It’ll only take a minute, she said. It’ll be fun, she said. And ever since Mrs. Harper, his english teacher, had said that, Dex had been
dreading this exact day. Almost this exact moment. They were doing the final unit in their English class this year and you would think Dex would be
pleased that that unit was poetry. Mrs. H had been singing his praises for the last two weeks to his classmates, as if he needed any extra attention,
and now she was making things worse. She wanted them to do a reading. Dex sighed at the mere thought...she wanted them to stand up...she wanted
him to stand up and talk...in front of a room full of people who mostly forgot that he existed, but sometimes remembered and kicked his ass
for it. Ugh...and then there was one person who didn’t do either of those things.
He shared this class with her. Charlena. Sadly, a lot of the jocks and a few of the cheerleaders were also here so they didn’t talk all that much
beyond hellos, but yup...they had this class in common. She sat in the third row, third seat and Dex was two seats behind her and one seat over. It
was easier to stare at her that way...Which is kind of how all of his poems ended up being about her and the movie nights they had that had become
relatively frequent lately...which brought him back to his initial point. Mrs. H was making them read...ugh. She had wanted him to go first but
someone volunteered and they kinda went from there and they’d made it through 3 day with people volunteering until the period was up...now there
were only a few people left and unless some miracle happened and someone shot him dead, he was going to have to read. Maybe he could write something
else real quick while Jason Dobbs read whatever idiocy his short vocabulary could dream up.
Flipping open a notebook he put pencil to paper in an effort to write something that wasn’t about Char. Something that wouldn’t have them both
dying from embarrassment once he read it...
My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
Your hair is like tree leaves... Tree leaves? Really? Okay...usually Charlena wasn't one the one to critique anyone's creativity, but tree
leaves? Did Jason even try to do the assignment? Probably not. Honestly, it kind of surprised her that he even took the time to write more than one
word on his paper in the first...wait. Was...was the paper he was reading from blank?! Oh, that was rich. An impossible, exasperated sigh
seeped between two tightly drawn lips, an annoyed eye roll accompanying it. No matter how much Charlena loved a good poem, she could barely stomach
Jason's poor excuse for one...especially when he was making it up where he stood. She couldn't really blame him though, could she? Reading in front of
the class was mandatory, not a suggestion with this assignment and not everyone had an interest in standing in front of the classroom and pouring out
their "poetic soul". Heck, not everyone had a poetic soul. For instance, she was pretty sure that her poem had registered a solid eight on the
"horrible" meter! And she didn't even want to get started on Madgeline's poem, which she had secretly entitled as "the Queen's love song...to
herself". Now, the last of the last were drumming up enough bravery to close out the embarrassment that they'd all had to endure in the name of
literature...and finally, the end of the year. And that was obviously something that Charlena couldn't wait for...and not because of nonstop cheer
camp. Or the annoying semi-annual family vacation. OR being chaperone and driver for her little sister and her friends. No...summer was going to bring
something ten times more enjoyable.
With a tiny smile, Charlena shifted in her seat a little, picking at an invisible lint ball on her shirt for an excuse to look over her shoulder...and
over at Dex. Her gaze lingered for a moment as she waited to catch his eye, her smile growing as he finally looked up from scribbling in his notebook
and shifted his eyes in her direction. Without hesitating, he returned her smile with his own signature, lopsided grin. The one that said that he was
putting on a smile when all he wanted to do was see the other side of the dismissal bell. And Charlena understood why. If there was anything that
tortured Dex's existence, it was the halls of AJW. Dex wasn't half of the person that he truly was when he was at school. But when they were together,
just he and her...hanging in his room or in the comic book store, he was so...different. He was funny. He made her laugh...a lot! He knew things that
other kids didn't, listened to music that most of the kids at AJW wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole and he had fun. Fun that he wasn't allowed to
have when the jocks where pushing him into lockers and girls like Madge were watching his every move. But with her, he was himself. JUST himself...and
when he was himself, Charlena could see more of him than he would ever know.
Another sigh escaped her lips as Dex looked back to his notebook, desperate to return to his work. What the world was he doing? It wasn't like Dex to
be late on a literature class assignment...especially since he loved to write. Charlena had discovered that fact all on her own...well, not really
"fact". Maybe an opinion? An opinion based of facts? Like how he always got the highest marks on his assignments in Mrs. Harper's class? And how she
ALWAYS used his papers as an example of "A work"? And Dex loved to read. Graphic novels, HP...everything, it seemed. So, if he loved to read, why
wouldn't he love to write? He was such a sensitive soul, in touch with things that the "normal guy" didn't really see or get. And guys like him were
usually...kind of poetic, weren't they? Ugh, she was stereotyping. Not cool. Either way, she was almost positive he was a writer...and as he was one
of the stragglers in the "last to read" crew, that point would be proven soon enough.
He couldn’t concentrate with Jason murdering the art of poetry the way he was. While he was busy comparing the parts of a female to that of a pine
tree, Dex was trying to think of anything that he could write about that didn’t have to do with Charlena. He decided on something short about The
Avengers and as he penned it out, all he wanted was for Jason to shut up. None of what he was saying made any sense at all and Dex wouldn’t have
been surprised if there was nothing written on the paper he was “reading” from...Okay. He was being a little harsh. But Jason was usually the
ringleader in his torment so he had the right to think freely about the douche. But he shouldn’t have been thinking about that at all. Ugh! He had
to focus.
