8
Anarchy in the US

I looked up at the blue sky, watching a cloud float by. It kind of looked like a shoe, if you looked at it from the right angle. I was inspecting it when I was interrupted by my best friend’s voice.

“Hey Amanda,” Shane said.

“Huh?” I asked, snapping out of it. I looked back down to see a bunch of students around us, we must be getting close to school. “What’s up?”

“Do you want to hang out after school today?”

“Yeah, sure, what do you want to do?” I asked. Shane was about to speak but closed his mouth and spun around when he heard some rapid footsteps right behind us.

“Amanda, hi,” a familiar voice said. I turned around as well to see Owen.

“Owen!” I exclaimed, excited to see him. I was a little confused though, I never saw him before. I assumed he took the bus or went by car or something. “I didn’t know you came to school this way.”

“I just saw you walking and came over,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “I usually take another route to get to school.”

“Well, it’s good to see you,” I smiled.

“Oh yeah, I just wanted to ask if you wanted to do something after school,” he said, smiling back.

“Uhh, I was just about to do something with Shane,” I said, looking over at him. He was looking down at the floor with a worried expression on his face. I didn’t want to reject one of their offers to hang out. I thought carefully, what was a solution that would let me hang out with both Owen and Shane? “How about we all hang out together?”

“I can work with that,” Owen said, scratching at his cheek.

“I guess,” Shane said, seeming a little dissatisfied.

“Great, I’ll see you both after school then!“ I said. Good thinking, I would get to hang out with both of them this way, and everyone would be happy!

***

“Amandaaaa,” Kayla whined. She put her hands on her hips and let out a loud sigh. “What are you doing here again?”

“I was just with Shane,” I said, looking around my lunch table. Jake and Max were chatting about something stupid and Shane and I were idly chatting. We were losers, yeah, but I was used to always sitting here for lunch.

“Come over to the cheerleader’s table, you have to sit with us,” Kayla said. She picked up my tray and started walking toward the middle of the cafeteria.

“Hey!” I said, standing up and scampering after her. “That’s my lunch!”

“Here,” Kayla said, putting down my lunch tray on an empty seat at the cheerleader’s table. She pointed over my shoulder with a frown on her face. “And you, you’re not invited.”

I turned around to see Shane had followed me all the way here.

“Hey,” he said, nervously rubbing his hands together as all the cheerleaders stared at him. “I know you all probably don’t want to see me here.”

“Yeah,” Peyton said, with a lot of hostility in her voice. “We just wanted Amanda.”

“Yeah, I’ll go as soon as I finish what I meant to say,” Shane said. “I just wanted to apologize to all of you, especially Hailey for how I acted towards you all the past few years. I know you don’t want to hear more from me, so I’ll go now. I’m sorry.”

Shane walked away back to the corner of the cafeteria. I watched as he walked away and felt a pang in my heart. He really was trying to improve.

“That was pretty nice of him,” Hailey said.

“Yeah, I guess it was,” Sophie said.

“He said he was going to try and improve as a person from now on, so yeah,” I said. “Don’t hate on him too much, he’s still my closest friend.”

“Fine,” Kayla said, rolling her eyes. “If he stops being creepy, I’ll believe it.”

“Anyways, what happened yesterday?” Hailey asked. “Was your mom mad at you?”

“Yeah, she was pissed,” I said, rehearsing a lie I made up yesterday. “I didn’t clean my room and skipped some homework, so she wasn’t happy.”

“Oh, did you get in big trouble?” Kayla asked.

“No, it wasn’t too bad, I’m not grounded or anything,” I replied, taking a bite of the corndog I got for lunch.

“That’s a relief, we need you for cheerleader practices from now on,” Hailey said.

“Don’t worry about that, I’m dedicated to being a cheerleader,” I said, smiling.

***

“Uhh, Shane this is Owen, and Owen this is Shane,” I said, introducing the two to each other. We had met up just outside of school, and the two were just standing next to one other when I arrived. “Say hi!”

“Hi,” Owen said.

Shane grunted in response.

“Awkward but okay,” I said, clapping my hands together. “So where should we go?”

Owen and Shane both spoke up at once, speaking over one another. They then both stopped, leaving it silent again. I waited for one to speak back up again, but they didn’t. A few seconds passed, with the two of them just staring at one another.

