Red Headed Hurt

"Ok now students class is dismissed an hour early so I want you to meet with your partner and go somewhere on campus and begin writing your papers and bouncing ideas off of each other. A good place to start would be to let the other look at your 5 year goal list."

She rambled on for a few more minutes before actually dismissing us and I put on my best scowl so that my friends and even Ami would distance themselves from me. I turned to look at Irish, but he was gone and I saw him heading out the back door of class. I get up to race after him and I finally find him power walking towards the back doors that led to the old stone wall where kids go to smoke. I don’t say anything until we get outside and are halfway to the wall because it’s not till then that I think my voice won’t betray me into embarrassment.

"Hey Irish it’s been a long time man, glad we could hangout before high school ended and"

He whirls around on me and he has tears in his eyes, his blue eyes that I remember sparking from middle school are dull blue now, almost hollow. It’s scary because I don’t understand what could have happened to make that happen, yes we weren’t in the same league of popularity but he still should be popular and happy. I also realize he now has an old scar above his left eye and a fresh bruise on the right of his jaw. "Don’t, just fucking don’t you asshole. This is not hanging out, were not friends, and I don’t care if I fail, but I’m not doing this project with you, now fuck off like you did 4 years ago."

He slowly turned back around, face flushed and barley containing the tears falling down his checks, hands trembling. I stand there and watch him walk away just stuck. Stunned. I don’t know what I thought would happen but I didn’t think this would happen. I mean why would he be so unhappy. I blew out a snort when I realized it wasn’t my problem and turned around to go find my friends. The rest of the week passed by without a hitch thankfully. My friends and I hung with other popular kids and began talking about spring break. We tormented some people, and generally had a blast. Irish didn’t show up to English the rest of the week. This gnawed at me each day more and more because he seemed to blame me.

I get home after school on Friday and flop down onto my queen size bed. Shuan has cleaned my room and she always sprays a rose water mist in my room saying it gets rid of all the nasty boy smell, but secretly we both know that it’s cause the scent calms me and if she didn’t use the excuse my dad wouldn’t let her spray such a feminine scent in my young manly room. As I lay on the bed I start to think about Irish and his absence, which brings my mind back to the fight if you could call it that. He seemed so unhappy, so mad at me and I try to figure out why. I think back over the last four years and I try to remember fragments of details. I breathe the rose water scent deeply and let the memories come as I close my eyes... "Did you hear that some Irish boy’s mother got killed in a car crash?".... "Someone said they saw that guy Alroy buying drugs.".... "That dude is bad news.".... "He got into another fight and beat Caleb half to death, there talking about possible jail time."... "You two used to be friends right? Was he always this bad?"

My eyes flew open when I remembered all those things I had heard during the past three and a half years. Was I so self obsessed that I couldn’t even take the time to pay attention to the whispers about my former best friend? My heart felt so heavy and I know part of why, but I won’t admit that, I’ll force it down until it’s gone. I ponder what to do about Irish and the English class situation when life calls.

"HI HONEY!"

-Sigh-

"Oh so grumpy! Well cheer up; there is a nocturnal party tonight!!! Can you believe it?! YES! We’re all going together so be dressed by 9pm or we will leave you. By honey!"

-Click-

All thoughts of Irish fleeting from my mind just as quickly as they had came. Holy Shit! A Nocturnal party! Nocturnal parties were legendary, taking place at important times of the year every two to four months. The last one for Halloween got ratted out to the cops so it was scrapped. The last one before that was right before school in August of last year, everyone will be pumped. There open to high school and college students from Boston and the surrounding area high schools with the cash to pay the one hundred dollar fee to enter. No problem for my crew. Always held in one of the more unsavory areas of Boston or its surrounding areas so that the cops are more spread out and there’s a rumor that says the ring leader pays several cops to stay away. I began wondering how much extra money to bring for party favors, whether or not to tell Ami we were free of each other for the night and try and find some fun or tell her we were a couple tonight to make sure I had a sure thing later on, and most importantly what to wear. After all it’s just another social event and a popular guy has to look the part where ever he goes. This party should be sick!

