18 Weeks of Twoey - 3. Week One Wednesday, September 3, 2014: The First Day of School

This morning sprang like wood I couldn’t hide. As soon as he saw me Gary said, “I texted Twoey and he’ll be joining us.”

Okay, well here goes THE PLAN. I just couldn’t be trapped into looking at him too much and certainly not at his eyes! He was stretching when we got there. I went over and, while focusing on his nose, I said, “Hey, Twoey, sorry for bolting yesterday but I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me and I went home to puke.” That was a really cute nose too. Shit!

He laughed. “Jeez, I got depressed! The second kid I met needed to hurl.”

So we did our morning run and he was in fantastic shape! I knew I shoulda been running all summer. Pretty much staying out of the conversations (which is easy with Gary around), I kept my comments to one or two word replies. I thought it was working out OK, really. Later, when we got back to his house, Twoey said we should do this run every day all year long. I said, “You’re probably right.” That was my longest conversation all morning.

I was proud of my not-friendly but not-unfriendly performance, but then he came over to me to say something. I focused on his left running shoe. “Please Dave, tell me what’s wrong. You’re really acting like you’ve got some serious problem with me, and I don’t know why.”

You know, I hate nicknames, especially for myself--and suddenly I had a brilliant idea! I bristled and poked my finger in the center of his chest. “The only problem I have with you is never, EVER call me anything but David! Not Dave, not Davy, just DAVID. GOT IT??” That was a really cute chest, too. Shit!

OMG I thought he was going to faint. He tried to talk but just croaked something when Gary rushed up to the rescue. “Sorrrry! I forgot to tell you that yesterday!! It’s one thing that riles David up!” Then Gary gave me a really ugly look--he’d never done that before--and said, “Jesus David, cut Twoey a little slack. He just got here yesterday!! How's he supposed to know everybody’s little quirks?”

I immediately felt awful. My brilliant idea backfired a little. I normally would have just told him what I preferred, but I thought it had fit so perfectly into my not-friendly, not-unfriendly plan! I couldn't resist. But I was sorry right away and also that I pissed-off Gary. I didn't really know what to do, so I kept a level temper and just said flatly, “Well now he knows.” And I jogged home, alone.

Well, that wasn’t exactly the way I envisioned things going, but THE PLAN was in full gear!

Getting out of the shower, I found a text from Gary:

< why are you being a dick? >

OK …I guess I deserved something like that.

On another note, taking my friend's advice, I dressed a little classier than I usually do for school, especially since it was the first day. I wore a crisp dark blue shirt with turquoise edging and black pocket flaps. I buttoned right up to the top and tucked it into black skinny-jeans with brushed-black Vans. I figured I gotta catch some girl’s attention! The gang’s morning pickup is in reverse order because I live closest to the school. So they all, including Twoey, picked me up and we headed for school--Gary and Danny doing 95% of the talking, as usual. Danny even held my shoulders and looked me over! “Lookin' good David!”

With Twoey, I tried out my friendly-but-cool persona only talking with him one-on-one a few times; generally sticking with who his teachers might be and what he could expect--nothing very personal.

We all agreed to meet at lunch and compare schedules. Dammit! Guess who was in my homeroom? Guess who sat right behind me? David Megal, Twoey Messer. Homeroom is always alphabetical. I ignored him all during homeroom and busied myself with re-reading my schedule 486 times. But I did tell him how to get to his first period class.

My First period class was English, and the only person in there I really knew was Lauri Dorso, Nels’s girlfriend. She had a twin sister around somewhere.

Second period was biology. The only one I knew in this class was Martin, a sophomore and on my Cross Country team. Martin and I always got along great.

As I walked into third period math I had a few surprises. The first wasn’t really a surprise, because his name was on the schedule, but the teacher was Mr. Elcher, my JV Cross Country coach. I always kill math, so maybe something good would rub off on how he treated me on the team. I’m just joking. He treated me just great on the team. So far, I'd been his best runner ...hehe.

But then I was confused. I was headed over to the second seat in the second row from the window. That’s always been my lucky math seat. I was glad to see it empty. But in the seat behind mine was a little redhead kid, like a 10 year old. He couldn’t possibly be taking sophomore math, so I figured maybe he was somebody’s little brother or a visiting cousin or something. Maybe he belonged to Terri Chambers, who was in the second seat, window row. After all, she’s a redhead too. So I took my seat and cringed as Twoey walked in the door. He spotted me and slid into the second seat in the third row ...right next to me!

Terri Chambers gave me a smile. She was every boy's dream of a girlfriend but she cut them all off at the knees. That was until late last year when she started going with Ron Grady, a football player who's a year ahead of us. And she’s pretty smart. And she has a spray of freckles across her nose. Nothing like Danny, but enough to be noticed. We'd always been friendly ... not ever really friends. But we always talked.

Leaning over, she whispered, “So, David, who's the hunk sitting next to you? He's new.”

I chuckled and whispered back “His name is Twoey and he lives near me on Plum. I think he's from Syracuse. Aaaannd ...I think I'm gonna tell Ron you called him a hunk.” That earned me a punch in the arm. Terri's on the girl's lacrosse team, so her punch in the arm was respectable. (But she blushed!)

Then I asked her if the little kid behind me belonged to her. She just shook her head “no” and shrugged her shoulders. Class started and I sort of forgot all about that.

