Drive-thru soap operas, part 7 - Backup (Lisa)

Lisa was outside, lounging against a brick wall, and watching as the students filed out of school after the dismissal bell. She sighed, flipping her hair over her shoulder impatiently. She adjusted her tube top, and looked back at the doors, just in time to see Felicia darting out. Lisa lifted her chin, made eye contact, shrunk back into her hiding place.

In less than a minute she was accompanied by Felicia, who was panting slightly, and smiling. "She's coming," she said, a thrill of excitement in her voice. She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, her eyes flitting around anxiously.

"Good," Lisa said. "After I get her over here, you leave."

"But, Lisa-" Felicia started.

"No buts," she said, holding up a halting hand. "I need to do this alone. She ruined my life by herself, I can scare her away from one little day by myself. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it...." she murmured, like a beaten dog.

"Here she comes," Lisa said, peeking around the corner. "Call her over here. Put on a good face."

Felicia took a breath, and stepped out into view, waving, and calling, "Sharon! Over here!" She was grinning, as if nothing had happened - as if nothing was going to happen. "Okay," she said, drawing back out of sight. "She's on her way."

"Good job," she said curtly, as if it were a difficult thing to praise her friend. "Now go." She pointed down a back way, and Felicia was gone in a flash.

Sharon stepped around the corner hesitantly, her books cradled in the crook of her arm.

"Hey, Sharon," Lisa said, a shadow hovering over her voice.

Sharon jumped, and, upon seeing Lisa frowning at her, felt her heart beat a little faster. "Oh! Hey, Lisa," she said, ignoring her last name, because it sounded heavy in her mind. She pursed her lips, then said, "Did you see Felicia come down this way? She waved to me, and disappeared." She laughed nervously, an awkward blush heating up her face.

"No, I guess you missed her." Lisa crossed her arms, approaching her. "I heard about you and Brandon. Interesting that he should ask you out the very night I dumped him."

"You dumped him?" she asked. "He just said you two broke up. He didn't say who...." she faded off, a feeling of shame sweeping over her. If Brandon had lied about that, then everything else....

"Yeah. I bet he didn't tell you that. He would be embarrassed. So, let me make things perfectly clear for you." She was so close that Sharon could see the brush strokes of foundation on her face. "Either you break the date with Brandon or I break you."

A loud, mocking laugh erupted from behind them. Lisa's head whirled around to the source of the sound, a tall, dark-haired girl in a strapless, red-checked dress. She was striding down the outside hall, her red, converse high tops clapping against the pavement. This girl was a stranger to Sharon, but Lisa seemed to recognize her, for she spat, "Raven! What are you doing here, you little freak?"

"Just heading out," Raven said, smiling. "But, then I heard something really funny."

"And what might that be?" Lisa snarled.

"Oh, just you saying that you could beat someone up. Really, hilarious. You should do stand-up. You, know, just in case your career as Drama Queen falls through."

Lisa's glare could have levelled New York, but it didn't even faze Raven. She just walked past her, slung an arm around Sharon's shoulders, and said, "Now, get lost, before I show you what a beating really feels like."

Lisa tossed her one more venomous look, then fled to her car.

"Thanks," Sharon said, looking at Raven with admiration.

"No problem. I'm Raven Stills. And you must be Sharon Brooks, the new girl. Good to meet you." She shook Sharon's hand, and then began walking away. But, before she vanished, she called, "And I wouldn't worry about Lisa! If she gives you any grief, you just let me know! Later!"

"Goodbye," Sharon said half-heatedly, smiling. She loosened her grip on her things, having not even noticed that she had been squeezing them until her knuckles had whitened.

Drive-thru soap operas, part 6 - "Don't get your hopes up." (Sharon)

Sharon sat in her math class, drawing tiny stars in the margins of her paper, and not really paying attention unless she heard something that she deemed particularly important. She couldn't concentrate anyway. She was too preoccupied with the thought of her upcoming date to retain any information.

She set down her pencil, and rested her chin in her hand. At that moment, Felicia Morgan slid into her seat behind her, unnoticed by the teacher, who's back was to the class.
"Hey, Sharon," Felicia said, stretching the "o" into a long sound. Felicia was a tall girl, with brown hair, half of which was pulled back into a clip. The rest hung to the base of her neck. She was dressed in a light pink shirt, a khaki skirt, and sandals. She leaned forward, grinning.

"Oh, hi," Sharon whispered, her eyes on the teacher.

