School Daze
Chapter 2
Tabitha Carroll didn’t expect to be greeted in the hot and sticky atmosphere of her outdated 1979 Oldsmobile with a soft smile from her daughter, however she wasn’t going to question it. It was the least she could hope for after spending the greater- and hotter- part of the afternoon in her vehicle waiting for her daughter to complete registration into her new high school. She’d keep all the wonder and question inside, glancing over at her daughter Tabitha smiled to herself and started the engine. She had it all figured out, she wasn’t suppose to ask her daughter anything, because if anyone knew Quinn they knew how quick tempered and moody she was- of course that only applies on her bad days. Naturally, Quinn had been a heaven sent teenager- although she had a ways to go to be officially doned a teenager. Back at home in New York, Tabitha’s friend’s had one after another came to her with horror stories about their daughters having sex and babies. On impulse she had questioned Quinn, a rather forward approach if Tabitha must say so herself, and after defusing a screaming match- she had found that her daughter hadn’t even had a boyfriend yet. Satisfied with that, Tabitha was reassured. Realizing it wasn’t the best idea to Quinn be moving out of New York, she couldn’t be more happier to find herself in the slow paced country of Memphis. She hadn’t expected to like it, in fact any New Yorker always expected to hate their new surroundings. But no, Tabitha couldn’t be happier for her family and much less her daughter who would be even less tempted by the wiles of the adult world. What was the worse that can happen in Memphis Tennessee?
“ How was it?” Tabitha went against everything she just agreed with and decided that she’d rather know what had the smile on her daughter’s face. Of course, she could have mapped out the reaction herself. Slowly, but surely, the smile escaped and in replace a rather wretched scowl.
“ I’d rather be painting Aunt Tonette’s crusty toenails than to ever spend three hours like that ever again!” Quinn rolled her eyes and looked out the window towards the crowded lawn of her new school. Stoneybrook High definitely had a different feel about it. Truth be told she would have rather been doing any other tedious task then ever standing in that line for registration again, however it wasn’t like her day was a complete waste. She accidently let out a soft smirk, and quickly covered it over with a cough when her mother shot her a look. Positioning herself to look out the window, she silently remembered the scene before her in the mistaken boys bathroom. Smiling to herself, Quinn blushed and wondered if school would be so bad.
Running up the stairs followed by a sound track from their fragile and creaky state of her staircase, Quinn rushed to her room. On her way down the extended back hallway, she passed her younger brother who proceeded in placing another layer of masking tape around his newly designed bedroom door that read “ KEPP OUT”. Rolling her eyes, Quinn wondered if anyone would even bother to explain to the little brat that he had spelled the word keep out. Probably not though, he was a self indulgent smart ass who would more than likely ignore you and change it on his own accord. If there was one thing about Anthony George Carroll worth remembering, Quinn would try to forget it anyway. Moving past him and to her room, she closed her own door and fell onto her bed. Giggling to herself, she thought about the bizarre afternoon. She rolled onto her back and smiled up at ceiling. She had finally seen what the big jazz was that her girlfriends always harped about, but never had a chance to comment or spectate on. It was just as well that it would happen in Memphis, Quinn thought sitting up and looking into the mirror. Before her was a face of innocence, a face that hadn’t seen the world yet. Such an inexperienced young impressionable face. Maybe that’s why she never had a boyfriend, she thought sadly. She touched her puffed cheeks, that had yet to go down even though she was so passed the puberty stage- at least she was according to her friends and famous alias. In order to hold onto one shred of confidence, Quinn made up her whole hitting puberty stage claiming to have just woke up one morning and there it was in the seat of her pants a puddle of blood. She even got them to believe that she wasn’t even phased by it, in fact she played it off real good. She thought that would give her some cool points, and it did for a while. That was until everyone started having sex. She didn’t know what to say but the truth when they finally asked her. According to them she was now a full fledged woman once she got her monthly and was sorely behind on the times with still being a virgin. With that knowledge she never even questioned why she was never asked to the dances or to the movies. She had long since given up on not being beautiful as a means of an anwser who was she kidding, she had been told time and time before just how beautiful she was. She had a mirror, she knew there wasn’t much to dislike about her heart shaped face that was sprayed with a faint hint of freckles and adorned the roundest hazel brown eyes- a trademark of the Carroll family- cute button nose and strawberry shaped lips. She was beautiful, just too young. Always too young. But now she had something under her belt, she had finally seen ‘IT’. Giggling once again she fell back on her bed, she finally had a story to tell.
