Freaks and geeks

I grumbled the entire time I was in line. Today was shaping up to be a lousy day already. I just came from English and the only book left for the assignment was about some girl in the south. Like who cares?

Drill instructors in the army will wake up sleeping soldiers by screaming and slamming books on their desk. Some teachers will take silly pictures as punishment or they'll let the entire class leave early just to screw with them. I saw one video once where they made a kid think there was a zombie outbreak while he was asleep. It was hilarious watching him freak out. Why couldn't I have any teacher like that? No while I was sleeping someone ...someone put makeup on my face!

I tried washing it off in the sink but nothing budged. My only hope was there was good enough water pressure in the locker room.

"Hi, sweetie...oh. What happened to your face?" That's another reason I didn't blame Bobbi right off. He had left to go to the office and was out the rest of the class.

"I fell asleep."

"Talk about getting your beauty sleep."

"Please tell me there's a shower in the gym."

"Oh, there is." He smiled oddly like when I remember the fun I had at six flags. I'd give anything to be there right now. "Come on, I'll show you."

"You have gym too?"

"Yuppers." Great. Well maybe if I shower beforehand I won't have to shower with...everyone else. I hid behind Bobbi as he pulled me along still holding my hand, "Sweetie not that I'm not delighted to have you back there but what are you doing?"

"Hiding my face. Last thing I need is to look like a freak on my first day."

He stopped cold and I instantly knew what I had done wrong, "A freak huh?"

"You know what I mean. This isn't my style."

"And my style is freaky?"

"I mean kind of?" Fuck I'm stupid. "No, I didn't mean-"

"No. I know what you meant." He dragged me on again but...well if holding hands with someone could feel businesslike that's what it felt like as he pulled me through the halls. "Some people pay hundreds of dollars for the makeover you got for free!" Who would pay that much for face goop?

"I wouldn't."

"Nah. Too freaky for you."

"I meant-"

"No, I get it." He really didn't. I never spent more than twelve bucks on a haircut. His voice sounded cold and distant and...God help me I was missing him calling me sweetie.

"Here." He pointed to two pairs of double doors.

"Thank you," I looked at the blank doors anxiously, "which one is the guys' locker room?"

"Hmm," he pretended to think for a moment, "I could be really mean and lie and send you into the girls' room. Hmm."

"Bobbi..."

"You're lucky I'm a good person. It's that one." He pointed to the doors on the right with his painted nail.

I walked to the doors and saw no one inside and no indicator if he was lying or not. When I turned around to look at him he rolled his eyes and he shoved the door open and walked inside. I rushed in behind him. Bobbi was already at a locker pulling out a bag and a pair of gym shorts.

"Bobbi I-"

"You better scrub that off before anyone shows up. Here. Makeup remover." He refused to look at me as he handed me the bottle over his shoulder, if I didn't know better I could swear he was trying not to cry. But that's crazy.

I took my bag and found the showers. Great. Open showers. I stripped as quickly as I could and turned the water on, holy balls it was cold! The pressure was good at least. Luckily it warmed up quickly and I scrubbed my face with as much soap and water as I could. I spit water out of my mouth and checked my rag, it was definitely coming off. Thank God. I could hear voices, great I hope I can scrub my face clean before anyone sees.

I peaked at the mirror by the toilets and sink around happily the makeup was gone but my face was definitely red from scrubbing.

In the gym I saw Bobbi sitting on a pile of blue mats picking at the velcro while the rest of us were **** to run laps. Every time I passed him he would turn his back to me. He looked like a hurt puppy. I was halfway through my third lap when someone ran into me nearly tripping me to the floor. "You the one that's mean to Bobbi?" It was a girl.

"I'm not mean to Bobbi."

She looked like she could be a linebacker with all her muscles. "You called Bobbi a freak!" She grabbed me and practically threw me to a corner behind the bleachers where no one could see us.

"I didn't call Bob-"

"I'm gonna show you what a freak is."

"What?" If I was Spider-man she was the hulk and that's not a good fight for Spider-man. "Look I like Bobbi I would never-" She punched my lights out. And I mean plum out.

I woke up in the nurse's office with an ice bag on my face. "Oh, God! I thought you were dead!" Bobbi wailed and threw himself on me.

"Me too." I winced when I touched the giant bruise on my face. "What hit me?"

"....My overprotective sister, Mary."

"She's your sister?!"

"Yeah. She's on the weightlifting team and they're all a bit agro." He was playing with my hair but it felt kinda nice after how his sister treated me. "Aww, poor baby. Does it hurt?"

"A little." A lot actually but I didn't want to make him feel worse. "Bobbi, I wanted to talk to you before. I don't think you're a freak I swear."

"You're just saying that cause my sister beat you up." He pooched his ruby lips into a pout.

"I'm not. I even told her that before she knocked me out. Or was it after? Anyway, I don't. You're the nicest person I've met here, by far. I just...never wore makeup before and I never met anyone like you before either so it's all new for me."

He continued to play with my hair in slow circular motions, "I guess I can understand that." He sighed. "I grew up here so it's normal to me. Did I ever tell you I went out of the city once?"

"Uh no, we just met."

"I did. People there aren't as nice here." Nice, yeah. Don't remember the last time a female mountain kicked my ass but okay. "I guess I was scared you were like them."

"I'm not like them. I swear. It's just gonna take me time to get used to things here."

"I can help you if you want. So no more sisters beat you up." He giggled, making me laugh, making my face hurt.

"Ow!" I hissed in pain. Bobbi stood and grabbed the ice pack from me and placed it gently against my bruised face. "Thanks." Bobbi smiled down at me like an angel, it really wasn't awful makeup once you got used to it. It was almost..."Is there something I can drink?" My voice cracked. Bobbi opened a water bottle and slipped a straw inside it before offering it to me. "That's the best water I ever had." It really was.

"It's from the falls. Freshest you can get without swimming in the lake." He sipped at my straw before setting it down and tending to my face again.

"Bobbi..."

"Yes...Jerry?"

"Can you call me sweetie again?"

"No." I frowned, "Sweeties are acquaintances. You're darlin'."

"What are they?" It wasn't sudden or unavoidable. He slowly leaned in and kissed me on the lips. I could taste his lipstick. Chocolate? I was trying to think of how it was red but tasted like chocolate instead of doing what I should...would have done yesterday which was push him off. Instead, I lost myself in his sweet lips. My first kiss and it was with a guy.