"I heard about your date with Brandon. You excited?"

It didn't surprise Sharon that Felicia knew about her date, but it still made her blush. She smiled, embarrassed. "Yes, a little," she admitted.

"Well, I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet," Felicia said in a confidential whisper.

"What do you mean?" she asked, a nervous sensation creeping up the back of her neck.

"If I know Brandon, and I've known him since we were in kindergarten, then he's only doing this to make Lisa jealous."

"Oh," she said, trying to hide the growing disappointment in her voice. "Okay, then. Thanks."

"No prob."

They looked back at the teacher, and Sharon pursed her lips to keep from crying.

Drive-thru soap operas, part 5 - Deadline (Brandon)

Brandon slid into his regular parking space the next morning ten minutes before school started. It was a foggy, pale day, making his t-shirt cling to his body as he took the few steps to the entrance. He was immediately confronted with a cacophony of conversation and laughter from his fellow classmates. He smiled, comfortable amongst the sound; this was where he thrived. He craved social interaction.

"Yo! Brandon!" called his best friend, Carter King. He was jogging down the hall, grinning his trademark, ivory smile, made all the more impressive by the ebony skin that surrounded it. Carter was slim, with modest muscles that he rarely showed. He was a top student; he had a love of literature, especially Shakespeare.

"Yo, Carter," Brandon said as they high-fived, and Carter wrapped a long arm around Brandon's shoulders. "What's up, man?"

"Nothin' much. What about you?" he asked with a sly smile. "Anything you wanna tell me?" The crinkling skin around his eyes hinted at Carter's overwhelming excitement.

And Brandon had to take advantage of the moment.

"Mmm..." he murmured thoughtfully. "I can't think of anything." He shot his friend an amused glance.

"Come on, man!" he said, shoving him lightly. "You know I can't stand anticipation! Now, tell me about you and Sharon?" he said, ending in a question that was obviously meant for him to expand on every minute detail.

"Lisa and I broke up, so now I'm going out with Sharon," he said, shrugging. "Simple as that."

"Nothing with you is ever simple."

Brandon smiled, and the bell rang; people started shuffling toward their classes, and Carter was moving away from Brandon, to his first period.

"You tell me more later," he said, pointing at him as he walked backward.

"You got it!" Brandon yelled, and then he was turning to go to his math class. But he was deterred by a wall of a boy: Mike Miller, the football team's star of defense. He almost ran into him, but his quick reflexes permitted him to jump back a step. "Oh! Hey, Mike. What's going on?"

Mike just smirked, and suddenly Brandon was aware of another person behind him. He turned, and was confronted with the snarky grin of Tyler Patterson, the quaterback.

Tyler was not as built as Mike, but he was clearly stronger than Brandon, as he had learned from a past scrape he had gotten into with the boy. His hair was a shiny, chocolate brown, and it was always slicked back from his tan forehead. His arms were crossed, and he stood firmly in place.

"Oh, Tyler," Brandon said, his voice dark. "'Sup?"

"Nothin' much, Hall," he sneered. "Just wondering when I'm gonna get that money you owe me."

"I don't owe you anything, Patterson," he spat. "I paid you last week."

"You forgot the interest." And with that, Mike grabbed Brandon by his upper arms, and Tyler drove his fist into his stomach.

The air whooshed out of Brandon's lungs, leaving him breathless, and gasping. But Mike would not release him, keeping him straight and tall, so that it was difficult for him to stop panting. Tyler gripped Brandon's chin, saying, "Have that money in my hands tomorrow at the end of the day, or I'll make it so you can't even go to the bathroom without help. Got it?"

Brandon's breath hissed through his teeth as he glared at his assailant. "Go... to... Hell!" he gasped.

Tyler flushed. "Fine. Have it your way."

Another fist dug into his stomach, and Brandon's knees buckled under him, leaving him limp in Mike's hold. The giant dropped him on the gleaming tiles at Tyler's feet. He kicked him, and the pair sauntered off, leaving Brandon to choke on the air that entered his lungs in spurts. He ached, and took just a couple of minutes to compose himself, then trudged off to math.

