that author that you enjoyed. You must analyze at least one of the pieces.”
A girl raised her hand. “When will this be due?”
Ms. Miller sighed. She went to her bulletin board and nodded her head as she glanced the calendar. “Three weeks from today.”
Pretty easy assignment and lots of time to do it. I'm beginning to like Ms. Miller.
The bell rang and I stood up putting my backpack on and grabbed my math textbook. Eric put his books in his bag and gave me a glance. It seemed he wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.
After a beat he said, “When do you want to start on it?”
I shrugged. “Whenever.”
“Then Wednesday after school. At the library.” Obviously he meant public, which wasn’t too far from the school. The school library was closed after school was over.
“Yeah, sure.”
Janaki took another sip of her water and scribbled something else on her notebook paper. Then she flipped through her textbook to write another thing down.
“You know,” I started, “it's really lonely when I'm the only one who finished the homework for the classes after lunch.” I sighed and took a bite out of my chicken sandwich.
“You know,” she countered, grabbing some chips off her tray, “some people have to go to the ranch to make sure their horse is still alive.” I shook my head and she added, “Not only that, but having to make her little brother get his ass back in the car and go home.” She chuckled. “Brian is such a brat.”
“At least your brother is cute and adorable.” I glanced over at one of the pictures on my binder of my little sister smiling brightly as she posed for the camera. “My sister is so annoying!”
Janaki gave me a look of disbelief. “Nu-uh. You're little sister is so adorable. She always wants to hang out with us.”
“Exactly my point.”
“Cute. Emily's cute.” She smiled at me and I stuck out my tongue.
Janaki closed her textbook. “Oh! Who did you have to pair up with for Ms. Miller's class?”
“Ah, you know that kid—Eric Grant?” I asked.
Her eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped. Like if she was chewing gum right now, it would have fallen out epically. “No. Freaking. Way.”
I nodded.
“Why?”
“He sat next to me since the beginning of school. Well, technically sat next to him. He was sitting there before me on the first day of class.” I took a sip of my drink.
“You never told me that,” she said, now suddenly intrigued enough to forget about her homework completely.
I acted like it was nothing. “Never was a main concern of mine.”
“What's he like now?” She smirked. Everyone knew what he was like.
“Quiet, boring...mean.” I added.
“Eric, my-oh-my. How did you get so lucky?” The bell rang and we both stood up from our table and headed towards the door. There was a crowd around the entrance and a lot of pushing a shoving. We waited a few feet away. “Oh. Dottie?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you sleeping over tonight, or was I dreaming that?”
“...I don't know. You tell me.” I gave her a playful grin.
“Well if you are sleeping over, expect loud noises from the neighbor.” Of course. Janaki was referring to the teenage boy band that frequently practiced in the garage next door. I think they're going for post-alternative.
Janaki and I parted ways to go sixth period while I mulled over Eric.
He wasn't always hated and thought of as strange. He had friends, but one summer something weird happened. Three of his friends died mysteriously while a bunch of them just disappeared. Or moved, I guess. But they were never heard from again. It could all have been a coincidence, the police suspected some sort of cult thing. After that, no one bothered him mainly because they didn't want to be anywhere near him.
I had to admit, even I was scared of him for a while...well still am. It's too strange to be a coincidence, way too strange.
But that all happened two years ago. The investigation was put in the back burner, the bodies were found, and the funerals were given. During those darkest days, he was nowhere to be found.
I drove back home and checked the mailbox. Still haven't gotten a letter from Taylor. My cousin hardly replies back to any of the letters I sent. Well so much for trying to keep in touch. Mom was home today, probably trying to come up with something to write. She works for a entertainment magazine, writing movie reviews on romantic comedies.
“Hey mom,” I said as I passed her. She nodded without looking up, so I know not to bother her at this crucial moment of writing up her next review.
I dropped my bag on my bed and turned to my mirror. Jeez, I looked a mess. My blonde hair was all frizzy, usually because of the weather. My blue eye shadow was also wearing off, not that it mattered now. The only thing I have planned to do is go over at Janaki's after dinner.
