"Oh yeah?" She handed the case to Quin, and he put the tape into the VHS player.

Seth hit the button on the bed to bring his head up. "Yeah. This is the funniest Scooby-Doo one."

"I think so, too." Kayla said.

Quin hit the play button and a movie preview came on. "My favorite Scooby-Doo," he said, "is the one with Johnny Bravo."

Seth laughed. "Oh yeah! Johnny is such a dork."

Quin nodded emphatically. "Right on, dude." He dimmed the overhead lights. "Enjoy your movie. If you need anything else, let us know."

"Okay," Seth said, snuggling into his blanket.

In the hallway, Kayla turned to Quin. "You watch Scooby-Doo?"

He cleared his throat. "Well...you know...Scooby is pretty cool."

Kayla grinned.

They passed out the other movie and officially ended their shift.

"Want to grab something to eat with me in the cafeteria?" Quin asked after they'd punched out.

"Umm..."

She was rather hungry. And she'd been planning on getting something anyway. She'd talked to Hobbs earlier on her break in hope of making dinner plans with him, but he had already agreed to go to the movies with Michael.

"Sure," she said to Quin. "I'm starving."

♥♥♥

The cafeteria at Children's Hospital had the best salad bar ever. Kayla hadn't checked it out before, instead going with something quicker like a pre-made sandwich.

She'd gotten a Styrofoam container full of lettuce, grilled chicken pieces, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, and croutons. And they had their own brand of ranch dressing that-as Kayla might of put it-made it awesome.

Quin had gotten a club sandwich and now sat across from Kayla in one of the booths along the huge floor-to-ceiling windows on the back side of the cafeteria. The sky was dusky outside and smoke-gray clouds covered the sun, turning it into a white glowing orb off in the distance.

Kayla took a bite of salad, then a drink from her Orange soda. 

Break 2

i need to get this shit together... i have too many guys and even i'm confused. Give me some time to think. Sorry!

Peds

Kayla eyed the clock that hung on the wall behind the nurse's station in West Two.

"Muffin duty today, Kayla," a heavyset nurse said, rolling a muffin cart in Kayla's direction. "It's tonight's after-dinner snack. Pass one out to each child and any of the parents who are visiting. The only rooms you should skip are 403 and 408, since those children are on strict diets."

She was at the mercy of the staff to help her along. Once little slip and these kids could suffer because of her.

Kayla wheeled the cart away from the nurse's station and headed toward the first room. The little boy was sleeping and his mother declined the muffin. In the next room, the little girl, clutching to her stuffed rabbit, nodded emphatically when asked if she liked chocolate chip muffins.

"Here you go, then," Kayla said as she handed the muffin over along with a napkin. Her mother and older brother both took one, too.

So far, so good.

Kayla went back to her cart and rolled along to room 403.

Strict diet, she thought, remembering the nurse's orders.

Kayla glanced inside the room. The little boy was on his side facing the hallway. The blanket was kicked off his legs. Tubes snaked from his hand and his mouth. The machines behind his bed beeped and whirred.

And, sitting close to the child's bed, holding his tiny hand, was Quin. His back was to her and his dark hair was untied, creating a curtain between his eyes and Kayla.

But if he'd been able to see, he'd have most definitely caught her staring.

There was something awe-inspiring about a guy Kayla's age who sat in a Peds ICU room with a little boy who was a stranger to him, holding his hand while he slept.

Kayla finished passing out muffins just in time for her break. Plopping down at the round table, she picked up the phone and dialed Hobbs number. The phone rang several times before Hobbs' answering machine picked up.

Kayla hung up the phone and dialed Star's number.

Star answered on the third ring.

"Hey, Kay." Kayla clacked open a can of Dr. Pepper. "Is Hobbs over there?"

"Umm..."

Kayla could hear music playing in the background.

"Hold on a sec," Star said, turning the music down. "I'm in my room. I heard a car pull up not too long ago. Maybe it was Hobbs. Or, it could have been Michael."

Kayla pulled an orange from her bag and peeled back the rind. Her day so far had been pretty uneventful. She really had nothing to talk to Hobbs about, but that didn't stop her from wanting to talk to him.

"Yeah, he's here," Star said a minute later. "Hold on."