But he couldn’t, his eyes lifting and surprisingly meeting with Charlena’s. He couldn’t help the stupid grin that found his face the same way it
did anytime she smiled at him. He loved that...her smile. It was better when he could really appreciate it though, when they were alone together
without the pressures of AJW and the prying eyes that judged without asking any questions were nothing but a distant memory that he was really sure
existed. Now he could only give it a fleeting gaze, one he of course allowed to linger because, duh, it was Char. It wasn’t until he heard Madgeline
Ben Hassi clear her throat that his face snapped back to his paper. Yes, he knew it was her very distinct, voice and no, he didn’t bother to look
and see if she’d seen them, he just kept writing...hoping that she hadn’t.
Jason finished just as Dex finished the poem he might have written in first grade about one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. It was
probably bad, but it was a better choice than anything he’d written lately about Charlena. As the class snapped (yes, Mrs. H had them snapping their
applause) for Jason’s piece and he took his seat Dex hear the words he’d been dreading, “And now we have our last poet. Milhouse-,” she paused
as half the class groaned. Of course they did. Over the course of the unit, anytime she said his name it was followed by something like “Why
aren’t you guys trying harder, like your colleague?” or Stella piece of work. She might have thought the extra attention was nice,
but it wasn’t. It was another reason for his classmates to hate him. And dread his reading almost as much as he did. Of course they would be
pleasantly surprised as what he would read was nowhere near the level of his usual work...Or so he thought...Dex cleared his throat as he turned to
face the class and just as he opened his mouth to introduce his piece, he was stopped.
“Oh, Milhouse, I know you probably have something beautiful in your hand-,” a scoff interrupted her and she paused to give the class the side eye,
“but, I would love if you could read this one for us.” She held out a piece of paper, obviously with one of his previous assignments on it and he
couldn’t help the panic that washed over him.
“Um-,” he coughed, “I, uh, actually...It’s...” She interrupted his lack of communication standing as she placed the poem over the one in his
hand. “Right...” Looking down, things couldn’t have been more wrong.
My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
Bet you anything that every time Jason says "tree" he's talking about his...
A quiet giggle escaped Madgeline as she looked up and into the mischievous eyes of Robyn Higgins, the sender of the very naughty text that just so
happened to be too true. If there was one thing that Jason thought about more than Football and his car...it was his shaft. And from what Madgeline
had heard, "tree" wasn't exactly the appropriate word for the disappointment in his pants. Languid stump? Yes, now that was a description
that was much more...fitting. And what a funny coincidence! Robyn just so happened to be the one that had given the fated news about Jason's
flaccidness too! Hmmm, how convenient. Not really. Looked like Robyn had a couple of limp skeletons in her closet. Also not a surprise as Robyn was
the type to suck a hot dog if you paid her to. Sometimes, she surprised herself with the kinds of girls she affiliated herself with. It was
unavoidable, really, as most of them were on the squad. Robyn, for one, was one of the best bases on all three squads, combined. Not a surprise, as
she was built like an ox and could've probably been traded as a wedding dowry. And Tiffany Poole? She was an excellent little flyer...thanks to her
bulimia. And then there was...Charlena. And the funny thing? Madgeline couldn't think of a single positive for keeping her on the team. All
she did was gush gooey goodness all over everyone and thank Jesus for every game. It was pitiful...and sad. And boring...like Charlena's entire life.
And now Madgeline was bored. The hilarity of that text message had worn off in seconds and Jason's horrible poem about his penis seemed to linger
on...and on, endlessly. Sighing and fighting the urge to pull out her phone and shop Saks Mobile, she sat back in her chair, her manicured fingers
drumming the top of her wooden desk. The poem (that she hoped was quickly ending) had lost her attention and the things in the classroom that would've
never entertained her before were now on the level of a that video on YouTube of that cat playing the piano. Insignificant, but complete entertainment
in the moments of unusual boredom. Kyle, the football team's skanky cornerback, was digging in his ear, his mouth hanging slightly open like the dull
orangutang that he was. Of course, that comparison was probably an insult to orangutangs everywhere. Cally, another member of the squad, was picking
at the shellac manicure that they'd just gotten together two days ago. She was probably tired of the color she'd picked already...which was how she
treated the boys she dated as well. And then...little Miss Perfect Charlena. Madgeline didn't know why she was even wasting her time looking at
Charlena when she knew that the girl was probably staring straight ahead, giving Jason a "thumbs up" for a job well done on his crappy...well
now....
What was this? Little Miss Perfect was turned around, and doing a POOR job of pretending that she wasn't staring over her shoulder, in the direction
of...oh, this was just too good! The Poindexter kid!? Really? The one that she was supposedly "just friends" with? How adorable. And how full
of shit. Clearing her throat softly, Madgeline broke the cute little "love stare" between the two very hopeless lovers. So. That was what Charlena had
been doing in her spare time? Not like Madgeline gave too much of a concern about what Charlena did...ever. But this? This was just too good to
ignore! Princess perfect and the Pauper? How Charlena had even fallen for this stuttering, bumbling ridiculous...ugh. It was just too much to even
think about, really. With his bad clothes, bad glasses, bad...hair? How sad...and juicy!
Mrs. Harper calling Charlena's little love toy's name broke Madgeline out of deep thought, prattling on about how "amazing" his work was, begging him
to read it. Wonderful. Madgeline couldn't help but roll her eyes in anticipation of yet another poem about absolutely nothing.
Saturday Night. We look alright. We're going out....
Boring.
Paris, France. Londontown. NYC... Boring.
Oh great. Fantastic. Here he was, being forced to read one of the poems that was completely about the one person in the room that could never know she
inspired him. And a lot of the time it wasn’t just to write. Charlena inspired him to do a lot more than that. Heck, coming here everyday was mostly
for her...But this wasn’t the type of thing he needed to be thinking about now. What he needed was for someone to pull the fire alarm or at the very
least set him on fire and save him from himself. Maybe he could recite something else. He had more than enough of them memorized from open-mics and
spoken words...but Mrs. H was expecting this...
