"So this is where you guys eat?" I said standing in the doorway of the cafeteria. It was huge. Everything about their school was big. Their gym was like a stadium. They had a swimming team, tennis, volleyball, soccer, track team, softball, and of course basketball and football. I stopped playing sports back when I injured my knee at a softball game but after seeing all of their sports I started reconsidering it.
"Yeah I know it's huge, but it will start to shrink once you get used to it, but did you ever find lover boy?"
"Oh, no. He wasn't in any of my other classes." I started scanning the cafeteria for him but there were so many people. "Where does he eat his lunch?"
"Ummm I'm not sure. I think he goes off campus to eat his lunch with his girlfriend." My heart burned and my cheeks grew warm.
"Girlfriend?" I said trying to hide my cheeks in my jacket.
"Yeah he has a girlfriend." Jess said laughing but she quickly stopped when she saw me trying to hide my face in my jacket. "Hey, don't let it get to you." I lifted my head out of my jacket.
"I'm not. I don't even really care about him that much." That was a lie I thought to myself.
"Oh sure." Jess said with a smile on her face. Of course she knew I was hung on this guy ever since she pointed him out to me this morning. I don't know why I'm so hooked on him anyways. I reached in my pocket for my phone to check the time, 11:19.
"Hey Jess I'm going to the bathroom for a sec I'll be back." I made my way through the crowd and into the bathroom. It was huge just like everything else in the school. I went into one of the stall so no one could see me. I went to my contacts and clicked on my dad's number. My whole body went warm when I heard the other end ring.
"Hello?" He said sounding tired and stressed. I hated seeing him like that.
"Hi dad. It's me."
"Oh, hi Madeline, how's school so far sweety?"
"Good, I guess." I said trying to make myself sound happy. We both tried our best to make things seem like they were alright but I never seemed to help to me." Dad are ok?" I asked. He sighed then there was silence.
"Madelline, you don't have to worry about me I'm fine." I sighed.
"Ok dad. If you say so. How about the..."
"Hey hun your going to have to call me later, I just got some company, but I love you."
"But dad I..." He hung up the phone before I could finish. That wasn't anything like him. He always had time to talk to me, even if he had company. I put my phone back in my pocket and walked back to the hell cafeteria.
. . .
"Mandy your going to have so much fun I tell you." John said. "They are really nice people, and they have a daughter the same age as you. I'm sure you two will get along just fine."
"I don't think that I want to go John. I'd rather lay in bed all day than go some Weirdo's huge house and listen to them jab about how filthy rich they are."
"Mandy!" My mom turned or in her seat and yelled at me. "You know better than that! Where are your manners?" I rolled my eye's.
"I'm not a dog mom."
"Don't get smart with me Mandy, I've had it today with you and all of your..."
"Honey, it's fine." John said to my mom. We pulled up to our newly done drivway. "She doesn't have to go if she doesn't want to." I looked at him and sighed.
"You know what, how about you to sit here and talk about how wonderful your lives are going while I walk off somewhere so you guys won't have to worry about me." My mom's face turned red from anger. I got out of the car and walked to the woods behind our house. I just wanted some time to be alone and think. I hate this place, and this house, and John. It just feels like I'm all alone and I have no one to talk to. Except for Jess. She's pretty cool I geuss. She reminds me of my old friends. I walked into a small clear space with a bench. Who the heck would put a bench in the middle of the woods? I guess everybody needs a little peace and time to think. I brushed the old leaves and spider web's off of it and sat down. I played my head back and took a deep breath. It smelled like leaves and mud, but I pretended that at was back at home smelling the ocean water and sand. The warm sun on my skin and nothing to worry about because mom and dad would be together. Laying in the sand together holding hands like always. What happened to those two? Their supposed to love each other. Why can't it still be like that? I keep asking myself these questions, waiting for an answer, but I get nothing. None of it makes since. Its not fair.
"Are you alive?" A voice says from the tree's in front of me. I pop up embarrassed that someone saw me day dreaming on this filthy bench. I looked at where the voice was coming from and there he was. The boy. The one that I was looking for earlier today. He had dirt on his jeans and on his leather Jacket. His hair slicked up. I couldn't stop looking at him. He started walking towards me.
"I... I'm fine I was just..." I thought of something good to say. "I was just taking a nap." He laughed. My check's turned red.
"In the middle of the woods?" Nice going Mandy.
"Yeah, it's not that big of a deal. My house is back that way."
"Yeah I know your the new girl, you just moved into the neighborhood." I blushed some more. He knew where I lived. I turned away so he wouldn't see.
"Yeah that's right. Why are you back here anyways. This my moms part of the woods.
"I like to come out here to get away from civilization and think." He kicked a pebble into a tree.
"Couldn't you have went to your bathroom or lock your self in your room?" He laughed.
"Nobody at school said that you were funny." He sat down beside me. I scotted over.
"Nobody at school knows me. How would they know?"
"I'm just joking with you." He looked at me. "Your names Mandy right?"
"Yeah." I said. He nodded and kept looking at me. I wanted to look at his eyes but I was to afraid. I hated making eye contact with people. "Don't you have a girlfriend that you should be getting to?"
"Girlfriend?" He looked confused.
"Yeah, Jess said you had a girlfriend." I rolled my eyes because I sounded so dumb and desperate.
"No, I'm single." How could I be so stupid. I wanted to run and hide under a boulder.
"Oh." I said. He just stared at me. "Well I'm gonna go now and let you do whatever it is that you do when your not around civilization and stuff like that." I got up and began walking home. He hopped up and ran after me.
"Wait your just gonna leave?"
"Uh, yeah. I have things to do you know."
"Well here." He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote something down. "This is my number. You can call me when your finished with whatever. You seem like a cool girl." I took the piece of paper from his Hands and stared at it. "Um, I guess I'll see you later." He walked back towards the woods and disappeared in the tree's. I walked the rest of the way home blushing at the little piece of paper in my hand.
