A Long Way Home | Nick Sturniolo

Two

As we arrive to the school parking lot, Matt turns into a spot and parks. Chris quickly disconnects his phone from aux, opening his door to grab his bag for the backseat behind the passenger. He then walks to the back of the car while I get out with my bag and Matt gets out empty handed.

"Dude, seriously, you could've have just gotten my bag too?" Matt says frustratingly.

"Oops," Chris laughs.

Matt loudly sighs and walks around to the passenger side of the van, opening the door and grabbing his bag. He returns to we're there once we're, only to see chris halfway to the entrance. At least I had waited for him. Maybe. Actually I was just too busy scrolling through Lucas's tagged photos on instagram to notice Chris had already left.

Me and Matt walked into school, separating, just so I could go and find Chris who left me behind. I looked around for him a bit but couldn't see him in the halls, and a couple minutes later, making it to gym class. And Chris wasn't here. Help me. I was standing in a room full of tall hockey, football, and lacrosse pricks including Lucas, great love it here.

"Today we're going to do some weight lifting, as you can see I have some stations set up that you all will alternate." He pauses to look around. "You will be in groups because there's a lot of you and most of the exercises require a spotter."

I'd be fine if at least Chris was here to be in a group with me. I know some of the lacrosse players on his team because of him and Matt, but not well enough to be partners with them.

"Ok we have 10 stations and 28 of you so we'll do groups of 3, and two with 2."

As he's listing of the names I'm just hoping Chris magically appears and I get in a group with him, but no some hockey prick named Jack. At least it was only him and not 2.

"Sorry I'm late! I was at the health center." Chris barged in.

"For what," the teacher asks.

"His period." One of his friends blurts out receiving laugher from almost everyone.

"Close, nose bleed." Chris states.

Finally, hopefully he'll be on our group, but no he's in the other group and we're the only 2 person group. Fuck me.

Our first station was russian deadlifts. And of course, Lucas's group was next to us.

I started doing them with 25 pounds of each side. Jack did them with 90 on each side. Safe to say I'm slightly weaker.

The teacher walked by saying "Nice form Nick," on his way.

"Good form from bouncing on dick?" Jack mockingly laughs.

The group next to us including Lucas heard and started laughing.

At this point I was holding back both tears and sweat and it was barely an hour into school.

After class I felt so embarrassed I just went to the bathroom and cried. Not only in front of Matt and Chris's teammates, but in front of my crush.

I had calculus next which I still didn't have done and it was with Lucas. I'm gonna throw up. Wait, that's a good idea. I'll go to the nurses so I can go home sick.

Now sitting in the nurses office with a thermometer under my tongue the nurse gives me a blank stare before staying that I'm fine to go back to class.

How did a day that I was so greatly anticipating turning into this?

As I walked back to class I looked in my phone camera to make sure It didn't look like I had been crying.