Welcome to California, Chanel., chapter 4
Chanel was one of the first ones in the algebra classroom, and was glad to have something to distract her. She listened to the teacher drone on about classroom rules, and actually paid attention to him, despite her memory of lunch nagging at in the back of her head. Billie was not hers to take. And after all he had a girlfriend. Maybe he hadn't meant to flirt. Maybe Chanel had just misunderstood his action...
Her mind was racing now. She felt guilt take over her.
"Chanel, what did I just say?" the teacher inquired, brandishing a piece of chalk at her like a sword.
She didn't say anything. Her mouth was dry.
"Chanel...?"
"Can I go to the bathroom?" she finally said.
"But it's only four minutes before the bell rings.."
"Let. Me. Go," she said, getting up from her seat, this time saying it with more ferocity.
"Ms. Mostel, sit DOWN. Do you really think it's necessary to get a referral on your first day?" he said loudly.
"No, sir..." she said calmly. She sat down and focused on the teacher once again, even though she still felt anger bubbling inside her.
"Fucking teachers..." she whispered.
Chanel was glad to get out of the classroom when the period ended. Instead of heading off to English, her next class, she sat in the middle of the quad, watching others walk by. One was Billie, who approached her.
"What?" she said with a scowl.
"I was wondering what the hell you were doing," he answered, sitting across from her cross-legged.
"Skipping," she said plainly.
"Me too," he said.
"So... got a cig?"
"Yeah..." He handed her his pack of Marlboros and watched her slip it between her shiny pink lips.
".... And a light?" she continued.
"Yeah." He rummaged around in the pockets of his jeans until he recovered a bright red lighter and tossed it her way. She caught it with her free hand and lit the cigarette.
They sat in silence for a while, he staring off into the distance, her taking drags, even though he could hear chatter coming their way, and he supposed she could too. She seemed to ignore it, and continued to inhale the pungent smoke.
It grew even louder, and a group of girls appeared, Soph and Ann amongst them. There were two unfamiliar faces.
"Hey, Soph," Chanel said, looking up, a trail of smoke coming from the cigarette. Her eyes darted back and forth between the group members.
"Hey," she answered. "You skipping?"
"Yeah, I guess." She eyed the girl standing next to Soph, and made note that she was rather disgusted by the scene unfolding in front of her. She looked like she was 'punk', but she did not seem to like Chanel or Billie at all.
"Hey Vanessa," Billie said, gesturing to the one next to Soph. "Chanel, that's Vanessa, my girlfriend. Vanessa, that's my friend Chanel."
Chanel grinned sardonically at the girl. "This is the famous girlfriend?"
"Yeah," Billie answered.
"Chanel? Like the designer? You parents must be rich," Vanessa said.
Chanel flicked the ash from her cigarette in the direction of Vanessa's shoes. "....Yeah. My name's Chanel. It means pipe in French, I'm not named after the designer. My parent isn't rich, either..."
"Oh," Vanessa said disappointedly.
Chanel raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "So... are you and your-" She gave the rest of the girls an odd look, except for Soph,"-friends staying here?"
"Why not?" Ann piped up, which made Chanel finally take notice of her presence among the girls.
".... Um, first of all, I was hoping to skip alone before Billie came, and now you came, so if you're skipping with him, count me out," Chanel said irritably, extinguishing her cigarette on the pavement.
"Okay," Vanessa said understandingly. "Bye Billie, bye Chanel," Vanessa said, turning on her heel and walking back down the hallway, disappearing into the courtyard. The girls followed suit.
"Let's get out of here," Billie said, in the silence that followed.
"Mmkay... "
Chanel and Billie both got up, slung on their backpacks, and headed down the hallway, through the entrance, and into the parking lot.
Her mind was racing now. She felt guilt take over her.
"Chanel, what did I just say?" the teacher inquired, brandishing a piece of chalk at her like a sword.
She didn't say anything. Her mouth was dry.
"Chanel...?"
"Can I go to the bathroom?" she finally said.
"But it's only four minutes before the bell rings.."
"Let. Me. Go," she said, getting up from her seat, this time saying it with more ferocity.
"Ms. Mostel, sit DOWN. Do you really think it's necessary to get a referral on your first day?" he said loudly.
"No, sir..." she said calmly. She sat down and focused on the teacher once again, even though she still felt anger bubbling inside her.
"Fucking teachers..." she whispered.
Chanel was glad to get out of the classroom when the period ended. Instead of heading off to English, her next class, she sat in the middle of the quad, watching others walk by. One was Billie, who approached her.
"What?" she said with a scowl.
"I was wondering what the hell you were doing," he answered, sitting across from her cross-legged.
"Skipping," she said plainly.
"Me too," he said.
"So... got a cig?"
"Yeah..." He handed her his pack of Marlboros and watched her slip it between her shiny pink lips.
".... And a light?" she continued.
"Yeah." He rummaged around in the pockets of his jeans until he recovered a bright red lighter and tossed it her way. She caught it with her free hand and lit the cigarette.
They sat in silence for a while, he staring off into the distance, her taking drags, even though he could hear chatter coming their way, and he supposed she could too. She seemed to ignore it, and continued to inhale the pungent smoke.
It grew even louder, and a group of girls appeared, Soph and Ann amongst them. There were two unfamiliar faces.
"Hey, Soph," Chanel said, looking up, a trail of smoke coming from the cigarette. Her eyes darted back and forth between the group members.
"Hey," she answered. "You skipping?"
"Yeah, I guess." She eyed the girl standing next to Soph, and made note that she was rather disgusted by the scene unfolding in front of her. She looked like she was 'punk', but she did not seem to like Chanel or Billie at all.
"Hey Vanessa," Billie said, gesturing to the one next to Soph. "Chanel, that's Vanessa, my girlfriend. Vanessa, that's my friend Chanel."
Chanel grinned sardonically at the girl. "This is the famous girlfriend?"
"Yeah," Billie answered.
"Chanel? Like the designer? You parents must be rich," Vanessa said.
Chanel flicked the ash from her cigarette in the direction of Vanessa's shoes. "....Yeah. My name's Chanel. It means pipe in French, I'm not named after the designer. My parent isn't rich, either..."
"Oh," Vanessa said disappointedly.
Chanel raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "So... are you and your-" She gave the rest of the girls an odd look, except for Soph,"-friends staying here?"
"Why not?" Ann piped up, which made Chanel finally take notice of her presence among the girls.
".... Um, first of all, I was hoping to skip alone before Billie came, and now you came, so if you're skipping with him, count me out," Chanel said irritably, extinguishing her cigarette on the pavement.
"Okay," Vanessa said understandingly. "Bye Billie, bye Chanel," Vanessa said, turning on her heel and walking back down the hallway, disappearing into the courtyard. The girls followed suit.
"Let's get out of here," Billie said, in the silence that followed.
"Mmkay... "
Chanel and Billie both got up, slung on their backpacks, and headed down the hallway, through the entrance, and into the parking lot.
