The Bucket List

Chapter Two

I ducked my head down the tenth time this morning and second period didn't even start yet. Every time I looked up he was there: Brandon walking with his friends, Brandon running to class, Brandon flirting, Brandon at his locker, Brandon doing this, Brandon doing that. He was just always there. Is this how the universe pays me back? Is it 'lets make the heart-broken blonde girl cry' day?

What happened on Saturday carried through to Monday, I hit my head on the locker beside mine and winced with pain as I touched the nickel-sized bump on my head. It was still terribly bruised; I had to use half a bottle of concealer to hide the ugly purple mark and it still looked horrifying. I just want this day to be over with, I want this year to be over with, I want high school to be over with. I dragged my feet towards my next class which sadly had Brandon in it. Luckily he was across the classroom and Bridget was with me.

The air was filled with the smell of sunscreen and the sound of flip flops slapping against the concrete walkways was all around. It was a pretty California day, but it didn't matter to my rotten mood. I walked across the grassy courtyard in the middle of the school, the sandy dirt ruining my perfectly white sneakers, and suddenly Bridget was beside me.

I blinked, "Hey Bridget," I said with a large sigh

Bridget looked me as we walked under another covered walkway; her eyes searched my face with their usual calm glare, "You're still not over Saturday," she observed as she looked away.

Some kids I didn't know smiled and waved at Bridget giving her a 'Aye Willie, how's it going?", or a "Hi Bridget," or a "I love your hair, Bridget." All of these greetings Bridget returned with a nod or a faded smile. She never liked compliments; I was the only one who knew that. I covered the bump with my hair and looked away from anyone worried that they saw me on Saturday.

"He's always there, Bridget," I said as we walked in our class, only a few kids were inside sitting in there assigned seats. My muscles stiffened as I searched the room for him, but he wasn't here yet, "It's like he's mocking me,"

"BJ, I'm pretty Brandon Witten has more important things to do than following you around. He probably doesn't remember it or he doesn't care," Bridget bluntly pointed out as she sat on top of her desk; I slid in my seat that was beside hers, the words were harsh, but Bridget had a way of speaking blunt and harsh with a gentle calming voice, it's impossible to feel offended.

Her grey eyes didn't soften though when she continued, "People like Brandon Witten would've spread it all over the school by now or it would be on Vine or something, but it's not. So smile. Being in this class with a pouty Baldwin is worse than being in this class worth out a Baldwin,"

I gave her a large cheesy grin, but it didn't convince her, "Well, it's good enough for now," she muttered.

I pulled out my notebook from my backpack. I looked around to make sure no was around other than Bridget before I opened it. It wasn't a diary, but more secretive than that. It was basically a book containing short stories about Brandon and I falling in love in different scenarios and through different characters. I've been writing them since I was in seventh grade. It was how I live up to my name: Baldwin. Yep, I was never after famous novelist James Baldwin, he's one of my dad's favorite authors.

"What's this one about?" Bridget leaned over to rest her chin on my shoulder. In the corner of my eye I saw her freckled nose.

Her interest made me cover my notebook with my hand. It was awkward showing people my stories; it was like revealing a secret to a stranger. But Bridget wasn't a stranger; she was my trustworthy best friend. I played with an edge of the page I was on and shrugged.

"It's about a girl, Jessica, who was in a car crash and this guy, Link, saved her from it. They're in a hospitable and she just woke up and...yeah," the words felt fuzzy and stupid when I spoke then, but Bridget just nodded with her usual serious expression not giving away any emotion.