Pushing Up Daisies

Chapter Nine: Jacob

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"You look great, stop overthinking it."

"It feels weird."

"You're the most expensive hooker here, don't worry." The side of her lips move up as she gives me a dirty eye.

She does look incredible. She put on a bit of mascara to make her brown eyes pop and the gloss she put on her lips made them look fuller. She added a cardigan, instead of the jacket her father suggested, because she felt more comfortable that way and I wasn't going to be the one to stop her. I literally can't.

Everything at school was getting back to normal. The news that plagued the beginning of the week was all but forgotten. Sure the flyers were still all over the school but mainly on the floors getting stepped on or in the trash cans.

The 'hurt' that they felt at my disappearance was slowly wearing off and I don't know how to feel about that.

"Whoah!" Nayeli walks up to us and right through me. The hairs on my neck threaten to leave my body as her silhouette crosses me, but by the slight tilt of her head it looks like I wasn't the only one who felt it. "You look incredible!"

"Thank you." Olivia tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, slightly embarrassed over her friend's compliments.

"What are we celebrating?" Her eyes widen with mischief and amusement, while raising her arm to give Olivia a playful shove. "Liv it's too early to start celebrating, his body hasn't been found yet."

Her eyes nearly pop out of her head hearing her friend. She spares me a quick glance but returns to her friend. "Nayeli, that is not funny!"

"He made your life unbearable. You think I'm gonna cry over him?"

"No, but show a little respect."

Nayeli rolls her eyes, while looking down at the tips of her red-dyed hair.

"Your friend is a bitch." I tell Olivia, crossing my arms over my chest as I continue to access her. "How is she your only friend?"

"Shut up," she snaps, forgetting the fact that she's in the middle of a conversation with her friend.

"Fine, but we both know you're relieved on the inside." Nayeli says, assuming she was talking to her. Which I guess, isn't a terrible assumption. "I'll see you later. I need to talk to Mr. Evans about the B he gave me on my paper. My grammar is not the greatest but I know it was at least a B+."

Nayeli walks away, but not before giving Olivia a knowing look.

"You can't do that." Olivia whispers as soon as her friend is out of earshot, making sure to cover her mouth when she does.

"Do what?"

"Talk to me when I'm with someone else. I already think I'm crazy, I don't need everyone else thinking that too."

We round the corner and I can only assume we are heading towards her locker or her first class. I haven't exactly made up my mind on what I'm going to be doing while she's in her classes. Am I  going to continue to follow her like a lost puppy or stray and do my own research.

We haven't exactly made any progress together, maybe straying is what I need to do.

She's walking a little ahead of me, so when she stops I have to step to the side to avoid crashing into her. My eyes follow her panicked stare only to stop at my group of friends. Mike and Kyle, accompanied by Heather and her two friends, Allie and Michelle. 

It might have been a coincidence, or maybe of purpose, but they were leaning exactly in front of Olivia's locker. They're talking in urgent whispers, but stop as soon as they catch wind of Olivia.