Maybe it wasn’t that bad...it wasn’t exactly about Char...Mrs. H had given him ‘Blue’ a short one about the way Char’s
eyes change colors when she tilts her head to the side a little and gives him that look that she does when she knows he’s teasing her; where, like,
her lips are holding on to a laugh and she doing this half side-eye, half looking up thing...yeah...they turned blue then...Shoot! He was still
standing here. Holding a piece of paper he’d sooner eat then read, but...this was it. Dex cleared his throat before starting.
Quote:
Beautifully crafted on a porcelain canvas, the Luminescent reflection of heaven falls softly Upon I, the very one, who’s Existence relies solely on that of hers.
One fleeting glance Envelopes me in oceanic depths Yet as my lungs empty of air, her Essence breathes new life with Silent whispers of sparkling sapphires.
There. It happened. He read it. His eyes down the entire time, even though he hadn’t read a word on the paper. He remembered this one. He remembered
it because it easily brought to mind that look. Her look. He dare not look at her now though. He could feel his face basically glow as he
quickly tried to make for his seat, only to be stopped by Mrs. H. Awesome. “Milhouse, that was beautiful. Wasn’t it beautiful class?” He gave
her a weak half smile as he moved again for his seat only to be stopped. Again. “What inspired this piece, Milhouse I’m curious?” WHat the fuck
was wrong with her?!
“I really just needed the grade-,” he said quietly, his eyes subconsciously leaving the ground only to find Char before he caught himself, finding
the floor again.
My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
This was it! A guilty bit of excitement showed on Charlena's face as Jason finished his horrible poem (well it was!) and took his seat, giving his
teammates around him completely unnecessary high fives. You would've thought that he cured cancer. Oh, she was being completely horrible! Quelling the
laughter at her own inside joke, she focused on the next name from Mrs. Harper's mouth and hoped without shame that the next name she called would be
"Milhouse Poindexter". Charlena knew it was selfish! To kind of...look forward to the embarrassment Dex felt when anyone even LOOKED like they were
going to say his whole name. Oh, and not to mention the look of total panic he got when anyone asked him to do anything that meant standing in front
of the class and...breathing. But! It all meant that finally, Charlena would get to see him do something she'd always been a little afraid to ask him
to do...read one of his pieces. She knew he was creative, even if he didn't want to share that fact with her. Everything about Milhouse Poindexter
shouted "ingenuity", even when his mouth and his quiet demeanor didn't. The way he dressed in those clothes that Charlena didn't quite understand, but
loved just the same. The way he listened to all that weird music and watched those crazy movies...that he'd just so happened kind of gotten her hooked
on. Dex's silence said more than he needed too...about a lot of things. Things that people would probably judge him about just as much as they judged
him for his individuality. But Charlena never would.
"...-Milhouse?" And there it was. Dex's whole name...and a giddy, unusual feeling in the pit of Charlena's stomach. Crazily, it felt like Christmas
morning! Well, it wasn't that serious. But it was pretty exciting. Finally! She'd get to experience something she'd been to afraid to ask Dex
to do. Read poetry. Simple, right? Shouldn't have been too hard to ask for something that simple...right? Not so much. Even though they'd been what
they could loosely call "friends" for the entire year...and then some, it always seemed like there was some sort of wall between them. Like he was
still...hiding something from her. Like he was still a little uptight around her. She could see why. They were still trusting each other, she guessed.
And the near silence that they held during school hours probably didn't help. But really, and this was the crazy thing...Dex was the best friend she'd
had SINCE she'd started at AJW. Honestly. He didn't judge her, he saw her for herself and...he was real. Realer than anyone had been to her in years.
And...and she was babbling. She was babbling and Dex was standing in front of the classroom, ready to read. With an encouraging smile, even though he
wasn't looking anywhere near her direction, his eyes firmly into the paper, she listened to him begin.
And...she...wow. With every word, every line that ended where the next one began, her eyes grew in amazement. His poem. Was. Beautiful. And
as the silence fell around her, around the classroom, she could tell that she wasn't the only one that felt that way. But she couldn't look at the
faces to see if they were as amazed as she was...or if they were holding back bursts of laughter, the absolute depth of his poem going completely over
their heads. Ugh, she didn't care! Dex's words were incredible. Deep and...really, really good! She didn't have the words to even begin to describe
the way his words made her feel. Before she could think of anything...something...it was over. And Dex was scurrying back to his seat, Mrs. Harper
asking him completely unnecessary questions that he didn't want to answer. He walked with his eyes down, answering her as quickly as he could in the
slowly breaking silence of the classroom. The first to break it? Jason and his friends...with their quiet laughter. They were just jealous! Completely
jealous, actually!
I just really needed the grade.... Ha! If there was anything that Dex didn't need in their shared English class, it was a grade. He could've
bombed that poem and STILL made an A! Heck, he tutored HER in that class when they were going through their Shakespeare unit! No, Dex had written that
wonderful poem...because...because... And faster than she could really think of a reason, his eyes found her. They sat on her for a second,
unreadable...and then, before Charlena could muster a look outside of surprise and amazement, he looked at the floor again.
