Page 2 of Krash & Bern

“I turn fifteen on May fifteenth, actually.” I corrected him.

“You’re a baby. I don’t want to do anything but make sure you make it to your class.”

“Sorry… My mama and daddy told me to watch out for boys… I didn’t mean to attack your character.”

“It’s cool. You still don’t want me to walk you to your classes?”

“We can walk together.”

He smirked and walked in stride with me to the math hall. It felt like I had a personal bodyguard to navigate me through the chaotic halls of the high school. During our short journey, Keyshawn had talked to what felt like everyone who passed him. I assumed he played sports because every jock looking guy and cheerleader looking girl spoke to him. They all eyed me with questioning glances, but none of them ever spoke directly to me.

“This is our stop,” Keyshawn stated with a grin.

“Thank you,” I said respectfully.

“Nah, it’s no problem at all, beautiful. I’ll be here after your class. If we have the same lunch block, you can sit with me.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded and made his way into his classroom. I stepped into the classroom and found a seat in the front of the room. I liked to be front and center to make sure I could hear the teacher properly and get the best view of the board, in case I had to take notes. I knew I’d get looked at a certain way because I was younger than everyone, but my parents prepared me for it. Education was important to me. I had dreams of going to the best tech school in the country because I wanted to open my own tech company. I had big ambitions and even bigger motivation to make my parents proud.

My second and third periods went by in a blur. When lunch came around, I was nervous as hell. I went through the line and got my chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, and apple. I opted out of the milk to go with my meal because I’d rather have my iced water instead. Honestly, I didn’t like the idea of drinking milk with any meal other than breakfast. Milk made sense to go beside eggs and bacon, but it didn’t make sense to go with chicken tenders.

As I walked out of line, I gulped. The large cafeteria buzzed with conversation while I stood in confusion on where to sit. From my view, there was no empty seat for me to hide away in. All of the tables looked crowded and rowdy.

I was an outsider.

I was a misfit.

I didn’t belong because I hadn’t had time to make friends and get situated. Everyone here was two or three years into their friendships, and I was trying to squeeze my way in. I wanted to run and hide, but before I could make my way toward the exit, I felt an arm drape over my shoulder. I craned my neck to get a better look at the person intruding in my personal space.

“Let me take you to the table, Bern.”

This had been the second time he’d referred to me as Bern. My family and friends—the ones I’d had in middle school—called me Bernie. The new nickname made me feel… weird. Was this the feeling they wrote about in my young adult novels? I shook the thought out of my head as I sat down at the long cafeteria table. There were four other people at the table.

“This is my new friend, Bernice.” Krash sat down and opened a bag of baked Hot Cheetos he’d gotten from the vending machine.

I set my tray on the table and tried to make myself smaller to avoid the judgmental gazes. The boys at the table barely paid me any attention as they talked animatedly about something while the two girls in letterman jackets glared at me.

“Yo’ mama named you old ass Bernice?” one of them asked.

I nodded.

“That old eighteen hundreds ass name. Why would she do that?” the other girl asked.

Instead of entertaining their rude remarks, I opened my sci-fi novel and tried to ignore them. For a moment, I was able to drown out the obnoxious conversations until I felt Krash’s gaze on me.

“Bern,” he said in a gentle tone.

I folded the corner of the book inward to mark my place. “Hmm?”

“Don’t pay these bitter bitches any mind,” he stated loud enough for the two girls to hear.

“Krash, don’t get beat up!” one of the girls threatened.

“You ain’t on any of that, girl.” Krash waved her off and offered me a gentle smile. “Anyway, before I was interrupted. You in good hands with me. Nobody gon’ bother you as long as you got Krash on yo’ team.”

“You have made my first day of school less frightening. Thank you,” I stated meekly.

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