15 Days

Day 14

Day 14

"Hey Bobby! What's up?" I turned in the hallway, rubbing sleep from my eyes as Gia skipped up beside me.

"I'm tired, that's what." I muttered, yawning. Going to sleep at like two in them morning yesterday had not been a good idea.

"Right, right. What were you doing last night?" I eyed her, wondering how she knew this stuff. But then again- it was Gia. She knew a surprising amount of information.

"I was with Sadie. We did what you suggested."

"You did?!" She leaped in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. "Oh my gosh! How was it?"

"It was," I smiled slightly, remembering, "amazing."

"Ahaha yes! You think you have tomorrow in the bag?"

And just like that reality came crashing down around me again. I sighed, hefting my bag. "I don't know. I'll see you around, Gia." Pushing past her, I started off to my homeroom.

~~~

"Hi Margie." She didn't look up at me, and I sighed. I didn't want her to be mad at me, especially not now when I felt immense pressure weighing on my shoulders. "Margie, look. I'm sorry." I sat down, turning to face her head on. "I'm sorry Eugene pushed me to do this, I'm sorry that it hurt you, and I'm so sorry that I've been so stupid." She looked up, her eyes dark. "I didn't know, Margie. I didn't realize that you liked me- I- I don't know- I foolishly thought you had a crush on Gene, probably because everyone has a crush on Gene." It was true. Even though he was closest to the nerds everyone in the school adored him. "But I was wrong and I'm sorry this challenge has hurt you- probably as much as it has hurt me."

"Shut up. I'm not that desperate." Margie flipped her hair over her shoulder and leaned back in her chair. I frowned, a bit confused. But when I looked in her eyes, everything was cleared up. They were intently fixed on the wall, but tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes. She didn't want to like me. She didn't want this challenge to hurt her. She was mad at herself, basically.

"You're not desperate Margie. You're mad. I understand. But I can't do anything about that."

"I have one question," she swallowed hard, "do you love her?"

"I..." I didn't know how to answer. Honestly, I hadn't thought about whether I loved her- it had always been about her loving me. Thinking about it, the answer was unclear. In a way I felt that I did love her- I felt close to her and after everything I'd learned I felt she could trust me and I could trust her. But on the other hand- it had been fifteen days. No one can legitimately fall in love in such a short span of time. There was still so much I didn't know about her. We were close, but not that close. "I don't know. I honestly have no idea." Margie nodded slightly.

"You know I don't like you Bobby. Not like that anyway." I started to shake my head as if to say: You don't have to say that, it's okay, but she cut me off. "I don't. I thought I did and fine, maybe I still do a little, but not really. What upset about Sadie wasn't that she was with you and I wasn't. It was more...how she changed you. I was scared that after her, you wouldn't want to hang out with me anymore. I didn't know what you two were doing together but I could see your confidence growing and that's great, really it is, but I didn't know if maybe you would think that you could do better."

"Margie-"

"Wait, let me finish." I fell quiet. "Then you two went out with Sam and Tristan a lot and I got worried that they were also changing and they would also stop hanging out with me. Eugene is adored by everyone so for him it wouldn't be such a big deal if you guys left our group. Alec plays basketball so he's got his team, but me? I have no one else. You guys are basically my only friends and I was so scared that Sadie was going to make you realize that you have the potential to be popular and adored and be friends with the whole world. I would have no one. I would be alone."