To Save Her

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After getting off the bus, I meet up with Roy and Foster outside the school building like every morning. Today I feel a lot more relaxed knowing Liz is alive and well. Foster sits on the top of a lunch table, Roy standing beside him cleaning his glasses with a small cloth.

"What's up, guys?" I greet them. Foster looks up at me from his spot on the table .

"You seem to be in a good mood," he observes, smirking. "Any reason for that?"

"Yeah, it's a bit weird for you since you're usually so grumpy in the mornings," Roy says, tucking the cloth into his pocket and placing his glasses back on his face.

I shrug. "No reason. Maybe I got a little extra sleep last night."

Foster narrows his eyes at me. "Hmm. Or did you see Liz?"

I furrow my brows, staring at him. How would he know? "I..." I scratch the back of my neck. "I may have seen her at the grocery store last night," I say, voice low. Foster's eyes widen and he jumps up.

"I knew it!" he exclaims, then stops himself, pausing. "Wait.." Foster trails off, staring at me with concern. "Have you been stalking her?"

"What? No! My mom just wanted me to pick some things up, and she works at the grocery store closest to my house."

"Look, Tony...I understand you have this new infatuation with her, but you really need to cool it with the stalking. I don't want to have to have an intervention," Foster goes on, crossing his arms. "Do I have to get your mother involved in this?"

I groan. "Foster, it is not even like that-"

"It sure seems like it," Foster cuts me off. Roy rolls his eyes at us.

"Did you at least talk to her?" Roy asks, ignoring Foster's faux concern.

"Yes," I say. "Kinda, anyway. It was really awkward."

"I mean, if you want to start something you should start with, you know, a normal conversation rather than stalking her," Foster says with a shrug.

Roy snorts a laugh and I glare at Foster. "For the hundredth time, I am not trying to 'start something' with her. I still have her notebook and I just want to return it," I say, rubbing my forehead in exasperation.

"Wait, you have her notebook?" Roy asks.

"Yeah, he totally stole it from her," Foster says. I elbow him in the ribs and he groans.

"I did not steal it, Mrs. Toth gave it to me so I could return it to her. She just left it in the library the other day."

"No offense, but why would she give it to you?" Roy asks, brows furrowed.

I shrug, digging my hands into my jean pockets. I really have no chance hiding anything from these two, do I? "I...may have asked Mrs. Toth if she had seen her."

"Because he's in loooove," Foster coos.

I continue on, ignoring Foster, "And she thought we were friends so she gave it to me."

Roy frowns, looking thoughtful. Foster eggs me on, elbowing me suggestively, "Sure she did." He steps away before I can punch him again. "Look, as horrible as it is, it's actually a pretty smart plan. It's the one way she has to talk to you."

"That would be a horrible plan, actually, because I have no idea what to say to her."

"You're overthinking it, man. Just talk to her. That's better than stalking, anyway," Foster says, patting my back and I roll my eyes.