Dexter Regional High School student’s short story

    Note: The following is an abridged excerpt of a fictional story, which deals with issues facing teens today, was written during the last semester in a creative writing class at Dexter Regional High School.

By Aaliyah Williams
DRHS senior

    “I’m not going to take your ignorant attitude anymore Antigone, you’re gone!” My mother screeched at me from the bottom our winding stair case.
    “All you do is cast a big black cloud over this house, and your stepfather and I want no more of it! You are done!” Normally when my mother and I fought like this, I would just roll my eyes, say something sarcastic and go to my room. But this time, I could tell by the fire in her brown eyes that she meant every word she said. Our argument wasn’t even about anything really bad, just my grades and how I wasn’t an ‘A+’ student. B’s weren’t good enough for my stepdad. But I guess this was the last toll on my way to getting kicked out.

    The first toll was probably that time I got caught sneaking out, or maybe that time Mom got a call from the school telling her I skipped class. Whatever it was, it all lead me up to where I am now; in a rusted out minivan, on the way to my new home in somewhere called Dexter, Maine. My Aunt Bev and Uncle Peter were the only ones who would take my “troubled” self in. They were nice and all, but Maine was definitely not the place for a city girl like me. Baltimore was my true home. But I guess this is just my own fault, maybe if I didn’t act like a normal teenager, and was just a quite shut-in, maybe my mother would love me more than she loves that jerk of a stepdad.
    One of the doughnut tires hit a huge pot hole and I’m thrusted back into the minivan. We are just going past the “Welcome to Maine” sign. It really should say “Welcome to hell” because that’s what this year is going to be for me. The only good part about this is I get to start over, have a fresh start with new people that have no idea about my past. I can be whoever I want to be, the possibilities are endless. All this daydreaming was starting to give me a head ache, so I roll my window down. A gust of cool, pine-scented air slaps me in the face, making my eyes tear up.
    “Great,” I whispered to myself. “My allergies are gonna be horrible with all these freaking trees everywhere.” With a grunt I roll the window back up and wipe at my nose. We were almost in Newport, said one of the signs we’d passed. From there Aunt Bev said it would only take 20 minutes to get to Dexter. I can feel my hands getting clammy and my tummy was starting to do back flips. Nervous doesn’t begin to explain how I feel. New house, new town, new people. What if my plan of starting new doesn’t work out? What if someone finds out I’m not the girl I say I am? Millions of what ifs go through my mind as we finally take exit number 157 and get off the Interstate.
    “Now I know Dextah’s nothing like your used to in that big ol’ city, but trust me dear, you’ll like it here.” Aunt Bev said to me, turning towards me. “The high school is wicked small, only about 300 students, I think…”
    “300 students? There were more kids in the freshman class back in Baltimore than there is at this school!” I glare at Aunt Bev as she rolls her eyes back and laughs at me. “Oh, can we stop and get some McDonald’s? Pretty please?” I asked, batting my eye lashes. She sighed and pulled into the fast food drive- thru.
    Minutes later we’re back on the road, continuing our route to Dexter. I munch on my Big Mac, hoping its greasy goodness will help me get over my anxiety.
    “Calm down dear, there’s nothing to be nervous about.” Aunt Bev said, smiling.
    “You’re a wicked pretty young lady Antigone, people will like ya. Don’t worry.” Her kind words sort of help. Everyone has always told me that my long gold hair and brown  chocolate chip eyes were a pretty combination, but I think brown eyes are boring.
    “Oh! And Dextah’s gotta tons of cute boys for you to pick from!” That made me even more nervous. I mean, yeah I’ve had boyfriends and stuff. But I’ve never had a legit real relationship. I look up from my meal and see that we’ve finally made it to the tiny town of Dexter, Maine. I pictured Dexter as a really small, one-horse town in the middle of the woods with like only one convenience store. The woods part was right; there are trees everywhere, I mean really everywhere. Instinctively, my nose starts to run. I look around for a napkin, but I don’t find any.