"Ok now students class is dismissed an hour early so I want you to meet with your partner and go somewhere on campus and begin writing your papers and bouncing ideas off of each other. A good place to start would be to let the other look at your 5 year goal list."

She rambled on for a few more minutes before actually dismissing us and I put on my best scowl so that my friends and even Ami would distance themselves from me. I turned to look at Irish, but he was gone and I saw him heading out the back door of class. I get up to race after him and I finally find him power walking towards the back doors that led to the old stone wall where kids go to smoke. I don’t say anything until we get outside and are halfway to the wall because it’s not till then that I think my voice won’t betray me into embarrassment.

"Hey Irish it’s been a long time man, glad we could hangout before high school ended and"

He whirls around on me and he has tears in his eyes, his blue eyes that I remember sparking from middle school are dull blue now, almost hollow. It’s scary because I don’t understand what could have happened to make that happen, yes we weren’t in the same league of popularity but he still should be popular and happy. I also realize he now has an old scar above his left eye and a fresh bruise on the right of his jaw. "Don’t, just fucking don’t you asshole. This is not hanging out, were not friends, and I don’t care if I fail, but I’m not doing this project with you, now fuck off like you did 4 years ago."

He slowly turned back around, face flushed and barley containing the tears falling down his checks, hands trembling. I stand there and watch him walk away just stuck. Stunned. I don’t know what I thought would happen but I didn’t think this would happen. I mean why would he be so unhappy. I blew out a snort when I realized it wasn’t my problem and turned around to go find my friends. The rest of the week passed by without a hitch thankfully. My friends and I hung with other popular kids and began talking about spring break. We tormented some people, and generally had a blast. Irish didn’t show up to English the rest of the week. This gnawed at me each day more and more because he seemed to blame me.

I get home after school on Friday and flop down onto my queen size bed. Shuan has cleaned my room and she always sprays a rose water mist in my room saying it gets rid of all the nasty boy smell, but secretly we both know that it’s cause the scent calms me and if she didn’t use the excuse my dad wouldn’t let her spray such a feminine scent in my young manly room. As I lay on the bed I start to think about Irish and his absence, which brings my mind back to the fight if you could call it that. He seemed so unhappy, so mad at me and I try to figure out why. I think back over the last four years and I try to remember fragments of details. I breathe the rose water scent deeply and let the memories come as I close my eyes... "Did you hear that some Irish boy’s mother got killed in a car crash?".... "Someone said they saw that guy Alroy buying drugs.".... "That dude is bad news.".... "He got into another fight and beat Caleb half to death, there talking about possible jail time."... "You two used to be friends right? Was he always this bad?"

My eyes flew open when I remembered all those things I had heard during the past three and a half years. Was I so self obsessed that I couldn’t even take the time to pay attention to the whispers about my former best friend? My heart felt so heavy and I know part of why, but I won’t admit that, I’ll force it down until it’s gone. I ponder what to do about Irish and the English class situation when life calls.

"HI HONEY!"

-Sigh-

"Oh so grumpy! Well cheer up; there is a nocturnal party tonight!!! Can you believe it?! YES! We’re all going together so be dressed by 9pm or we will leave you. By honey!"

-Click-

All thoughts of Irish fleeting from my mind just as quickly as they had came. Holy Shit! A Nocturnal party! Nocturnal parties were legendary, taking place at important times of the year every two to four months. The last one for Halloween got ratted out to the cops so it was scrapped. The last one before that was right before school in August of last year, everyone will be pumped. There open to high school and college students from Boston and the surrounding area high schools with the cash to pay the one hundred dollar fee to enter. No problem for my crew. Always held in one of the more unsavory areas of Boston or its surrounding areas so that the cops are more spread out and there’s a rumor that says the ring leader pays several cops to stay away. I began wondering how much extra money to bring for party favors, whether or not to tell Ami we were free of each other for the night and try and find some fun or tell her we were a couple tonight to make sure I had a sure thing later on, and most importantly what to wear. After all it’s just another social event and a popular guy has to look the part where ever he goes. This party should be sick!