It was never like this for him when he read in public. Busboys, Simon’s, any of the places in Kai Midtown, he never had a problem reading
for the people there. Because they were strangers. People who didn’t know him to judge him, people he wasn’t constantly watched by to ensure that
he remained as uncool as they’d left him. Here was different. The real world he could deal with...High school was hell. Dex sighed, sure he was
drawing his last breath, but completely at peace with that fact. He’d closed his eyes to the sound of his heart beating in him esophagus and opened
them to stare down the firing squad in front of him that was going to do him the favor of killing him quickly and without pain...well, anymore pain
than he had already endured. The reading was over and now was the fallout. He heard the squad shout a chorus of ‘Ready. Aim...’ but he was brought
out of his day dream by the sound of the bell ringing, signaling the end of the period and the beginning of his favorite class, Lunch.
As Ms. H dismissed the class Dex finally walked back to his seat to collect his things. He still held that stupid poem in his hand. A poem that he
never should have written in a class with her in it. He crumpled it, crinkling and folding his words into the ball that was usually lodged in
his throat when he talked about Charlena. Why he didn’t choke on that ball when he wrote about her, Dex would never know...She probably knew. The
way she had looked at him when it was all over and Ms. H asked why he wrote it? Yeah, she knew. And right now, while he tossed his notebook and pencil
into his backpack, she was probably thinking of how she’d be able to tell him how they were only friends. And bow that he’d properly embarrassed her in
front of people that mattered, they weren’t even that...He had to get out of here.
But of course not without a few words from the boy who said far too many during his reading. As he turned to leave he stood face to clavicle with
Jason. “Wow, Poindexter. Your poem was really um...gay-,” he smirked then, the other jocks having themselves a good chuckle at Dex’s expense.
His jaw clenched at a retort of ‘yours too’ as Jason continued. “I have a question; what kind of panties were you wearing when you wrote it?”
That line got laughs...not just snickers, but they were having a good time with his work. Nah. Not his words. They could have anything else; his
clothes, his hair, the way he chewed on the tip of his pencil in math, whatever, but not his pieces.
“Your mom’s actually-,” Dex retorted, his eyes void of the usual mild fear that Jason elicited. “Want me to write you one about how I got
them?” Oh. Shit...too far. He watched Jason’s face change, the amusement draining from his features to be replaced with rage. The rage Dex usually
tried to avoid. He pushed nervously at the glasses on the bridge of his nose as he took as small step back. Uh oh...
My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
Oh... Oh, this was just too good! Poindexter was quite the little poet, wasn't he? Carefully constructed lines full of symbolism and
metaphors. He'd spent time on that poem, hadn't he? It wasn't like the political blather or "I don't belong", hipster pointlessness he usually wrote
about. It was a love poem. An acronym poem of devotion...and all for little Charlena. And no one else knew a thing. No one except for
Madgeline, of course. But then again, nothing escaped her eye. She knew the goings on at AJW and untied them, neatly, their slippery, satin bows
sliding loose easily. No scandal or secret ever escaped her. Now was no exception, no matter how ordinary the dirty linen. And on a scale from dirty
sheets to soiled panties, this was a "dirty sock". Insignificant, but a tasty morsel in its own right. Especially now that it fell into the right
category. The one labeled, "The Downfall of Princess Perfect". It wasn't everyday that a quiet, little drama formed about Charlena. She was the center
of chasteness, the interpretation of innocence, the archetype of...yawn. She was boring is what she was. WAS being the operative word as
these juicy morsels of information Madgeline was gathering said something so much more. The rabbit hole went deeper. Something was brewing with little
Miss Perfection and her ridiculous Pauper. And even if nothing was truly cooking, Madge was fabulous at her craft...and her ability to make something
appear out of absolutely nothing.
Smiling her sweetest smile, she politely clapped after Poindexter's poem ended. The very idea of snapping was beneath her. Without a doubt, his poem
was impeccable...wretch worthy, but impeccable. And as she watched his nervousness at Mrs. Harper's incessant questions about a poem that Poindexter
clearly wanted to avoid reading, much less answer questions about, she saw his horribly shifty eyes. For the sake of Allah, he was ridiculous.
Sniveling, insecure...sad. This is what Charlena was attracted to? Of course she was. She was just a pretentious as her first boyfriend, Jesus.
Looking for something and someone to save. He was like a helpless little bird, fallen out of his mother's nest. It was pathetic. But as she saw his
eyes float toward where Charlena sat, the true reason behind his sappy poem, Madgeline decided she'd be the smiling, plotting cat. Baby birds
were...so tasty, weren't they?
The bell rung and like expected, kids sprung from their seat like the things had coals underneath them. But Madgeline took her time. There were things
to do, people to speak to, poems to compliment... and then then the raised voices and testosterone gathering at the door of the class distracted her.
There was Poindexter, surrounded by a herd of brainless brutes...also known as the football team she cheered for. Well barely cheered for as they were
as bumbling and as ignorant on the field as they were at the moment, circling Poindexter like hungry hyena. Seems his poem was a idiot attractant,
too. Men and their jealousies. Madgeline sighed as she picked up her satchel that held her books and walked close to the building storm.
Your mom's actually- Well, well. Looked like someone had a backbone...a backbone that was about to get snapped in two, but nonetheless...a
backbone. Poindexter wasn't such a dying bird after all. Oh, but he would definitely be dead...if not for an intervention...
"Okay boys..." Madgeline said, stepping in between the boys, standing in front of Poindexter. A shield of mercy... "Fun's over. Don't you have
a...ball to toss or some part of your hulking masses to scratch?" With a sharp glare, Madgeline's eyes fell on Jason, who unwise looked as if he were
about to open his mouth in rebuttal.