The phone switched hands. Hobbs came on the line. "Hey. Did you get off work early or something?"

"I'm on break."

"Oh. Everything okay?"

"Fine. I just.. I don't know, wanted to talk to you."

"Oh." He sounded surprised. A good surprised.

Silence filled the line. Kayla peeled off a slice of orange and bit into it. "I guess i really don't have anything else to say. I just called to say, hi."

He laughed that easy Hobbs laugh. "Well, hi. And hey, Kay?"

"Yeah?"

"You can call me more often like this. You know, just to say hi. I kinda like it."

Kayla grinned wide. "I can manage that."

Coy

(Okay, nurses are never really this nice, but they are nicer in the Children's department of hospitals.)

The elevator door dinged and slid open on the second floor of Children's Hospital. Kayla stepped out, holding fast to the strap of her bag. She'd been lying if she said she wasn't nervous to start her volunteer shift.

She emerged beneath a lit sign hanging from the ceiling that said WEST WING. Directly in front of her, taped on the wall, were posters advertising the twenty-sixth annual Birch Falls Carnival in July and another canned food drive though the end of the month.

She went to the right down the hall and came upon a nurse's station. All around it were hospital rooms with large sliding glass doors so that you could see clearly into each room.

There were balloons floating around the bed. Flowers topping the bedside tables. Crayon drawings hung on the wall behind the nurse's station. Noisy cartoons filtered out from various rooms. Machines dinged and beeped.

Kayla went up to the nurse's station and spoke to the petite woman there. "Hi." she said. "I'm Kayla, a new volunteer."

"Oh! We've been expecting you. I'm Pat, the head nurse on this wing." Pat was a forty-something woman who wore a pink nurse dress and white sneakers. She extended a delicate hand across the counter and said, "It's nice to have you, Kayla."

"Thanks."

"I think i'll get you started with Quin. He's been around here awhile so he knows all the important details. If you go down this hall right here and turn into the third room on the left, you'll find Quin there. If you have any questions, just let us know."

"All right. Thanks."

Kayla followed Pat's directions and went into the third room on the left. Quin sat in one of the green rocking chairs next to a bed. He was in another white shirt, this one unbuttoned and untucked to reveal a black t-shirt. He had on jeans and scuffed brown leather boots.

In his hands, he held a paperback book with a ghost and werewolf on the front cover. The title was printed in a shiny silver script that said Dead Wolf.

Quin read out loud while a little boy lay in bed, his tiny frame drowned in white sheets and blankets.  Canary blond hair fanned over the pillow while the boy's pale skin nearly matched the starched white pillowcase.

Quin finished reading and dog-eared the page. "Hey," he said, nodding at Kayla. "I heard you were coming in today. Kayla, right?"

"Yeah." She walked around the bed and offered her hand in a friendly shake. "And you're Quin?"

"Yes, and this"-he pointed at the boy lying in bed-"is Micah."

"Hi." Kayla waved. Micah nodded, uninterested.

Quin put his hand on the little boy's shoulder. "Read more later, dude?"

"Sure." Micah reached over for his TV remote and hit the power button. Cartoons brightened the TV screen as Quin ushered Kayla into the hall.

"So i guess i'm supposed to show you the ropes." A piece of hair fell loose from his ponytail and hung along his temple. He swiped it back absently, tucking it behind his ear.

"I guess."

"It's not as scary or boring as it sounds. You'll have fun here. I promise." The smile he flashed could have brightened any room, let alone a hospital.

"Well, i'm looking forward to it."

"Let's start with the basics, then. This whole section is the West Wing, but there's West One and West Two. We're in West Two right now." He lead her out into the main hallway and pointed to the nurse's station. "That's Station Two. They're in charge of rooms 409 through 418."

They headed back the way Kayla had come and passed the elevators. They came upon another nurse's station and more rooms with sliding glass doors. If Kayla didn't know any better, she'd have thought this was the same nurse's station they'd just left. The counter and rooms were set up exactly like West Two. The only difference was the nurse behind the counter had long red hair and wore a white dress.

"This is West One," Quin said, "and Station One. They're in charge of rooms 400 through 408. And if you come around this way"-they walked around the nurses' station, where a few nurses nodded a hello-"you'll find the media room."