Drive-thru soap operas, part 4 - The Gossip Team (Lisa)

Lisa Green, head cheerleader at Evans High school and recently single, was currently seated at her vanity mirror, touching up her mascara after her bitter tears had washed it away. She glared at her reflection; her eyes were still a little puffy from her crying despite the thick layer of cover up she had applied. She cursed Brandon for making her force the tears that had ruined her makeup. She cursed that awful Sharon with her sophisticated good looks, and calm attitude. And she cursed herself for not having seen the changes that had taken place the moment that girl had walked into her perfect life, and screwed everything up!
No sooner had she replaced the mascara wand in its tube, then her cell phone rang, the song "Rumors" by Lindsay Lohan played, her best friend's ring tone.
I'm tired of rumors starting!
I'm sick of being followed!
I'm tired of people ly-
Lisa snapped it open, greeting her friend distractedly as she daubed on some lip gloss.
"Lisa!" squealed the adolescent, Felicia "Mealy-mouth" Morgan. The girl was the biggest big mouth in the entire school; she knew everything about everyone, and had no qualms about leaking the juiciest bits to whoever had the most influence. Consequently, no one went to her with their secrets; not that that deterred her. She had her ways of finding out what she wanted (which mostly included sneaking around, and hiding behind corners). Once, she had been given the position on the school paper as the gossip columnist, "Chit-Chat", she had the chance to snoop even more. Felicia was Lisa's right-hand girl, supplying her with crippling information about her peers.
"Lisa!" she repeated, obviously upset by something. "We have a big problem!"
"What did you hear?" Lisa asked, straight to the point.
"I didn't hear. I saw."
"Well, go on. Spit it out."
"I saw Sharon and Brandon! Together!"
"What?!" Lisa screeched, standing up so violently that her cushioned stool toppled over. "What do you mean 'together?!'"
"I mean together. Like, kissing, together."
Lisa was fuming, her face was bright red, and she was gripping her phone so tightly it was a wonder it did not crack under the pressure. "Tell. Me. Everything," she said slowly, deliberately.
Felicia quickly recapped Brandon's visit, because she lived in the same neighborhood as Sharon, and had just been glancing out her bedroom window when she saw the whole thing. By the time she had finished, Lisa had calmed down just enough to prevent her from splintering her phone.
"Felicia," she said quietly, in a strained voice, "we must find out what is going on here. A strange series of events is unfolding, and I intend to discover the meaning of them. Until I am satisfied, I am ordering you to keep this information to yourself. Should I hear a word of this mess floating around school, you will find yourself the center of attention when I tell everyone about your... situation. Understand?" Her voice was sneering now, calculating and shrewd.
Felicia audibly gulped, sent stuttering at the simple innuendo. "Y-yes, Lisa," she stammered. "I u-u-understand."
"Good. Now, get to work. Find out what you can, for tomorrow," she said, glaring fixedly at her mirror image, "there will be a war."

Drive-thru soap operas, part 3 - Worries and Concerns (Sharon)

Sharon was stretched out on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She had just made a date with Brandon Hall, one of the most popular boys in her new school. She had also been the cause of the break-up of him and his girlfriend, an equally popular student.

"How did this happen?" she wondered aloud. There was no way she could go through with the date; she could not ruin someone else's life. But... that kiss. She blushed just at the memory.

Sharon knew already about Brandon's reputation with girls, but something in the way he had kissed her made her feel like she could trust him.

She frowned; her father had always told her that you could trust no one but your family, and your spouse. To even consider trusting a teenage boy was ridiculous! Her father, Reginald Brooks, had once said, "Boys are like bees. Once they have sucked away all of your honey, they'll just move on to the next flower."

Sharon rolled over onto her side. She knew her father was overprotective (she had once said so herself!), but he was just looking out for her safety. She had had to have him in the room just so she and Brandon could work on their assignments! Yet, he had always protected her, and until he did something that was not in her best interest, she would always trust him.

Sharon climbed off of her neatly made bed, and crossed to her closet. Her date with Brandon was two days away, and she needed to start considering what she would wear. He had told her that dressy-casual would do, so she grabbed the first dress she saw, and went to her mirror to examine it.

No, too frilly.

Too pink.

Too shiny.

Too old-fashioned.

Perfect! She looked into the mirror, at the dress that was currently layered over her clothes, her head between the dress itself and the hanger. It was a spaghetti-strap number, with a black bodice, while the rest was soft silver. She smiled at her reflection, taking a moment to absorb the circumstances.

She had broken up a popular couple, she had been kissed by Brandon Hall, and now she had a date with him. All that was left was to clear the idea with her dad, and that was what was worrying her.

Her father was not averse to dating; on the contrary, he thought that the right socializing was important in a young lady's life. But he was still her father, and she was his only daughter. This would not be easy.

