Someone You Love (AMBW)

Chapter Four

Talking to other people indicates that a person is as single as can be and it shouldn't matter to anyone else. I didn't have anyone to talk to besides my friends and even they can be overwhelming. To them, talking to other people of the opposite sex came effortlessly. They have hooked up with their fair share of boys and girls. I had my first kiss this year and they have had theirs years ago. It shouldn't matter to anyone, but it mattered to me.

"I'll text you my address and we can work on that as soon a possible." The brunette floated away with a twist in her walk and a twinkle in her eye. Victor was either completely aware that she was into him or blind as a bat.

"You two aren't really going to study together, are you?" I lifted an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know. Maybe. Why? You wanna join?" He winked. "She asked me so as a gentleman, I answer." He pulled out his physics textbook and an unsharpened pencil in the process. The whole time, I was looking at the pictures of friends he had taped to the inside of his locker. "Can I asked why you're with me and not Josie?"

My answer would only sound rude because it involved putting him last. "She's with Cory and you know I'm not ready to face him after what happened on Friday. I spent all weekend trying to think of what to say and it all led back to apologizing."

"That's crazy because you said nothing wrong." He slammed his locker shut then gave me a small nudge to follow him to his next class. "Just act as if nothing happened. That's what they're doing."

"They're doing that with each other because Tonya and Josie are on Cory's side. Even Erikkson avoided eye contact with me while we were in the school parking lot."

He turned around with an exhausted look on his face. It was clear that I was a burden to him as I spilled my problems on his plate. "Well, I don't know. Maybe you shouldn't have said that in front of everyone. It probably would've turned out better."

"And maybe you're right. Thanks for understanding." I turned on my heels to head to my own class instead of annoying him on the way to his. Of course I bumped into Josie on the way there. "Hi."

She had a huge smile on her face which was the opposite look I was thinking I'd get the next time we encountered each other. "Where were you this morning? We were talking about that crazy scene you put on at your house on Friday. Cory just wanted to let you know that he's not mad at you or anything nor did he take it that seriously. If you're cool then he's cool."

I wasn't cool about anything. I was stressed out all weekend thinking everyone hated my guts when they took it as a joke this entire time. I wasn't drunk or high. I was hurt by what he told me and no one had my back. Now they think I stood up for myself as a prank and for laughs. None of them know the real me.

"I'm cool!" I beamed. "See you all at lunch. We can joke about it then."

Josie collided into me for a hug. It was friendly and sweet as if she was hoping I'd say anything other than how upset I was. "Good. I thought you were seriously mad for a moment. So happy this is worked out. See you at lunch." She waved me off and rushed into the class she shared with Victor.

The bell rang and I was late and once again, excluded.

Unlike how I envisioned it from the movies, there was no set table that certain cliques sat at. Most of the students here that had any worth never ate in the lunchroom in the first place. They ate in empty classrooms or didn't eat at all due to public appearance. My "clique" always sat wherever there weren't too many people. Yesterday it was near the front of the room and today it was all the way in the back. They would have been hidden if Cory's backpack wasn't covered in orange reflective tape.