The media room was large, with two TV centers. There were bookcases spanning an entire wall. There were books and VHS movies.

"The kids can check out the movies and books while they stay here," Quin explained. "We're in charge of that. Getting the movies and books between here and the rooms."

Kayla nodded.

"The kids can come here to hang out, too," Quin went on, "if they're well enough."

"Okay," she said.

He smiled. "Are you always this quiet?"

"Umm..."

"Just shy?"

"I wouldn't say i'm shy," she answered. "I'm just trying to take it all in." It was important to her to have all the details right. There was no point in doing a job if you couldn't do it well.

"I know it's a lot, but you'll do fine. And the kids are so happy to have company that they're going to love you no matter what."

"I hope so."

"Tell you what... I think i have an idea. Something to help loosen you up. Come on."

Kayla didn't like the ominous sound of that.

♥♥♥

"Let's go to West Two," Quin said leading the way. "Here," he opened the first sliding glass door he came to. "They're going to love you."

When she got inside the first room, the little boy in bed sat up and smiled wide. "Trina!"

"No," Quin said, "this is Kayla."

The boy's eyes narrowed. "Oh," he said.

Quin nudged Kayla in the back.

"Um, hi," she said. "What's your name?"

"Lars."

Kayla shuffled over to the hospital bed, hoping she wouldn't catch her feet on any cords. The little boy's IV stand was on the other side of the bed and all the monitor cords were behind him. Her path looked clear enough.

She shook the boy's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Lars."

"You, too. Can you tell your brother i said hi?"

"Sure." Kayla glanced at Quin. What else was she supposed to say? Hope you get out of here soon? Is the hospital food good?

"Hey, Lars, ask Kayla what she has in her pocket." Quin said.

"What do you have in your pocket?" Lars asked, sitting up straighter.

Kayla glanced down at her dress and pulled a small bag out of her pocket.

"Let him pick something," Quin whispered.

Kayla held the bag out before her. "Pick something," she said.

Lars dug his hand inside and pulled out a golden egg. He popped the egg open and a bracelet fell out. "Thanks, Kayla!"

"You're welcome."

They said good-bye and headed on to the next room.

It took nearly two hours to visit all the children who were well enough to have visitors. They skipped a few rooms where Kayla saw children tucked in their beds, their eyes shut tight, their monitors beeping behind them. Kayla wondered if they were going to wake up eventually and wished there was something she could do to make them better.





Kailing

(Skateboarding began in the 70s. Says Internet resources. I figured it might have been a little cooler back then than it is now. Because honestly, skateboarding is super stupid. I thought about making this kid be a biker, instead. Sort of like how Slash was. But, i went with skateboarding.)

Jeanette threw the bag of trash in the big trash can and closed the lid to wheel it out to the street. She hated this chore. She'd tried getting out of it by hurrying out of the house to meet her friends, but her father caught her at the back door.

"Before you leave," Mr. Valenti said, "make sure you take out the trash."

Jeanette grabbed hold of the handle, tipped the can back on the two wheels, and lugged the thing out from behind the garage. She rounded the back corner of the house and heard a scraping noise coming from the street. It was like metal scraping against wood.

Someone rode a skateboard down the street toward a homemade railing about knee height. He jumped and slid the skateboard up with a foot.

It wasn't until he looked over at her that she realized she'd stopped in the middle of the driveway to gawk.

"Hey," he said, tipping his head.

"Hi." Jeanette dragged the trash can the rest of the way down the drive. She set it along the curb and was about to hurry inside, when the boy skated over to her.

"You live here?" he asked.

She pursed her lips and nodded, crossing her arms and shifting her weight on one foot as if he was wasting her time.

The boy was new to her, though. She'd never seen him around town before, let alone on her street. So she stayed to hear his story.

Blue eyes peered at her from beneath his dark, curly hair. He had on baggy jeans, a black t-shirt, and white sneakers. The skateboard beneath an arm said BLAKE across the length of it with a silhouette of an alien at the bottom.

"My grandpa lives across the street." He pointed over his shoulder at a two-story Tudor. That was Mr. Kailing's house. Jeanette didn't know he had grandchildren. He mostly kept to himself and never had people over. He was nice, though. Last summer when Jeanette had a flat tire, Mr. Killing had come out and changed it for her. He might have been close to seventy, but he still got around well.

