A Loser's Guide to be Noticeable

8: Stick to the Plan as much as Possible

I expected that Jaeden would go back to his usual wardrobe, but when I saw him the next day in decent clothes and the bomber jacket that I picked for him, that made me smile.

Why would I smile about it? Just shut up.

Jaeden and his gang didn't pester me -- which was also unexpected. After what I said yesterday, he should've done something to ridicule me or anything to get even, that was what he always do every time I tried to fight back.

On Wednesday, PE was more brutal. Mr. Ostrong was unsatisfied with making us do an hour of stretching and three laps, he put three hurdles (though shorter than the athletes' used) that we needed to jump as we ran, which I failed miserably.

In the cafeteria, I noticed that Jaeden and his friends were not at their tables. It was either they weren't in the cafeteria to do stupid stuffs or they ditched school. Well, it was not news. And who cares?

"So it was really over?" Lawrence asked as we ate our lunch.

I nodded.

"Thank God that thing was over. I knew there was something wrong about it."

While eating, our conversation drifted from the upcoming exam. Ever since we were friends, Lawrence and I had a tradition of studying together before exams and helping each other with subjects and topics we didn't understand. Sometimes he went to my house, sometimes I went to his. We even have overnight sleeps to other's houses.

"And then after this hell of an exam, the intramurals and the Band Audition will be our saving glory," Lawrence said.

"Yeah." At least I felt my life was starting to get back to normal.

After dinner, I went straight to my room and started writing. Days of being in a writing funk made my fingers itch. It felt good that the scenes I wanted to write flowed smoothly into words. I didn't even care if my "Editor Me" would curse me because there were going to be sentences and paragraphs that would not make sense.

I glanced at the time on my laptop: it was 11:37 p.m. Lack of sleep be damn. I was almost at the end of the chapter and I would finish this.

That was when my window pinged. I paused, looking at it. Maybe I was just hallucinating. I finished a paragraph
before another ping came. I went still, my attention was now on it. Another one. My heart jumped.

It was him.

I walked toward my window. Sometimes he did this when we were kids every time he wanted to go to my room and talk or when he wanted to do something secretly stupid at night like climbing trees or pointing stars. And this was his way of calling me. Weird because we have phones, but it was kind of cute.

Though, now, it wasn't cute anymore. My stomach wanted to flip and I worry for my life. I should've ignored it, I should've turned my lights off and pretended that I was sleeping. But when I took a peek, he saw me.

Jaeden threw another pebble, which made a loud ping on my face. I glared at him.

He was gesturing for me to come down. But I was not insane to heed his request. I knew he would do something stupid to me to get even.

"I. Need. To. Tell. You. Something," he mouthed every word while using his hands so that I could read it perfectly. I couldn't help to stifle a laugh. He was so damn funny.

I went to my study table, grabbed a notebook and marker. And wrote: "Go away! You can't trick me!" before I plastered it in my window.

His mouth moved, reading it with a frown. Then he looked at me. Maybe it was because of the darkness, but his face looked gloomy.