Her

02

AZA

Monday. The first day of school.

"She is the most annoying person I have ever met and will ever meet."

"You know what I love about you?" Ky says. "How undramatic you are."

"You know what I love about you?" I say. "Nothing."

"Ouch."

"You're welcome."

Maybe it doesn't make sense, but this is how Ky and I show our love for each other - by giving each other hate. It's the type of thing I guess only people who have known each other for years do, like siblings. Because Ky pretty much is my brother. Or actually, cross out that pretty much. He is my brother, even if we don't share the same blood and his last name is Coleman and mine's Ainsworth. Family is a lot more than sharing the same blood and last name.

"Has she even done anything to you?" Cass says.

"Well," I say, "not really."

"And has she even talked to you?"

"Well, not really."

Cass looks at me, her face saying really, Aza? That's what Cass is like, and that's what I love - and sometimes hate - about her. She always treats every person like they're her friend because she believes that every person is good or something like that. She's like a fucking angel. Did Jesus have a sister? I have no idea, but I think if someone could be his sister, it would be Cass.

"She really is annoying though," I say. "Like, this morning? Clearly she thinks she's cool or something, which clearly she isn't. I still wish you wouldn't have stopped me, Cass. I would have beaten the shit out of her."

"Another thing I love about you?" Ky says. "How unaggressive and calm you are."

"Shut up, moron."

"So what was that weird moment you had with her?"

"What?" I look at Cass.

"You think we didn't notice?" she says. "You stared at her." A grin. "You checked her out."

To be honest, I did. And to be even more honest - well, let's just say I didn't completely hate what I saw. "I did not," I say.

"Yes, you did," Ky says. "And she stared back. There was some serious sexual tension going on. I was waiting for you two to start making out or something."

I get this weird, strangely good feeling in my stomach. It's like embarrassment, but also satisfaction. Did she really stare back? Was there really sexual tension?

"You have such a dirty, fucked up mind, Ky. Just because I like girls, it doesn't mean I like every pretty girl."

"So you think she's pretty?" Cass says.

"I do not."

"You totally do," Ky grins. "She's totally your type."

"She is not. I'm not into annoying princesses."

"Sure you're not."

"Her name is Phoenix." I snort. "What type of name is that? Who names their child Phoenix?" To be honest, I like her name.

"Well," Ky says, "your name is Aza."

I slap him. He laughs.

"I like that name," Cass says. "It's different, and it's pretty."

"No, it's not."

"She's hot though," Ky says. "If you don't want her..."

I slap him another time. He laughs another time.

"Guess that means you want her."

"I do not."

"It's all right. She's not really my type anyway."

"She isn't mine either."

"I hope she's into girls."

"Yeah, because you're a disgusting pig."

"Nope. Because my disgusting best friend likes her."

"I do not."

_____

AZA

I look at the paper in my hands, then up. Of course, I think. Of course, they gave me locker number 322, which is the locker next to locker number 321, which is the locker a girl with short black hair is standing in front of right now. I hesitate. Then I walk towards locker number 322, towards the girl with short black hair, towards Phoenix. She has a bob and bangs, the type of haircut girls in movies have, the one that says I'm hot and I know it. Her outfit is kind of chic, skirt, sweater and loafers, something they'd wear back in the 90s or something. The sweater is about two sizes too big, the skirt fits perfectly. She's both messy and tidy. It's kind of cute.

I'm so close to her now that I can see the black tag which is sticking half out of her sweater. For some reason, it makes me smile. Then I see the letters. Prada. I feel my smile fading. I also see a tattoo on the pale back of her neck: two black thin lines crossing each other, building a little 'X'. It's simple and I like it. I wonder what it stands for.

Suddenly, she shuts her locker and turns around. Our eyes meet.

"Seriously? Are you stalking me?"

She's standing right in front of me, face to face, her green eyes staring directly into my eyes, almost boring into me. Her eyes are green, so green that I wonder if they're contact lenses. It's a dark green, a serious green, a green I like. I tell myself to stop stare, and in my bitchiest voice I say, "Oh please, don't flatter yourself. If I stalked someone, it definitely wouldn't be you."

"Well, you were in pretty much all of my classes, and now you're following me again." Her tone is just as bitchy as mine, if not even bitchier. I wonder if it's real or if she's putting it on.

"Well," I say, "apparently we share a lot of classes - too many, in my opinion -, and they, unfortunately, gave me the locker right next to yours."

"Well, then get a different one."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know, pay them?"

"Of course you would say something like that." I fake a snort.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"What it means?" I step closer, trying to intimidate her. I feel my heart jumping, but I ignore it. "It means I think you're rich and spoiled, princess."

"And how would you know anything about me?"

"Oh I know enough about you to know that I don't want to know you."

"Well," she says, "it's not like I want to know you either. So problem solved."

"Great."

I manage to both smile and glare at her. She shakes her head, lets out a breath, clearly pissed - which I find slightly amusing -, then turns around, about to go - and then bumps into some body, sending the book she's holding to the ground. I almost pick it up, then stop myself.

"Can't you watch where you're going?" she hisses.

"I'm sorry. You okay?"

Ky picks up her book. He holds it out to her, and I see she realises it's Ky, that he is my friend.

"Oh it's you," Ky says, grinning. "The princess."

"My name is Phoenix."

"So I've been told." He flashes me a look, and I want to slap him because I can see that Phoenix knows we've been talking about her. He holds out a hand to her. "I'm Ky," he says.

"And I'm leaving."

She rips her book out of his hands, pushes him out of her way and leaves. "You're welcome," he says, but she doesn't turn around.

Once she's gone, I slap Ky, and he laughs.