“How about you go first, Shane,” I said, finally speaking up to try and break the tension.

“Well, I was thinking the three of us could go watch a movie at that old theater nobody goes to,” he shrugged. “That’s my idea. A little generic, I know, but whatever.”

“Next, what’s your idea, Owen?” I asked.

“I heard a few small bands are having a concert over in the park, so if we go there it might be fun,” Owen said.

“Oh, that sounds cool!” I said, perking up. “Doesn’t that sound fun, Shane? We can listen to music.”

“It’s okay, I guess,” Shane said, sounding disappointed for some reason.

“Well, let’s go to the park then,” I said, looking down at the time on my phone. “It shouldn’t take too long.”

***

We made it to the park to see everything was set up for a concert. There was a makeshift stage in the middle of the park, and a lot of vendors selling drinks and such. Luckily, it seemed the event was free, which was good since I didn’t have any money on me.

“Do you want a drink, Amanda?” Owen asked me.

“I can do with some soda, yeah,” I replied, hoping for some Cola.

“I can buy it for you if you want,” Shane offered.

“It’s okay,” Owen shook his head. “I’ll pay for everyone today.”

“Sure, okay then,” Shane mumbled.

We went up to a stand and got three sodas. I chugged it down, enjoying the tingly feeling of carbonation on my tongue. We stood around chatting a little, as I tried to get Owen and Shane to be friends. They didn’t seem to be that interested in being friends though, for some reason. Eventually, though, the concert started.

A man dressed in a suit walked up to the stage, where a microphone stood center stage. He tapped it and a screech came out before it stabilized.

“Thank you for coming to the Iowa Rayburn Concert today,” he said. “We have some amateur bands and artists today that are very excited to share their music with you. First on stage, we have solo performer John Major.”

A guy who looked to be in his mid-twenties walked onto the stage. He had an acoustic guitar strapped around his shoulder.

“Hello everybody,” he said into the microphone. “I’m just a small-town artist who’s hoping to make it big, I hope you all enjoy my song.”

He sang while playing the guitar, which I heard was difficult. I didn’t like the blues that much, but he was pretty passionate about it so it was fun. Plus, he was pretty good with the guitar. I found it a little attractive. I would love a guy who could sing and play for me.

“You know, it would be nice to have a boyfriend who could play the guitar,” I said out loud.

“Oh, I tried to learn, but it hurt my fingers too much,” Owen said, chuckling.

“I know how to play the recorder if that counts,” Shane said.

“The recorder?” I asked, giggling. “Isn’t that for babies?”

“I can play Hot Cross Buns very well, thank you,” Shane replied, feigning offense. Or at least I hope he was feigning offense.

We stood through a couple more bands and artists and they were all decent. I wasn’t wooed by any of them though. Before I knew it, it was getting darker, and it was time for the final band.

“Introducing our final band for the night, The Tortured Vandals,” the host said. “This is a band made up of teens in high school. I’ll let them take the stage.”

I was a little nervous seeing the band walk onto the stage. They all had some unique fashion and hairstyles, to say the least. They were all dressed up like, well, punks.

“Hello everyone,” a teen dressed up in a leather jacket and tight jeans said. “Thank you to everyone who’s listening, I hope you enjoy our music. Our song for today is titled Breaking Point.”

They immediately started playing, the sound of guitars, bass, and drums filling the air. They had a more amateurish sound than the other, more refined, groups. But I felt like that also led to a more authentic noise. They played punk music, with lyrics about destroying society, or whatever punks talked about.

“They’re pretty good,” I said to Owen and Shane.

“I guess they’re okay,” Shane shrugged.

“Yeah, they are pretty good,” Owen said, rubbing his chin. “I’m usually not into punk music, but they’re pretty good, especially since they’re about our age.”

“I know right,” I said, dreamily staring at the lead singer. He was pretty cute, having messy black hair and a bad-boy sort of look. “He’s kind of cute.”

“The drummer?” Shane asked, looking at the beast of a teen on the drums. He was massive with the physique of a sumo wrestler and had a mohawk.

“No, stupid, the lead singer,” I said, looking away from the drummer. I shivered, the drummer was not my type.

“I guess he’s okay,” Shane said.

“He’s…,” Owen said, thinking. “Fine. Just fine.”

