Falling For You (#wattys2016)

Chapt 2 The Ex

Most of the school day was boring as usual but fortunately today was the last day before we began our two week long spring break. At lunch my friends and I met near the basketball courts at a cement bench, and ate our lunches together. Surprisingly a cement bench wasn't actually as uncomfortable as I had imagined it to be. Jack and Harriet split a sandwich and practically fed it to each other while Corey ordered a large bowl of chicken soup. I ordered a veggie burger, not because I'm a vegetarian but because I genuinely like them more than the actual meat burgers.

Along with Corey, Harriet, Jack and I, our friend Mina had joined us too. Mina and I had just met at the beginning of this year in biology and she was one of the reasons why I had passed. Underneath of all of Mina's heavy makeup and her clueless girly act, she was actually a very smart and respectable girl.

Everyday our group would sit at the cement lunch tables outside which gave us a good view of the basketball courts. Not so great for me, but Mina sure enjoyed it. I would always catch her checking out the guys and even winking at some of them. I admit, I would probably have joined Mina in her 'check out sessions' but unfortunately for me, my lunch was spent trying to avoid eye contact with my ex boyfriend David Harley. He was tall, blonde, and one of the greatest looking guys to have set foot in Easton high. With my luck of course, everyday at lunch he would play basketball with his friends right near our chosen eating area.

We had broken up at the beginning of this year, because I walked in on him stuffing his tongue down Rachael Fishers throat. Rachael was Corey's last girlfriend but one day they got in a fight over something and nobody knows what. Ever since the breakup Corey's tried to avoid the subject of Rachael completely. Rachael got revenge by breaking David and I up because she knew that Corey would be super pissed off if she messed with me. So she made out with him. Even to myself, the whole situation seemed pretty messed up but I didn't like to put much thought into it.

Sometimes when David and I use to go out, I would catch him staring at other girls. He had always denied it but I always knew the truth. Sure, it bothered me when he looked at other girls but I had never expected David to actually cheat on me. Corey beat the hell out of David the next day, earning himself a two week suspension. Don't get the wrong impression here, Corey is no monster. He was just very upset and the week before all of this had occurred his dog had died. He was in a really bad place and it was rare to ever find Corey using violence unless completely necessary. My opinion on this was probably bias but in my mind, his violent actions towards David were completely necessary.

Thinking back on it, I was happy that David and I broke up. I would admit that sometimes I missed the little things but I figured that I would eventually get over them.

About half way through lunch, as I was eating the last bite of my veggie burger I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. Slowly I turned around, expecting it to be Corey or another one of my friends. I was astonished when I turned around and met the familiar eyes of Rachael.

"Speak of the devil," I whispered loud enough for her to hear. She had a look of guilt on her pretty face as she stood uncomfortably in front of me.

Her short red hair was done up neatly in two braids and her dark brown eyes were focused on mine, pleading for forgiveness. Even before the kissing incident had happened, Rachael and I would still occasionally get in fights over stupid things. Rachael had never liked me too much but I never had a clue to why.

"Rachael, what do you want?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowed.

"I know what I did was wrong and unfair to you, and I shouldn't have involved you but it was the only way"! Rachael's voice said loudly. Her eyes pleaded with mercy and self sorrow..her winged eyeliner was sharper than the girl herself and looked as if it could slice anything in her way. I knew that underneath her badass slightly gothic yet modern look, she was really just a scared little girl that had made a few mistakes along the way but unfortunately for her, I didn't usually forgive people.

"The only way to do what?" I asked confused.

Just before Rachael could open her lipstick painted mouth Corey walked over, his tall figure standing over her tiny one. She stared up at him for a few seconds before speaking.

"Corey-"

"Rachael get the hell away from us." Corey demanded harshly, anger making its way onto his face.

"Okay...I'm just really sorry." Rachael replied. Her eyes flickered nervously between Corey and I. As she left, she flung her black backpack over her shoulder. She kept her gaze fully in front of her not looking back and I realized that at this moment Rachael resembled a scared dog, whining with its tail between its legs. Her thin figure disappeared into the distance and I found myself feeling quite lost.

"What exactly did you and Rachael fight about that day?" I asked staring up at Corey and my eyes met his. I immediately regretted my question when I saw the look on his face.

He cleared his throat. "It's nothing, you don't need to worry about it." He told me firmly as he stared down at his black running shoes. His dark brown hair fell over his face slightly as he walked away with his feet dragging along the pavement. I gave Harriet and Jack a confused look and Jack shrugged. The two looked just as confused as I did and I decided that they also didn't know what was wrong.

"What's up with him?" Mina asked snobbishly as we watched him hurry away, back into the large brick building of the school.

"I don't really know." I told her quietly.

"Maybe it's his time of the month" Mina laughed, letting out a small snort and flipping her short black hair. After a second when she realized that she was the only one laughing she sighed "Sorry, I was just kidding..."

I pressed my face into my hands, trying to figure out what had been going on. Corey and I had been friends for a long time and he usually told me everything. What had been different this time? Was it because his girlfriend had got with my boyfriend and somehow he saw this whole thing as my fault? I really hoped not.