"Your grandfather, huh? That's nice," she said, nodding quickly. "Well, i have to go."

"Hey, Blake!" Someone called.

The boy, presumably Blake, glanced at Mr. Kailing's house and Jeanette couldn't help but look, too. The man who'd yelled from the front porch had one of those deep, husky voices that you couldn't help but follow.

A large black man waved from the porch.

"That's my... uh... uncle," Blake said.

Jeanette raised her brow. "Really?"

Blake looked a bit mixed, but Jeanette thought it could have been Mexican. Could he have some African American in him? Mr. Kailing was white, but that didn't mean one of Blake's parents wasn't black.

Blake dropped the skateboard and put a foot on it. "It was nice meeting you..."

"Jeanette."

He smiled. "Jeanette." He propelled the board forward with his left foot. "I'll see ya 'round, Jeanette." he called over a shoulder before disappearing inside Mr. Kailing's garage.

The man standing on the porch waved Jeanette a peace sign before heading back inside. The screen door closed behind him.

End Of The Line

(Again, these stories are not in order. I'm just posting whatever i write. I may put these in order one day and i'm sorry i'm kind of spitting random pages at you. I know it's sort of like tearing out a book and picking up pages one at a time and trying to put them together Oh, and Cheyenne, Michael is definitely not how he was on Family Ties or anything....)

Cheyenne watched the seniors of Birch Falls High stream into the gymnasium for their graduation ceremony. She'd already seen half the graduating class. Michael had to be coming out soon.

The gym was as hot as a thousand suns and stuffed like a turkey. It took Cheyenne nearly fifteen minutes to find a seat: a very tiny six or so inches on the fifth bleacher up.

She was sandwiched between a can-barely-sit-still little girl and a paunchy man who smelled like cigars. This was not the way she'd envisioned Michael's graduation. It was too bad Star's brother, David, went to a different school and had graduated last week. Cheyenne could have sat with Star's family. Or, if she weren't so chicken, she might have asked Michael's parents if she could sit with them down on the first row. Michael's parents weren't exactly warm and inviting, though. Not like Michael was.

A few seniors entered the gym, and still no Michael. Where was he?  He better not have skipped out and left her hanging. Not that he'd ever do that. At least, he would never leave her hanging; the skipping part, he would do. To Michael, there would be nothing funnier than skipping your own graduation ceremony. Michael would use that story for his kids and then his grandkids, too.

Streamers and balloons adorned the stage at the far end of the gym. There was a table stacked with leather-bound diplomas. Several metal folding chairs held school faculty.

Cheyenne looked over the sea of spectators and saw a few familiar faces.

A shrill whistle sounded, the heat waves carrying it up the bleachers to Cheyenne. She looked up and saw Michael. His eyes were on hers and he grinned, his forest green tassel hanging in front of his face.

Cheyenne smiled back and waggled her fingers at him.

He headed over to his seat near the stage while the last of the graduates entered the gym.

After the ceremony introduction, the principal and the valedictorian each made a speech. Before they handed out the diplomas, a slide show played on the screen.

When there ceremony was over, Cheyenne joined the exodus to the front lobby to get fresh air outside with the rest of the crowd. She waited beneath the sycamore tree where she and Michael had taken to meeting during their lunch hour.

Michael came out of the open double doors, Dean at his side.

Dean carried his graduation cap beneath an arm. Michael didn't have his, probably because he'd tossed it in the air at the close of the ceremony. His forest-green gown was already unzipped. Beneath it, he'd worn a black button-up shirt and his usual pair of jeans.

"I'll meet you at the car," Michael said to Dean.

"I won't wait long," Dean answered and ambled off to the parking lot.

Michael came up alongside Cheyenne, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Hi," he said.

"Hi."

He leaned over and kissed her softly. An excited chill ran up her spine despite the sweat still lingering there from the overheated gym.

"Congratulations," she said when Michael pulled away. "You're officially done with school."

He nodded and leaned his head against hers. "Officially done. I cannot wait to spend the summer with you. There will be virgin strawberry daiquiris, afternoons spent lying out in the sun, and many make-out sessions."

Cheyenne whapped him on the arm.

