Apricity [a-PRIS-i-tee]: The warmth of the sun in winter
Briar Elizabeth Maddox
Became a social outcast over the summer and now her used-to-be friends treat her no better than the dirt under their shoes. But no matter what she's been through, she'...
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I don't know if I liked being in the cafeteria for lunch anymore. I was tired of people having something to say under their breaths when they passed me. They only whispered because they knew if Val heard, she would do something about it.
And when I went back to the lunch line because I forgot some plastic wear, Axel caught me before I could make it back to my table.
"Hey, Briar," He said with a sneaky lift of his thin lips.
"Hi, Axel. Excuse me." I tried to make my way around him, but he only stepped in my way.
"You know I've been wanting to talk to you for a while. Do you have time right now?"
"Um, I don't- my friends are waiting for me to get back actually, I should-"
"You don't have those, remember?" He was outright smiling now, nothing sneaky about it.
"Besides, I wasn't really asking, Briar," he continued. "I was just thinking about what happened the last time I saw you this summer. Do you think about that too?" He brought his thumb up and dragged it against my bottom lip. I pulled away and tried not to show how much I was cringing on the inside.
"If this is what you wanted to talk about, I'm really not comfortable having this conversation with you, Axel."
His smirk twitched again and he took a short moment to reply. "Nah, we don't have to talk about that now if you don't want to. I just wanted to say good luck. I saw that you were trying out for the cheerleading squad."
I nodded my head. It was all my nerves allowed me to do. I saw movement from ahead of us and caught Naomi watching our interaction. She narrowed her eyes at me when she noticed I was looking. Slut, she mouthed slowly.
"I hope you make the team," Axel said and he brought my attention back to him once again.
"Thanks," I basically mumbled. I flashed a small smile to him as well, but it felt completely unemotional and I was only hoping it would shut him up faster and he would let me pass.
To my relief, he stepped out of my way then. I began to walk off, but he stuck his arm out to block my way again. He leaned down low so that his mouth was now at my ear. "If you don't think about that night, I can remind you of it soon. We got alll year long, Sunshine."
I didn't say anything back to him as he winked and dropped his arm from the wall beside me. I walk back all the way to my table without being bothered again.
As soon as I make it, Val is talking with some girls from the squad who had come over to chat with her. Then I feel bad because it reminds me that I'm keeping Valentina away from her other friends, all because she wanted to take care of me. It wasn't fair to her.
Her other friends weren't mean to me, they were just awkward around me like they didn't know what to say. They probably didn't mean to, but it made me feel out of place. Like I didn't belong.
