The adventures of Ramona: the punk rock girl (part 4)
That’s why sometimes I was their band’s drummer. Yeah, I could also play the drums.
We’re going to be late. We were still driving and there was 7 minutes left before the final bell.
“Relax” said Leo, “you worry way too much. We’ll be there on time.”
“I’m never eating lunch with you again.” I said, knowing it was a lie. Leo was the one I always ate lunch with. Sometimes with James too, back when he was still in high school.
“Yeah, we’re not going to make it. What do you have last period? I have French, wanna cut?.”
“Why not?” I replied, not giving much thought to it. I had arts, and the last thing I wanted was to listen to our teacher whine about pastel colors.
“Cool!” said Leo excitedly, “Let’s go to James’, so I can show you our little surprise!”
“Whatever, just bring me back to my house before 5. My parents said they had something important to tell me.”
“It’s 1 o’clock right now, so for 4 hours, you’re all mine” said Leo smiling.
“Yeah, yeah, just make sure we stop at the 7Eleven” I said, looking out the window.
“I thought you stopped” said Leo.
“What?” I said, not looking him in the eye.
“I thought you said you stopped smoking” said Leo, looking angry.
“Well, what I do or don’t stop doing isn’t any of your business.” I said
“That stuff is going to kill you” said Leo, looking at me.
“Well maybe I want to die.” As I said those words, I knew I didn’t mean them, and I wanted to take them right back, but it was too late. Leo put turned the radio on and didn’t bother talking to me anymore. He was driving towards the 7Eleven.
It’s not like I didn’t want to stop. I did, but I just couldn’t. I had my first cigarette when I was 16. James gave it to me. It was during the summer. Me, him and Leo were hanging out at the park, talking. Then, James just took his pack out, took a cigarette and lit it with a purple lighter that had Daisy (with a hear on the i) written on it. I was so mesmerized by how easily he inhaled and exhaled the smoke. He must of noticed me looking at him, so he offered me one. I took it. At first, I didn’t know what how to do it, end ended up coughing a lot, but then he showed me and soon, by the end of the summer, I was doing it just as swiftly as him.
Leo didn’t think I was going to take up on that bad habit. At first I didn’t even want him to know about it. But eventually he found out, and has been trying to make me quit ever since.
“We’re here.” said Leo, stopping the car, “don’t take too long.”
I got out of the car and made my way quickly to the entrance door.
“Hi, could you give me a pack of Marlboro’s please” I said, reaching for the money in my pocket. “Oh, and I’ll take this bag of skittles too.”
I put the pack in my pocket as soon as I had it in my hands. As if Leo would be any less mad if he didn’t see it. At least I got him skittles. I couldn’t wait to put a cigarette to my mouth. I haven’t had one for 3 days. 3 days. That’s the longest I’ve been with no nicotine. I would have gotten my pack sooner, but I couldn’t do it without my parents finding out about it. Yeah, my parents had no idea that their little Ramona was smoking. I’d rather have them find out after graduation.
“Hey” I said, opening the door and getting into the car, “I got you skittles.”
I knew that Leo couldn’t stay mad at me forever, even if I was still smoking. He took the skittles bag out of my hand, ripped it open and popped a few of them in his mouth.
“I’m still mad at you” he said, chewing, “You can’t change my mind about that with a bag of skittles.”
“I know”, I said, “but for now this will have to do.”
We were getting closer to James’ house. Leo was soon pulling into his drive way. A part of me didn’t want to go in. I just wanted to stay here in the car with Leo, drive around with the radio on full volume, blasting some song old people hate. But the other part was urging me to step through the door, and see James and talk to him. Even though I said I’ve started to see the failure in him, along with everybody else, I still cared. I wanted to ask him where he’d been all summer, if he grew a beard, if he got my emails, and why hasn’t he answered them, if he saw the beach and the waves, and if he brought me back a seashell, like he said he would. I don’t think I’ll ever stop caring.
As those thoughts raced through my head, James came out from the garage door, looking sun tanned and smiling.
“There’s my favorite punk rock girl! I’ve missed you all summer!”
Those few words got registered in my head, left to be analyzed by me for later.
