Bridgette - Chapter One: The Voice

“Charlie! Jeff! Come on! We’re going to be late!” It was the first day of school and the guys were already going to make us late.  Why can’t guys be on time for anything? I’m always waiting for them.

You’d think it would be the other way around since I was a girl; and yet, I could do my hair and makeup in faster time than it took Charlie and Jeff to get ready. I never understood what took them so long. Were they primping in front of the mirror? Checking themselves out in it? Sitting on their lazy butts? Who knew, but I was the one always waiting on them.

I heard running coming from the upstairs hallway and the then the sound of them barreling down the stairs.

“Chill out Bridge! We’ll be fine.” Charlie tried to reassure me.  I knew we wouldn’t be late but if I didn’t harp on them who knows how long they’d take.

“I’ll chill out once you two are in the car and we’re on our way to school.” I looked over at Jeff “Are you ready for your first day of high school?”

“Yeah. You make it sound like it’s a big deal.  It’s just high school.”

“Just high school?” The sound of Mom’s voice startled us. “Aren’t you the least little bit excited?”

“I guess, maybe a little bit.”

“He’s just trying to play it cool.” Charlie ruffled Jeff’s hair.

“Whatever. Guys we better get going.” I nagged.

“Have a good day at school!” Mom called out to us.

We had decided that I would drive us to school since my car could fit three people better than Charlie’s truck.  Last year for our sixteenth birthday Mom and Dad had gotten us each our own car. Charlie had always wanted a truck like Dad’s but I was just happy to have a smaller car. 

I suppose some people thought we were spoiled since we each got a car for our birthday.  It was true that since Mom had been a successful movie composer and dad had made a good living as a rodeo rider and then horse rancher that we weren’t lacking financially.  But we were never just handed stuff. It was great that our parents did things and got us stuff but we never expected it or, heaven forbid, demand it. 

As we neared the school I could feel my heart beat faster.  It was a beautiful, sunny day in Appaloosa Plains. We had driven to school with the windows down so as I pulled into the parking lot, we could hear all the excitement that goes along with the first day of school.  It was always fun to watch people when we returned to school.  Some people would jump around excited that they got to hang out with their friends;  some had a more casual, laidback approach and stood around talking; and even a few looked like their life was about to end, like going to school was a death sentence.  I was usually in the more laidback crowd. Most everyone I was friends with I had hung out with during the summer so it wasn’t a huge deal that we were seeing each other.  Still, I was a little more excited this time around since this was mine and Charlie’s senior year. There was just something more special about it.

I parked the car and the three of us got out. We stood there looking at the building for a minute taking in the sights around us.  Charlie was the first to speak.

“So you gonna be okay, Jeff?  You know getting around and finding things? We’ll be around so you can ask one of us if you need something.”

“Dude, I appreciate it but I’ll be fine.  I’m supposed to meet Star inside the front doors anyway.  Not a huge deal.” With that he walked on ahead of us and up the stairs to the front doors.

Charlie looked at me and I just shrugged my shoulders. Jeff was. . . well. . . Jeff.  He kept things pretty close to the vest, unless it was with Star. I was pretty sure he told her everything.

Charlie and I started walking up the stairs to enter the building. I heard several people here and there say hello to Charlie and I and we waved and smiled. We knew that there were several people inside waiting for us so we made our way quickly inside.

As we entered the doors, I caught a glimpse of Jeff by the freshman locker area with Star and some of their other friends. 

From what I gathered, Jeff was a pretty popular guy.  There always seemed to be girls around him hoping that he would notice them, but Jeff almost seemed oblivious to it.  He seemed to be okay so I turned my attention over to the senior locker area.  Right as I turned my head I heard Carson.

“Bridge! Charlie! Over here!” I looked over and saw Carson standing with a group of people.

Charlie’s and my childhood friend Kate was there and so were two of our other friends Julia, and Trent.  Carson and Kate were my two best friends. Kate had always been Charlie and my friend . Our moms were friends and we were born within a day of each other.  It was just the three of us until we reached high school; then I met Carson. We had a biology class together and we ended up being lab partners that year. He kept me cracking up the whole time. We got in trouble multiple times for goofing off instead of doing work. Carson introduced us all to Julia and Trent, friends of his from his childhood.  Between the six of us, we made an interesting group.

