The Fragile Ordinary(53)
“Your perspective is refreshing and honest. May I ask what university you’re thinking of applying to?”
“The University of Virginia. They have great writing and poetry programs,” I said automatically, reeling from his praise.
He looked surprised but in a good way. “That’s a wonderful goal, Comet. And I think the literary magazine would help you achieve it.”
Hope suffused me. “Are you saying we can start the magazine?”
“I’ve spoken with Ms. Fergus, our department head, and she’s happy to let us give it try. With you leading the helm as editor.”
My belly roiled with a mixture of excited and nervous flutters. It was a lot of responsibility and I didn’t know if I could do it, but I was willing to try.
“That’s brilliant.” I gave him a tremulous smile.
Mr. Stone grinned. “Great. Okay. Well, I think with your exams coming just after Christmas break, it might be best to launch it next term. That will give us time to get the site and our team organized. I’m going to advertise that we’re recruiting a lit mag team but if you know anyone who might like to join please let me know.”
Amazed that I’d made this happen, I gathered my stuff, bidding my favorite teacher a good afternoon. I couldn’t wait to tell Vicki and I wanted to tell Tobias.
But over the next week I rarely saw him, Stevie and their crew around school and despite not wanting to be, I was concerned. I was anxious about what they could be up to. And I was worried that Tobias was going to get himself kicked out of Higher classes.
“Okay, I’ve had enough.” Vicki dropped her tray down beside me in the cafeteria with a bang, drawing my gaze from Tobias and Stevie’s empty table. “No more moping over Tobias.”
“Agreed.” Steph made a face. “All that frowning is going to give you wrinkles, Com.”
Yes, because that was what I was most worried about in life. “What do you suggest?”
She ignored my dry tone. “Antiwrinkle cream. I’ve already started using it.”
“You’re weird,” I replied.
“Forget Steph’s premature antiaging regime.” Vicki waved the subject off. “You, Comet Caldwell, are done moping after Tobias King. Don’t you think he knows you’re just sitting around waiting for him to show you a little bit of attention? That’s where all their power lies. But you have to take the power back.”
“And how do I do that?”
“Look, I know you’re not a party person, but word has it Tobias will be at this party some guys who used to go to school here are throwing.”
“It’s Dean Angus,” Steph grimaced. “He’s dodgy as hell.”
“Dodgy how?”
Vicki shrugged. “He runs with a dodgy lot. Possibly criminals. But Tobias will be at this party. We can just show up, we don’t have to stay long. We’re just sending the message that your life doesn’t begin and end with Tobias King.”
The angry part of me wanted to go to the party to show Tobias that very thing. Yet the concerned part of me was wondering why Tobias and Stevie were hanging around some guy who was possibly a criminal. My protectiveness toward them flared despite their ill treatment of me lately.
“You’re right. Let’s do it.”
THE FRAGILE ORDINARYSAMANTHA YOUNG
15
Bye to all those lonesome detours,
For you are mine and I am yours.
—CC
This was a bad idea.
I’d known it was a bad idea before we’d even stepped foot into the flat where the party was being held, but the feeling of trepidation I’d felt only worsened as we made our way through the crowded, narrow hall.
Head-pounding dance music flooded from the center of the flat, the deep bass vibrating in my chest, making my heart rate speed up. The smell of cigarette smoke, stale beer and musty air surrounded me, as I took in the mix of age groups with uneasiness. There were people my age, but there were also girls a little older, perhaps eighteen onward into their early twenties, and there were men much older than that.
As I passed an older girl eyeballing Vicki, Steph and me, she blew smoke from her rolled-up cigarette at me and I wrinkled my nose at the pungent, awful, herby smell. That lady was not smoking a normal cigarette.
“This was a bad idea.” I turned to the girls at the opening to the living room. “Maybe we should leave.”
“It’s just a little weed, Comet,” Steph said. “Relax.”
I huffed and turned back to the crowded room. Searching the faces of the people milling around, drinking, smoking, talking, some snogging each other’s mouths off, I couldn’t find Tobias. This was a mistake.
And then three people moved, revealing a sofa and coffee table in the middle of the room. Surrounded by older boys I didn’t recognize was Stevie. As if in slow motion, like some horrid scene in a movie, I watched as Stevie leaned over the coffee table with a rolled-up bit of paper, placed it against his nose and inhaled a line of white powder from the coffee table.
“Holy crap.” I thought I heard Vicki say over the excruciatingly loud music. “Did Stevie just snort cocaine?” she yelled in my ear.
Yes.
My friend Stevie just did a line of cocaine in some stranger’s dodgy flat.