The Punk and the Prude

Jemma’s POV

What an idiot. This is the first thought that hits you. The second thought you think is He is going to kill himself. You shake yourself when the second thought sneaks into your mind. You stare, telling yourself that you are unimpressed by the guy who is skateboarding down the long, narrow railing at top speed with a devilish grin on his face and hollering friends behind him. His wavy dark brown hair is messed up and his piercing violet gaze has a focus that is endearing as he lands at the bottom of the long railing on two feet. Despite your exasperation with the unknown guy for trying a stunt so stupid, you are surprisingly impressed that he did not fall. His friends appear equally impressed and you stare at the unsuspecting group from your spot in the corner before you are dragged out of your thoughts by the voice of your twin sister.

“Can you believe her Jemma? She wants us to complete the whole project by tomorrow!” Kay complains to you with a scrunched look on her face as she hoists her backpack up onto her back and gives a mirthless laugh. “Not that we have a busy social life or anything. People use our social calendar to explain the definition of empty.” You can’t help but to smile at what she is saying. Actually the truth is that the two of you don’t do anything at all, besides schoolwork of course. Besides your best friend Zack the two of you are pretty much loners. Pretty much the rule of thumb at your school is the more hell you raise the cooler you are. So that leaves your sister and you, the “goody two shoes”, at the bottom of the cool scale. But whatever, you like being different and people are pretty nice to you! You two continue to walk to fifth period as the lunch bell has just rung. With only two more periods and two days of school left until summer, you and Kay are in pretty good moods despite the fact that your Chemistry teacher has just assigned you a huge project to be completed by tomorrow. You two laugh and joke as you walk, sharing that twin bond that you have. You were in the middle of telling Kay about the history class mishap with a poorly aimed pencil when you completely slam into a solid object. Now let me tell you that you are no small girl! You’re not fat, but are tall and extremely sturdy. Let’s just say that it is usually not you that is knocked in a collision, but the other person… This time you were the one to fall flat on your butt in a mortified heap with your stuff everywhere. Cheeks flaming, you look up at the person who has run into you. Cool violet meets brown as his eyes lock with yours and you mumble an apology. You expect a simple whatever or an apology or something but are shocked when a surprisingly deep voice hisses at you,

“Watch where you are going next time won’t you. I’m sorry you think that you can just walk around all the time not caring about whom you trample on. So just look up every once in awhile won’t you? Geez!” You just stare in shock with your mouth agape as you watch the guy saunter off with his skateboard under his arm. You fume as you stand up and gather your stuff. Turning to Kay you spit,

“Who does that jerk think he is? I apologized, and anyway, he was so not looking where he was going either, and this was as much his fault as mine. Stupid animal, if I ever meet him in a dark alley…” You mumble as Kay just laughs at your anger, finding it humorous. You glare at her and stomp off to class with her following behind you, feeling angry and embarrassed.

Joel’s POV

“Go dude! You can do it man!” I hear one of my friends yell at me as I prepare to grind the rail. It is really no big deal and I’ve done it a thousand times before by myself. But now, in front of all these people, I have to do it perfectly or risk damaging my image. I think bitterly to myself, Yeah, that’s me, the bad boy, the punk, and the guy with an attitude. I smirk and focus on reaching the bottom as I slide down the rail on my skateboard. When I reach the bottom my friends surround me. What great friends, they only like me for my image and the status it gives them. I run my fingers through my short, wavy brown hair as I walk to my fifth period class. All I can think about is what the counselor said today about the summer camp that the incoming junior class could go to for credit and a great time. At this school I am known as the “bad-boy punk” and people think that I’m unintelligent. I keep up the façade to maintain my popular status, but in reality it’s not true. I think to myself wryly, If only they knew that I love history and reading! I would loose my status as popular faster than Hillary goes through boyfriends! As I’m thinking about my cheerleader stepsister, I run into something solid. A little surprised squeak comes from the person I’ve run into and I watch as she falls onto the ground with her stuff everywhere. Already annoyed with my problems, embarrassed to have even run into someone, and aware of my image, I respond rudely to the girl’s apology.

“Watch where you are going next time will you! I’m sorry you think that you can just walk around all the time not caring about whom you trample on. So just look up every once in awhile won’t you? Geez!” I stalk off, feeling ashamed by what has just occurred and how rudely I treated the girl especially when it wasn’t even her fault. I slow down a bit debating whether to apologize when I hear her mumbling to herself.

“Who does that jerk think he is? I apologized, and anyway, he was so not looking where he was going either, and this was as much his fault as mine. Stupid animal, if I ever meet him in a dark alley…” I can’t help but laugh at what she is saying, despite the fact that she called me a jerk. Well I guess it’s true! Before I can turn around and help the girl up, she is heading off to her next class angrily with what appears to be her twin following her, laughing. I can’t help but smile as I walk in the other direction.

“Riley, Joel.” The teacher calls my name and I raise my hand. English, I love the subject but I can’t do well in it because of my image. Sometimes I wish that I could say screw my popularity. It would be so much easier… I shake that thought out of my mind. With those thoughts I am officially crazy!

“Mr. Riley! What is the answer?” I look up quickly at the question on the board and am about to answer it- but then I get my sanity back.

“I don’t know, is it 82?” The class laughs at my smart response while the teacher just sighs, “See me after class Joel.” My group of guys laugh and clap. Mrs. West just shakes her head and continues on with the lesson.

“Joel, what’s with you in class?” Mrs. West asks me as I sit in the chair near her desk. “You’re so smart, but you waste it on acting like well, a-a- jerk! Honestly, you used to be such a nice little boy. What happened?” I just shake my head and mutter a nothing. I’m not going to explain my popularity to my Grandma’s best friend. She seems to understand my sullen attitude but doesn’t seem happy about it. She nods and says,

“Well honey, I’m sorry but you’re going to have to either retake the course or find a way to get credits if you want to pass.” Is my popularity really worth this?

Jemma’s POV

“Kay and Jemma how are you two?” A deep voice asks as you and Kay walk towards your house. “It’s been forever since we’ve seen each other last!” You roll your eyes and smile at the tall teenage boy who’s walking towards the two of you from the house next door. The good-looking guy has a charming smile on his face and his spiked black hair glistens in the sun. His blue eyes are full of laughter and his cheery personality is evident just by looking at him. He lifts you up in a huge hug then gives one to Kay before wrapping an arm around each of your shoulders.

“We saw you this morning at school Zack!” Kay laughs at his pout and continues, “Anyway, we see you every day. That cannot be good for our poor eyes.” He pretends to glare at her as you laugh loudly. His face cracks into a smile as he gives you both noogies. You knock on the houses’ door and smile at your Mom as she opens the door. You sling off your backpack and watch as Kay does the same. Zack had already been home so he doesn’t have a backpack with him. You, Kay, and Zack settle around the table as your Mom brings over cheese, apple, and crackers. She sits down with the three of you and asks about your days. You and Kay are close to your mother, and she has always been one to Zack, whose Mom passed away when he was four. Your family and Zack’s have lived next to each other since before you three were born. His mom and your mom were best friends and your dads are coworkers. Your whole life has been spent around each other. Zack is only three months older than you two and you have been friends for literally forever.

“Our days were fine Mom. We’re all going to camp together as you know, and since school is over in two days we are excited.” Zack, who calls your mother mom, says while eating an apple.

“Jemma and I are going to be peer monitors!” Kay says excitedly as your mom congratulates you two. The phone rings and she stands up to answer it. Kay, the loving sister that she is, recounts what happened with the boy you ran into today. You laugh along with them, thankful to have such great friends.