The Hidden Descendants

Chapter Four

Berkley

If I thought the first half of the day dragged out, then the second half went by at a snails' pace. The only thing that helped me get through the day was knowing I only had two weeks left until we graduated. One week left of actual classes. Then I will officially be a high school graduate.

They say the odds of someone like me graduating are half. 50/50. So, hey, I beat those.

The odds of someone like me continuing into college are 20%. Unfortunately, I fall into the other 80% category. I filled out a few college applications and submitted them, I heard back from two places. The local community college and another one a state over from here. Both had acceptance letters on the inside.

I still have them in my backpack, but I never officially declared I was attending. Not because I don't want to, but because I can't. I need a job. Fulltime. Especially if I am going to be declared homeless in two days. Heck, I might as well just consider myself homeless now. I received a text from Barb in seventh period stating that tonight they were going to have 'company' and not to come home. Company means Kurt was able to get another loan from the sharks he swims with, and is going to have a poker tournament at the house. While Barb stuffs her nose into a pile of 'snow'. Yeah, I'd rather not get caught in the middle of that. The guys Kurt runs with aren't exactly on America's best citizen list. More like America's most wanted instead. The way they leer at me when I enter makes my skin crawl. And half the time Barb is so out of her mind she doesn't even notice that her husband does it also.

Thanks, but no thanks. That is one party I wouldn't want to be caught dead at.

After school, I decided to walk down to the local park and get a run in. The antsy feeling I've had all day never went away. I needed to burn off some energy before I headed over the Arc Alehouse. They don't open the door until four, which gave me roughly an hour of running time.

It helped a little, but I still have this feeling like something is going to happen. It feels like my skin has come alive and its crawling all over my body, making me anxious. I know I sound crazy, which makes acknowledging the next part even harder, but I feel like something is nudging my brain. You know, tapping on it, demanding entrance. Like I'm supposed to be sharing the space up there in my head with something or someone else.

"God, I sound insane." I muttered to myself as I made my walk back to the bathroom to change my clothes once again. I really hope Al has hours for me tonight. If he does, then I'll be able to crash on his cot again. If not, I'll be wandering around town until I find a place I can rest for the night. I won't get much sleep while I try to keep one eye open so I don't get robbed or attacked, but I'll find some place I can chill for the night at least. Get some peace and quiet. Which is still better than returning to Kurt and Barb's house with the circumstances at their residence.

I change out of my running clothes and put my old worn down ones on to replace them. I decided I should send a text to Al instead of heading there. The last thing I need to do is show up unannounced with people present that can't know I work there, like Bass. As I send the text my belly rumbles again, reminding me of how hungry I have been all day. I ate that huge lunch and it seems to have done nothing for me. I suppose the run helped work it all off though. It is unusual for me to take my run this early. Either way, it's also unusual for me to eat as much as I have.

Me: Al! Work tonight?

Al: Sorry kid, the boss is still here. Check back tomorrow.

I send a thumbs up emoji and stuff the phone into my back pocket. Well, no work... I guess that means I can take Kelsey up on her offer. I probably should work on that project. After all, it is worth thirty-percent of our grade. I cringe. Yep, off to Kelsey's it is.

........................................

"Did you hear about the party on Friday for the entire senior class?"

Kelsey asks, as I continue munching on some popcorn and finish up the last paragraph of my project.

"B? Earth to Berkley!" I held up a finger, telling her to just wait a freaking second. The finish line is in front of me and I don't want to pause. I just want to get it done.

Five minutes later, my paper was finished. While an impatient Kelsey hangs upside down from her bed, glaring at me.

I waved a hand around. "Okay, now talk."

Kelsey flips off her bed backwards and rolls across the floor to sit in front of me. Snagging a bite of popcorn before she repeats her previous spoken words. "You finished?" Her eyebrow quirks at me before she glances down at the open computer.

"Ugh, yeah, I am."

"Great!" She slams the computer closed and tosses it up onto her bed. "Now that your not rudely ignoring me, over a project you didn't want to complete anyways.... Did you hear about the party this Friday?"

"Unless it's a party you are throwing and have already told me about it, then no. I haven't heard of any parties." I shook my head.

Kelsey picks imaginary lint off of her ugly, pink carpet. "Well... Jackson and Able are-"

"No." I shook my head at her, holding my hands up between us. "No- First and foremost, why would we even consider attending one of their parties? They aren't exactly the best of people to us."

Kelsey shrugs. "They aren't exactly the worst, either. Just because they don't socialize with us, doesn't mean we get treated badly..."

My face scrunches up, "Are you defending them?"

"What?" She says, completely baffled. "Okay, okay. One, I don't really understand why you're so mad right now, about this. Two, I am not defending anyone. I am simply saying they don't treat us badly. They don't treat us like anything because we are-"

"Invisible."

Kelsey just stared at me for a moment. "Right... All I'm saying is the entire senior class was invited. I want to go, B. But I won't go without you."

"I don't think-"

Kelsey's finger gets shoved over the top of my lips to silence me. "You said we are invisible to them, right?" I nodded as a reply. "If we are invisible to them five days of the week, while we are at school. We will probably remain invisible to them at the party. We can blend in, and just experience the moment. If they don't see us, then there won't be a problem."

I don't want to go to this party... but the way Kelsey is looking at me right now, I can't tell her no, either. We've never attended one of their parties before. We stay away from that group of people at all costs. It's worked well for us thus far. We don't put ourselves on their radar, and they don't place us there themselves. Not to mention the run in I had with King today is still in the forefront of my mind. I wish it wasn't, but it's still there, pestering me. The way my body felt when he looked at me wasn't anything like I had experienced before. It was as if a single look from him tilted my entire world off its axis. I didn't like it, yet, at the same time, I wanted the feeling to last forever. It was strange and uncomforting. Add that with the side looks I received from the guy the rest of the day, the whole thing is a recipe for disaster.

"Please, Berkley. We have to go, even if it's only for a little bit. If we don't consider ourselves dead." I watch as she throws herself down on the floor and tosses her hand over her forehead dramatically. "And here lies Kelsey Hartman, eighteen, dead from social suicide. She was a lovely person. Smart, easy going-"

"Okay, okay," I tried to stop her obituary.

"Her best friend, Berkley Sterns, dug the knife in deeper by-" I launched myself across the floor and slapped a hand over her mouth. Looking down into her smirking eyes.

I dropped my chin to my chest with a sigh, "I said okay. I'll go."

Kelsey squeals and bolts upright, throwing me off of her. "Eeeek! I'm so excited! You can come here on Friday after school. We can get around together. I'll let you borrow whatever you want from my closet and we can do our hair and make-up before we go! This is so freaking exciting!!"

It's something alright. I'm just not sure 'exciting' is the term to use.