    “Aunt Bev, can we stop real quick so I can get my own box of tissues? I have a feeling I’m gonna be needing a lot of them while I’m here…” I ask, unimpressed. She nods and pulls into the first store we see as we pass the Dexter town line. The store  is really small and cute. Aunt Bev hands me a $5 bill and I get out of the van. The smell of pine hits my nose, making it go from a leaking faucet to a busted dam. I wipe my nose on my sweater and I race inside, but stop dead in my tracks when I see what looks to be a Greek god, sent down from Mount Olympus to be the cashier at this teeny store. He is the definition of perfect; golden brown hair, a strong  chiseled jaw line, full lips and green-blue eyes that wash over my like icy, ocean waves. I can feel my cheeks flush and my heartbeat pound in my ears as I look around for the toiletry isle, trying to make as least eye contact with the hot guy as possible. I checked my reflection in my phone to see that my face was somewhat booger free, thank God. I find what I’m looking for in no time and head back over to the check-out counter.
    “Hey,” The hot guy said, taking the box of tissues from me. I couldn’t look him in the eye without blushing, so I looked at the rest of him instead. He was wearing a brown  T-shirt and had a name tag that said Adrian. I watched his biceps flex as he typed something into the cash register.
    “That’ll be $3.25 Miss.” Adrian smiled as I glanced up and peeked at him through my lashes. His teeth were perfect. I handed him my $5 and stared at him while he got my change.
    “Have a nice day.” He said as he handed me my money. I thanked him then got out of there. Stopping just short of the van door, I realized I forgot my tissues.
    “I’m such an idiot.” I sighed, turning and heading back inside. I nearly ran into Adrian when I pushed open the door, almost knocking him to the ground.
    “Oh my gosh I’m so sorry!” My heart was pounding like crazy. Adrian laughed.
    “Don’t worry about it,” He said, handing me my tissues. “Looks like you really needs theses.” He was staring at my nose. My hand automatically shot up to my face, my fingers meeting some fresh snot. I grabbed the box of tissues and ran, leaving Adrian’s laugh lingering behind me.
    When I got back into the van, Aunt Bev saw my flushed face and asked what was wrong.
    “Oh nothing, just one other the most attractive guys I’ve ever seen just saw me with boogers all over my face! Oh Aunt Bev, that was the most embarrassing thing ever!” She didn’t ask anymore questions, and we drove on in silence. That gave me time to take in the rest of Dexter. The woods started to become less and less, thinning out as more houses and other buildings took their place. After a few minutes of small stores and more houses, we finally make it to Aunt Bev and Uncle Peter’s house. It sits on top of a hill on Maple street, behind the Shop n’ Save in the middle of town. It’s nothing like my house back in Maryland, but I feel right at home when I step on the front lawn. The house has a huge wrap-around porch, perfect for spending cool fall nights like tonight on.
    “It’s getting kinda late, are you hungry Antigone?,” Aunt Bev asked, walking past me with some of my bags in hand, heading into the house.
    “No thanks, I’m still good from that McDonald’s.” I reply. She shrugs and goes through the front door. I spend a few moments taking in the white pillars and black window shutters, the dormant flowers beds. It’s fall, which means winter is almost here. I love winter so much. We don’t get that much snow in Maryland, hopefully they get a ton here. A breeze blows by, spending a chill up my spine and waking me up from winter wonderland dream. I follow Aunt Bev’s path and go inside.
    The scent of a warm wood stone welcomes my nose. The follow the sound of Aunt Bev’s voice, leaving the entry way through the small living room and up the stairs. I pass a small bathroom and the master bedroom before finding her in what looks to be my new room. It’s small, like everything else in the house, but it’s cute. The walls are pale purple, with a pink butterfly border. Clearly this was my mothers old room. I take a seat on the bean bag chair in the corner of the room, and watch as Aunt Bev puts new sheets on the twin bed for me.
    “I know it’s not much, but it’s warm and clean.” She said, glancing over at me.
    “It’s just fine, thank you Aunt Bev.” I got up and gave her a hug. “But I’m really tired, so I’m gonna go to bed.”
    “Okay dear. I’ll be in in the mornin’, probably around 6 to wake you up, okay?” She said as she walked to the door.
