Young Adult Story

really rough draft 1

Somewhere in the distance a firework crashed and sparked across the sky. It lit the inside of my car for just a moment, I could see Maggie for instant, but it was all I needed to see. After a few more moments of sitting in darkness and silence, I asked, "Do you want me drive you home?".

I could hear her shake her head. 

"No, my mom doesn't expect me back for hours, and I don't to explain this." 

"lets go to my house then, you should really change out of... that." 

We both looked at her vomit stained prom dress. 

She laughed humorlessly, "Yeah, the tulle is kind of itchy."

___________________

"Anaphylaxis?"

"No, idiot, anorexia, Anaplyalixs is like when you can't eat nuts"

"Well, you would know a lot about eating nuts, Amber"

 "Oh my god! At least I eat something, unlike Maggie!"

"Yeah Maggie, what do you do in the bathroom all the time?"

"I heard you throwing up yesterday. I could hear all of it, so gross."

"Eww! Thats so disgusting,"

"Oh my god, look at her face! I think she's gonna puke!"

"Oh my god move, she's gonna puke on me!"

______________________

I just spat my food all over Amber Connolly. For a moment, she forgot about the vomit on her shoes. 

"What the fuck Conner!" But that was as far as she got. I felt the bus slam on the breaks and the bus driver yell. 

_______________________

Maggie sat on my bed, she was swimming in one of my old hoodies. I tossed her a pair of my mom's pajama pants, but she ignored them. My hoodie was practically a dress on her anyway. I sat down next to her, "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

She laughed, "What always happens. But I couldn't make it to a bathroom this time." 

She flopped backwards. "I haven't been so embarrassed since..."   

"Since the last time this happened." I finished for her. "Sorry I wasn't there to spit food on him."

She laughed at the memory. "But you were still there. That's more than anyone else has every been." 

______________________

"Hello, Martha speaking?"

"Hello, Martha, its Ms. principle Wesmore. I'm calling about your son Conner."

"Oh god, what's he done already? School only started last month..."

"Well that's actually what I wanted to talk about, Conner hasn't missed a single day yet, and I know its early still, but I just wanted to congratulate you whatever you have been doing, Conner's grades and attendance have greatly improved."      

"Really? I'm glad to hear it. I was worried that with Conner driving himself to school now, his attendance would get worse. Well thank you for the good news."

"Tell Conner to keep up the good work, I look forwards to signing his honor slip."

Martha hung up the phone, pleasantly bewildered. 

It was early in the morning and she had just returned from her night shift at the hospital. She could hear Conner upstairs getting ready.  

"Hey, Conner." She said poking her head into his room. 

"Hey, mom" He said stuffing books into his bag. 

"You're up early, school doesn't start for another hour."

"Yeah, but I have to pick up Maggie, and she has a student council meeting this morning."

Martha nodded slowly. 

"Maggie, from down the street?"

"Yeah, that one."

"I just got off the phone with your principle."

Conner looked up, obviously worried, but his mom smiled and said, "She said your grades are really good this quarter, you're gonna make honor roll."   

Conner let out a relived sigh. "Thank god, I was worried I'd lose my parking privilege. That's great news, thanks mom."

__________________________

Dear Martha Iverson, 

I regret to inform you that your son, Conner Iverson, has been banned from using the school's bus service. After the incident last Friday, where Conner and his friend spit food all over the bus and the students, neither are them are allowed on the bus for the duration of their time at Mayfair high school. You may summit a formal petition about this action. 

-Wesmore

Principle    

_________________________

I sat in the detention room. It was only Maggie and I. 

"What were you thinking? Especially you Maggie, student council, honor roll, you just made variety volleyball.  I'm hardly surprised you're involved, Conner. It's not the first time I've see you here. But spitting food at other students, disgusting and immature. you're sophomores now, start acting like it!"

______________________

"Hey... um, sorry I got you kicked off the bus..."

"Funny, that's what I was gonna say..."

"Nah, if I hadn't spit food at Amber, you would still be able to ride the bus."

"Like I'd want to. At least its cool story now. No ones even talking about how I... got sick..."

"I'm still sorry..."

"Don't be. You were trying to save me..."

"I know it doesn't help now, but next year I'll have car. So if you want, I can pick you up in the morning and take you home. I have to drive by your house anyway..."

"Yeah, I'd like that..."

