Kaleidoscopic

Chapter 1

SEPTEMBER 1983

"Do you know why I love Fridays?" Chris asked, clinging to the outside of his friend's car door. Without invitation, he stuck his hand past the steering wheel and turned down the radio dial, quieting the sound of David Bowie. The boy in the driver's seat hadn't even put the vehicle into park yet.

Evan Webster shifted the gear of his dad's old Pontiac and shut off the motor before he sighed in preparation for another day of public education.

"Hey, Chris," he greeted, unfazed by his friend buzzing around his open window like a fly on crack.

"Every Friday is spirit day," Chris enthused, his head still poking inside Evan's car. He was rocking on his heels for emphasis.

Evan used his rearview mirror to check and adjust the brim of his hat. "I'm aware." He grabbed his backpack and pushed open the squeaky door.

Chris had no choice but to back up as Evan stepped out of the blue car. Unlike his friend, Evan stood tall and lanky—a typical swimmer's body. His wide shoulders and tapered torso made his stature look gawky, like an upside-down beer bottle. He tried to be inconspicuous as he tugged on his inseam to make his jeans look longer, but the hem still looked cropped.

"Do you know what that means?" Chris continued.

"Longer morning announcements," Evan deadpanned, walking towards the school.

Chris hurried to keep up. "Yes. But no.  " He  had to take twice as many steps just to keep up with his long-legged friend. "Cheerleaders are required to wear their uniforms to school."

"Chris," Evan said, staring ahead. "Didn't I tell you to stop eating Horny Nut Cheerios for breakfast?"

The two friends heard the hissing brakes of a school bus as it stopped in front of Lincoln High School. A crowd of students filed onto the pavement, most of them with their ears filled with gossip and their hair covered in gel or hairspray. Evan continued to weave his way between parked cars while Chris trailed behind him, trying to avoid anyone blasting Madonna.

"Look. Look," Chris urged Evan, jerking his friend's shoulder and turning his own head towards a red Cadillac. "Do you see her?"

Evan briefly glanced at the pricey car and noticed his sister leaning against the hood. She was grinning and holding hands with her boyfriend Kenneth. Seeing him touch his sister made Evan grimace. Yesterday Kenneth and Nadine were having a screaming match in the middle of the living room. He never treated his sister with respect, that's the main reason Evan tried to keep his distance. If he got too close, he'd want to intervene and Nadine would get mad at him.

Evan had liked Kenneth well enough when they first met. He would come over for family dinners and bring Nadine roses before cheerleading competitions. He did all the stereotypical nice boyfriend things. The beginning of their relationship was actually quite blissful, until Kenneth starting being an ass. He would break up with Nadine like clockwork just to have a guilt-free conscious before buying milkshakes for random girls. Then he would come knocking on their door with an apology and his Atari—conning his way back into Nadine's heart with a big smile and his impressive video game skills. Chris used to challenge his high score in Missile Command, as if his rapid hand movements would intimidate Kenneth into not being a jerk. It never worked, obviously, but Evan still patted him on the shoulder for trying.

"I saw her when she walked out of my front door this morning." Evan looked at his feet as he stepped across a median to avoid meeting Kenneth's gaze. He tightly held the brim of his hat to prevent it from falling off his head. He didn't want Kenneth to make a joke about his hair. He never missed an opportunity to tease someone.

Chris continued to ogle Evan's sister, who was wearing the mustard-colored cheerleading uniform he had been anticipating.

"She looks exceptionally magnificent today," he mused. "Radiant. Glowing. Like the sun. Or a perfectly crisp French fry dipped in honey mustard."

"You're fucked up. You know that, right?"

Chris ignored Evan and continued to ramble, saying, "Yellow is definitely her color. And I hope she wears her hair like that more often—it really frames her face nicely. And her smile looks like it should be on a movie screen. God. She is the prettiest girl I've ever—ope. Kenneth ruined it."

Evan shifted his gaze upwards to see his sister—Nadine—now kissing the boy who owned the fancy car. He cringed at the sight.

"Jesus," Evan muttered. "It's bad enough I see it at home. Now I have to witness it in public too?"

Chris was still staring at the scene.

"Man," he deflated, frowning with a thought. "What do you think it's like to kiss your sister?"

Evan grimaced. "I don't know, Chris. I'm not Luke Skywalker."

Chris pursed his lips. "You're right," he nodded. "Bad question. I'll rephrase: What do you think it's like to kiss a girl?"

Evan rolled his neck, exasperated. "Try reading the bathroom stalls," he suggested, only half serious. The thought never crossed his mind. He had never wanted to kiss a girl, not even during spin the bottle as a middle schooler. "There's probably a whole section about female tongues...Right under the drawing of Heather Hagley's boobs."

The swimmer was grateful Chris didn't extend the conversation any further as he scanned the other students walking toward the brick building. He could smell the cigarette smoke coming from the front section of the parking lot, which prompted him to cast his gaze sideways.

As usual, two hard-faced boys stood next to an old-style black Corvette. One of them had been taller than Evan since grade school—his neighbor—who was so skinny that he looked like a skeleton. His slim appearance was the primary reason people called him Bones, but when he wore his leather jacket and heavy boots, Evan thought he looked more like a clunky version of Frankenstein.

On the other side of Bones, there was a dark-haired boy holding a cigarette against his lips—Danny Herrera. Judging by the stubbiness of the ashy Marlboro stick, Evan assumed he had been standing with Bones for about five minutes. Evan knew Danny liked to get to school early enough to claim the best parking spot and show off his car. The early morning sun bounced off the shiny rims like a spotlight.

Evan tried to keep his eyes hooded while he made eye contact with Danny. The brown-eyed boy gave the swimmer a camouflaged stare before he sucked in his cheeks and blew out a puff of smoke, making his face disappear behind the hazy grey cloud. The action made Evan bring his nose closer to his t-shirt, sniffing to ensure the scent of smoke wasn't still clinging to him from a few nights prior.

Danny and Evan had gotten close over the summer. Close enough that Evan would've preferred to walk into the first day of senior year with Danny by his side rather than his best friend Chris, but Danny would never agree to such a public display. He worried too much about rumors circling back to his family or to his church. Evan tried not to complain, though. It's not like he planned to marry Danny—that wouldn't even be legal. Evan knew their connection was as fleeting as a summer lightning storm. He'd be leaving for college soon and Danny would be nothing more than a fond memory.

Just as Evan was about to look away, a boy doing a kick-flip on a skateboard obstructed his line of sight. Evan almost stumbled over the sidewalk when the red-headed skateboarder came from behind him and landed two inches away from his feet.

"Watch it, Webby Boy," the angry-eyed teenager sneered at Evan, rolling towards the main doors. Evan made sure his hat was still secure on his head.

Annoyance was already hanging from Evan's face and it wasn't even first period yet.

"God," Chris prattled on, still eyeing Nadine hopelessly. "She deserves a centerfold. What am I going to do when she graduates in June?'

Evan looked at his best friend without an ounce of sympathy and said, "Buy a Playboy magazine."

Chris looked offended as they walked into the familiar hallway, hearing the first morning bell ring.