"Hey, now, i have a wet speedo contest later. You can't damage the goods."

Cheyenne threw her head back and laughed. "A wet speedo contest?" She rolled her eyes.

Michael kissed her forehead. He took a step back. "I have that stupid photo thing with my family, so i can't hang long. And then Dean and i are celebrating with some friends later. Though Dean seems to have a different definition of 'celebrating' than me. My parents, too. We'll probably end up making goal lists and future-income graphs or something."

Cheyenne laughed. "There's nothing wrong with goals, you know."

"I know. I have goals. I just don't want to put them in a spreadsheet."

Cocking an eyebrow, Cheyenne said, "What kind of goals, exactly?"

"Well,"-he puffed out his chest and set his hands on his hips-"there's this girl who i love more than sunlight and someday i'll marry her and then we'll have three and a half kids and a goat and a picket fence. How are those for goals?"

"A goat?"

He came a little closer. Close enough that Cheyenne could take in his familiar smell. He leaned over and kissed her quickly on the lips. "I have to go before Dean leaves without me. I'll call you later."

He waved goodbye as he rounded the corner of the school for the back parking lot. Cheyenne sat on the cool grass beneath the sycamore tree, leaning her head against the bark.

Dr. Feelgood

(I observe at a hospital and i really enjoy the setting and being involved. I'm not sure if schools in the 70s provided their students with such opportunities, but, i'm the author and i can be a little unrealistic.)

June

Usually hospitals had a distinct sterile smell, but Children's Hospital of Birch Falls smelled like cinnamon buns. Kayla passed a room and saw a small blond boy ripping apart a cinnamon bun with his fingers.

That explains it.

"This is the east wing of the Children's Hospital," Melanie, the human resources manager, said, keeping her voice low as she swept through the halls. She was a nice woman in her late twenties, with a pixie haircut and black horn-rimmed glasses, who was responsible for coordinating the volunteers.

The tour group of about six people rounded a corner into a new wing.

"And this is the west," Melanie said. "Each of you will be assigned a department. I'll let you know where you're at when you come in next Monday."

The group moved around a TV cart in the middle of the hallway.

"Oh, sorry, Mel," someone said from behind the group. Everyone turned around to see a guy about their age grabbing hold of the cart. A few girls standing next to Kayla instantly perked up.

"I was just coming to move this," the guy said.

Melanie rolled her eyes. "Sure you were. Everyone, this is Quincy, another volunteer and also my younger brother."

"Quin, please," he said, grinning. "Why do you torture me, Mel?"

Kayla couldn't help but appraise Quin. She was close enough to see he had caramel brown eyes partially hidden behind his over-grown bangs. He was tall, at least six feet, and seemed to have compact shoulders or maybe just a really nice white shirt. His jeans fit just as nicely. He'd used a rubber band to tie back brown hair. When down, Kayla guessed, it probably hit his shoulders. Where did Quin come from? He certainly didn't go to Birch Falls High. And he was close to her age, if not a bit older.

He flicked his eyes to her and Kayla quickly looked away, the blush in her cheeks clearly spelling out the guilt she felt for staring.

"Nice to meet you, guys," Quin said before wheeling the TV cart away.

"Okay," Melanie said, "let's move on."

The group followed Melanie down the hall, but before they rounded the corner, Kayla looked back over a shoulder to catch sight of Quin one last time.

There was something different about him, something intriguing. Kayla just didn't know what it was. She looked away and hurried after the volunteer group. 

Corn Fest

(Since Cheyenne changed the dates on me, i am making remotes an invention of the 70s. Deal with it. Oh! and if you thought that other story was a CORNFEST, well, i hope you find this one just as cheesy and dumb. Because, even reading it for myself, i thought, Wow! But hey, in a way, it's sort of cute. And i'd rather have the guy ask me for my first kiss, then take it. Unless it's Tom. He can take whatever he wants. Crap... i kind of ruined the story for you now. Oh well, you've read it before anyway.)

"Better?" Hobbs said.

Kayla leaned back into the pillow he'd just fluffed for her. "That's fine." The Advil he'd given her as soon as they got to her house had kicked in. She felt fine unless she moved her ankle. It'd probably be sore for a few days, but thank God it wasn't broken.

