Simon Pendelton Ch.1
Unless stated otherwise, all characters are over the age of 18.
August '08
"But I don't want to move!!!" screamed Cindy. "I'm just starting my junior year!"
This was going to turn out to be one of Cindy's major tantrums. Her mom, Mary Pendelton, had just informed her and her son, Simon that they would be moving to Minnesota.
"I'm sorry honey, but we don't have a choice. I either had to accept the transfer or I would lose my job." Mary said. She looked at her seventeen year old daughter pleadingly. "Please don't act like this. It's going to be hard on all of us. I mean, look at your brother. This will be his senior year." Mary glanced at her eldest child. Simon had just turned eighteen back in June. He looked a lot like his father.
"It's ok, Ma." Simon spoke softly. Yelling would do no good. "I don't like this either, but there's no choice. We move or we may end up on the street. Can't say I want to leave Phoenix, but maybe it's the change we need." He glanced at his sister.
"I hate you both!!" Cindy stormed upstairs and slammed her door.
"Damn it, Cindy." Mary was getting frustrated. She headed for the stairwell.
"Hey. " Simon blocked the stairs from his mom. "I'll go talk to her. You stay here and try to relax." Simon turned around and bound up the stairs. Mary watched him go. Simon had had to become a man so quickly, she almost couldn't believe it.
After Mary's husband left her three years ago for a younger woman, she thought everything was over. For two months, she was an emotional wreck. But when she came out of her depression, her little boy had taken over. The discipline he had learned from the previous five years of kung fu aided him in keeping the house in order. Simon took care of everything, from the bills to his sister and mother. Now he was Mary's rock.
She feared the day he would finally leave. She didn't want to hold him back. She had done enough of that all ready. The only thing he had continued doing was kung fu. Everything else was just detritus, washed out to the sea. Mary sat down and cried a little more.
*****
"Hey sis." Simon knocked on Cindy's bedroom door. "Can I come in?" A muffled Go away was all he heard.
"Come on Cin." She hated that nickname. "Let's talk."
He waited a few minutes until he heard the door unlock. Simon opened the door in time to see his sister hop back onto her bed. He walked over to her desk and sat down in the chair.
"You want to tell me what's wrong?" he asked.
"No." Cindy pouted. "I just don't want to go."
"I feel the same way. All of our friends are here. We know this place. It's safe for us, despite everything that has happened." He looked down at his hands. "It's like that one song by Van Halen. Nothing stays the same but change. Eventually, we would have moved. Whether I would have left after graduation, or both of us, or all of us, it would have happened. The rock that resists the waters flow is eventually worn away. But the leaf that floats along the surface experiences new and wondrous travels."
"You and your fucking Zen shit. Does Confucius have a saying for everything?" Cindy looked up and smirked at her brother. God, she thought, if only he weren't. . .
"Probably, but I'll have to consult my book of '1,001Quotes of Confucius for Everyday Use'." He smiled back at her. "You should go apologize to Mom and start packing."
"Okay." She hopped off her bed and hugged her brother. "We can do this." They turned and left the room.
*****
It took them about a week to pack up the house. The realtor would let them know if and when the house was sold. After three days of driving, they arrived at their new house in Moorhead Minnesota. It was a nice two story home near the high school. It also had a basement that was partially converted into an apartment. Simon got to claim the basement, much to Cindy's disappointment. But it gave him space for a work out area for when it got cold later in the year.
A few days later, Simon was getting restless. He changed into a jogging suit, grabbed his headphones and iPod, and was heading out.
"Mom?" he yelled.
"What, honey." She yelled back.
"I'm going to head over and check out the high school. I'll be back in a bit."
"Alright. Don't be gone too long. Love ya."
"Love ya too, ma."
Simon jogged off towards the high school. He had his iPod set on shuffle and was listening to Danzig's Twist of Cain when he arrived. He didn't know what it was but heavy metal always seemed to calm him down. Most people seemed to get more excited, but not him. He jogged around the school a few times to get the lay out before heading back home.
Instead of going inside, he went around back into the yard. It was a nice sized yard considering the area. The most notable feature though was the massive oak tree. It was situated right between their yard and their neighbor's. A wood fence ran from the back of the garage almost up to the tree. But the tree was too large, so the fence was shoddily finished with a chain link addition. Simon's mom had mentioned that all the previous owners of both properties preferred that the tree remain. Simon thought that was cool. It was a little bit of harmony in a very unharmonious world.
Simon crossed the yard to the tree. Under its branches, Simon took off his shirt and began a form of meditation techniques known as Tai Chi. One form flowed to the next as Simon's consciousness was swept away.
