My Gift To You

Two: Take Your Time, Hurry Up

The fumes from the yellow vehicle invaded Billy’s lungs as he stood at the bus stop, waiting at the back of the line to get onto the bus. It was his first day of school, but just another day for everyone else. He transferred two months into the school year, not as bad as showing up in the middle of the year but, he still had a lot of fighting to do if he wanted to find a niche.

Billy walked up the three steps onto the bus and heard the squeaking of the doors closing behind him. He knew well enough to only sit at the back of the bus, there’s nothing worse than having to sit out of your age group on your first day; branding you a freak/loser for the rest of your days. He made his way to the back, spying Sarah sitting with a blondish girl around her age. A candy wrapper crinkled under his shoes as he felt the pit of his stomach being ripped out of his abdomen: there were no open seats left.

He’d been through this before. It was always first come first serve on busses, you have your unspoken seating arrangements, and people had the right to keep a seat to themselves if they didn’t like you. But Billy was in new territory now. There were a good many more stops to go and he had no idea who sat where and who not to mess with. He slowly walked down the isle, keeping his head down and glancing at shoes, backpacks, or other people in the seats nearest him. The eyes from the people around burned into his skull, filling him to the brim with humiliation as he knew there were only two seats left.

“Over here.” A boy said, causing Billy to lift his head up.

A slightly chubby boy was getting out of the last bus seat to Billy’s right. He picked up his backpack and looked at Billy, signaling to get into the seat before the bus driver went insane.

Without a word, Billy slid into the seat and dug his shoulder into the steel frame. He looked out the window and watched the hazy houses go by as the boy sat back down, putting his backpack on his lap.

“You’re the new kid, right?” He asked.

Billy nodded his head, still looking out the window.

The boy stuck out his hand, “I’m Paul Thomas.”

“Billy Martin.”

Paul frowned and brought his hand back to his backpack strap, a little offended that Billy didn’t shake his hand.

They sat there in silence until they got to school, the high schoolers filing off the bus while the other kids waited to be taken to the elementary/middle school. Billy was the last off the bus, a death grip on the shoulder strap to his backpack. He was freaking out, he was worrying about forgetting where all the classes where. But he found his locker all right and stuffed the books for the classes before lunch into his backpack. Slamming his locker shut and replacing the lock, Billy took a deep breath and took his schedule out of his back pocket.

Gym was the first class of the day. Billy turned around and started down the hallway, soon realizing that he had no clue where he was going. He looked at the clock and sighed, his face falling. He only had two minutes to find the gymnasium, get changed and be ready for the days activities... he was going to be late for his first class on his first day of a new school. “Shit.”

“You better be careful,” said a voice from behind him, “I got a detention for swearing in the halls the other day. The teachers aren’t too fond of obscenities.”

“Huh?”

There was a laugh as the person walked around Billy to stand in front of him. “I take it my brother didn’t show you around well enough, that or he scared all the information out of you.” A brunette boy smirked. He looked almost identical to Billy’s Student Guide, Benji, but he was a lot more reserved in appearance. “Where are you going?”

After a pause Billy mumbled, “Gym.”

The boy laughed again. “You’re clear on the other side of the school! Come on. I’ve got that class now, too. I’m always late, so just agree with whatever I say and you’ll be fine.” He started walking back to Billy’s locker and Billy followed close behind. When they had reached the gymnasium doors Benji’s brother took Billy’s wrist and pulled him into the mens’ changing room across the hall. “You can have a locker next to me if you want.” The bell rang then, signaling that classes have begun.

“Thanks.” Billy followed the boy to the back of the changing room and took an open locker next to him. He set his backpack on a bench and unzipped it, pulling out a shirt, a pair of gym shoes and a pair of shorts.

“Can’t you say anything other than a three to six letter word?” The boy smirked, pulling off his shirt and quickly putting on a new one.

“Maybe.”

By the time Billy had switched shirts, the latter was already changed and tying up the laces of his tennis shoes. “I’m Joel, by the way.”

“Billy.” He replied, tugging on his pair of shorts. “Are you and Benji twins or something?”

Joel smirked, stuffing his day clothes into the tiny white locker. “Identical, not fraternal. We’re as different as night and day, though.” He shuts the locker door and spins the attached combination lock. “He’s big on talk when in reality... he doesn’t even have the heart to hit a punching bag.” He sits down on the bench and waits for Billy to change shoes, tapping his feet against the tile flooring as he does.

Tying his shoes, Billy places his other change of clothes in his backpack and shoves that into the locker. He walks with Joel out of the change room and into the gymnasium, the other students standing around as they waited for the two instructors to gather their plans and set up the volleyball nets.