Hobbs searched around her living room for all the remotes and put them on the coffee table within arm's reach.

"Anything to drink? Or eat?"

"Water?" she said, feeling a little guilty that he was waiting on her.

"Water. Got it."

He was gone for a good ten minutes. When he came back, he had a bowl of fruit and a glass of ice-filled water, the cubes clinking against the cup's edge. "Fruit is good for you. Especially when you're in need of healing."

She laughed. "Thanks." She sipped from the water as she eyed the grapes.

"No problem. So when are your parents coming home?"

"They said they'd be back by nine." They'd left for the day to visit her uncle in Hartford.

"I'll stay until they get back."

"No. You don't have to do that."

"It's not like i have anywhere else to be." He settled into the chair that was angled off the end of the couch. "And what if you run out of fruit or something? Are you going to make more appear with your brain waves?"

She laughed, feeling giggles of exhaustion creeping in. She just needed to sleep. "Well, thanks for staying."

"You're welcome."

Propping herself up with an elbow, she took a long drink of water. Her throat was dry from playing outside. As she pulled the glass away, she spilled, water dripping down her arm.

"Crap." What was her problem today? Was she losing all of her fine motor skills?

"I got it." Hobbs jumped up and ran to the kitchen. He came back with several hand towels. He crouched by the side of the couch and wiped the water up.

"Thanks." She said again, laying her head back down, and she realized that she was now only inches from Hobbs face.

"Kayla?" he said his voice going soft, his fruity breath fanning across her face. His unruly brown hair had been matted down since earlier this morning and several strands hung in his line of sight.

"Yeah?" she said.

"Can i kiss you?"

"Are you serious?" She raised a brow.

"Yes."

"I... Uh..." Words were suddenly failing her.

"I'll count to five," he said, sitting on his knees. "So it's not so awkward." Was this protocol? To talk about a kiss before it happened? She had no idea because she had never been kissed! "One..."

And then he kissed her. A breath sputtered down her throat from the surprise. Where was two and three? He guided her gently as if sensing her unease. Her mind went blank and she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer.

Grody

(OMIGOD... so, i found this crumbled up piece of paper in an old binder this morning. It was something i wrote for Cheyenne a long time ago-i think it was around our birthdays last year when i wrote her a bunch of stories in a notebook for a gift-and i think it's probably one of the cutest things i've written. I'm going to use a lot of it in the story below, but i will add and change some things here and there. I'm always finding new drafts hidden in notebooks or under my TV set. Hardly ever do i find one that's decent to post. And, i'm using another old idea. I explained earlier that playing football was much more of a high school thing than it would be for a group of musicians in the 80s. So, i'm transferring it here. Sorry, Cheyenne. But, hey, you get the joy and pleasure of reading it again! Oh, and i promise, i'm not as big as a clutz as i make myself sound in this story. I'm actually decently coordinated and fairly good at sports. The first time i wrote this, it was Cheyenne who was the one who got hurt. But, i decided it would be me this time because i had an idea for Hobbs that would work out better.)

Rule 9: Don't allow The Ex to talk to you for longer than two minutes during the initial three-month cooling-off period. You must not be his friend.

{Apparently, this is part of the "girl code". I found it. I didn't write it. So don't ask me questions. Some girls are just stupid. I only supplied it here because i thought it sort of went along with this story.}

Usually, Star slept in on weekends. There was nothing like waking up, looking over at the alarm clock to see the bright red 8:00 A.M. on the screen, then snuggling back beneath the blanket when she remembered it was Saturday: the warm blanket covering every inch of skin; the pillow welcoming her back down; closing her eyes.

It was perfect. Blissful.

Until someone dove on top of the bed and started jumping and yelling.

"Wake up! You going to sleep all day?"

"Quit!" she muttered. "Mom!"

"You're wasting the day," David said.

Another voice laughed; someone who was not her brother. She pulled the covers back, coherence creeping in now. Michael was across the room, standing with his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans. This wasn't the first time she woke up to find Michael in her house, though usually not in her room.

"What do you want?" she said, her voice hoarse with sleep.

"We don't want you to waste your life sleeping," David said, pinching her cheek.

She swatted at his hand but she was too slow and too tired. "I'd rather sleep."

"We'll make you breakfast," David sang.