*****
Jodi Holden was just getting dressed when the new neighbor boy walked into his back yard. One of Jodi's bedroom windows looked out over the neighbor's backyard. She had seen the new boy a few times but this was her first real look. He took off his shirt and Jodi gasped. Oh my God, she thought. He is sooo hot. The closest word she could come up with to describe him was chiseled. He looked to be around 5'8" tall with almost no body fat. The only hair she saw, from the waist up any ways, was some dark stubble on his head like he had shaved it before. She was mesmerized as he moved slowly from one form to another. He was so graceful, it seemed impossible.
Absentmindedly, Jodi's right hand drifted towards her breast. She slowly caressed her nipple through her bra. She had never felt this way before. No boy had ever affected her this way. Well not by mere sight at least. The sensations from her nipple traveled down her spine. It took her a minute to realize that she was rubbing herself over her panties as well.
She quickly turned away from the sight. Holy crap!!! she thought. She couldn't believe it. She ceased her self-petting in order to gain control of herself. After several deep breaths, she had calmed down enough to turn back around. The boy was looking around as if he sensed something. Surprisingly, he looked up at her window. She wasn't sure if he could see her, but for a moment, their eyes met. He then looked away.
"I hope he still goes to school." she said quietly.
"What was that honey?" Jodi quickly turned around. Jodi's mom had walked through the doorway with some laundry.
"Nuh-nothing." Jodi fumbled her robe closed. "Just talking to myself." When she looked back out the window, he was gone.
*****
Tuesday was the first day of school. Simon walked to school a little early. Cindy said she would have driven them, but he liked walking. He was wearing his favorite Disturbed t-shirt, a pair of black jeans and his black shoes.
"Can I help you?" The lady spoke as Simon entered the school office.
"Hi. My name is Simon Pendelton. " he said.
"Oh yes. I'm Mrs. Patterson. I'll be your counselor this year. Why don't you come into my office so we can set up your schedule." Mrs. Patterson gestured towards her door and Simon followed.
After exiting her office, Mrs. Patterson stopped Simon.
"Just to show that we're not as cold as our winters, I've gotten a student to help show you around the school. He should be here soon. Ah. . . there he is. Freddie? Come here and meet Simon. He just moved here from Arizona. "
Simon turned to see his clone, or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof. The boy was about his height, but a little on the chubby side. The sides of his head were shaved but the top was grown out long and dyed black. He also had some pox mark scaring on his face. He was wearing some torn up jeans, a well used Misfits shirt, and some steel toed boots.
"Sup dude. Name's Frank Krueger, but everyone just calls my Freddie because I'm so pretty." He held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you. " Simon shook Freddie's hand.
"Ow! Fuck dude. You've got one hell of a grip. Now I won't be able to jerk off tonight." Freddie shook out his hand with humorously pained expression.
"Frank." Mrs. Patterson looked at Freddie. "Watch your language."
"Sorry Mrs. P." he grinned. "I'll be good." He turned to Simon. "So let's see your class sheet and get you going." They exited the office.
*****
Freddie told Simon to meet him for lunch. After purchasing his food, Simon searched around the area. A swath of darkness caught his eye. Within that swath was a wildly flailing arm.
"Dude, how's it going so far?" Freddie said. "Meet the Ragged Refuse. This is Sam, Leslie, and Doofus. . . I mean Derek. Everyone, this is Simon."
"Sit and spin dick-spank." The big man Freddie called Doofus/Derek flipped him off.
"Can't we at least be called something cooler?" Leslie, a cute brunette, spoke up. "The Ragged Refuse sucks."
"So, where ya from?" the tall blond guy named Sam asked.
"Phoenix. My mom got transferred up here. So it was move, live on the streets, or live with my dad. My preferences descend . . ." Simon stopped speaking as his attention was drawn elsewhere.
It was like a scene from a movie. Everything was in slow-mo. The camera, starting at the feet, slowly panned upwards. It began with a pair of nicely shaped legs, which converged at pair of tight denim shorts. The camera continues up to a way too small white t-shirt wrapping itself around a beautiful set of breasts. But those gave way to a gorgeous face set with two fabulous blue eyes, surrounded by a frame of shoulder length red hair. Simon could do nothing but stare. Forever.
"Oh. You noticed her." Leslie fumed. "Miss Thang does that to every guy in school even the teachers." Leslie spotted the other two guys staring as well. "Even those who already have girlfriends." She punched Sam on the shoulder.
"Sorry hon." Sam said sheepishly. "Had to see what the fuss was about. Besides, look at poor Simon. I think his brain shut down. Well . . . at least the top one anyways."
"Who?" was all Simon could say.
"That would be the captain of the volleyball team, the one and only Miss Jodi Holden." Freddie flourished a bow in her direction. "At least I'm assuming that's who you mean. The other one is the lunch lady, Miss Beeks."
"Damn." Simon shook his head to clear it. "That has got to be demonic because God would never let that out of Heaven and Satan's just the kind of prick who would."