“You guys don’t get it,” I whined, stomping my foot down on the grass. “He’s so cute.”

“Yeah, okay, sorry Ms. Boy Crazy,” Shane said, rolling his eyes. “Not all of us are attracted to men.”

“I’m not a girl!” I said, pouting. “And I am not boy crazy. I just think a few of them are cute, that’s all.

“I’m telling Claire about this,” Shane said, exhaling loudly. “She needs to know what she’s done to you.”

“Well, Claire might understand me,” I said, crossing my arms. “Besides, it was your stupid plan in the first place.”

“Sure, sure,” Shane said, putting a not-so-reassuring hand on my shoulder.

We turned our attention back to the concert, where they were finishing up their song. With the last few beats of the drums and the amps screaming, the song ended.

“Thank you so much,” the lead singer said, taking his fingers off the guitar. “I would destroy the guitar now, but I don’t have money to buy another one.”

The joke elicited a few laughs from the crowd as they headed off the stage. The host took the stage again to thank everyone for attending, but I was already making my way to the band.

“Amanda, where are you going?” I heard Owen ask faintly, but I was already caught up with the band.

“Your band did so great!” I said, bouncing up and down in excitement. “That was so good.”

“Thanks,” the lead singer said, smirking. He held out his hand for me to shake. “The name’s Cade.”

“I’m Amanda,” I said, taking his hand and shaking it.

“Nice to see a girl supporting us,” he said. “Most of our fans are guys.”

“Oh, I’m not actually a girl,” I said, shaking my head.

“You’re not a girl?” asked Cade, a confused expression on his face.

“Yeah, it’s complicated,” I said, waving him off. “Anyways, what was I going to say? Oh! I just wanted to say you were so cute!”

I stopped, did I say cute instead of good?

“I mean good, you were so good,” I said, blushing bright red. “Sorry, brain fart.”

“It’s fine,” he chuckled. He then looked behind me, peeking his head above me. “Who are those two?”

“Huh?” I asked, turning around to see Shane and Owen. “Oh, these are my friends! I brought them along to watch this with me. We all go to the same school near here.”

“Oh, Oakleaf, right?” he asked. “My band all goes to the same school too, but we’re over in Granite Hills.”

“I heard of there before,” I said. Granite Hills was another school in our district. Our school typically tended to be more the more academic-minded people, while Granite Hills was for those who didn’t have good grades. I have no idea how my bully Carter wasn’t in Granite Hills. I then peeked behind him to see the rest of the band carrying amps, guitars, and the drum set off the stage. “Who are your bandmates?”

“Oh, there’s four of us,” he said. “Damon is our drummer, Malcolm is our other guitarist, and Blair’s our bassist.”

“Seducing another girl, Cade?” the girl who I assumed to be Blair asked, walking over to us with a bass in her hands. She was super tall, and her makeup was really well done. I loved her winged eyeliner.

“No, she came up to me, actually,” he said. “Don’t assume.”

“Well, don’t fall for him, girl,” she said, leaning in to give me some friendly advice. “He’s had twelve girlfriends.”

“That’s not necessary for her to know,” Cade frowned.

“I know, just giving her a fair warning,” Blair said, laughing. “Come here and help us pack, Cade. Stop flirting.”

“Well, seems like I have to go, see you,” Cade said, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaving to help his band.

“He seemed nice, didn’t he?” I asked the two boys behind me.

“I don’t know,” Shane said, glaring at Cade. “He gives me bad vibes. Also, twelve girlfriends? How do you even have that many?”

“I’ve only had three,” Owen said, sounding a little shell-shocked.

“At least you’ve had one before,” Shane said, kicking a pebble on the ground. Shane was as single as one could get, and not by choice.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find one too soon,” Owen said, trying to reassure Shane.

“I hope so,” Shane said, chuckling. “Anyways, I’m hungry.”

“Where should we go?” I asked, looking around. There weren’t any food stands, so it looked like we would have to go to a restaurant.

“The tropical-themed place nearby, maybe?” Owen suggested.

“Yeah, sure, that sounds good,” I said.

***

“Hi, welcome to Milo’s,” a waitress said, smiling at us. “A table for three?”

“Yes please,” I said, smiling back at her.

“Great, follow me,” she said. We walked over to a table and I took a seat. I looked over at Owen and Shane but they seemed to be unable to choose a seat.

