Truce

Thirty Two // "Just Friends"

Thirty Two // "Just Friends"

Jacob

"You two are so more than friends," Anna was saying under her breath, teasing as the English teacher strolled up and down the aisles; checking the homework I had wasted too many hours doing.

"Can we talk about this later?"

"No. I think we can talk about it now." She was hushed by Ms Motrel's silencing glare. Not only was she hated, but she was more hated than secretary Mrs fucking Barden. The one who laughs when kids are being sent to the principles office. The very woman who looked disappointed when it was Marcus expelled instead of me, and he had assaulted and was about to sexually assault a seventeen-year-old girl. Yet people rathered her over Ms Motrel.

She returned to her post at the front wooden desk and lectured us on the workings of Shakespeare, and how he was the most brilliant playwright there ever was. Jimmy Jenks from the front row piped up with a smartass question of "If the most brilliant playwright can make up words, then why can't we?"

Laughter bounced around the room and all the way to Ms Motrel, sitting on the edge of her seat, red faced with steam almost visibly piping from her ears.

The best part was; she didn't have a response.

So instead she decided it would be a fantastic idea to assign too much work to possibly get done by the end of the lesson, let alone a week's worth of classes.

She was smug as bugs were snug in their rugs as she looked down at all of our tortured faces. Not that I was responsible but I was pretty sure everyone here was coming to my party tomorrow night, meaning homework would need to be done tonight. Saturday would be used for sleep ins, party prep and pre party drinks, and Sunday would be for hangovers, panadol and death.

Annaliese went completely unfazed, by the work and the teacher and the mood of the classroom all together. She still persisted on our hopeless conversation, subtly leaning across the aisle so she could whisper within earshot.

"I was watching you two at the movies, birthday boy." Her brown eyes rolled. Her blonde hair was flicked. "And you say you're 'just friends'. We're just friends Annaliese, nothing's happening Annaliese, he doesn't like me Annaliese, she doesn't like me Annaliese. Bullshit bullshit bullshit!"

People were starting to turn in their seats. Samantha Carlos, who was sitting directly in front of me, raised an eyebrow at me before looking to the front of the class. It was a vaguely curious glance but that was the problem; all these prying eyes were too curious.

"Dammit Anna," I hissed, sending my best glare at anyone who hadn't gotten the point to look the fuck away. Apparently I could be pretty scary when I wanted to be. Everyone had dropped their eyes in the next second. "Stop talking, will you?"

"Alright," she muttered, not looking at me like I had intimidated her as well but like an alien who'd just been beamed down from the Mothership and joined Tempest High, green head and all.

Her spirits didn't dampen. As soon as the bell rang to let us out to lunch she began firing questions again, telling anyone who noticed where they could shove it.

"You should tell her. When are you going to tell her?"

"It's going to be this year, right?"

"How are you going to do it?"

"Are you going to buy her flowers? Take her to dinner?"

Despite the annoying as hell questioning I had to admit, I liked Anna. She was cool and didn't give a fuck what people thought; perfect for Zavier who shared the attitude. He'd done well.