"Oh no...you don't want to do that Jason. Not unless you'd like to discuss the symbolism in your 'towering pine tree' poem? Overcompensation imagery,
much?" A feline smile graced her perfect, pink lips as she rolled her eyes and turned her back on the departing boys, missing Jason's glare, the
knives shooting from his eyes like annoying gnats.
"Ignore them. They get threatened by anything with a brain bigger than their own..."
Saturday Night. We look alright. We're going out....
Boring.
Paris, France. Londontown. NYC... Boring.
Shoot. He had stepped in it this time. He watched Jason turn red as his little snicker turned almost immediately. Dex thought about apologizing but
that would probably make things worse. Shit. HOw could he talk himself out of the beating that was surely coming. Ms. H or not Dex had
something coming and Jason wasn’t waiting for later. This had happened once before, Dex losing his cool (or lack there of) with Jason. The first
time he hadn’t even meant to put his foot in his mouth. In all honesty he couldn’t remember what he’d said, but whatever it was Jason took it to
heart...that was how he’d broken his first set of Ray-Bans. He could talk his way out of this...Taking a few more steps back he tried it, “Look
man, just chill-,” strong argument there Dex. No one could dispute a “just chill”, surely he would spare him...ha. Jason’s lip curled, ready
to retort before he probably punched him in the face, but something stopped him. Someone stopped him. She stopped him. Oh God.
He heard her before he saw her, a few of her perfect ebony curls falling behind her as she stepped in front of him. What the hell was
happening? Dex could only watch, stunned, as Madge handled his problem (for the moment) sending Jason on his way, threatening him with her own
interpretation of his ‘towering pine tree’. He had to put in overtime not to crack a smirk at that one. She was funny. Madgeline Ben Hassi made
jokes. Who knew? Probably the same people who knew she secretly saved nerds from being pummeled in her spare time. She turned to him as Jason walked
away, shoot Dex a look of warning that he knew meant they’d finish this later. Great...Wait.
She was talking to him? She was talking to him. She was talking to him and...he had somehow lost the ability. He stared at her, his jaw slack as he
willed himself to say something, anything in response. She had saved him (for the moment). He should thank her.
“I-I-uh...you...uh...thanks.” Oh, that was perfect.
My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
What...a bumbling idiot. And she wasn't talking about Jason and his horde of primate sidekicks. She was obviously talking about Poindexter and his
lack of ability to even move his mouth and make a sentence without falling all over himself. Pathetic. But his inability to sound like
anything but a blathering idiot didn't necessarily mean that he needed to get his face pulverized by a group of no-brains. And for that reason,
amongst others, Madgeline didn't feel too badly about saving his life. There had to be some way that this qualified as "charity work". Besides, if she
hadn't come to his needy rescue, who would have? Surely not Charlena. She was apparently too busy collecting her perfect things for her next perfect
class to even notice that her little boyfriend was on the verge of breathing through a tube for the last couple of weeks of the school year. She made
a horrid girlfriend...just like she made a horrid cheerleader...and person, in general. Charlena was as predictable and boring as Donna Karan's summer
line (no wonder her clothing was so undesirable) and maybe...it was time for something new and exciting for Poindexter? The little dork deserved it,
especially pining after someone like Charlena the way that he did. Obviously he had no idea how to recognize the better things in life. Madgeline
would gladly volunteer her time...and effort and show him.
"You're welcome. Really." Madgeline said softly, a feigned blush taking over her cheeks, her gaze turning from him as she looked at the floor.
Innocence seemed to be lover boy's dessert of choice as he couldn't keep his eyes off of Charlena and all of her gooey goodness. If innocent and pure
was what did it for Lover Boy, then Madgeline would give him an extra helping of it.
"I hate how they treat people. It's so offensive to watch them prey on people the way they do." Brushing her dark locks over her shoulder, her eyes
met his, a sweet smile gracing her lips. "I'm really sorry about them." With a boldness that she KNEW Charlena had never displayed, she stepped closer
to Poindexter, holding his gaze as she leaned in, her tone hushed.
"You know...I really, REALLY liked your poem." She whispered, her voice dropped over the noise around them. "It was so well written...I could never
write anything like that. Like...ever." A small giggle escaped her lips as she waited for the stuttering, clumsy reply that was sure to come. It was
complete surprise that he hadn't fainted from the very FACT that he'd gotten a compliment about anything from her. Well, there wasn't very much to
compliment, with his weird taste in clothing and that horrible hair cut from Great Clips. Some people had no idea about the importance of appearance
and that was the obvious in his case. Poindexter was and would never be Madgeline's "type". There was nothing about the boy that made her think
anything other than "waste of space" when she looked at him. Honestly, she'd barely known that he existed! But...for the greater good. And the greater
good was obvious...
He was Charlena's...and by the time Madgeline finished her little game...he wouldn't be anymore.
Saturday Night. We look alright. We're going out....
Boring.
Paris, France. Londontown. NYC... Boring.
He sounded like a complete idiot. A complete and total idiot! Here she was able to make words and sentences and have normal, human
conversation, but Dex? Dex was behaving as if he were from Nova Scotia and English was something he’d never heard of! He was a complete idiot. But
he didn’t mean to be! This was Madgeline Ben Hassi. Madgeline Ben Hassi had taken it upon herself to swoop in and save him from his unforgiving
fate. And now she was speaking to him! Complimenting him, he deduced as her bigger brain comment finally set in. He couldn’t lie, part of the reason
he wasn’t responding appropriately was because he was trying so hard not to stare at her. Not that he had never noticed before, but every bit of her
was perfection. The skin of a porcelain doll, not a hair out of place, and...her body...Sorry. He was a teenage boy with an affinity for detail. It
wasn’t as if he hadn’t noticed.