“Why aren’t you two sitting?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

“Who should sit next to you?” asked Owen.

“How about the two of you sit together on the other end?” I asked, tilting my head to the other side.

“I guess, sure,” Shane mumbled, as the two climbed into the other seat.

“Here are your menus, and call me over when you’re ready to order!” the waitress said cheerily, handing us three laminated pieces of paper.

“What was everyone’s favorite band today?” I asked, leaning back in my seat as I stared at the menu.

“I liked the first guy, John Major or something,” Owen said. ”I like the sound of an acoustic guitar a lot.”

“Yeah, imagine a guy singing a song to you on an acoustic guitar,” I said, dreamily staring into space.

“That sounds weird,” Shane said.

“Well, yeah, duh, you’re not into guys,” I said. “I liked the punk band the best, the one with the teens our age.”

“I mean, that part was rather obvious,” Owen said, chuckling. “You ran up to them after their concert and called their lead singer cute.”

“I meant to say they were good!” I said, blushing bright red. “I just said the wrong word.”

“Nobody believes you, Amanda,” Shane said.

“Whatever,” I said, throwing my hands up in the air. “Anyways, I’m ordering the pasta. What about you two?”

“A steak for me,” said Shane, putting down his menu.

“I’ll take the steak, lobster rolls, baked potatoes, and fried rice,” Owen said, nodding his head in satisfaction at his choice.

A few seconds of silence passed.

“We’re splitting payment by person, right?” Shane asked. “Because I do not have the money to pay for all that.”

***

“Damn that was good,” Owen said, putting down his fork.

“Shane and I finished eating fifteen minutes ago,” I said, giggling.

“Sorry to keep you all waiting,” he said, wiping his nose with a tissue. “I eat a lot.”

“Wow, I couldn’t tell,” Shane said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Anyways, it’s getting pretty late,” Owen said, checking his phone. “Do you all want to do one more thing before we go home? The weekend is tomorrow, after all.”

“It’s Friday already?” I asked, checking my phone to see it was indeed Friday. “Wow, time flies.”

“Yeah, the party was on Monday,” Shane said.

“Damn, I can’t believe it’s been five days already,” I said. “But sadly, I have to go home. I have a curfew now.”

“Why do you have a curfew?” Shane asked, furrowing his eyebrows. “I don’t remember you having one before. We stayed up all night playing Call of Duty.”

“Well, my mom says it’s dangerous for a girl to be out late, so I guess I have a curfew now,” I said, rolling my eyes. “So yeah, I have to go, unless I want to get in trouble.”

The waitress brought the check over, and we all paid for our respective orders. We all stepped outside the restaurant to go home.

“Well, see you two,” Owen said, looking a little disappointed. “I don’t live close to Amanda like you Shane, so I can’t walk together with you.”

“Oh, it was nice meeting you,” Shane said, although it sounded a little insincere.

“Yeah, it was,” Owen said, chuckling. “Anyways, I’ll see the both of you later.”

Shane and I began walking home in silence, just listening to the leaves rustling in the wind. When we were almost at his house, Shane piped up with a question.

“So, do you like Owen?” he asked me.

“I don’t know,” I said, blushing bright red. Did I like Owen? He was pretty tall, handsome, and nice.

“I guess you do,” Shane said. “Anyways, today was fun.”

“Today was fun!” I said, grinning. “See you tomorrow for some gaming?”

“Of course,” he responded.

***

“Amanda, glad to see you’re following your curfew,” Dad said as I walked in. He was sitting on the living room couch with his legs folded. “Just barely in time.”

“Oh,” I said, looking at the clock to see it read ten minutes from ten. “Good thing I came in time, right?”

“Yeah, otherwise you would’ve been grounded for the weekend,” Dad said.

“Well, I want to hang out on the weekend, so good thing I didn’t walk any slower,” I said, giggling.

“Who did you play with today?” Mom asked me, walking out of the kitchen into the living room. She took a seat next to Dad.

“Why do you ask?” I said, tilting my head.

“Well, Amanda, we’ve noticed you’ve been acting differently around boys lately, so we have to talk to you about something,” Mom said, motioning for me to take a seat. “Have you ever heard of the birds and the bees?”

I froze. Were my parents seriously about to have this talk with me?