Walking up the pavement to her house, Justin wondered if it was the best idea for him to be visiting his ex girlfriend when there definitely wasn’t a parent’s vehicle or even a resemblance of life besides her own in her big three story brick house. With a sure of himself grin, Justin agreed to all of the above as a good ass idea. What better way then to bang out the summer with an old flame that had undoubtedly found that freshman do it better. Before he could even knock, Scarlett threw back the door. Her blonde hair cascaded around her thin shoulders reminding Justin once again of just how beautiful she was. It used to pain him to know that he had lost something that good, it used to hurt to even look at her. But as of late, he’d been doing much more than looking at her. In fact, just looking at her now reminded him of all the things he was about to get into. He had to breathe in his excitement before he burst right there on the front of her doorstep. Walking past her, he looked around and wondered where she had decided to do it this time. Taking a seat on her couch he looked up at her expectantly, his heart racing in anticipation.
“ Let’s go up to my room.” she smiled and he smiled back, standing. Had he ever guessed that things would be the way they were between them now, he would have broke up with her a long time ago. Following her up to her room, he wondered what Joshua would think of all this, Mr. High and Mighty Senior. Suddenly it felt good to be a freshman.
Running a hand down his face, Justin stepped out of Scarlett’s house. He didn’t know how he was going to make it back to his house without first passing out, seeing as how the life was drained out of him. Two hours later, Justin found himself on his way back home after another very satisfying session with Scarlett. Deciding that next time he would have Trace steal his Dad’s car, Justin began walking down the street. Sighing deeply, he thought about life as it was for him now. It amazed him how fast everything seemed to be moving, and he was only 15. At this age he was partaking in an affair with his ex girlfriend who had dumped him for a junior in highschool, and not just any junior..but THE junior. Joshua Chasez was star quaterback and pretty much led the life of the jock who had it all. Justin was so crushed when she dumped him, he had been accustomed to the feeling. It just hurt more, because the matter was more public. The even happened at a school dance. He didn’t even want his own thoughts to go into detail, he just skimmed past it like he always had. Things got pretty bad, but as unexpected as it was, he became pretty popular amongst the ladies. Not only did Scarlett break up with him in public, but she had also aired their sexual laundry for the public. He of course had told his won friends, but that was just for certification as a man’s man. She took it to a whole other level, she was giving details. Suddenly, the girl population of the junior high and even those of the senior high flocked to him. Even Scarlett came running back. Justin smirked to himself, he couldn’t ask for a better dealt hand. In fact he couldn’t wait until school started for the fall.
With a forced effort, Quinn gave her father Julius Carroll a tight smile and grabbed the leash signaling Princess- the family beast- that it was time for a walk outside. Usually it was always to unsafe for Quinn to walk around the neighborhood past nine at night, but in Memphis rules changed. Little did her parents know the desire to walk Princess was not based on animal need, but more for curiosity purposes on her own account. Princess brushed past Quinn and onto the front porch, wagging her golden tail as she anxiously waited for Quinn to latch the leash on. Quinn couldn’t help but smile, as the dog pulled her off the porch and down the sidewalk. Wondering why she hadn’t bothered to unravel the sloppy bun or change out of her Winnie the Pooh pajamas, Quinn preceded down the hall. Walking along not paying much attention to her tranquil surroundings, she suddenly found herself face to face with the guy who had the ‘IT’ exposed earlier that day at registration. A beet red blush moved about her face, as she stood gap mouthed staring at him. Was it the moonlight, or did he look even better up close and covered? His blue eyes showed that he recognized her, and if she wasn’t mistaken it also showed his amusement. Suddenly angered that she had allowed herself to not once, but twice become a stammering fool over him she quickly changed her disposition.
“ Excuse me?!” she sighed tugging on Princesses chain to move the dog from the boy that stood in front of her. Princess however, was in love with the boy, wagging her tail and barking as if suddenly love struck like her master.
“ What’s her name?” Quinn was going to pretend not to hear him ask her that, but she was intrigued by the fact that he knew it was a girl. Most people assumed that a golden retriever was a boy.
“ Princess.”
“ Cute.” he smiled and stood to his feet after playing with her dog’s coat.
“ Yes I know.” she smiled tightly and moved to walk away. Then she felt his hand touch her arm, of course the arm that had a cheesing tigger stitched on its cloth. She suddenly felt two years old.
“ You like Tigger and the gang.” he seemed to hold some sort of laughter in his voice that was much unappreciated. Quinn couldn’t help but snatch back her arm and glare at him. Whoever did he think he was to laugh at her and be amused when SHE saw HIS ‘IT’.
“ I don’t see what you think its so funny. And they are commonly known as Winnie the Pooh and Friends. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a task to finish.” she retorted and turned her back on him.
“ I’m Justin, nice to meet you.” he called out to her, but she was already up the street.
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