She spoke again, a blush taking her cheeks as she looked away. What part of the Twilight Zone was he in? A bashful Madgeline? That was a side of her
he’d never seen...hell, he hadn’t known it existed. And with her next words, if he hadn’t have known any better--and he knew much, much
better--he might have thought she was trying to....flirt with him. He was losing it. Maybe he was in some type of coma, living an alternate
reality because Jason had actually punched his face into the back of his skull. Maybe this was all some weird dream that he’d wake up from when the
meds wore off and the pain came back...because right now, he was feeling no pain whatsoever.
Especially not as she drew closer, a nearness that normally would have caused a heart attack doing nothing but cleansing him of the tension that had
built up since his reading in front of the class. He stood, slack jawed and unmoving as she basically purred into his ear a compliment about his
piece. She giggled as she pulled away from him and he quickly picked his chin up to respond. Hopefully something better than the last time he’d
opened his mouth to speak to her.
“Uh-,” he cleared his throat, “Thanks. Good to know I didn’t make a fool out of myself up there…” Good. Semi-smooth. A plus work for
someone who had never in a million years imagined he’d ever even breathe the same air as the girl he was speaking to.
My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
Class couldn't end quickly enough as Charlena nearly jumped from her seat with the rest of her classmates as the bell rang. She couldn't wait to talk
to Dex! His poem had been...amazing, to say the least and she couldn't have been more surprised! Not that she didn't know that Dex was capable of
doing well or exceeding expectations! No, that wasn't it at all. It was...the way he used words. They were so beautiful. There was no way that she
would've thought that words like that would come from someone so...Dex! Oh, she really couldn't wait to...drop nearly all of the loose paper from her
binder on the floor. Great. She really hoped that he hadn't sped from the room and quick walked to lunch from the embarrassment she knew she
saw all over his face. Why would he be embarrassed? He had such a wonderful gift. A gift that she couldn't figure out why he wouldn't share with the
world! Or at least with AJW High. Maybe, that would make people respect him more, give him half a chance to show that he was more than some guy behind
a pair of glasses.
Sighing loudly, she bent down to pick up the papers that had scattered around her desk, silently fussing at herself for not putting them in the side
pockets in the first place. And if she hadn't been so sidetracked by the laughter coming from the doorway, she might have been a little more careful
about how she shoved the papers into her binder, standing to her feet quickly as she could. She looked to the doorway, a horrible feeling settling in
the pit of her stomach as she saw Jason and his friends crowded around someone she couldn't spot through their large frames.
"Please don't let it be..." She whispered, a silent, pointless prayer on her lips. But she knew what she didn't want, was. They were huddle around Dex
and he was probably completely defenseless against those cruel jerks and...she had to get over there. She had to before it was too late and a
undeserved punch started something that she knew Dex wouldn't want to be in the center of. Walking between the last stragglers as calmly as she could,
she made her way towards the group...only to see it disperse. Okay?
"What the heck?" She whispered, knowing that Jason and his friends would never back down that quickly. Oh God, what if Dex had...fainted or something?
What if he...was completely rescued by Madgeline Ben Hassi? Queen Madge? To the rescue? Charlena wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen
her standing next to Dex as Jason and his friends left, shooting ugly glares at her as they walked out of the classroom door. Charlena wouldn't have
been surprised if Madge had said something absolutely ugly to them to get them on their way...but the real issue at hand was...why in the world was
she coming to Dex's rescue?! She hated him! She loathed everything about him as soon as she figured out that he'd actually existed. So what was she
doing talking to him...or better yet, flirting with him? The hair on the back of Charlena's neck stood as she walked closer to the two of
them and heard Madge's flirty giggle tinkling. Ugh.
"Hey...guys." She said, forcing a smile in Madgeline's direction before she turned to Dex.
"Are you okay? I saw Jason and his friends. I hope they weren't being too jerky to you..."
Hey...guys. Charlena. The sweet soprano of her voice followed his and just as it always did, it forced a smile to his lips that he had to try
suppressing until it she gave him something to smile about that wasn’t merely her presence. For the first time since her save, Dex’s eyes fell
away from Madge and looked to Char, one of the fleeting chances to openly stare at her since they were about to have a conversation. Was he okay? More
than okay, for reasons he wouldn’t express to her. Reasons he most certainly wouldn’t write about for class assignments any longer. That’s what
she was here to talk to him about. This was her rejection of him, following her complete embarrassment in front of their English class...Maybe if he
apologized before she could say anything...Oh! He should probably answer her question first.
“Oh, no Char, I’m good. Just Jason being Jason,” Dex dismissed it with a wave of his hand, the smile that had been begging to push through
acting as reassurance now. “I’m starting to think he’s gonna ask me out one of these days,” he joked, a nervous chuckle leaving him. An kind
of awkward silence settled among them but he didn’t let it linger, remembering that Charlena wasn’t the only person that had come to ensure his
well being.
“Uh, Madgeline, here, kinda stepped in to keep me from a very unfortunate incident...” This was getting increasingly awkward the more he talked
and part of him (a very small part) wished he could stop. The majority of him though, wondered what he had done right in a past life to be getting the
attention of the love of his life and Madgeline Ben Hassi (who needed no title...damn...) at the same time.
Sheen was going to have a field day.
My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
Madgeline's sweet, simpering smile melted into an all knowing smirk as Charlena's annoying voice sounded beside her. A quick exchange of fake smiles
and their interaction was over, Charlena's attention going straight Dex like some type of overprotective, soccer mom. Was she really checking him for
boo-boos? It was sad, desperate almost. She wasted all of her time being a little goody-two shoes and treating everyone around her like porcelain.
