Sweet Dreams-57

Chapter 57

*Before…

Anika Christenson is glaring daggers at me as I take a seat and look at everyone.
“Hey…”
Everyone does their “Hey’s” and I get a few hugs and a whole bunch of envelopes with what looks like cards for me and stuff.
I look at Jen. “What’s with Anika?”
Cindy holds up the school newspaper.
There’s the lists of people with their picture on there that are running for Homecoming Queen and King and there’s pictures of Alex there which…? I mean I didn’t think that he was into that but I guess he was maybe when he was with Jen.
And my picture is right beside his.

………………….. “Sonofabitch!”

*And Now…

I grab the paper and I stare at it and my picture there beside Alex’s and it’s one I never posed for but it looks like me at the lunch table here with them all and it’s a close up of me.

I’m literally not sure what I have a bigger problem with being put up for this or that I have my picture taken without my consent.

Yes I’m paranoid and buggy about stuff like that.

I start reading the article and Alex and I have been nominated.

Not like we’re in it as an actual fact but nominated.

Phew…

Jen grins at me. “You said that you wanted to be more involved with doing things.”

“Not this, did you do this?”

“Actually I didn’t but I do think it’s cool.”

“Well you would this is one of those things that people like you do.” I’m shaking the paper at her.

“People like me?” She raises her eyebrows. Cindy actually looks like she might laugh or giggle.

“Yes! Preppies, this whole popularity shtick is right up your alley.”

I’m getting looks like from everyone. Betty one of the cheerleaders says. “This coming from the girl that’s dating the Captain of the football team?”

“Not dating thank you I’m a lot more blue collar. Alex and I are shacked up.” That gets some laughs from people at the table and I get shot another look that would kill from Anika and her cronies because she’s seeing me at a table where there laughter and I’m with others of like the popular crowd.

That kinda bugs me.

Classism bugs me a lot and Alex takes the paper and he’s reading it too but he’s saying. “Dad keeps going on about me doing this sort of thing and it might just shut him up.”

Jen… “You’ll have more of a voice here and stuff especially if you want to get on with doing things like you said.”

I look at them. “I hate this kind of stuff, it’s just a popularity contest and I hate those kind of people.”

Cindy nods. “But that’s usually because all the same kind of people go and run for these things because no one thinks they can beat the beauty queens and stuff.”

“You’re one of the beauty queens.”

“I’ve never run.”

“Jen did.” And I turn to look at Alex. “She ran with you.”

He nods. “And I did it all under protest and really all I did was show up.”

I cross my arms. “And this would be different how?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know…maybe I’d give a shit for once?”

I look at him a bit miffed and he looks at me and he’s not caving. We’re actually disagreeing.

Cindy… “Hunter it’d look seriously good on your college apps just going out and doing this.”

I finish my coffee. “Can I think about it? I’ll be back.”

I head to the ladies room and I run into Anika and her friends on the way there and she cuts me off and she sort of does that rich girl get in your face without getting in your face thing.

“Back off Hunter, this isn’t your thing.”

Huh?

What the fuck? Did she? Is she?...... “Are you actually telling me to step away from the whole homecoming thing?”

“You heard me, look you can take the crappy colors out of your hair and wear nice clothes that Alex’s step mom bought you and you can fuck your way into Alex’s family but we all know that you’re just trash…hell you’re just their little pet just like Jen and Cindy are our token little pet dykes.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah…really.”

I step up another half step and I crowd her body space. Just because I’ve cleaned up a lot and stuff doesn’t mean that I’m going to be a push over for her or people like her.

“Listen here Anika, I am who I am and I did come from a lot harder and poorer places than you could ever dream of. I’ve survived stuff I hope that you never get to see so you can yap, yap, yap away just like one of those annoying little toy dogs all you want and it won’t bother me but you talk smack about one more time about my friends and I’ll take you yappy little ass and stuff you inside your Fendi bag.”

Okay…maybe her being a bigot kind of tweaked my buttons that I have about that stuff from being around Cliff and the skinheads and stuff.

And…

Dammit it’s not just that I’m pissed but I can now just imagine if someone like her got that kind of power…well influence in the school. I mean there’s enough not that nice wannabe preps that she could make or extend her own little clique.

And that mixed with her just pissing me off made my decision.

I stare at her still right in her space and not even looking at her friends and stuff…I know they’re there but Anika’s never really gotten the street styled thousand yard stare before I don’t think or really picked a fight with someone she couldn’t take verbally or socially.

She’s the one who looks away first and she’s the one that heads out of there and even though I’m sort of on the nervous edge from it maybe being a four on one thing I’m still good…home you’d get jumped depending on the bunch of girls Anika’s one of those get others to do it for you people.

I get one last pissy stare before she leaves in the opposite direction and I adjust my bra-strap and give her the finger and head to the bathroom.

Jen and Cindy and some of the girls aren’t too far behind.

I’m taking a pee when I hear Jen… “Hunter? Hunter are you alright?”

“I’m fine though I really, really think that she doesn’t want me to run.”

Cindy… “A bunch of them don’t because they think you’ll win and you’re not one of them and you’re a newcomer.”

I finish and do my thing and come out. “Which means what?”

Jen… “They don’t know who’s side you’re on.”

“Who’s side? What? I’m on my flipping side.” I shake my head all the way to the sink. “Honestly girls I could give two shits about the schools popularity wars and stuff. I don’t care who owes who what or who’s sleeping with who and who looked better in what effing outfit that who and shit like that.”

Jen chuckles. “Yeah exactly why they hate you.”

Betty… “And like no offense but you’re poor Hunter they are really like offended you’re even in the school.” She then mimics someone she heard. “Effing crack whore isn’t there like rules for having people like her in our school.”

The girls are nodding and I turn around from the sink and the mirrors. “Okay…if Alex is I I’ll do it but can someone tell me what the actual point is? I mean other than the dance and stuff what does homecoming Queen actually do?”