Hate Is Another Word For Love

Chapter 6

The pic on the side is of Avalynn, Erin and Ethan's sister.

It's Monday. I skipped Anatomy because sitting in that room without him is pissing me off.

I slam my Calculus textbook down on the table. The sound echoes.

"What's your problem?" Ethan asks.

"Nothing!" I snap.

I want him to fucking show up to school because I fucking miss him. He can't tell me he loves me and then skip school.

Bri gives Ethan a look and gets up and leaves.

My anger soars and I rip a piece of paper from my calculus notebook and get out a black sharpie. In bolt letters I write FUCK EVERYTHING and I start to color it in under the words are in perfect form.

I'm angry. This is what I do when I'm angry.

I start to scribble furiously all over the paper and writing fuck all over.

I hear someone laugh.

"Who spit in your cereal this morning?"

I look up to see Braxton sitting across from me with Chick Fil A.

He got chick fil a and didn't bring me any?

Dick.

I start to scribble again.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"You're what's wrong. You don't show up to school. I'm stressed the fuck out because I have fourteen songs and need one more by Wednesday."

"Sorry...I'm here now." he pauses. "Oh yeah, you have to sing at the caravel, right?"

"Right." I huff.

"So..." he trails off. "Do you like, want to go to that with my family and your family?"

I shrug. "Okay."

"I'm going to help you turn that into a masterpiece."

He gets colored pencils from his bag and moves next to me.

He slides the paper closer and sits so close to me that I can smell his deodorant.

It's the sexiest smell in the world. Our thighs are touching.

"Do you want help?" he asks.

"I just want to watch you draw."

"Okay." He grabs his sketch book.

The horrible mood I was just in a minute ago vanishes. I wrinkle up my paper and toss it in the trash.

The principal gives me a dirty look, so I wave.

Braxton hesitates, and then he grabs my left hand in his right and links our fingers.

He starts to draw.

I watch the way his left hand works the colored pencils. I watch the way he bites his tongue when he's concentrating, and his eyebrows furrow.

He'll occasionally stop drawing and look at me, catch me looking, and then smile when I smile and look away.

"You smell like mixed fruits." He says suddenly, looking into my eyes.

I smile. "Is that a good thing?"

"I like fruits." He says.

I smile again.

The bell rings.

He lets go of my hand and we both get up.

"Bye." He says.

He darts off.

I smile.

****

He's at school but he doesn't even look at me or go near me.

Now I'm confused.

I was actually starting to warm up to him.

Now he won't talk to me.

I'm really confused and frustrated.

Here I've been sitting for a week waiting on him to show up to school, then he shows up to school and is sweet, and now I'm scared I'm going to lose the one chance I had.

I don't even know what I'm doing.

Slowly, I feel lyrics pouring through my veins.

I start writing furiously, my pencil breaking as I do so.

I change to mechanical.

The bell rings when I get halfway through.

A plan begins to form.

I grin wildly.

I can't wait for Friday.