“If it isn’t Mr.Combs, late as usual.” The female instructor quipped, holding a clipboard in her hands.

Joel looks at Billy and then to the instructor. “It’s Madden.”

“Not until I see the papers, it isn’t. I’m sure you were off doing something more important than showing up on time?”

He throws a hand up slightly in Billy’s direction. “Billy, here, got lost. He’d still be wandering the halls if I hadn’t run into him.”

The woman nods and marks something down on her clipboard, soon looking over her shoulder at the other teacher. He walks over to the students rubs his hands together. “All right. Laps until the whistle and then break off into pairs. We in our badminton unit until next Tuesday, then it’s football.” He and the woman walk over to the doors and start talking while everyone else groans and starts to run laps.

“You can be my partner if you want. Aaron’s popular enough, he can be with anyone in this class.” Joel states, jogging next to Billy.

“That would be cool, thanks.”

-

Billy made it through the next few classes fine, turns out he had a majority of the same classes as Benji. He worked alone in Algebra when they could break off into groups to work on the assignment, Benji sneering at him when he walked by Billy’s desk to hand in an overdue study sheet. At lunch he found a table near the back of the cafeteria, which he sat at alone with his tray and backpack. He watched as other people ate their food and laughed, sharing stories and jokes with their friends or complaining about the teachers. Billy couldn’t help feeling like there was something wrong with him for not being apart of that, but he knew that it would be a stretch for any of them to even talk to him. He tucked into his sauceless spaghetti, but didn’t get to make much of a dent because Joel walked up to his table instead.

“What are you doing sitting out here alone?” Joel asked, balancing his tray on top of his History book with one hand.

Billy shrugged. “I have no one else to sit with.”

“If you told me you had first lunch sooner, you could be sitting with me and my friends by now.”

“That’s all right. I’m fine eating alone.”

“Sure everyone says that...” Joel picks up Billy’s backpack with his free hand, “but no one really means it. You’re sitting with me.”

Billy sighed and picked up his tray, following Joel to a table in the middle of the room. His backpack was tossed into an empty seat next to the chair Joel was sitting down in. Billy sat down and set his tray on the table, quietly looking around to see who was sitting there. Paul from the bus ride was sitting across from him, another blonde guy was sitting in-between Paul and Joel, and then there was Joel and Billy himself.

“Guys, this is Billy. Billy these are the guys: Paul and Aaron.” Joel introduces them. “Where’s Benj?”

“Behind you.” Aaron pointed out.

Billy and Joel looked over their shoulders. Benji was holding a tray load of food and he didn’t seem too happy about Billy sitting down at the table. “You’re in my spot, Martin.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but Joel started to talk before he could get a word out.

“There’s an open seat next to him if you haven’t noticed, bro.”

“But I always sit next to you. We’ve been sitting next to eachother during lunch since there was a lunch period to go to!” Benji said firmly.

“So? One day isn’t going to ruin everything. Besides, I was getting tired of your stink.” Joel smirked, leaving Benji to huff and sit down in the chair between Paul and Billy.

Benji, not up to letting Joel walk all over him nor have the last word in anything, prodded his glob of spaghetti with his spork. “I was thinking last night. What about Fuk You? That’s fuck without the ‘c.’”

Aaron made a gagging noise for his opinion.

Paul stared into space for a few moments. “I don’t like it. You’d have better luck naming us Squiggle Wiggle or something.”

Billy tried to hold in a chuckle, but everyone else (besides Benji) gave a good laugh.

“No one would listen to a band called Squiggle Wiggle.” Benji stated irritably.

“It’s better than Fuk You.” Paul retorted.

“What are you talking about?” Billy asked, completely out of the loop.

Joel swallowed his bite of food, “Band names.”

“You’re a band?”

Aaron dropped his burger and wiped the excess ketchup off his hands with a napkin. “Technically, no. We’re missing another guitarist.”

“We don’t need one. We could be like Nirvana.” Benji chimed in.

Joel shook his head. “We aren’t good enough to get the sound right with just one guitar and a bass. We need rhythm guitar. You don’t play, do you, Billy?” He turned his head and looked at Billy.

“I do, but I’m already in a band.”

Benji looked Billy over and gives a crocodile smile. “So the queer thinks he’s too good for us?”

“Benj...” Joel warned.

“I’m horrible, actually. You wouldn’t want me in your band... even if I was interested.” Billy said, turning his head to the left and catching Benji’s eyes. “If you can’t even come up with a name, why would I want to join the band?”

“Just come to the garage sometime and jam with us.” Paul said, raising the last syllable ever so slightly. “Just because you say you’re horrible doesn’t mean you actually are.”