Thinking about it, she rubbed the haze from her eyes. "What will you make?"

David glanced over at Michael. "What are you going to make?"

"Me?" Michael raised a brow. "Like i can cook."

"Seriously, why do you care if i sleep?"

Michael stepped closer. "He wants you to play football with us today."

Now it was her turn to raise her brow. "Football?"

"We're short a player," David said.

"David, i don't even know how to play football!"

"Well," David said, "neither does Michael. So no big deal."

Michael threw something at David, which David caught. Star's face went fire hot when she realized what it was. Her bra! She jumped out of bed and snatched it from David's hands, his face blank as he stared at it. She shoved it in her hamper, out of sight.

"Good, you're up," David said. "Let's make breakfast and hit the field!" He wove his arm around her shoulders and shoved her out the bedroom door.

"I hate you," she muttered under her breath.

David put her in a headlock and ran his knuckles through her hair. "Well, I love you!"

"Mom!"

Their mother poked her head down the hall. "David, let your sister go."

David laughed, lightening his grip. "Fine."

They headed into the kitchen. Their dad was there finishing up a cup of coffee. He set the empty cup in the sink and turned to them. "David, what did i tell you about annoying your sisters?"

David rolled his eyes. "Yeah, i get it."

"Thanks," Star whispered to her father as he disappeared into the living room.

Star sat at the table in the corner of the kitchen. "Now, what are you making me?"

David opened various cupboards, then the refrigerator. "If i make you breakfast, you'll play football?"

She groaned. "Do i have to do anything?"

"Just look tough," he said.

"Fine." She sighed. "Cheese omelet."

"Michael, grab a bowl and a spoon," David instructed as he disappeared into the pantry.

Michael went to the cupboard and pulled a red plastic bowl out, then slid the silverware drawer open. He sat down across from Star at the table. "I don't know what he's doing," he said apologetically, then slid the bowl in front of her.

David came out with a box of Sugar Crisps in his hand. He grabbed the milk on the way to the table. He filled her bowl with cereal, then drowned it in milk. He gestured to it with a flourish of his hand. "Your cheese omelet, milady."

"This? This is my cheese omelet?"

"As close as i can get." He gave her a rough pat on the back. "Eat up. We have armies to conquer. I'm going to suit up." He left the kitchen.

Star took a bite of Sugar Crisp. "How can you voluntarily spend time with him?" she said to Michael.

He shrugged. "He's a moron, so I look cool standing next to him."

Star laughed, forgetting her mouth full of food. She covered it quickly with her hand. After swallowing she said, "That's a good one."

He smiled, clearly flattered and maybe a little surprised with his quick wit. "Well, thanks."

For a minute there, she'd almost forgotten that he had a crush on Cheyenne. Was it wrong to flirt with him? Did that make her a traitor? Yeah, but how could she not talk to him? He was over all the time.

Still, she couldn't help but feel a little pinch of guilt sitting here with him right now when Cheyenne was probably at home by herself.

Star watched him. His neon blue eyes were staring out the window at the backyard. He propped his chin in his hand. He looked tired.

"Ready?" David walked in, zipped up his jacket, then rubbed his hands together anxiously. "You're not done with your omelet yet?"

She scowled. "Very funny."

♥♥♥

Cheyenne was not a football player. She did not do sports, period, but here she was, on the school football field at nine on a Saturday morning. Just what was she thinking when she agreed to come to this thing? The field reminded her of Kevin and all the practices and games he made her watch. What he didn't know was that Cheyenne always sat in the very back row of bleachers for the first twenty minutes then disappeared to the concessions until the last thirty minutes of the game. So, answer: She hadn't been thinking.

No, Michael Fox had the ability to stop her synapses from firing, which was why she was sitting on the grass on a football field in the freezing cold. Well, five degrees above freezing, if you wanted to be technical.

As soon as she noticed Michael's Vista Cruiser pull into the parking lot, her brain did that funny stop-start thing again and the cold air was forgotten. She could see David sitting in the passenger seat through the windshield.

They parked right next to Dean's truck as Star and Michael and David piled out.

Cheyenne ran up to the fence and waited for Michael as he walked over, his breath puffing out in front of him.

"Hey," he said, unlatching the gate on the fence. "You came after all."