She put the discarded dresses back into her closet, steeled her courage, and headed downstairs, where her father was relaxing in his favorite armchair, reading the paper, and humming.

Good, she thought, he's in a good mood. She took a breath, and went to his side. "Dad?" she asked.

"Yes, dear?" he murmured distractedly.

"I was wondering if maybe... I could go out Friday night?"

"Hmmm? With who?"

"Brandon Hall."

"What?!" he exploded, his head snapping up from the paper.

"Daddy, please! It's just a date!"

"That's how it always starts," he said, beginning one of his infamous rants. "You're out on a nice date, enjoying yourself, laughing, smiling... when suddenly you're pregnant with no job, and no way to make end's meet! You're at home, feeding the baby, while your husband is working the night shift at the local Super Slushy Shop!"

"Dad, dad, DAD!" Sharon exclaimed, putting her hands on her father's arms. After he calmed down enough to pay attention, she said, "Dad, I know you're worried about me. But you don't have to be. You've raised me well. You should be able to trust that you instilled me with the right values, and that I can make good decisions." She stared at him, knowing that she was right; her logical thinking almost always persuaded people to side with her.

He looked at her for a moment, before sighing, and saying, "Fine. You can go on the date. But on one condition: I get to formally meet the boy before you leave."

"Yes, daddy."

"Alright then. Now... go do your homework."

"Yes, daddy. Thank you." She leaned down and kissed his cheek, whispering, "Don't worry. I'll make you proud."

"I know you will, sweetie. I love you."

"I love you too. Good night."

"G'night."

Drive-thru soap operas, part 2 - The Master at Work (Brandon)

Brandon Hall, a typical highschool sophmore, was stunned. His girlfriend of four months, Lisa Green, had just dumped him. Honestly, he wasn't surprised; they had started having problems a few weeks ago, when Sharon Brooks had transferred to their school, and been assigned to him as a lab partner. Brandon wasn't the smartest guy in school, but he knew jealousy when he saw it, and Lisa practically had a green tint to her skin every time Sharon was near.

And now it had exploded into a catastrophe. Now he was without a girlfriend, and that was going to send his social life into a downward spiral; the star of the soccer team could not be single! He contemplated running after Lisa, trying to convince her to come back to him, but he dismissed it. Brandon Hall did not beg.

Then, a thought struck him: why not date Sharon? He could see it now! Sharon was a beautiful, mysterious girl; no one knew that much about her, except that she came from a fancy private school (like his own) with a prosperous, military family. Dating her would have enormous benefits: he would be admired for befriending someone new (especially since that someone was a ravishing, raven-haired girl), Sharon's reputation would skyrocket, and Lisa might possibly dissolve into a puddle of envy right on the spot! Brandon was grinning just thinking about it.

"That settles it," he said to himself, newly optimistic, "Sharon will be the next lucky girl to date Brandon Hall!" He stood from his seat at the drive-thru speaker, had Bobby take over the rest of his shift (he owed him one), and dashed out to his car. He knew where Sharon lived, because they were often there, working on assignments for science.

On the way there, he let his mind drift over to Lisa's earlier accusations. They were all true of course, but he felt that he needed to deny them, to preserve his dignity. But he had told the truth too! He really had tripped (a rare thing) and fallen in behind Sharon. It was just a coincidence that they found themselves in a heated make-out. It was purely innocent! He was the victim! First, he was screamed at by a shocked Lisa, then rejected (albeit politely) by Sharon, who believed that she "could not possibly come between such a popular couple." Now, all he had to do was affectively "woo" Sharon, and everything would be fine.

He pulled up to the curb of a charming house with a white, picket fence, and a neatly sculpted privacy hedge. He took out his cell phone, and quickly dialed the popular radio station, putting in a request that was to be immediately attended to (he had connections up there), and waited. While most people knew little about Sharon, she had honored him with the priviledged information that she regularly listened to the radio (her family had no T.V.) and that her favorite song was a sadly romantic ballad called "Still True" by an indie singer, Feist. He had asked that the song be dedicated to "the most beautiful girl in the world." To, Sharon Brooks; from, Brandon Hall. That should do it, he thought, satisfied. Now he was leaning casually against the hood of his red, 1965 Chevrolette Corvette coupe.

A moment later Sharon's bedroom window opened, and the object of his affections poked her head out into the dusky evening, her sophisticated, black bob ruffled slightly by the breeze. She looked down onto the street, spotted Brandon, and graced him with one of her special "soft looks" that made most blush, but not Brandon; he was too smooth for that.

