Suzie’s House 198: A Couple

Gene stood right outside the door to the classroom, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, waiting for Tracy. She was here in Madison. She was really here, instead of wherever it was her mother lived now. It didn’t look like she planned on going anywhere either. He could hardly believe it.

As soon as the teacher was done talking at her and let her come out, he pushed off from the wall.

“What was that about?”

“Nothing.” Tracy shrugged. “Just teacher stuff. Don’t they make you stay after class to warn you to straighten out sometimes?”

“Yeah.” Of course. He was kind of surprised that Mr. Gordon guy hadn’t made him stay back instead of Tracy. But then, Gene hadn’t worn tight leather pants today, and she had.

“That’s all it was.”

“Tracy! Did you get in trouble already?” Lisa ran up from a different classroom with Ben a step behind her.

Sometimes Lisa got this kind of sour librarian look that made Gene real glad she’d latched on to Ben instead of him. Funny, until Tracy came along he hadn’t felt that way at all.

“I’m not in trouble.” Tracy rolled her eyes. “I just had a little talk with the teacher.

“I knew it. I knew you shouldn’t have worn that outfit.”

“What’s wrong with it?” She plucked at the leopard print, crinkly gold fabric of her shirt like everyone should just think it’s a t-shirt or something. “Besides, that wasn’t it. He just wanted to talk is all.”

Gene ducked his head down so no one would catch him smiling.

They’d been bumping their way down the hall – him, Tracy, Lisa, and Ben – and not paying much attention to the other people going to class. It dawned on Gene that there were an awful lot of them hanging out when they should already be sitting down where ever they were going.

This girl and her friend walked up. They had that look in their eye like they had a beef and wouldn’t let it go until they had their say. Both of them had blond hair to about shoulder length. The one a little in front of the other must have used a curling iron on it because it wasn’t naturally curled.

“Are you two a couple?” She said to Ben and Lisa like she was mad or something.

Lisa looked all surprised, but Ben grabbed her hand and grinned. “Yes. We are.”

“I knew it,” the second girl said to the fake curl girl.

“Are you two a couple?” the curly said real demanding like to Gene and Tracy.

“I don’t know,” Gene looked at Tracy for the answer. “Are we?”

“Of course we are.” Tracy wrapped her arm around his.

“Ok.” He turned back toward the girl. “Yeah, she and I are a couple.”

The fake-curls girl burst out in tears. She was really bawling. Her friend grabbed her by the shoulders and kind of steered her away. “She always liked you,” the friend said to Gene.

He didn’t know what to say, and ended up just staring at them. He didn’t even know either of their names, couldn’t remember even once saying anything to each other. What gave?

“Well,” Tracy said all smooth and snide. “Aren’t you the ladies man.”

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