She smiled. "You sound surprised."

"I am." He paused, glancing to the right. "Hey, give me a second? I have to go tell Hobbs how dumb he looks in blue."

Hobbs strolled up the field with a few other guys. "All right. I'll wait here."

"Cool. Just two seconds." He walked off.

Feeling self-conscious standing by herself on a football field, Cheyenne went through the still-opened gate hoping to catch Star. Was she going to play today? Cheyenne hoped not, since, by the looks of it, she was the only other girl there.

Following the sidewalk, Cheyenne headed down to the parking lot and noticed Star talking to Dean. Cheyenne frowned, then shook her head. She crossed her arms over her chest. Even from the distance, Cheyenne could see Star's lower lip shivering from the chill air.

Thankfully, the snow had melted yesterday; the ground was still a bit damp from it. Probably it'd snow again soon, but at least the worst of the winter seemed to be over. March was right around the corner, and Cheyenne always thought of it as a signal spring would be soon to follow.

Before reaching the cars, Cheyenne glanced at her watch. Star had been talking to Dean for more than two minutes. She walked over. "Dean, you wouldn't mind if i stole Star, would you?"

Dean shook his head. "I'll call you later," he said to Star. Star didn't say anything. When Dean drove off, Cheyenne turned to her friend. "What did he say?"

Star looked apologetic. "It's hard to get away from him when he starts talking."

"Well, you have to try harder, otherwise you won't get over him. What did he say?"

"To ask me if i've seen his drum sticks."

Cheyenne suppressed a laugh. "Drumsticks?"

"Yes." Star rolled her eyes. "I know. It's so lame. But they're his favorite sticks and i guess they were expensive. He hadn't seen 'em in a few weeks and thought maybe he'd left 'em at my house or something." She shrugged.

♥♥♥

"I don't get geometry," Star said.

Kayla nodded at all the right intervals. She was trying to focus on what Star was saying, but it was hard to listen to her and watch Hobbs at the same time. He was the class clown in school, but here, on the football field, he was all business and it was kind of attractive, the way he commanded the game and poked fun at the other team when they fumbled.

Someone threw the ball to him. He scooped it out of the air effortlessly and started running toward her. Was she supposed to be doing something? Defending the goal? The rules were still kind of fuzzy. She put her hands up, since that seemed like a logical thing to do.

And then...

Wham!

Something barreled into her and she went down, her foot catching a depression in the ground. Pain stretched in her ankle and shot up her leg. She winced, rolling over, trying to bite her lip so she didn't scream like a little baby. The first five seconds were the most brutal, but the longer she bit her lip, the more the pain in her ankle subsided until it was a dull, throbbing ache. Her whole back was sopping and muddy from the wet grass. She sat up.

"Kayla!" Star shouted, not expecting what just happened.

Feet pounded on the ground as everyone ran over to her.

"I'm okay." She managed to squeak out.

"Can you get up?" Hobbs asked.

She nodded. He wrapped his arm around her waist and hoisted her up. She put weight on that foot and the pressure produced a soft throb in her ankle, but she was otherwise okay.

"Tanner," Hobbs said, "what in the hell were you doing?"

Brett Tanner stood off to the side, hands on his hips. "I didn't see her," he said. "Sorry."

He must have been the one who slammed into Kayla. She nodded. "It's okay."

"I'll take you to the hospital," Hobbs said. "Where are your keys?"

"No." Kayla shook her head. "I'm fine. Look, i can move it." She wiggled her foot. "It's not broken or anything. Probably just some ice would make it feel better."

Hobbs pursed his lips and seemed to think this over, then, "All right. I'll drive you home."

She pulled her car keys out of her pocket and handed them over. He wove an arm around her waist and let her lean into him.

"Do you need me for anything?" Star said, following them as Kayla hobbled off the field with Hobb's help.

"No, i'll be okay."

"Call me later then, when you feel up to it."

Hobbs led Kayla to her car. He held the passenger door for her and helped her settle into the seat. He went around to the driver's side and started the car up.

"I'm going to hang out for a while to make sure you're okay. Looks like you're stuck with me for a couple of hours," he said, grinning.

Kayla felt herself smile, despite the stiffness of her ankle. Being stuck with him didn't sound all that bad.