An Old New Thing

By Kenzie Parker

"You, beside me, now." Was all the green eyed, blonde haired boy said to me as he patted the chair beside him, and I listened. I've never met this kid before in all of my days and I walk on over without a second thought. Mother would be so ashamed - stranger danger. His

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenzie Wyant
• Release date: Oct 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781087983813

Kenzie Parker

Kenzie Parker is a mother to three beautiful children and wife to a loving husband. She is from Southern Ohio where she spends most of her time writing, painting, playing with her kids, and loving on her three fur babies.

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An Old New Thing

An Old New Thing

An Old New Thing

Kenzie Parker

Kenzie Parker

To my favorite outlaw -

Thank you for always supporting me and my wild dreams, and for always being onboard for 2am ice cream dates. I love you

And to my Sophie who dried more tears than I can count and gave the best snuggles, you’re missed every single day.

One

You, beside me, now. Was all the green eyed, blonde haired boy said to me as he patted the chair beside him, and I listened. I’ve never met this kid before in all of my days and I walk on over without a second thought. Mother would be so ashamed - stranger danger. His Colgate commercial worthy smile and soft eyes reassured me that everything would be just fine as I melted down into the plastic chair but you know what they say about the softness of a sheep's clothing, plenty of room to hide a wolf.

Hey Em, you still tagging along for my ag meeting tonight? My best friend in the whole universe, Courtney, shouts across the cafeteria as the first period bell rings.

Yes Court, not even Hades himself could keep me away, I shout back with an attached eyeroll.

That’s my girl! Court disappears around the corner as I head to class. She’s in an agriculture group for teens and according to her it’s the best thing EVER but I’ll remain skeptical. Sounds like a bunch of redneck kiddos bragging about how much corn they’re harvesting this year, to me. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up spending summers on my grandparents small farm with a couple cows, a goat or two, and just enough veggies to take care of us, but I am not hick enough for this.

Last class arrives quickly and it’s my only class with Court. I walk in and she’s sitting at our usual seats, waiting for me and doodling on a sticky note.

Hey girlie. She smiles but doesn’t look up from her doodles. We still down for tonight?

Yes stop asking! Or next time the answer is no.

Hey hey hey, I’m just excited! You’re going to love this. Everyone is so chill and we just sit around and joke with each other and stuff pizza in our mouths, perfect way to end a Thursday! I can’t believe it took you so long to agree to go with me!

Yea yea, we’ll see. I’m only slightly less than thrilled. In walks our band director and we head towards the back. Courtney and I twirl for marching band so we’re far less than important to any of the directors. Our seniors stand up and go over the routine for tomorrow night and I crack open a book. I’ve known the routine since Monday and I’m not interested in helping teach this week. Courtney happily jumps up with the seniors and goes over the routine for the rest of the group. My little overachiever.

After band, we head out to the parking lot where Courtney’s mom is waiting for us. We jump in the van and she lets us know the plan - drop little sister off for soccer practice, run through Wendy’s for some chicken nuggets and off to the ag meeting where she said she’s abandoning us for a couple hours but promises to be back when it’s over.

We get to the place where the meeting is being held and it’s just a bland, brick building. Exciting. Courtney hops out of the van and I follow. She starts inside and I can’t help but be hesitant, I don’t like meeting new people, I don’t like crowds. I just really don’t like people in general and I would much rather be in bed, with my dog, reading a book.

MOVE lady, we’re already late! She waves her arm in a ridiculous windmill motion, beckoning me inside.

I’m going! We’re literally three minutes late. Everything will be fine, love me and my hatred for social situations.

I do love you but c’mon. Time to break down those walls baby! We walk inside and we’re greeted by a foyer with flyers pinned on cork boards, pictures of people smiling next to projects and animals accompanying them. Courtney takes a sharp left and busts through a set of double doors. She doesn’t wait on me. For half a second I consider walking outside and calling my mom to pick me up but Courtney would probably kill me.

I cross my arms, take a slow breath, and push open the double doors.

Everyone turns and looks the second the doors creak open. Awesome. Courtney is chatting up some girl in purple skinny jeans and looks over her shoulder at me then points to a chair, showing me where we’re sitting. I tip my head down, I’ve learned it’s best not to make eye contact so people don’t try to talk to me, I take one step out of the doorway towards our seats and someone calls over to me. Shit, that plan worked well.

You, beside me, now. He’s patting the seat beside him and flashing a crooked grin. I glance up at Courtney who is staring at me wide eyed and nodding her head towards the boy in a Go. Over. There. type of way. Arms still crossed, I slowly walk over to the boy and sit down. He immediately holds out his hand for me to shake, I do.

Names Ayden. Uncross your arms, it makes you look meek and uncomfortable. His crooked grin widens into a full blown Hollywood smile.

Maybe I am meek-like and uncomfortable. I throw at him with my best you don’t know me glare.

Yea, maybe, but I’ll fix that. Ayden throws a wink my way and turns his attention to the adult in the room as I feel my heart swell. Make it to sophomore year - check. Get into AP English - check. Slide through high school unnoticed, get into dream college, move to the coast and study fish - working on it. Like some pretty redneck boy within the first five minutes of meeting him - not part of the plan.

The woman at the front of the room introduces herself as Jill and is going over the stuff this group did recently. Visiting schools to talk to kids about agriculture, hosting a community field day, raising money for the kids camp just outside of town, all things that would look great on a college application.

Just as I’m figuring out how much of this stuff I can fit into my schedule I hear Jill say Courtney! Who did you bring with you today? Courtney jumps up at the opportunity to be the center of attention and grins at the group.

This right here is Emily! We go to school and twirl together! Em, stand up!