Finally, lunch rolled around and, as usual, the gang all sat together. Which, of course, now included Twoey. Didn’t he sit right next to me! I discovered that I shared NO classes with anybody except for 3rd period math and 7th period PhysEd with Twoey! Shit. Just my luck! And PhysEd does everything, including lockers, alphabetically!! The only good part is that it was last period, so I could just stay there for XCountry. Finishing with all that I said, “Guys you won't believe this, but guess who took notice of Twoey in math?” All the eyes turned to me. “Terri Chambers!” Twoey gave me a questioning look. “The cute redhead on the other side of me.” Suddenly recognition crossed his face.

Nels goes, “No way! Isn't she still going with Ron?”

“Hey, that doesn't stop her from looking. Watch out Gary, you might have competition for sophomore Romeo. Terri called Twoey a hunk.” That got everybody laughing.

Gary's braces sparkled as he beamed, “Nuh-uh David, I think Mel and I are going to really make it last this time.”

“Melinda Hopkins? Didn't you date her for, like 2 days last year? Or was it 2 hours? When did you start going with her? Did you sneak out on us this summer?”

“You got a fucked up memory Mr. Smart Guy. We dated for 3 weeks last year. She was my longest romance. Second period art is where we got back together today. It's the real thing this time.”

Gary and ‘Mel’ are on the swimming team. Mel's a really cute blond with a big smile and braces too. Sam goes, “Just be careful when you French, you could end up with your mouths permanently locked together.” Gary just groaned ...he was getting tired of braces jokes.

Sam was on a roll. “Oh... the art room, that's perfect Gary! There's a bunch of small studios in the back, with doors. If you wanna get laid in school, that's the place.”

Danny goes, “I know you know everything Sam, but how the hell do you know that? You've never even taken an art course.” We all just laughed again.

After lunch I had fifth period social: American History. We had to stand and say the pledge. I wondered if that was going to be an everyday thing? The teacher almost looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. What I did do was get an immediate dislike for him, which was very unusual for me.

Sixth period was study hall. That was great ...I could finish most of my homework and wouldn’t hafta lug books home.

Seventh period was PhysEd. I already told you Twoey was in my gym class.

Today was uneventful because we all sat in the bleachers and had the rules read to us by Mr. Cyrnn, the gym teacher, and filled out permission slips and shit. Naturally Twoey sat right next to me, but I decided that this would be a safe time to be in the ‘not-unfriendly’ aspect of THE PLAN.

“I’m sorry for my little nickname rant this morning. I guess I was a little short-tempered and you happened to be in the way. We’re not getting off to a very good start it seems.”

“David, do you have a problem with me? Am I doing something to piss you off?”

“No, Twoey, It’s not you--little white lie--it’s me. I just have some shit going on and it’s making me a little off-kilter. It’ll get better. Either that or I’ll walk in front of a bus.”

He laughed ...I blushed. For the rest of the period we talked about nothing, really. I fussed with my backpack ...fiddled with my Vans ...picked at my fingernails ...but I never looked into those fatal green eyes.

I've gotta protect myself!

After school, I put my backpack into my locker and wandered out looking for someone to maybe walk home with. Who I found was the twin!--Lauri’s twin, Lanni Dorso. Shehas always been a very shy girl and was with who she’s always with, Deena Hart.

Deena always scared the crap out of me.

“Hey Lanni, Deena ...where you guys off to?”

Lanni shyly smiled and said, “We were just going to hit Kory’s for a coke, maybe a snack.”

“Want company?”

“Sure, join us!” But Deena gave me a scowl.

So I walked with them to Kory’s, which was the local high school hangout. I figured I’d bump into somebody there, plus get some food in case my mother’s supper was disgusting again.

Lanni looked me over, “I like your shirt, David. You look real nice today.” Deena just looked straight ahead as we walked.

Lanni and Lauri aren’t identical. Lanni’s really cute, I should hang around with her more. Maybe she could be my first girlfriend. I think she liked me, but then there was the Deena problem. That girl could do considerable damage to my body if she were so inclined.

When we arrived, I was immediately surrounded by Danny and Sam who started to pull me away. I smiled at Lanni and just shrugged. She giggled, but Deena scowled and whispered something in Lanni’s ear. I’ll bet she dissed me big time.

Danny and Sam pushed me into a booth where Gary and Mel were sitting and we all ordered stuff. Soda and burgers and fries for them, but I ordered a non-sweetened ice tea and a veggie burger ...to a quartet of fingers in mouths and fake puking. My friends don’t appreciate my diet!

Twoey

Well I found out quickly enough that you don’t call him anything but ‘David’. He was a tad hair-trigger this morning when I tried to find out what was bugging him.

His long blond hair tumbled over my face as he laid on top and kissed me like I’ve never been kissed before. I could feel his hardness slipping against mine and that’s when I blasted all over the shower wall. My usual ‘David’ fantasy. Well, it was time to get dressed for school.

When we picked him up, I stopped breathing--I think. His hair glowed as it just kissed his shoulders. I don't know who he was dressed up for, but he had ME drooling! David was absolutely edible. I was instantly hard and had trouble walking. He even talked to me a few times about teachers I might have. After his outburst this morning, I didn’t think he would talk to me for a week!

That boner returned all during homeroom, all 3rd period, all lunch and all 7th period. Those were the times I was with him. During 7th period gym he apologized for this morning and was a really sweet guy all period. But the rest of the day he sort of ignored me, even though I sat behind him in homeroom, and next to him in math and lunch! Maybe he's schizophrenic. I'll have to ask Mom one of these days.

The only funny part of the day was at lunch when Blondie told everyone that this cute redhead called me a hunk. A hunk! That is SO not me. Anyway, it made for a good laugh.

Now I just need to concentrate on cracking the David Code.