Love Isn't Complicated, People Are

Chapter Four

(Picture:Ben. Imagine him younger)

I storm into Violet's bedroom, dropping my back on her floor and falling onto her purple bean bag chair. "College is so frustrating!"

Violet grins at me from her upside down position on her bed. Which of course, has purple bedspreads. "How? It's only your first day."

"Yeah, it's only my first day but I ran into Tate---Literally!- then I was apparently late for class because I had lunch at school." I grab the pillow laying next to the bean bag chair and shove my head in it screaming at the top of my lungs.

"Come on, Aden. Relax. All in all, it wasn't that bad of a day." She raises her eyebrows at me, hugging a stuffed polar bear to her chest.

"Yeah, I suppose. Oh! And one more thing, I think Ben and Tate know each other. Like, outside of class." I set the pillow on my lap, resting my elbows on it, my head in my hands.

Confused, Violets eyebrows furrow. "Huh? How do you know?"

I shrug. "Well, after class, Tate took my bag then there was like this. . .Hostile feeling in the air as Tate looked at Ben and said 'Have a good day, Dr. Harmon.' But the way he said it. . . He looked smug and. . .kinda pissed off. And then Ben. He looked. . .beyond pissed." I shake the image out of my head.

"Wait, so Tate is in your class? What did you mean, you literally ran into him?" she rolls onto her stomach, propping her head up with one hand.

I sigh, pulling my legs up against my chest. "Lemme start from the beginning. So, I had lunch at school-as you should know-then Dad came to pick me up way, way awkward, and dropped me off and as I was going to class, I sterotypically turned the corner and ran into him, I went to class, Tate walked in late, then class was over and as I was leaving Tate just started talking to me," I edit out the idiot move with the dropped pen. "Then he like grabbed my bag and we were walking out the door when he said that to Ben. To be honest, I was actually a little scared of the way Ben was glaring. And I tried asking Tate what was going on but he didn't tell me. I think he was using me just to piss off Ben. So, I left leaving him staring after me."

Violet exhales. "Whoa."

"Tell me about it." I shake my head.

"So . . . You don't like him? Not even one little bit?" She raises her eyebrows at me.

I snort, brushing hair out of my face. "Of course I like him. But I don't like being used."

"True, true." Violet nods.

It's quiet for a moment before she starts talking. "Wanna sleep over? We can go to school together tomorrow. And then I can drive you to class."

I smile gratefully. "Oh hell yeah. My Dad is really starting to annoy me. He almost drove away while the passanger side door was open."

Her eyes widen. "Seriously?"

I nod, setting my legs down. "Something is seriously going on with him."

***

I trudge into Ben's class sleepily, barely noticing that no one is there besides me. I plop down at a desk and rest my head down on it, closing my eyes. Me and Violet stayed up all night-literally-last night and I'm exhausted. High school sucked; the teachers are rude. I only hope I can at least get some sleep in here.

"Good afternoon, Hayden."

I blink, slowly looking up. It's Ben, standing at the front of the classroom. "Yeah. K," I set my head back down and close my eyes.

"Everything alright?" Ben asked, as if trying to sound casual.

"Mhmm," I say, not opening my eyes.