“I guess. I can’t imagine having the chance to be with her and passing up on it.” But even as the words left his lips, it wasn’t Jade’s face he was seeing in his mind, but Gwendolyn’s. That last look she had given him before walking out of the cafeteria, eyes slightly squinted, almost like she wanted to say something to him.
“You got a thing for Jade, cousin?”
“Doesn’t everybody? I mean… look at her!”
“Oh I looked at her, all right. And I saw nothing but tits and crazy. You think her tits are big, you should see her crazy.”
“But there’s someone else.” Kip smiled. “She’s the only girl who’s ever talked to me.”
Zak punched Kip in the arm. “Oh yeah? Who is this?”
“It’s not like you think. She talks to me because she feels sorry for me. That’s all… but I don’t care. She’s perfect.”
“I’m still waiting, cousin. Who is she?”
Kip almost said her name, but chewed it back down. “Just… somebody. That’s all.”
When they got back to Kip’s house, they went straight toward Kip’s room. He stood on his tiptoes and pulled the attic door down, pulled out the stairs.
“Nice fucking spread, man.” Zak walked straight to Kip’s bookshelf and started flipping through the comics. Every issue in a plastic sleeve with a cardboard back. Superhero and movie monster action figures stood atop the shelf, all lined up as if frozen in the middle of some epic mash up battle.
“Holy shit,” Zak said. “You kept all your old comics from when we were kids?”
“Yep. Every one. I’ve got all my comic cards in binders too. All still in perfect condition.”
“I’m having a nerdgasm over here. I haven’t even thought about comic books since… well shit. Since I used to come over to your house and play.”
The two of them spent the afternoon playing video games, going through comic books, and flipping through Kip’s binders. It felt like old times, and Kip couldn’t remember a time when he had felt happier.
“Hey, Kip?” Zak said.
Kip paused his game. “Yeah?”
“I’m sorry for lying to you, man. About going to class, you know? I’ve been feeling bad about it all day.”
Kip rolled his eyes, unpaused the game. “Don’t worry about it. You broke it off with Jade, right? So you won’t have to miss anymore class. And don’t forget… you got me if you need any help with your schoolwork. From what I hear, I’m kind of a genius.”
Zak reached over and decked Kip in the shoulder. “Yeah yeah, rub the shit in.”
Kip could hardly catch his breath. The controller slipped from his hand and he leaned back, let his body fall onto the carpet as the feeling spread from his shoulder all the way down his spine. There must have been a zit on the verge of bursting where Zak had hit him, and when Zak’s fist collided with it, it popped, filled him with elation.
“Kip? What… what are you doing, man?”
Kip forced himself back to a sitting position, gripped his knees to calm the shaking. “N-nothing. I was just… just messing around.”
“Okay,” Zak said, one eyebrow higher than the other. “So… there’s something I want to talk to you about. It’s gonna sound bad, okay? Just… just trust me on this. And don’t get all worked up either.”
“Um…”
“Have you ever heard of Senior Skip Day?”
Even through the vibrating pleasure radiating up and down Kip’s back, he was able to frown. “What are you talking about, Zak?”
“It’s like a student holiday, man. Had the same thing back in California. Everyone does it, I’m telling you. It’s not a big deal.”
Kip just shook his head, was hoping Zak was just messing around.
“Come on, Kip. Everyone skips on this day. Everyone. Even the teachers know about it.”
“Are you being serious right now? You just apologized for lying to me.” Blood trickled down Kip’s back, felt like a feather tip sliding down his skin. He wanted so bad to check the ruptured pimple in the mirror, finger the pus out.
“And that’s why I’m telling you up front. There’s a big party. From what I hear, all the… you know… cool kids will be there. I bet even your mysterious dream girl might be there.” Zak reached over as if to nudge Kip again, but Kip avoided it. “I want you to come with me. This could be your chance to lose the Toad label, man. Break out of your cocoon… become a butterfly.”
“A butterfly?”
“Okay, I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about. But seriously… I want you to come with me. It’s one day. Teachers don’t teach anything important on Senior Skip Day. I bet every one of them shows a video or some shit.”
Gwendolyn wouldn’t be caught dead at one of these parties. No way. But… but what if she was there? What if this is my big chance to talk to her? Really talk to her.
“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone is going to want me there. It’ll ruin the party.”
“Not if you’re with me. And besides, they don’t know you. Not like I do. They’re just a bunch of stupid kids being mean… it’s what they do. They can’t help it, man.”
“Right. It’s basic instinct to make my life a living hell every single day. Is that what you’re saying?”
Just then, Kip heard his mom’s car pull into the driveway.
“I can’t. I’m sorry, Zak. You go if you want… and I won’t even get mad. I don’t care, okay? But I can’t.”
Before Zak could say another word, Kip jumped to his feet and dashed toward the door. He always greeted his mom when she got home from work, and he meant to keep the tradition going. Well, that and he didn’t want to hear his cousin try and persuade him to skip class anymore.
“Kip,” Zak called out from behind him. “Come on, man.”
Kip was already halfway down the stairs. Zak followed, worry distorting his face like he had a mouthful of spoiled milk.
“You won’t… you know. You won’t tell Aunt Jenny about any of this shit, right? Me skipping, or even the fight. She can’t know. Please.”
“Relax. I’m not going to say anything. I’m just going to say hi and give her a hug.”
They walked down to the first floor together, Zak becoming more nervous-looking the closer they got to the front door.
“You’re a real good kid, Kip. Seriously.”
“Thanks. But it’s not like I—”
The front door exploded open and Kip’s mom stormed in. At first, Kip thought something was wrong, thought something had happened to her. His heart got to thumping and his skin got to boiling.
Thump… thump… thumpthumpthumpthump.
But then he saw the smile on her face. She dropped to her knees in front of Kip and immediately hugged him, squeezed him tight.
“Mom… what’s going on?”
“Honey,” she said, grabbing Kip by both shoulders. Her grip tightened over the wound where Zak had popped his zit, and he had to concentrate to keep his eyes from rolling. “They’re sending me to New York. Can you believe it? Me! Out of everyone in the office, they chose me!”
She made a sound like eeeeeek and then hugged Kip again.
“Wait… what do you mean? New York?”
“A business trip. To meet with a big client there. This is huge, Kip. Huge. This could mean bigger and better things for us, baby.”
“You’re leaving to New York, Mom? When?” He tried to hide the shakiness from his voice, but it was loud and clear.
His mom noticed it too, because she let go of him, stood up, straightened out her pant suit. “I leave on Monday. I’ll be gone for a week. Kip… aren’t you excited? You know how hard I’ve been working and—”
“Mom, of course I’m excited. But what am I going to do?”