MooneShadows
Chapter II: Bullet with Butterfly Wings

We never talked about things, Josh and I...well, we talked, about stupid shit, nothing of any importance--pipe dream crap. We also did a lot of stupid shi...stuff. It would start as simple enough, like it always did and it would end with us being gone too long and going too far. I'd tell Alex or Wednesday that Josh and I would be going for a walk down the road (the one time I told Alexis she looked back at me with her "do I look like I really give a fuck?" expression). They would either nod or say some off-the-cuff sarcastic barb and we'd run out the door and into the woods across the street. We wouldn't run for too long as we would eventually be on the ground, lying on one of our jackets (we took turns on whose coat would be partially ruined) doing what no one talks about when they're that age. You just do it.

Josh was only in my seventh period class with me. The only other time I got to really see him (except for when we would ditch class and meet up somewhere in the school) was during lunch. He, along with Chad, would sit with Becky, Christy and I at the end of one of the long lunch room tables. You'd think that Christy was the "odd man out" but she was the one who I counted on to keep me in check at times...and to fill me in on what the teachers were saying about us.

“I forgot to say this earlier--I had a little run in with Jamie this morning," Becky stated as we sat down in the lunchroom.
“Really? Where's she at?” Christy asked as she looked down the table.
Jamie Miller was a...would I sound like an arrogant bitch if I said she was a slut? Or if she appeared to be one whilst calling everyone else one? At any rate, she was the one in a million person who could actually piss Becky off. She could piss anyone off easily, she was very good at doing that, but to get on Becky's dark side...that took frickin God-inspired talent!

“Bitch went home early. She had this cut on the back of her head; had blood oozing from it or something, I--”
“Do you mind?” Christy replied as she pointed at her lunch. I usually brought my lunch from home (when mom would go shopping), Christy would go through the lunch line and Becky would usually steal an item or two from us.
“You're not gonna eat that, are you, Chris?” Becky asked as she stuck her finger in Christy's spaghetti.
“I thought about it.”
“I wouldn't.”
“Why, besides you putting your f'n finger in it?”
“Look at it! It looks like something in a tampon.”
Christy-along with several others within earshot-shoved their tray away.
“Well, that's what it looks like, you asked.”
I opened my brown bag as Chad walked behind Becky and rubbed her shoulders.
“Down further, baby.”
“Hey everyone.”

Chad sat down next to Becky and after stealing a quick look at her, turned his attention to me.

“What happened between you and Josh, Cher?”
“Oh yeah, like you don't know,” I didn't bother to look at him as I spoke.
“Well, yeah, I do, but--”
“Fuck off, Chad.”
“What?”
“Chad, honey, do as she says and fuck off,” Becky cooed.
“Ooh, you're learning.”
“From the best."
Chad then looked at me. "I tried to talk to him.”
“Did you now?" I asked in such a mock tone that it wasn't just bleeding with sarcasm, it was hemorrhaging in a pool of its own blood.
“Yeah, but, you know…there's just no stopping someone when they're-”
“Say 'in love' and lose a body part you hold so dear.”
“Hey, not my fault if my friend's in ze romantic passzion with Chastille."
“He's just horny.”
“Oh, my virgin ears.” Chad replied, "What has been heard can never be undone."
If I had timed my aim right, I could throw my soda at his face and, perhaps, chip his front tooth.

My remaining classes, before Home Economics, were passive. No one in my Math or History classes really talked with me about personal things. It was more like "Cherry, can you help with this problem" or "Hey, Moone, who were the dudes who were killed in the Alamo?" On most days I would gladly try to help. On that particular day though I had to swallow all of the negative emotion...like eating a crap sandwich and trying to convince yourself that its mint chocolate chip ice cream...and attempt to help your fellow student, all the while knowing that they could/would never help you with anything. Not that I put any thought into that. The Moone family believed in trying to help people but in the end, we would be solving our own word problems and fighting the Mexican army by ourselves.

Then seventh period came and I really wished that I had a Bowie knife. Not to cut Josh into little pieces or sever a finger or two...more like a way to keep him in check. Magazines say that you can hold a man (boy) hostage through sex (or the lack of it)...but since that no longer applied...I take that back, I wanted to scalp the bastard.
“Alright, let’s get into groups and begin. We have a lot to accomplish. Everything has to be prepared and ready before class is over. It's two-thirty five. You have forty minutes. On task, everyone.”

