The Way We Say Goodbye

Chapter 5

Monday rolled around, and I was nervous. Scarlet and I hadn't spoken since the incident at the beach. I wasn't sure what to expect at lunch, and the uncertainty had me anxious all morning. Violet tried reassuring me throughout the day that it would all be fine, but I couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get worse.

Walking into the lunch room, I took a deep breath to try to ease my nerves. As I approached the table my friends sat at, I knew Scarlet was still pissed. One look at her was enough for anyone to know. Before I could sit down, Scarlet said, "You actually want to sit with us? You don't want to sit with the freaks you traded us in for this weekend?"

Setting the bag that contained my lunch on the table, I looked at Scarlet. "I didn't trade you guys in. I don't see why you care so much about who I spend my time with. I nerve said that you have to like them or hang out with them."

"Well, I don't want to sit with you if you're going to hang out with them. You're a loser by association."

"So you won't be my friend anymore just because I talk to someone you don't like?"

"Look, just say 'thank you' and sit your ass down. I'm doing this to protect you."

"I don't need anyone to protect me. I'm capable of making my own decisions."

"Then you need to decide if you want to forget the losers and sit with us, or maybe you should just sit with them at lunch from now on."

I glanced around the table at my friends, wondering why none of them were willing to defend me. I looked at Marco, who stared down at his tray of food, refusing to look up at me or Scarlet. My gaze moved on to Violet who looked at me in pity and mouthed "sorry" at me. Joshua was the only one missing from the table, and I knew he would have defended me. In that moment, I felt alone. I thought my friends would have my back through anything, but they were too afraid to stand up to Scarlet to defend me. A sad sigh left my lips as I picked up my lunch bag and silently walked away from the table.

Even though I felt crushed that my friends weren't as loyal as I had once thought, I didn't regret my decision to defend Osbourne and his friends. My mom had taught me that we should always be kind to others. You never know what hidden struggles a person might have, and you wouldn't want to be what sends someone over the edge. I knew in my heart that I had made the right decision.

Taking a deep breath, I walked up to the table where Osbourne, Arvin, and Bowie were sitting. Stopping at the end of their table, they all turned to look at me.

"Uhh..." I hesitated. "Can—can I sit with you guys?"

Bowie looked at me, then turned to look in the direction my friends were sitting. Bowie looked back at me and said, "Scarlet's still pissed that you talk to us?"

"She told me that if I'm nice to you guys then I can't sit with her," I mumbled, trying to push away the urge to cry.

Osbourne scooted down on the bench and pat the spot he had been sitting in. "Have a seat."

Bowie groaned. "We're really just letting her join us everywhere now."

I hesitated to sit down. I mumbled, "If it's a problem, I can sit somewhere else."

Osbourne was quick to say, "No, sit! Bowie complains about everything. He wasn't being serious."

"Shit," Bowie said, looking at me. "You look like you're about to cry. Usually, you snap back at me. I didn't think you were a sensitive girl."

I slid into the seat beside Osbourne. Taking a shaky breath, I tried to swallow the emotions rising up. "I just was told that I can't sit with my closest friends that I've had almost my entire life, and none of the others defended me. They just sat there trying to stay on Scarlet's good side. It's a sucky feeling realizing your friends don't have your back as much as you thought."

"Josh didn't say anything to her? He didn't seem worried about what she thought yesterday," Bowie said.

I sighed and sat up, propping my head up with my hand. "Joshua wasn't sitting at the table. I don't know where he is right now."

"So at least you have one friend who'll have your back no matter what. As long as you have one, you aren't completely alone," Arvin commented.

I gave him a small smile. "You're right."

"You can sit with us whenever you want," Osbourne offered.

I smiled at him, "Thanks."

"There's a smile. Good. No more sad bitch." Bowie clapped at me with a smirk stretched across his face. I rolled my eyes while flipping him off and chuckling.

The rest of lunch was spent with laughter and teasing while we ate. I had played out all sorts of scenarios of how lunch would go today, but I never imagined it would turn out the way that it did. At the start of the lunch period, I felt alone. By the end of it, I felt like I had three new friends. I left the lunch room with a smile on my face, telling the boys that I'd see them in English.

As I approached my locker, I saw Joshua leaning against it, waiting for me. "Hey," I greeted him.

"So, you're spending lunch with Osbourne now?" He teased with a smirk.

I cleared my throat and asked, "Scarlet didn't tell you what happened at lunch?"

His eyebrows scrunched together as he looked intently at my face. "What are you talking about?"

I dug through my locker, looking for my English book and notebook. I avoided his gaze when I answered, "We got in an argument. Scarlet doesn't want we sitting with the group if I'm gonna talk to Osbourne, Bowie, and Arvin."

"What did Marco and Violet say about it?"

I chuckled dryly. "They didn't say anything."

"I'm sorry, Del. If I'd been there, I would've told Scarlet to screw off."

I gave him a side hug as we started walking towards the English classroom. "I know you would have, and I appreciate it."

As we slid into our seats, Joshua turned to face me. "Sooo?"

I looked at him in confusion. "So what?"

"So how was lunch with Osbourne?"

"You mean 'lunch with Osbourne, Arvin, and Bowie,' and it was fun."

"You joining us for lunch tomorrow, Josh?" Bowie asked loudly while sliding in the seat in front of me.

"Ooo I get an invite?" Joshua asked.

"Yeah," Arvin began as he took the seat in front of Bowie. "We figured you wouldn't sit with Scarlet without Delta."

"If Delta sits with you guys tomorrow, I will," Joshua answered while watching Osbourne take the seat in front of him.

Looking at the boys around me, it was strange to think how quickly we all became friends. I had plenty of acquaintances, but it had been years since I last made a real friend. When Bowie threw that note at Joshua, I never expected Joshua and I would befriend him, Arvin, and Osbourne. And we never would have if Osbourne hadn't apologized for Bowie.

I looked over at Osbourne with a small smile on my face. It was strange to think something as small as an apology could change so much. He caught my gaze and smiled back at me. Look back at everything, I wish I'd held on to that moment longer.