I can’t help but shake my head at her, she knows how much I hate public speaking and here she is shoving me nose first into it. I stand up and glance down to the boy, Ayden, sitting beside me and he’s obviously holding in a smirk.

Hi I’m um Emily, but please call me Emmie. The weird half wave that I threw to the group only made my face turn an even brighter shade of red.

No no don’t sit! Tell us about yourself! Jill smiles as she’s writing something down.

Um okay. Like I said I’m Emmie, I go to school and twirl with Court but she already mentioned that. Uh I have a brother? Is that interesting? I’m honestly the most boring person ever, we can just move on. I plant myself back in my seat, cross my arms, and study the ink marks on my Converse. So many doodles. Wonder if my mom ever gets mad when I draw on my clothes?

I feel a gentle hand on my arm and look up. Ayden’s offering a small smile as his thumb rubs my arm. What did I say about those arms, huh? Uncross, sit up. Talk to the group. He guides my arms apart and puts his hand on my upper back like he’s helping me sit up. I can’t help but mean mug him, why the hell does he care if my arms are crossed.

I’m not brought up for the rest of the meeting, thank god. Jill let’s everyone know the next date they’ll all be together and everyone gets up and passes out hugs. Ayden jumps up, bro-shakes a couple guys hands, and runs out the side door without ever looking my way. Good. The smiling faces in the foyer seem like much better, and much quieter, company so I meander my way out to look at pictures until Courtney is ready to leave.

Courtney’s moms van pulls up outside and Courtney runs through the double doors merely seconds later.

Ready? Staying with me tonight? She asks as if I haven’t been the one waiting on her for the past eternity.

Yup to ready. Nope to staying. I have a paper due in Bishop’s class tomorrow and I’m not close to done yet.

Lies. We both know you got it done the night she assigned it but it’s cool. My mom will take you home. What can I say, the girl knows me. The ride home is filled with Court’s little sisters soccer drama. Some girl got the position she wanted even though she sucked. The conversation is lost on me, I’ve never been a sports gal. I can’t help but laugh at how upset my best friend gets for her sister. If there’s one thing I know about her, it’s that she’s on your team 100%, no less.

We pull up to my house and I hop out and throw a thank you over my shoulder. Running through the door I can smell my mom’s cooking and suddenly I’m starving.

Whatcha makin’ lady? My mom is standing at the stove stirring what looks to be hamburger. Her sandy brown hair curling into her beautiful high cheekbones. It’s no surprise the woman used to model, that is until I came along.

Oh just some homemade tacos! Go tell your brother to come downstairs so we can eat.

My favorite. It’s like her mama senses were tingling and she felt I had a weird day full of too much socialness. Racing upstairs I can hear the latest Drake song coming from my brothers speakers. This kid and I could have easily grown up on opposite sides of the Earth.

Hey kid dinners ready.

I’m not your kid, shut up.

Great comeback, yelling over my shoulder, see ya downstairs, you’re a terrible rapper, don’t quit your day job! I can hear my brother yelling obscenities at me, part of me wanting to tell mom what he said, another part hoping she didn’t hear him so the drama can be avoided.

Mom already has the table set when I get back downstairs. It’s just the three of us so we rarely use the dinner table, instead someone makes everyone plates while another person grabs drinks. The last person, usually my brother, picks what we watch while we eat. While I’m in the kitchen grabbing pops and waters from the fridge, I hear the tv switch to Jurassic Park, a favorite in our house.

I plop down on the couch and pass out the drinks balancing in my hands like a pro waitress. So ma, anything good happened today? Mom has lettuce hanging out of her mouth as she side-eyes me. Ah, okay then. Bub? You? Brother just shrugs and turns his attention back to a t-rex trying to cram himself into a Jeep Wrangler. Alrighty then. I’m shoving a taco in my mouth as my mom finally clears hers enough to have a conversation.

What about you, Em? How was that meeting with Court? Why, oh why, did I decide I wanted to talk about our days.

Oh, yeah. It went pretty well. I really think joining would give me a one-up on my college apps. Sign ups for it are coming up pretty soon and I’m really considering it.

That’s my girl. Mom says with a food filled smile. No one in my family has completed college yet and my mom is determined to make me the first with a college degree. Ever since I could talk the plan has been to graduate high school, get into some exclusive private college, and get a degree. She’d prefer that plan include staying close to her but if I have it my way, the college I go to will be on the East Coast. Duke University, here I come!

I finish up my dinner, set my plate in the sink, pass out hugs, and head upstairs. My bed and book are calling my name. By the time I get ready for bed, our Goldendoodle is already waiting for me.

Hey Soph, you reading without me? Sophie’s sweet ears perk up when she hears my voice. I give her a soft pat and crawl into bed beside her. Sophie does her little wiggle to scoot in as close as she can get and before I know it, she’s snoring. Some pal you are, I can’t help but smile and twist my fingers through her fur. She may be the family pet but everyone knows she’s my girl.

Friday morning comes way too quickly. I let reading get away from me and by the time I actually closed the book and shut my eyes the clock read 3:00 AM. Groggily, I pull myself out of bed and throw on my Go Team! shirt, slap on a smile and run downstairs to catch the bus. If there’s anything I’m excited for in the next year, it’s getting my license. No person should have to endure riding a school bus. It is either too hot or too cold, it always smells of sweat and seventeen different body sprays, and there’s always one person who insists on not leaving you alone. Thankfully the bus driver is super sweet, I sit up front by her and no one dares act like a hooligan with Miss Theresa watching.

The ride to school is a long one, and the school day is even longer. Eight classes filled with notes, tests, homework, more