Sharon held up a finger, instructing him to wait a minute. She disappeared into her room, and in less than two minutes had opened the front door, and glided up to him. Now that she was closer, Brandon could see the flecks of silver in her green eyes, the childish dimple in her cheek when she smiled, and the perfect curve of her chin. She was dressed in a navy tank top and grey sweatpants, and she still managed to look like she had just stepped out of a magazine.

"Hey," Brandon said in his signature, husky voice. He remained statue-still, never taking his eyes off of hers. (Well, maybe he glanced at her soft, bow lips once!)

"Hello, Brandon Hall," she said with that quaint habit of using everyone's full name. Her own voice was nothing to ignore; it was the perfect balance between the airy feminine and the soothingly deep with a certain maturity hidden in it that called for respect and attention. "Did you do that?" she asked, gesturing at her window without looking.

"Do what?" he asked, playing along in the inevitable banter; he felt his heart beat a little faster as their game continued. The thrill of the verbal chase was almost more exilerating than that of the physical.

"I was reading in my room, when suddenly I heard my favorite song come on the radio, dedicated to me by the only person who knows what my favorite song is."

"Imagine that."

"And I wondered to myself, 'Now, why would Brandon Hall do that, when he already has a girlfriend?'" She was still smiling, but her eyes were searching, firm, and curious.

"Not anymore," he said, allowing his smile to drop into a somber frown. "Lisa and I just broke up."

"Oh!" she said, with just the right amount of surprise and concern. "I'm so sorry! What happened?"

"She thought that I had feelings for you."

"Oh, dear. Did you tell her that she was mistaken?"

"No, I didn't."

"Why-" she started, obviously upset.

"I didn't tell her, because I couldn't lie to her," he interrupted. "No more than I could lie to myself." He gently took her hand in his, leaning just an inch closer. "Sharon, I do have feelings for you, and I just couldn't lead Lisa on anymore. I can't be with her while thinking about you. It's not fair to her."

She was falling for it; he could see it in the way her mouth popped open a little. Time to wrap it up.

"Sharon, I couldn't give Lisa my whole heart, but, if you were to go out with me, I can promise you that you will have it. So, what d'you say, Sharon? Will you take a chance with me?" That's gold! he thought smugly. I should really try being an actor.

Sharon pursed her lips, thinking. Finally, she said, with modest hesitance, "Well, perhaps just one date wouldn't hurt."

Brandon smiled, mentally pumping a fist in the air. Instead, he whispered, "It's a date then." He leaned in closer, and, after she followed him, their lips met in a warm, glowing kiss. It was brief, but it was enough; when Brandon pulled away, he saw that Sharon had a faint blush dappling her cheeks.

They said their goodbyes, and soon, Brandon was driving home, grinning the entire way.

Drive-thru soap operas

"Yeah, I'll have a Number One, ketchup only, with small fries, and a strawberry shake." I sat in my car, the window down, and leaning out to give my order. I blasted the air conditioning, the music turned down so that it was now just a faint murmur of lyrics and bass. I was on my way home for dinner, when I found myself suddenly craving a burger, so I swung through the drive-thru, and was currently waiting for the cashier to parrot back my order.

I waited for a full minute before I heard a pair of voices crackling through the speaker.

"Lisa," pleaded the voice of the adolescent cashier, "please! Let's talk this out."

"Talk what out?" came the hysterical voice of a young woman. "The fact that I caught you with that trashy Sharon? The fact that we haven't been on a date in three weeks? The fact that you have broken my heart?"

"Lisa, I told you already: there is nothing between me and Sharon! We're lab partners, we were just working on an assignment!"

"Yeah, right! What were you doing? Measuring the volume that closet I found you in?"

"That was an accident! She went to get a sweater, and I tripped and fell in!"

"Yeah, then you just fell on top of her, and your lips just fell on hers! What do you take me for!"

"Lisa, come on!"

"Don't tell me to come on, Brandon! It's over! I'm leaving!"

Lisa's voice disappeared, and there was silence.

I waited a minute before saying, "Just cancel that order," and driving off.

"Lean On Me"

Lean on me,

and I will not let you fall.

I will hold you up

through it all.

I will be the one

that you can cry to.

The one that you

don't have to lie to.

As long as you trust me

and as long as I breathe,

you can be you,

and you can lean on me.