Like if they knew the truth about themselves, they'd shatter to pieces. The truth was that Poindexter needed to find his couilles, because
those had obviously gone missing if he needed a girl to come to his rescue. Correction. TWO girls had come to his rescue. Pitiful. And even as those
thoughts were filling Madgeline's head, thoughts of disgust and absolute embarrassment for those involved, her face didn't betray her mind's words.
She smiled, flitting those long eyelashes at Poindexter as his voice chimed in, over excitedly to whatever trash was coming out of Charlena's mouth.
By Allah, he needed to get a grip.
And of course, Charlena, in her complete avoidance of the obvious, didn't seem to notice Poindexter basically drooling over her presence, his
attention switching from Madgeline in mere seconds of Charlena's arrival. She didn't get it! How was she even remotely desired? BY ANYONE, of course,
but most of all, by Poindexter? She overlooked the most obvious advances, half the time and the other half, she just pretended like they hadn't been
made! She was a waste, but Poindexter just couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Maybe it was the lily whiteness that she portrayed. Miss. Do No Wrong.
Or perhaps, it was the fact that no one, not even Poindexter, would ever get her. She was the unattainable...the thing that no one would ever be able
to touch...because she wanted Jesus to be her "first" or some droll stupidity like that. Charlena was pointless...and the quicker Poindexter saw that
and focused in on something more...tangible, like herself, the better. Of course he was just a cat toy...a play thing for her. But at least with
Madgeline, he'd have a little fun.
More jokes that fell flat came from Poindexter and...a little awkward silence, which was normal for someone who didn't know how to carry on a
conversation. Then...her name. Madgeline, here, kinda stepped in to keep me from a very unfortunate incident... Ugh, finally! It stopped
being a "Charlena" party and Madgeline actually existed again.
"Of course I did..." she purred, playfully patting his arm. "But you should've been here for it, Char. He totally put Jason in his place! It's about
time someone did." Squeezing his arm quickly as she let her hand drop, she giggled again, stepping closer to Poindexter's side.
"Oh, but we were just talking about his poem. Wasn't it amazing?" Her voice dropped suddenly, the flirt that had abandoned it seconds ago returned
again. "I totally wonder who it was about! I'd love to have a guy write a poem about me...just once. That's so incredibly sexy...don't you think,
Char?"
*couilles - balls
Saturday Night. We look alright. We're going out....
Boring.
Paris, France. Londontown. NYC... Boring.
He still wasn’t quite sure what the hell was going on that he’d been lucky enough to end up sandwiched between Charlena and Madge...in the most
appropriate sense of the word, of course, but the magic of the moment was slowly waning. He had too many opportunities to speak and embarrass himself,
which he had, but on the bright side, no one had brought up the fact that that poem had been about Charlena. Madge probably hadn’t paid enough
attention to notice much of the things that involved he and Charlena, but he was sure Char knew the poem was about her. He was positive. And it seemed
they would find out soon enough as, Madge opened the door to discussing it.
Dex felt his throat begin to close up, as if he were allergic to the very thought of admitting he written that poem about anyone, let alone
her. Especially not in front of her. It was like all of the women in this room were trying to get him to do something he could never do...or
maybe something he should have done ages ago. He couldn’t tell the difference anymore...It was just...he didn’t know. He and Char seemed to get
along great when they were alone together. Maybe if he did do something a little bold, she wouldn’t respond by telling him he was a complete idiot
for even trying it...but whatever that “something bold” was, it wasn’t confessing his love her in poem or any other medium.
He was about to evade but Madge kept talking. That’s so incredibly sexy...His words caught in his throat as his attention turned completely
back to Madge and the fact that she thought anything about him in the slightest was...sexy. She was screwing with him. She had to be screwing
with him and she probably had been this whole time. Not that he was upset about it or anything. Any attention from Madgeline Ben Hassi was attention
well appreciated. But they really couldn’t finish this conversation. Not with Char’s response hanging in the balance.
“Well, y’know, I’ve uh, got to...go talk to Mr. Fielder about some extra credit in Bio,” he lied, an excuse to get away quick and clean
before Charlena could form a response. He didn’t want to know what she thought of it. He didn’t want to know because he already kind of did. She
already knew it was about her and there was nothing “sexy” about it. “Thanks again, Madge,” he started, forgetting they probably weren’t on
a nickname basis, “And I’ll see you around Char,” he finished, quickly making for the door before this ordeal could get any more awkward.
My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
"Yuck" was the only word that Charlena could think as she heard the most horrifying words come out of Madgeline's mouth. Did she just call Dex...sexy?
Ugh. Why was she laying it on so thick? Charlena had seen Madgeline flirt and on a couple of occasions, she'd actually been able to stomach it. So she
knew, without hesitation, that Madgeline Ben Hassi was flirting With Milhouse Poindexter. Blatantly and right in front of Charlena! She didn't even
like him! Every time one of the girls from their squad brought up his name, usually to make fun of Charlena's possible friendship with him, Madgeline
couldn't help but grimace...and insult his clothes. And his hair. And his glasses! And...she hated him and everything about him! So, why was she
flirting with him? And Charlena meant REALLY flirting as she'd never heard Madgeline refer to a high school guy as "sexy" as long as she'd known her.
It was odd and it was...a little gross to watch. No, definitely gross to watch...
Well, y'know, I've uh, got to...go... Before she knew it, Dex had excused and dislodged himself from between Madgeline and Charlena and had
walked out the door faster than she knew he could move! All because of Madgeline! She probably had embarrassed him with that whole bit about poetry
being "sexy", which Charlena could understand him being uncomfortable with. Especially with Dex not necessarily being interested in...girls. At all.
