It's A Funny Thing

Chapter 11

"That's the worst way to miss somebody. When they're right beside you and you miss them anyway." -Unknown

~Lindsay~

"I just don't see what the big deal is, that's all." I explained to Hailey, shutting my locker closed with a sigh.

"Big deal? Of course it's not a big deal, sweetheart! It's a damn huge deal." She flicked her fingers upon my forehead, making me wince slightly at the sudden pain that shot up as she frowned at me. She looked between my dark brown orbs for any hope that I'd change my mind, but there was no way in hell that I was going to stupid Homecoming.

I've got better things to do; like play with my dog Stanley and watch Netflix. I know, the ideal night!

"Come on, Linds! This is our chance to show everyone that we're not the same girls we were a year ago; small, weak, and afraid. We've grown up and went through shit, we deserve this. You deserve this." Hailey put both of her hands on my shoulders, bending down slightly to make complete eye contact with me.

"Fine, but you're my date," I declared, elbowing her lightly in the ribs before continuing to walk to calculus. Before I was halfway down the hall, I turned back to Hailey who was in the process of turning to go to AP social studies. "Oh, and Hail," My best friend turned back around, creasing her eyebrows at me. "Get me a really nice corsage. Not the cheap ones from King Kullen, at least one from Walmart or something. I think we'd look totally hot with flowers clipped to our sweatshirts, don't you? Pick me up at 8!" I blew her a kiss and she pursed her lips at me, cupping her hands over her mouth so that I'd hear her better. "What the hell? Lindsay Richards, get back here! We're wearing nice dresses, not freaking sweatshirts, do you hear me?" She called with devil eyes as I flipped her off, shook my head and continued my way to class.

**
I never thought how hard it would be to walk through the halls at school today, or any other day. It was only the second day of the school week, a bunch of stressful and hellish hours in this hell hole of a school left. Whenever I walked through the halls, everyone would stare, point, whisper. I felt like I was some alien from Mars who was traveling the school hallways in her spaceship with clowns and vampires and werewolves dancing around on top of it whenever I walked.

I knew why they were staring; it was because everybody had heard about me being hospitalized. I mean, I'm not popular but come on, I was in the same vicinity as Cole Matthews, the most popular guy around here.

I tightened my grip on my backpack strap as I felt it being lifted off my shoulders, making my head that was concentrated on the floor below me snap up, my neck craning up to meet with the most gorgeous green eyes I've ever seen.

They still mesmerize me.

His 6'4 height completely towered over my 5'2 frame, making me feel quite sheepish.

"You okay there, Boppy?" His deep voice asked, concerned, as he glanced down at me with my backpack still gripped in his hands. I stood on my tippy toes to try and grab my bag back, but him being the complete jerk that he is, held it on the tips of his fingers all the way up in the air.

No bloody way in hell I could reach it.

"Everyone is staring at me and I feel super uncomfortable." I whispered after giving up trying to get my bag back.

"Yeah, because your bright pink bra is completely showing through your white shirt, idiot. Along with your nips." My face fell as I ignored the huge smirk that ran across his attractive face, as I quickly looked down to check to make sure he was not being serious.

"What?" I exclaimed, basically feeling myself up in the middle of the hallway trying to cover myself up. "Nononono, this cannot be happening." Felt myself up yet again. Yeah, definitely getting a lot of attention now. Great. "Wait, I don't think I even own a pink bra!" By the time I figured this out and faced reality, Cole had called over a couple of his buddies and they were all staring at me, in tears laughing their asses off.

My face went completely pale as all of the blood drained from every inch of my body. I felt sick, like I was going to throw up or faint or something sometime very soon. My head became extremely dizzy as I held onto the wall behind me to keep me balanced, as Cole threw me my backpack and patted my shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry about it. If it makes you feel any better, they thought you were real hot while you put on that little show." Cole pointed out, flashing me a smile and a wink before turning around and leaving me alone in the hallway. "You're a damn jerk, you know that, Cole? Screw yourself." I flipped him off as he turned around quickly when he heard his name being called, and I ran up the stairs to my next class, leaving him behind.

**

I cleaned up the last of the dishes from the kitchen table with a sigh, hitting 'start' on the dishwasher and leaning back on the edge of the counter. I shot a quick glance over at my cell phone that had been buzzing like crazy all evening, so much that my parents made me put it on silent and keep it face down in my lap all during supper.

There was no doubt in my mind that it was either Cole or Hailey, texting me a countless number of times to make sure I was okay and why I went home sick, or Cole would either be just yelling at me for calling him a jerk and telling him to screw himself, or apologizing.

Or, maybe, none of the above.

"Linds, are you almost done with the dishes, sweetie?" My mom called from inside our den, her voice soft and loving, as usual.

"Yeah, mom. I'll be in in a second!" I called back, pushing myself from the counter and strode slowly to my now silent cell phone.

"Okay phone, which friend or douchebag is texting me today? Hmm? Is it Hailey? No? Is it the jerk Cole? Probably." I hummed to myself, biting my lip as I turned my phone over on the table and investigated the recent messages.

Seven texts from Hailey.

One text from Cole.

Two texts from grandma.

And,

One text from T-Mobile, to let me know that my data plan is all used up. Wow, great! This is just wonderful.

I decided to suspense myself and open up my grandma who lives in Florida's texts first, since it will probably make absolutely no sense whatsoever, and so will therefore make me hysterically laugh.

Grandma: Hello there, honey! It's your old Gram here. I just wanted to ask you if your mom ever got the dang water heater fixed from last week. Love you Linny!

Grandma: Ps, please don't tell your mother I texted you about this.

I laughed to myself, classic gram. Before I got around to texting her back, my phone buzzed with yet another text- from Cole.

My fingers shook slightly as they hovered over the tiny notification bar, chewing on my bottom lip.

Cole Matthews: Two text message notifications.

Swallowing, I shut off my phone and thew it lightly back onto the kitchen table with an exasperated sigh.

I will not let myself get distracted or roped into one of Cole's tricks again. What he did to me today, although not a huge deal, still really hurt. I thought we were getting to be friends, maybe even good ones.

But, as clichè as it sounds, I'm sad to say that he's exactly like every other boy that I've met, read about, or watched on TV.

The kind of jerky boys who are so popular that they become so full of themselves that they begin to make you despise them once they even open their mouths. Cole was only nice to me outside of school, when there were no people around.

And I was afraid to say that I think he'll begin to be terrible to me even outside of school, too.

I feel like I've lost him forever, I miss him, and he could be standing right next to me.

And that's what scares me the most.

**

Hey everyone! I know I don't usually write little notes but I will put some here and there. :-) Anyway, thanks for reading my story I hope you enjoy it and feel free to comment things you'd wish I'd change or add or anything, I'm open to any POSITIVE comments to make my story better. Thanks and please vote, comment and tell other cool ass people about my bookk!!! :))))