Mrs. Jantz addressed the class from across a set of massive cabinets. The Home Ec room was divided into two sections: desks and sewing machines with the other half was devoted to tables and cooking stations. The class was usually divided into groups of four and Josh usually found himself with me and we would then be combined with two other students. Our class consisted of people who were either too stupid to breathe (and you'd hope, breed) or too obnoxiously arrogant and stuck up for you to stand...and you’d hope they'd stop breathing too. Which camp did Josh and I belong to? Before that day, I'd say we were our own club. We could have been our own freaking "Breakfast Club"...surrounded by the class of people who'd fit in on the streets of Verona in a bitter feud.

The other two members of our group were Cindy Betts and Laura Himler. If Christy and Becky were my best friends, then Cindy and Laura were my worst enemies…before that day.

“Glad you could make it, Cherry. Hope it wasn't too hard on your social life.”
“Only for you, Cindy, only for you,” I replied as I walked into the unit area.

Josh was already there, standing on the opposite side from Cindy and Laura. I was unsure who I needed to hate more at that moment.
Laura hovered over her binder which had the recipe we working on: beef stroganoff. “This is going to take too long to make. We're going to take too much time prepping and won't have it done in time.”
“Are we having difficulty figuring this out?” I asked to no one.
“No.”
“What are we making again?" Josh asked as he grabbed aprons from a drawer and gave one to Christy and Laura. He deliberately snubbed me. The moronic, stupid, arrogant, and for some reason I gave him my virginity, bastard, freaking snubbed me in front of the Evil Queen and Maleficent!

I took the time to grab the notebook
“Stroganoff? …with green beans?” This was something I could do with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back. However, we were required to do it as a group and not one person could simply sit back and do nothing….but usually Josh and I did. At this time, I had the options of failing the assignment or to work together with three other people who I would have rather filleted with a rusty spoon.

“The noodles will take the longest due to boiling water. Let’s start on that.”
The other three looked at me with an expression that read “who the hell died and put you in charge?”
“We can either stand here and do nothing and fail, or we can try to work together.”
“I’ll get going on the noodles. Laura, get the dry ingredients for the sauce.” Cindy stated.
I walked to the refrigerator to retrieve the beef as Josh stood in the middle of the area, looking like a doofus who didn’t care. He then moved towards the stove and took a frying pan out from the drawer beneath the oven. So, he wasn’t entirely useless after all.
I unwrapped the meat, placed it on the frying pan and turned on the burner. Josh leaned over the side of the stove with a stupid grin on his face.
“What's so funny?” I asked…not really wanting to hear the answer, but--
“I just remembered what you used to say when your brother would try to cook.”
“Yeah, well like him, you're an idiot who doesn't know how to boil water.”
“I just say let a ‘woman’ do it.”
“How is your ‘woman’, Josh?”
“Jealous, Cherry?”
“Of Chastille?”
“Yeah.”
“She's fifteen and in the eighth grade for the second time.”
“So?”
Our conversation was not lost on Cindy and Laura and they maneuvered themselves in order to appear like they were working but were really just interested in the drama performance in front of them.
“Doesn't that tell you something? She's brainless, like you: a perfect match.”
“Get over yourself, Cherry.”
“You're so full of shit, Josh.”
“So, Josh, why did you break up with Cherry?”
“Wait, the two of you aren't going out anymore?” Laura asked again as she looked at me with a sly grin…a grin that hid a lot of vile and hatred…and she just couldn’t wait to spill it out at me.
“I could have told you that.” Cindy answered as she moved to the stove with a pot of beans.
“So, Josh, why did you break up with Cherry?” Laura asked.
Josh just shrugged his shoulders like an idiot.
“Just say it, Josh: She's a bitch.”
“Watch it, Bettes!”
“Or what, Moone?”
“Or you're gonna find your ass burning on this stove.”
“Cherry!”

And with that, we had the attention of the rest of the class, including Mrs. Jantz.
“Is there a problem here?”
“No, Mrs. Jantz,” I replied, my anger no longer seething…but if I had been given immunity from punishment, Cindy’s face would not have survived the pummeling I wanted to give her.
“Finish the lab, everyone. Cherry, please see me after class.”