    “Yeah that’s fine. See you tomorrow.” She blew me a kiss and closed the door. I stood up and threw myself onto the bed. Tomorrow I started my first day at Dexter Regional High School. They had already started school last week, so I won’t be the only new kid thank God. I was still super nervous. I took out my phone and checked the time. 8 o’clock. I cracked the window and pictured how I wanted tomorrow to go. I imagined everyone wanting to be my friend, everyone liking me. As sleep finally took me over, the last thing I remember thinking about was Adrian’s perfect smile.
    Aunt Bev woke me up bright and early like she promised. I took a quick shower and got dressed in my favorite outfit; a pink, flouncy dress with gold sandals. I blow-dried and curled my hair and did my make-up, all within an hour, which was surprisingly quick for me. Being 17, I already have my license, and Aunt Bev and Uncle Peter have two vehicles, so they let me take the van to school. It was a little embarrassing, but it was better than nothing. Aunt Bev gave me some simple directions to the high school, and I made it there on time.
    I pulled into the student parking lot and searched for an empty space. I found one next to an old beat up Ford Ranger. Before I headed inside, I doused my self in some perfume. When I walked into the school, it must’ve been really obvious that I was completely lost. A little girl, probably a freshman, pointed me to the office.
    “Hi, I’m new here and I have no idea where to go.” I explained to the two secretaries behind the front desk.
    “Name?” One of them asked. She had short dark hair and round glasses.
    “Antigone Hall.”
    “Hall…” She searched threw some papers on her desk. “Right here. Okay so you’re a senior from Maryland, is that correct?” I nodded. “Alright, I’ll call down the senior class president to show you around. Have a seat, please.”
    “Okay…” I said, doing as she told. She went over to the microphone.
    “Adrian Adams to the office please, Adrian Adams.”
    My heart skipped a beat. Could this be the Adrian from the store? I sure hope not! I fidgeted and played with my hair in suspense, waiting for my guide to appear. Hoping and praying it wasn’t the greek god. Seconds went by before the office door opened, and in stepped a short young man. I sighed in relief. This guy was short, shorter than me.
    “Hey, you must be the new girl! I’m Adrian.” Adrian smiled and took my hand, leading me out into the hallway. “Girl you are gorgeous! Where ya’ from?” I told him I was from Maryland and that my mom sent me up her to live with my aunt and uncle. I didn’t add any other details.
    Adrian took me down every hall in the school, explaining each classroom to me. At the end of my tour, he handed me my schedule.
    “This is were I leave you my love. Have fun!” He winked and walked away, leaving me in front of the Chemistry room. I opened the door. Fifteen sets of eyes stared as I walked up to the teacher.
    “Oh yes, class! We have a new student! Tell us your name.” The teachers name tag said Mr. Morgan.
    “Uh  Antigone Hall.” I said, looking at the ground.
    “Wow, what an interesting name! Have a seat next to Tiffany.” He points to the pretty, dark haired girl in the back. She looks up and glares at Mr. Morgan.
    “Excuse me! My name is Tiffy! Not Tiffany!” She snapped. This girl has attitude. I walked slowly down to where she sat. Everyone’s eyes were still on me, I kept my own on the ground. I could hear the whispers. ‘Where is she from?”, “She’s hot!,” and “Why would she come here?” were the main ones. I took my seat in the back of the room next to Tiffy, trying to ignore the disgusted looks she was giving me.
    “So where ya from Blondie?” Tiffy whispered. Mr. Morgan had completely forgotten about me and just kept on teaching, as if he didn’t just get a new student that had no idea what he was talking about.
    “Maryland.” I replied, not even looking her way. I knew how girls like Tiffy worked. The less she knew about me, the better. Anything I say can be used against me later. Tiffy mumbled the word ‘Ew’ and returned to her work.
    When first period was over, I stepped out into the hall. I cluelessly walked about, unsure what to do. Going around a corner, I near ran right into Adrian. My eyes locked onto his and he smiled down at me.
    “Hey didn’t see ya there.” He winked. I could hear my heart beat in my ears.
