Unpopular - Enemies to Lovers

➸ 14

Maude's POV

Everywhere I went, everyone was talking about the same person: Jack Walker.

The scene in the cafeteria had been brutal. Michaelson poured a carton of milk on Jack during lunch in front of the whole school.

And everyone laughed.

I thought that at least one person would stand up for Jack or call a teacher over, but no one did anything. They just took pictures and stared as if Jack was a character in a show and not a real person.

When Jack ran out of the cafeteria, I wanted to follow him but I couldn't move. I was so shocked and entrenched in second hand embarrassment that I found myself silently glued to my seat.

After lunch, I tried to find Jack and Felix, but they were no where to be found for the rest of the day.

◍

Another day passed without me seeing Jack or Felix. I was beginning to feel worried.

I had texted Jack multiple times but the messages were all left on delivered...

At the end of the day, I stood by my locker and packed to go home. I felt disillusioned with everyone.

In my peripheral vision I could see Logan's stocky silhouette approaching.

He was the last person I wanted to talk to.

I felt like Logan was making it his job to be confusing. On Saturday he tried to kiss me and said he felt like a bad person, then yesterday he did an objectively bad thing.

I kept catching him staring at me, but he hadn't bothered to text me or speak to me since the party.

Today, I knew more than ever that I would never be friends with Logan. Much less date him.

"Sinclair," Logan announced.

"What's your problem?" I asked Logan bluntly.

He seemed taken aback, as if he didn't know what he had done the other day.

"Why would you let Michaelson pour milk on Jack Walker? Did you know how embarrassing that was for him?" I asked.

"It was just a joke. Everyone thought it was funny," Logan stupidly reasoned.

"It wasn't funny."

"Why do you even care? I can't control what Michaelson does. If he wants to pour milk on some loser what am I supposed to do about it?" Logan said. He laughed as if what he said was common sense.

I was so frustrated that I didn't even want to continue the conversation.

"Can you just give me space?" I asked.

"If that's what you want."

Behind Logan, I saw Felix walking in our direction. Felix's under eyes were dark and he looked frazzled.

"I have to go, I need to talk to Felix," I said.

Logan turned around and shot Felix a glare which Felix returned. Felix's inky black eyes glared at me too - as if he was upset at me for being around Logan.

"What do you need from him?" Logan harshly inquired.

"It's none of your business."

I moved past Logan and jogged to meet up with Felix. He was already halfway down the stairs when I reached him.

"Felix," I called out.

Felix looked at me briefly before he continued to walk. Was he ignoring me?

"Did you like the CD?" I asked.

He finished walking down the stairs continued to walk away.

Out of annoyance I caught up to him and grabbed his arm.

"What's your deal?" I asked.

Felix was dedicated to ignoring me. He looked at something above my head instead of me. He didn't even want to make eye contact.

Eventually, his narrow eyes met mine and cut through me like a knife.

"Don't talk to me. We're not friends," he harshly said.

"What?"

"How can you be friends with someone like Logan? You saw what they did to Jack yesterday. You didn't say anything," Felix spat.

"I'm not friends with Logan at all I was literally just defending you-"

"-Don't lie! I see you talking to him all the time."

"That's not true. You don't know my personal life."

"I have Instagram. I know that you ditched us on Saturday to go to his stupid fucking party. Those are your friends."

Felix's tone incited an intense feeling of anger in me. I had only ever been nice to him. Why was he attacking me?

"I tried to be nice to you but you're an asshole. And you don't know me so stop pretending like you do," I yelled, "maybe if you were less rude, people would make fun of you less!"

"You think I'm the rude one? You let your friends be assholes and beat people up. Jack actually saw you as a friend and when he needed you to stand up for him you just sat there. You're a bully, Maude!" Felix yelled.

Ouch.

It hit me that Felix was right.

I did let my friends actively make fun of other people and I never did anything to stop it. What did that say about me?

Felix stormed off.