________________________

I pulled my car up to the front of the school. I could see Maggie waving goodbye to her volleyball teammates. I stuffed loose paper into the glove-box hurriedly. Maggie got into my car and plopped down with a huff. I pulled out onto the streets, we still hadn't spoken. 

"I don't think I'll be able to pick you up tomorrow."

"What?" Maggie looked up from her phone in surprise.  "Why not?"

I had never missed a day of picking her up. 

"Yeah, um, I'm probably not coming to school tomorrow, sorry."

 "But tomorrow is the college fair, Jesus Christ, Conner, we don't even have classes, why are you skipping?" 

"I- I just feel like I'm getting sick." 

"Bullshit, Conner!" 

"Its not! I just don't feel like going, alright?"

"What's wrong with you today?"

"Its nothing, have fun at the fair."

"Whatever..."

___________________________

Dear, Conner

On reviewing your academic performance over the past three years, I'm afraid I cannot recommend you seek higher education. When you take into account your financial situation, and your poor academic track record, I do not feel higher education is a smart investment in your future. If you would like to discuss your options further my door is always open, feel free to stop by. 

Janet Marlowe

Adviser

_____________________________  

"So, I asked Mark to go to prom with me," Maggie said as she jumped in my car. 

"How'd that go?" I put the car into drive. 

"Good! He said yes, I didn't even feel sick." 

"That's great."

"Which leads me to my next question..."

"Yeah what's that?"

"Would you be able to drive us?  Mark got a DUI last month, so we can't take his car."

"Well, you sure know how to pick'em."

"Shaddup," She laughed. "So, do you mind?"

"Nah, I'll drive you." 

"Thanks, I owe you."

I took a moment before I responded, and when I spoke tried to keep my voice light. 

"Don't worry about it, if it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't even get up in the mornings."

__________________________

"What do you mean you're not applying for college!" 

Maggie had been shouting at me the whole ride home. I had been quiet until now, but I finally snapped. 

"Because, I'm not you, Maggie! I'm not in the honor society, or student body president, or captain of the volley ball team. I'm just me, I wouldn't even go to school if it wasn't to pick you up. I probably would have flunked out by now."

"So its my fault?" Maggie sounded so offended. 

"You're not listening, Maggie!" I pulled over and stopped the car, I couldn't focus on driving. "Maggie, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I never cared about school or grades until I met you. Maggie, you saved me, and I'm grateful for that, but its not enough. I'm not you, I'm not cut out for college. That's your life, you are going to go on and do great things. But I'm just me, I'll probably die in this town. You can't save me this time."

"Oh my god, you are such an idiot."

"What?"

"Did it ever cross your mind to just ask for my help? Stop trying to push me out of your life. You can't get rid of me, Conner, I'm here to stay- get used to it."

She started at me meaningfully. "Now drive the damn car."

_______________________

Maggie was in my arms now. It was strange feeling my sweatshirt on her. She was finally crying, the whole story coming out in short sobs. 

 "It was going so well too, we danced and took photos- but then it got later and then... God what's wrong with me..."

I pulled her tighter. "Nothings wrong with you." 

"He just wanted to kiss me, and he was so sweet about it- and I wanted to kiss him back but I just..." She pulled away from me to wipe her runny nose on something other than my shoulder. "What kind of a broken pathetic person am I?"

"You're not broken, Maggie. You're an amazing, wonderful person- and I don't even like to think about the depressing life you saved me from." 

Maggie sniffed and laughed dryly.

"That's rich coming form the boy who has saved my ass countless times, the dysfunctional girl who throws up when ever she gets too nervous. You've held my hair out of the toilet more times than I can count. Is that really such a great addition to your life?"

"Yeah, and I wouldn't change it for the world." 

She laid back down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. "So what does that make us, two incompetent assholes who can't survive on their own?"

I laid down net to her, studying my ceiling fan. "I think it makes us to incompetent assholes who are trying their best, and need a little help sometimes." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a crumpled letter. 

"Whats this?" She asked as I slid the letter into her hand. I didn't answer, but gave her a moment to examine the letter. "Oh my god, Conner!" She sat up in her excitement. "You got into the community college you applied for, that's great!" 

"The college you helped me apply for," I corrected her. 

"Conner, this is so great. We'll be going to school in the same city, you can still drive me places!" It was nice to see her laugh and smile, prom becoming a distant memory. 

"I guess we'll just have to keep saving each other  a little longer."

"Well, I suppose that's not such a bad thing."