Navigation is Tricky

Three

It had been four days since I enrolled in this godforsaken school and the only excitement I got was a puny Freshman falling down in the Cafeteria. I hung out with Che Zachary and Sunday for two days, but they seemed to have disappeared after that.

So there I was, sitting with a Junior and a Senior, bored out of my mind but participating heartily in conversation. Charli was ranting about her test next week and how guys would not stop hitting on her on some obscure social media app. Riley was nodding eagerly, and I smiled and laughed.

I decided that it was time to retreat for some me time, which didn't involve how "Jared K would like not stop." Stop what? I didn't know, nor did I care.

"Hey, um, I have to go to the bathroom, catch up with you at English" Charli insisted on hugging me and bidding me goodbye, while Riley just glanced at me and nodded, with considerably more contempt.

I walked down the hallway which always managed to smell weirdly like chlorine and Old Spice, like during jazzersize hour at the pool.

My mind wandered to the three inseparable friends for what seemed like the fifth time today. Two days was like a roller coaster ride, a short one which left you craving for more. It was weird, no one else seemed to miss them very much, no one except me anyway.

I stood in front of my locker and massaged my temples. Since when had I gotten so attached to a group of kids? Snap out of it Kitty, I scolded myself, they're not exactly celebrities with their own reality shows with three spinoffs..

The shrill bell woke me up from stolen moment, as I grabbed my books and rushed to the next class. Maths.

It seemed like I was always here, the black ink scribbling aimlessly in my notebook. I was sitting alone, but the horror of the notion had passed. It was unlike me, caring less and less about what others thought of me. I did the bare minimum to fit in, and yet I was upset that no one had noticed my change in behaviour.

How could they though? I was just a new kid with a sunny personality and amicable qualities. I had a record, of getting "friendly" written on every report card since third grade. That's another thing. Stay as friendly as you can, because you want to make the best of the short experience you have.

"Kitty, what's the answer to part b?" Mr. Lee looked at me quizzically, his thing moustache drooping slightly. I glanced at my workbook absentmindedly.

"Um, is it 35 degrees?" He nodded his head in approval, as I continued to wallow in my self pity. The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, with my going deeper and deeper into my spiral, and my smiles becoming harder and harder to fake. Life was just so, well, boring.

"So" Charli turned to me as we walked home, "Who's it going to be?" Her question snapped me out of my funk, simply because I had to contribute more than a nod of my head or a "Yeahh, totally." I cleared my throat.

"What do you mean?" I ventured, trying not to sound like I really didn't give a shit. She rolled her eyes, tossed her shoulder length auburn hair and looked at me conspiringly. Her scrubbed pink lips tugged slightly.

"You know, who do you, um, like." She finished her sentence like a question, but like she was trying not to sound like a fifth grader, the notion had ultimately failed. Might as well be honest, I pondered.