“Dorothy, I'm going to pick up Emily!” Mom called from the front door, which she slammed before I could respond back to her.
“That’s gross! ”Janaki said as she was carefully painting one of her toenails a bright shade of purple. We were discussing some of the Cosmo Sex tips I pulled up on my laptop. They were just getting more ridiculous as I scrolled down the page.
“This is really boring.” I said as I exited out of the tab.
“I never said this sleepover was destined to be entertaining.” She was blowing on her toe now.
“We should do something,” I said, eyeing the glowing orange numbers on her alarm clock. “It's only 7:40.”
She sighed. “What would you like to do?”
“I don't know...catch a movie.”
“There's nothing good. In fact the movies are all crap. So repetitive, I've seen it all.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Riiiggghtt.” I opened a new tab on my laptop, typing in my favorite search engine.
“What are you doing?” She asked.
“Let's go to the park.” I offered.
“And do what there?”
“Why do we always have to have a plan?” I whined. “Can't we just go somewhere?”
But before she could answer, we heard a loud rumble next door, then the loud pitch of an electric guitar. Janaki pointed her finger at her window. “And miss this?” She smiled.
I glared at her but she just laughed. I typed in my name in the search engine and clicked on the first random website that popped up. Apparently, “Dorothy Fane” is a neurosurgeon located in Florida.
Janaki glanced over at the screen, “I see we're looking up ourselves.”
“You're not very good at keeping your guests entertained,” I muttered. Then I typed in her name, Kade's, and Jake's for the heck of it. “Got a yearbook?” I looked up at her.
“Not unless you want to go up in the attic.” She said, painting her fingernails now. I frowned. She smiled back. I glanced back at the computer screen, and typed in the first name I could think of: Eric Grant.
Search results came up that I least suspected. Headlines read, ‘Boy in charge of it all’ ‘Teen Murderer?’ ‘Kid's friends disappearance a coincidence?’ I thought police weren't supposed to give out names when the suspect is underage. Well...we're not underage now.
“You’ve got a newfound obsession of this guy, huh?” Janaki's voice made me jump. I didn't hear her sneak up from behind me.
“I'm not obsessed,” I said, closing my laptop. “I'm just bored.”
“Sorry,” she said, blowing on her hands now, “Can't help you there.” I glanced down at the carpet, tracing the swirling patterns with my eyes. I guess she noticed because she said, “I never told you this, but I was like best friends with Eric when we were in the third grade.”
I gazed at her. She was entertaining me now.
“It was a brief friendship, about six months before all the boys and girls made fun of us for hanging out because we were opposite genders.”
“Real
ly?” I asked, and she nodded. I wasn't didn’t go to the same elementary school as Janaki. I met her in middle school school and she acted like she barely knew Eric then. “What was he like?”
“He was nice and really funny. I guess we were both funny. I don't know...we just had a lot in common at that time. We would joke a lot, in fact we were inseparable.” She grinned.
“You guys weren't friends again after the whole...‘cooties’ era?” I air quoted.
“Sure we talked some, not a whole lot. People change, you know.” She shrugged. “And then after that whole incident...”
“...You never spoke again.”
“He never spoke to anyone again.” Janaki shook her head. “Well...not until you.”
“We're partners!”
“Yeah, Eric never has partners. In fact, he even made sure the teacher understood that he's not a group activity person. They didn't mind. Or maybe they were too terrified to refuse.”
The thought of any teacher crouching in fear of refusing Eric's request made me laugh.
Janaki raised her eyebrow, but I waved her off.
Then a thought came to mind. “Did you ever have a crush on him, Janaki?”
“Well...” She put her finger on her chin, “no. I don't think so.” Then she made a face at me. “Why, do you?”
“No, no, no, NO!” I spoke really fast, waving my hands in front of my face.
“So quick to answer,” She found a notebook from under her bed, and reached for a pen on her desk. I swear I heard her murmur, “You’re in denial,” under her breath but I didn’t acknowledge it.
I glanced as moved her pen on the notebook. “Now what are you doing?”
“Um...drawing,” she said.
My brows furrowed. “But you suck