Loved U Yeserday

Meeting Kate

Joel

I left the comfort, the safety of his warm embrace, reluctantly so. It seemed there could have been more to the afternoon, had it not been for Cage and time sneaking up on us. We waited a good five minutes making certain that the janitor had left before Max held my hand as we descended from the control booth. We were careful not to be seen exiting it, he peeked through the keyhole, made sure the coast was clear, before opening the door slowly, in attempt to avoid its thunderous, annoying squeak, that had an enormous echo. He turned around and began closing it. I warned him to hurry up, warned that I had heard approaching footsteps and a shadow increasingly neared us as he let go of the door and headed for the exit. Our heads tucked in, staring at the ground and our feet shuffling at the speed of light, but slightly faster.

"Hey, wait right there," said this anonymous figure.

Could Cage have seen us exiting the control booth, or worse... Ms. Constance!

We stopped right in front of the door, discouraged as Max had his arm extended, mere centimeters away from the knob. We had one of two decisions to make, either we stand still, devise a logical excuse for what we were doing, or Max pushes the doors open and we make a run for it. We both shared a momentary glance, seemed we both agreed that running would be better than lying to the principal or Cage. "What are you doing here Joel, aren't you supposed to be at the pageant thing?" Max flung the doors open and disappeared into the hallway, I stood behind, I recognised that snobby, know it all tone. That high pitch---almost as if she's singing tone and that seductive way with words. The I'm better than everyone, fierce go getter presence, the golden locks, lipbomb and excessive amount of makeup, the Kim Kardashian like body all these characteristics belonged to. I remembered that the only person besides Grace that I told about my pageant club, that would hang around school even at this time was my friend Kaitlyn Gillmore, or "Kate" as she's most popularly known.

I reluctantly turned my head around, hoping that I was right, hoping that it was Kate and not our strict principal, Ms. Constance, with her horrifying scowl, her confidence and comfort in power, her suave, her ability to make things seem so effortless, her strong melanin presence, her unpredictablity and her ability to sniff out the worst of hidden crimes. Her assertiveness and effortless distribution of detention slips and suspension letters.

A sweat of relief graced my forehead before I wiped it off and made a brace for her with my arms wide open. She stood there seemingly surprised. "Hey, I saw you like two hours ago, what's the big deal." Kate was the only person besides my boarding school roomie best friend, Tammie that I was able to really open up to. She was my first friend at this new school and she always had my back. I trust her wholeheartedly, like I had no one before.

"Can't a friend just hug her friend without it being weird?" I asked, covering up for the real reason for my relief, pleasure and delight behind seeing her.

"You did, remem---" I cut her off.

"Let's just go." As we headed out, towards the exit, shooting innocent smiles and grins at the money lady by the lobby. Max had already disapeared into the main hall by then.

"Who's the hottie?" She asked, making the oddest movements with her lips.

"Nobody." I shot her a look of disdain.

"Well, Katey likey." She found herself trailing Max into the main hall.

"You can't." I hissed, not realising why I did, why it bothered me whenever she turned her charm on, prompted her boobs to a decent size, pulled her already too short skirt up and pursued a guy. Well, cause ninety percent of the time she never missed, always got the handsome jocks she wanted---it seemed she was in the mood for gorgeous nerds now and I was kind of keen on keeping him my own eye candy. And possibly friend with a few benefits.

"Why not? Is he taken?" She asked, as if it would stop her approaching him. It didn't matter whether he was in a relationship, married or not. She was still going to do kate. "Or worse, you like him?" She figured it out. I don't know how but she did.

Lie Joel, lie!!!

"What? No. I, I like Booker, not him. He's a nerd and a perfect." I quickly, anxiously deflected.

A caring, considerate and compassionate nerd. A warm being, humble and very misunderstood.

I emphasized the words to make sure my point got across. Make sure my fake hatred and contempt for him was believable.

"Yeah. You right." She admitted, as she stopped interrogating me. And putting me under pressure with that suss, I know what you did last summer look of hers. She stopped trailing him and we made our way to the girls bathroom.

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I came out of the toilet, fixing my pants as she attempted getting what seemed like a bit of chicken stuck between her teeth out---definitely not regulation Kate diet food. Which kind off explains the few pounds she put on. Kate had a perfect body, just the right amount of everything, yet she still stressed like heck about her size, the clothes she couldn't fit in to and the food she ate. "Out of curiosity," she glanced over her shoulder, at me. "Is that guy really taken? I mean, what kind of person is he? We don't have any classes together and I've never seen him around here before," I shot her a curious and suss look. "You're my friend, I don't want you hanging around with a bunch of psychopaths, you know what I mean." She attempted to make her question normal, innocent even as if I didn't already know her intentions, her antics to get Max and her obsession with dating every handsome thing that walked.

It's definetly, not suss kate.  -_-

"Right... okay. He's... he's a decent guy I guess," I simply said, which was not good enough for Kate as she shot me her signature annoyed look. "I don't know him that well, probably not much more than you do but I guess judging by the few minutes we spent conversing together in the lobby I'd say he's caring and... genuine. He has a thing for Kelsey though." Her eyes drew wider, as she now was applying some lipstick.

"Kelsey? The most popular girl in school, Kelsey or Kelsey---the queen of dorks?"

"Most popular girl in school Kelsey." I replied.

"That, that's cool I guess, but... you think he may have set his sights too high?" She left her lipstick and I had attained full possession of her attention.

"Perhaps. But if she can get to know him, know what kind of amazing, caring, considerate guy he is, she's sure to say yes." As I washed my hands and braced for the door.

Wait, should I have said the last parts? Was It too obvious?

"You seem to know him pretty well, you two would make quite the good couple," she said, as I attempted to conceal my blush but I failed miserably. "That is of course, if you hadn't already met your soulmate---Booker." Kate always had my back but sometimes it felt as though she dictated my life, she thought she knew best and she loved Booker for me, sometimes I wonder whether she just wanted to date Booker herself, seeing as she couldn't stop talking about him but I trust Kate, she always has my back...

"I guess, maybe. Whatever." I tried to keep it cool.

We both came out of the bathroom then went to the main school entrance and waited patiently within the safety of the school perimeters for our respective transportation home.

Kate spoke in her own language, a language I had grown accustomed to, and now speak fluently and understand well. And in Kate that whole conversation seemed like somewhat of a nudge from her, for me to pursue Max, or atleast I think so but I could seriously be mistaken. I'd be lying If I said I wasn't considering it though. I got home and the first thing I did was exitedly tell Tammie everything...

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Chapter Playlist:

● Meet the plastics by Rene Rapp

● Cautionary tale by Barret Wilbert