The whole thing was just uncomfortable and now Charlena had to go and clean up the entire mess that Madgeline had just made with her utterly foul
mouth. Saying a quick goodbye to a smirking Madgeline, Charlena followed Dex out the classroom door and into the hall, finding him a few steps away
from the class they'd just left. Speeding her pace, she weaved in and out of the crowd of students still exiting classes until Dex was in her
reach.
"Dex! Hey..." She called after him, her fast walk turning slowing down as she grabbed his arm. "Wait up..." With as smile she dropped her hold on his
arm, their paces matching as they walked.
"I am...so sorry...about Madge." She said, looking up at him, hoping to catch his eye. "She just...some times she's a little...er...aggressive?" With
a dry laugh, she fell silent as they walked. Charlena couldn't hide it. She felt bad. It kind of hit her as she walked... Madge was being a
jerk. She was either making fun of Dex because of his amazing poem...or she was just pulling his leg, anxious for some type of really jerky
entertainment. It was cruel. Dex's life was hard at AJW. Bullies and jocks setting out to make his life a living heck. And popular girls, like Madge,
with their teasing and...Dex didn't need any of this. Not with all of the things that Charlena could guess were going on inside of his head all the
time. He needed a kind word. A friend. Some to listen and not judge...she could be that to him. She WOULD be that for him.
"You know..." She began, hoping to soften the blow of Madge's horrible behavior. "I really loved your poem. It was...beautiful. And...and I know that
whoever it was about is completely lucky to have you writing such beautiful words about them."
He was out. Dex had taken the fastest cue possible to leave an awkward situation that was becoming more and more awkward by the moment. Escape was
not only necessary, but mandatory and not just because Madge had taken to using words like ‘sexy’ and allowing her hands to linger on on his body.
She had brought up that God forsaken poem and knowing what he knew Char knew about it was more than cue enough to get the heck out of dodge. So he
left. His feet moving swiftly down the hall as he tried to get far enough away from Charlena to avoid anymore questions. Ha. Who would have ever
thought he’d find himself trying to get away from Char?
And as if the universe only sought to further torture him with this cruel joke of the day, he heard Charlena call after him. He pretended he didn’t,
his eyes still straight ahead and his feet still moving at a pace of escape only to have her take his arm with a simple request. Wait
up...His pace slowed and for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why. It seemed his body was more in-tune with what she wanted than what
he did. But he stayed, his pace slowing to match hers. Char spoke first apologizing for Madge. Ha. That was nowhere near necessary. Even if Madgeline
was screwing with him, she’d saved him from Jason’s wrath and...well hell, she’d breathed in his general direction. He was going to
count that as a win.
Dex smiled at her, a genuine chuckle matching her awkward one, “Really Char, it’s fine. She’s...Madge-,” Yeah, that explained it. It said
everything while saying nothing at all. Which was good because his schoolboy lust for Madgeline Ben Hassi wasn’t something he needed anyone to know
about. She spoke again and this time his feet stopped. She knew. He tried to brace himself for the inevitable. I really loved your poem.
It was... God, there were so many ways that could end. He opened his mouth to start a never ending stream of apologies but she finished before he
could start and it was...beautiful? “What?” She kept talking and with each word Dex became more and more sure he might float with the
weight she was lifting. She didn’t know. She had no idea that poem (and most of his others) was about her and that made it way easier to talk to
her. But not really...Dex felt that stupid, crooked grin he got whenever he thought too hard about the reasons he liked Char as a hand came to wipe
the sweat off the back of his neck.
“Um, yeah, they’re uh...I wrote them about someone pretty great...”
My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
There was nothing, and Charlena meant nothing, that could have excused Madgeline for her behavior. She was just...foul! Not even Charlena's
apology that sort of just...fell out of her mouth before she could think about just WHO she was apologizing for. It was Madge. Queen Madge. Madgeline
"Make you feel like that thing on the front of your head is some gross, throbbing organism instead of your FACE" Ben Hassi. She could be so awful
sometimes! Especially with people who weren't a, how did she put it? Oh, "blip" on her radar. Sometimes she wished she wasn't a blip. Charlena had to
admit it, though. It was good to see that the negativity hadn't affected Dex as much as she thought it would've. Charlena knew what it was like to
feel Madge's attack. Just how steely her talons were...and just how sharp her teeth could really be.
"Yep. That she is..." Charlena didn't have to ask what his words meant. There was no description needed when describing Madgeline. Just her name
honestly sufficed. And that was enough talks of "Queen Madge", moving onto the amazing poetry that she had NO idea that Dex could write. There was so
much...emotion in them. More than anything Charlena knew ANY person in that class had been capable of. Dex didn't deserve their teasing. He
deserved...gosh. She didn't know what he deserved as she'd never heard anything so beautiful in her entire life. At least not from someone...like her,
she guessed. Amazing poets were either dead and gone or published. They weren't...tangible. Dex was. To know there was an amazing poet only seats away
from her! There was no way she couldn't have told him how unbelievable the poem was. No way. And just like Dex, he smiled his crooked smile.
"I bet they are..." She smiled, knowingly. Or...unknowingly, as she hadn't even BEGUN to put a finger on who the muse behind Dex's work could be. The
only thing she knew is that they were so lucky to have someone like him in love with them. Yep, Dex was in love. He HAD to be. No one wrote poetry
about someone they didn't love. Not like that. Either way, whoever the lucky guy was, Charlena almost envied him. She knew, in her heart of hearts,
that she'd never be lucky enough to have such amazing words written about her...
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