Balloon City, Chapter One

Balloon City
Chapter 1


   September was a wonderful month, sixteen-year-old Meggie Earlson reflected dreamily as she drove  to Stuart Hall High School, Monday morning. The sun was shining beautifully, making even the most dreariest parts of San Francisco seem to sparkle. A scattering of leaves, carpeted the streets and sidewalks, and the feeling of fall filled the air. Meggie had felt so awesome that bright, sunny, September morning that she'd even worn a sun dress and sandals.
   Meggie guided her shiny, white Toyota Corolla into the high school parking lot and parked it neatly between a blue pickup truck, and a snazzy, silver sports car. She grabbed her favorite, denim bag, and popped out of the car, taking a delightful breath of fresh, morning air. Then she sighed, and brushed the wrinkles out of her sun dress. It was a new one – pale yellow, with white daisies scattered all over it. Tucking a loose strand of her light brown hair behind her ear, Meggie hurried off to the school's main entrance.
   The hallways were crowded with students – not unusual for a school morning – and Meggie had to dodge and jostle and shove her way over to her locker. Gripping a worn notebook, she turned to access her predicament. She hated shoving her way through a crowd, and as her class wasn't for another few minutes, she didn't feel the need to hurry off. She spotted Chloe Martinez, who's perfect, glossy, black curls, and large, dark eyes made her the most attractive girl in the school. And she knew it. By Chloe's side, stood the new boy – Aramis Rock. Aramis had moved to San Francisco that summer, and pretty much every girl in Stuart Hall High that Meggie had talked to was crazy about him. However, Meggie had to admit – Chloe and Aramis looked like they were made for each other. Like Chloe, Aramis had thick, black hair, and awesome, dark eyes, set off nicely by his tan complexion. Apparently, (if the gossip was to be believed) they had met shortly after Aramis moved to San Francisco, and had been dating since. Meggie stood for a moment, watching with warm fuzzies, and possibly a hint of jealousy (although she couldn't be certain about that), until she realized that the crowd around her was moving now, and most of the students were hurrying off to their classes. Meggie went with them.


                                                                            *


   Meggie opened her locker and pulled out her panda-shaped bento box, and her thermos. The cafeteria, as she walked into it, was crowded as ever at lunch time, but she spotted an empty table over in a far corner of the room, and quickly made her way over there. She had just pulled her cheese sandwich out of her bento box, about to take a large bite, when Amanda showed up.
   Amanda had the fine surname of Kessler, though a good three-quarters of the Stuart Hall High population believed it to be Blabberton or Noseworthy. It was plain that Amanda was nosy. If anyone had a secret, they could bet on it being announced throughout the school as soon as Amanda got a whiff. Even if it was something particularly embarrassing, the whole school was sure to know, in no time. Nobody liked Amanda Kessler. Beyond her nosiness, she was rather stout, and always wore a pair of ugly, pale pink, bedroom slippers – the kind that flaps at the heel – that could be heard coming three halls away, because of their annoying, distinctive flip-flopping sound. It didn't help that she walked with a heavy step.
   “ Hey there, Meggie!”
   Meggie cringed and looked up reluctantly from her sandwich into the broad, grinning face, which leaned uncomfortably close to Meggie's. She could smell the scent of peppermint on Amanda's breath.
   “ Hello Amanda.”
   “ Mind if I sit here with you?”
   The words that Meggie had been dreading. “ Yes, I do! Go find a different table!” she wanted to say, but stopped herself in time. There was no saying what story Amanda would concoct about her if she said such a thing. Her mind raced, thinking up a good excuse to say no. She couldn't think of one. “ Go ahead.” she said to Amanda, rather grudgingly.
   “ Gee thanks a lot!” Amanda exclaimed, plopping down into the chair opposite Meggie, with a loud whump sound. “ You know, Meggie, I think you're probably one of the nicest people I've ever met!” Amanda opened her lunch box (which looked more like a suitcase to Meggie) and pulled out some things which were apparently her lunch.
   Great, Meggie thought as she hunkered down in her chair, nibbling at her sandwich miserably. If Amanda thinks I'm nice then -
   “ But I gotta say, Megs, you're pretty darn good at keeping your secrets to yourself! I've know you for over two years now, and I still know barely anything about you!” Amanda torn open a bag of potato chips and crammed a pawful into her mouth, giving a loud laugh at the same time.
   Meggie took a glug of milk from her thermos, thinking mournfully about what Aramis Rock would say if he saw her sitting with Amanda Kessler. He'd probably shake his head and think sadly about how many silly, gossipy giggle-puts there were. Lumping, of course, Meggie into that mix.
   “ And I know you've got some,” Amanda continued, in her annoying, rambling way.
   “ Some what?” Meggie asked dumbly, jolted out of her thoughts by Amanda's loud, obnoxious voice.
   “ Secrets!” Amanda said with another laugh which vibrated in Meggie's bones.
   “ Oh.”
   Amanda rambled on and on, telling Meggie all the latest gossip (as if Meggie wanted to know!), while Meggie sat and listened in silent suffering. Meggie learned that Elias Goodyear had an in-grown toenail, and that Selena Renell had gotten her hair done at Marguerite's Fine Hair Salon, and that Aramis Rock had given Amanda and her informants a tough time figuring out information about him. Amanda had tried to stalk him on Facebook but Aramis had blocked her. Meggie was disgusted that Amanda had such nerve as to try to find out all of Aramis' secrets.
   “ So, Meggie, what have you been up to lately?”
   Meggie opened her mouth to answer and then realizing, snapped it shut again. She wasn't going to fall for such tricks. “ Nothing much.”
   Amanda looked greatly disappointed.
   Meggie didn't care.


                                                                         *


   It was raining as Meggie drove home. The rain poured down in sheets enveloping her little Corolla in a blur. She hurried to get home, and burst inside, almost tripping on her sandals. The house was dark, and Meggie hurried around, snapping on lights, and then after changing into dry clothing, poked her nose into the refrigerator. She was hungry. After digging around a bit in some of the cupboards, Meggie discovered an old granola bar, and skipped lightly back to her room with it, ready to lose herself in a book. She knew that she really aught to do homework, but she just didn't feel like doing it right then. Swiping a book off of her bookshelf, she plopped down in her cozy, zebra-striped chair and buried herself inside it.
   It was almost two hours later, when Meggie heard the door open and her mother's voice filtered into the room.
   "Meggie! Meggie? I'm home, sweetie!"
   Meggie sighed and put down her book. Her mother came over to the door.
   " Hey honey. I'm going out with Jeff Lacey again, so you're on your own for the evening." Clarissa Earlson walked away into her own room, still talking. "You can do that, right?"
   Meggie rolled her eyes. Mom and her boyfriends. It wasn't like Meggie was child! " Jeff Lacey, Mom? Who's that?"
   Clarissa gave a funny chuckle as she came to back to stand in front of Meggie's door. " My new boy-friend! I thought I'd told you about him."
   Meggie didn't say anything, and Clarissa walked back to her bedroom. A few minutes later she came back, wearing a dress made out of some kind of shiny, blue material.
   " Well, sweetie, I have to run now. See you tonight!" She gave Meggie a quick hug, and then hurried off, leaving Meggie surrounded by the scent of petunias.