As we walked closer to them I looked again at Carson.  Somewhere during our junior year, I started getting the feeling that Carson was starting to like me.  Which I found strange, not because he was weird or anything like that, just because he was a guy who might have been interested in me. That just didn’t happen very often to me.  Guys were friendly but very few took any interest in me. So when I started thinking that Carson’s feelings were changing toward me, I freaked out a little. When Mom almost died after giving birth to our baby sister, Scarlett during the summer, I had reached my stress limit. Carson and I sat down and talked about what was going on between us and we decided that it would be best for our friendship that we didn’t date. So things were back to normal between us.

 Charlie and I reached them and we all started talking about our senior year.

“Can you guys believe this is it?!” Carson asked “After this year we’re going to be adults.”

“Well, some of us will be.” Charlie kidded him.

“Hey, did Jeff make it in okay?” Kate asked

“Yeah, he of course acted like it wasn’t a big deal that it was his first day of high school. You know him.” I replied.

“Remember our first day? I thought I was going to throw up.” Julia never held back when she explained things.

“You almost did, didn’t you?” Trent asked.

Julia was about to answer when we all heard “the voice” behind us.  It wasn’t just me who called it “the voice,” it was everyone. Not because it was the voice of an angel or a pleasant thing to hear, but because it was the most annoying voice on the planet. It belonged to Waverly Crawford.

She had the most whinny voice I had ever heard and her personality wasn’t much better. She always wanted to hang out with us and while we were nice to her, she just wasn’t someone we usually associated with.

“Oh! There you all are!” She called out to us. Charlie and I turned around and I couldn’t help but think to myself how if only she had a nicer voice and personality, she might be tolerable. She was pretty but then again, not too bright.

“Oh hey there Waverly!  Glad you found us!” We all turned around shocked, looking at who had addressed her. It was Carson.

“Well of course I found you. You’re right where you told me you’d be.” Wait, what?! He told her to meet us here? Is he smoking something?!

“Umm. . .Hey Waverly did you have a great summer?” I was trying to be polite, but really, I could have cared less what her answer was. I was trying to figure out what possessed Carson to invite her to hang out with us.

“Oh it was great!” She said in her high shrilly voice. “Especially the times I got to spend with Carson.”

At this point I knew my jaw was on the ground. I looked around and everyone else’s was too. Carson Davila spent time with her? The same girl who just a couple months ago, the sound of her voice caused him to cringe?

“You.. .I’m sorry. . .Did you say you and Carson hung out this summer?” Charlie asked.

“Well, I’d say we did more than hung out,” She put her arm around his waist and to my surprise he put his around hers. “We’re actually dating.”

I swear, I thought I was going to have a moment straight out of Gone With the Wind. I could feel myself ready to faint like Scarlett O'hara.

“You’re dating?!” I loudly blurted out. I couldn’t help. Was I still at home dreaming? That had to be it.

“Yeah, we ran into each other during the summer and started talking more.  We just started dating a couple weeks ago.” Carson explained.

 A couple weeks ago?! He’s had a girlfriend for a couple weeks but didn’t bother to tell me, his best friend?!

“Well, I promised Waverly I’d walk her to class, see you all later!” Carson declared and then he and Waverly walked off hand in hand together.

I stood there for a minute trying to come to grips with what had just happened. How the hell did they get together and why hasn’t he told me about them? The next time I see him he’s got some explaining to do.

“Hey, Bridge, you okay?” Kate put her hand on my arm.

 I looked up and realized that everyone was looking at me. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be? We all better get going since first period is about to start.”

We all started walking to our classes. People all around me were laughing and talking excitedly. I was vaguely aware of them though; I was in my own little world.  I was upset over Carson and Waverly. He was dating her. I couldn’t get past it; at least that what I made myself believe was wrong. As I walked into Calculus all the excitement I had felt about it being my senior year had left. Instead, it was replaced with a knot in my stomach and a feeling of dread for what was to come the rest of the year.