    “Sorry! Hey do you think you could help me find my way around here?” I smiled. He took my arm and showed me around the school, just like the other Adrian did. The rest of the day I spent with Adrian. We ended up having all of the same classes. He was funny, smart, and most of all just plain beautiful. Everywhere I looked, people stared and whispered. At lunch time, it got way worse. I sat with Adrian and a few of his friends. They all asked me a bunch of questions, like where I was from and why I was here. It got annoying real fast. Adrian told them to leave me alone. After that, he held my hand everywhere we went. At the end of the day, he walked me out to the van.
    “So how do you like Dexter?” Adrian asked, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning up against the van.
    “It’s alright so far. Everyone seems nice.” I replied. I couldn’t stop staring at his gorgeous eyes. I blinked my eyes a bunch of times and looked at the ground.
    “What’s wrong?” Adrian grabbed my cheek and tilted my face up toward his. I laughed.
   “Nothing at all. I just feel like I’ve been staring at you all day.” I laughed again. “I don’t want you to think I’m creepy.” He laughed too.
    “Creepy? You are the farthest thing from creepy. You’re beautiful.” Embarrassed, I tried looking away to hide my blushing face. His grip on my cheek held me in place. He stared into my eyes, leaned down and kissed me. I gasped. I’ve only known this guy for less than 24 hours, and he’s already kissing me?! Adrian releases me and I just stand there frozen, unsure what to think. The wind blows a blast of pine scented air toward us, spraying my hair back away from my face and making my nose run. The feeling of boogers down my face wake me out of my trance. I cover my mouth and nose quick with my hand, my face getting redder and redder.
    “Oh dang, come over to my car. I have tissues.” Adrian lead me over to his Dodge truck. It was bright red and looked like it could go really fast. He opens his trunk and hands me a box of tissues. “You can just keep these, I know you’ll need ‘em.” He winked.
    “I’m so embarrassed.” I admitted, wiping my nose. Adrian takes my used tissues and throws them away. He takes my hand and leads me back to the van. All I can think about is that kiss and how bad a need a cig.
    “Do you have a cellphone?,” he asked. I nodded, taking it out of my purse. “Here’s my number.” He took it and programmed it into my phone. “Text me tonight.” And then he kissed me again, and it felt like my whole world was ice over all over again. He left me there, frozen in time. It was a few long seconds before I hopped into the van and headed home.
    The rest of my week went by just like my first day did; doing everything with Adrian, sneaking kisses every few minutes. He would even carry my books for me. Some of the staring stopped, which was good. The only person that was giving me the most trouble was Tiffy, who’s icy glare never ceased to creep me out in Chem. Every night, I would fall asleep texting him. He was so nice and so sweet, telling me how beautiful I was and how I was different from other girls. For only knowing him for such a short amount of time, I’m really starting to like him. He’s perfect. Adrian and I made plans to hangout this weekend.
    “I want to take you somewhere.” He said to me at lunch. He put is around me and pulled me closer to him. I could smell his cologne.
    “What do you have in mind?,” I smiled, resting my head on his broad shoulder. The thought of spending a weekend with him made my heart skip a few beats.
    “Lets go out to eat and maybe see a movie, or something. Ya know, something normal teenagers do.” Adrian tilted my face up and kissed me.
    “Okay.” I breathed in between kisses. I heard someone clear their throat. I jumped and looked up. Tiffy was standing at the head of our table, hands on hips, green eyes blazing.
    “If I were you, I’d stand up and walk away from him right now. You don’t know what your getting yourself into.” She threatened. I just sat there and gawked. What did she mean? Adrian is my dream.
    “Go away Tiffy, this is none of your business.” Hissed Adrian, giving her the meanest look I’ve ever seen a guy give a girl. I shuttered.
    “This is your last and only warning. I’m doing you a favor.” Tiffy looked like she was on the verge of tears. She blinked a few times and she went back to her normal, beautiful self. Tiffy stood there for a few more seconds, then went and sat back at her table. I didn’t know what to say or do. I had so many questions, I was unsure where to start.
    “What?” I started, but Adrian cut me off.
    “I’m so sorry about that.” He said, his face also returning back to normal. “She’s my ex. She’s obviously still crazy about me.”