Ms. Thompson, as usual, asked us to leave our drawings in the classroom so she could grade them later. I noticed she set mine aside, and so did Amelia, who loudly told her friend they were going to a mountain lodge over winter break — the same place Bianca's family often vacationed, according to social media.
I pretended not to hear her. In a way, she was just as obsessed with Bianca as I used to be. I felt a bit sorry for her. Damn, that cheerleader really knew how to impress people.
Lydia and I stayed behind to help Ms. Thompson gather the easels and admire her sketches pinned to the corkboard.
We weren't in a hurry since we didn't have any more classes today. They couldn't find substitute teachers quickly enough, so they decided to give us extra classes at the end of the year. No one liked that, but it was better than sitting through lessons with random or weird subs. So we wouldn't end up in some sketchy dockside bar or hanging out with cheap hookers (because apparently that's what teachers think we do when classes are canceled), they sent a message to the parent group chat to make sure they knew exactly where we were. Mom asked if I wanted her to pick me up, but I said I'd hang out with a friend for a bit. Unlike Jess, I wasn't much trouble, so Mom quickly lost interest in checking up on me.
"Help yourselves to cookies, girls. You did a great job," Ms. Thompson said. "I'll go to the teachers' lounge and call Mr. Brooks and Mrs. Green. Poor things are terribly sick... I should visit them..." Ms. Thompson said dreamily, like a character from a Brontë novel.
We stayed behind. I sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. Lydia joined me, smoothing out her pleated skirt as she sat down. We didn't have a school uniform, but the class rep always dressed so professionally it felt like she was already working on Wall Street.
"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help you?" Lydia asked quietly.
"Do I really look that bad?" I replied.
"No, I just have a knack for noticing little details. And Amelia really exhaled you," she said.
"Talking about details...Can I ask you a silly question?"
"As long as it's not about romantic relationships. I don't really understand those," Lydia said.
"Like... nothing?" I asked, surprised.
"I don't understand any of this. I mean, I see how it all looks from the outside — romance and such — but I've never experienced anything like that myself. So, I got worried when I thought you were going to ask me for advice about Bianca."
My cheeks flushed.
"Is it really that obvious?"
Lydia chuckled softly.
"A little," she said. "But seriously, go ahead. What's on your mind?"
"I was going to ask you a veiled question, but now I just want to know outright: Do you think Bianca is giving Dick a chance?"
"I don't know Bianca that well, but she always seemed somewhat melancholic. However, lately she's been smiling more... I envy you a bit. You understand your feelings for Bianca, but I've never had romantic feelings for anyone. I just want warm, friendly relationships. What if I never understand or feel anything for anyone?"
"Love is overrated," I sighed. "Even though I don't want her to kiss Dick... Sorry, that came out sounding confusing."
"His name is really confusing," she said and we both laughed.
"I think that's awesome," I continued, wiping tears from my laughter. "You might be aromantic."
"I've thought about that. But how can I be sure?"
"That's the beauty of it! You might never know for sure, or you might fall for someone and feel those romantic moments: could be him, her, them, an alien, heck, even a statue! Isn't that amazing?!"
"Are you referencing Pygmalion who fell in love with his statue?"
"Exactly! Now that would be an adventure. You could be anything, anyone. For me, it's simple..."
"The simpler, the better, probably..."
"Not always!"
"When you say that, it makes me feel a little better. I've never thought about it that way before."
"Let your imagination run rainbow! Hey, maybe I should ask my mom to come pick us up? Give you a ride home?" I asked.
"No, my moms are picking me up."
I smiled. "Now I understand why you figured me out so quickly."
"Can't hide much from me," the girl said delicately, adjusting her glasses.
New bonus chapters are coming soon 🔜 on my Patreon page! Stay tuned 💛 I have a tiny IG account treepipitwrite, so feel free to check it out. If more people join, I'll be more active there. Thanks again, everyone, and see you soon!
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ALL FINAL CHAPTERS OF INFLUENCER BO B💋TCH YOU CAN FIND ON MY PATREON PAGE ❗️
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