Living With a Sweetheart

❦8

After lunch, I headed to class. I couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen between Janice and I. I reached biology, and started to learn.

After class, I felt a soothing grip on my arm. I knew it wasn't Janice by the way the grasp felt. I turned my head at the direction the hand was, and I noticed by the moment of him, it was Lucas. "Oh, hi!" I said, waving with my other arm. The school bells then rang. "I have to go.. Janice needs to talk to me," I tell Lucas, trying to pull away. "Alright, sorry. Just keep an eye on your phone,"  Lucas said, smiling and losing his grip. I raise an eyebrow, curious. He points to my phone, and walks off to the bus. I nod, and walk out to the oak tree.  I see Janice with Sandy and Gloria, settled with their backpacks among the tree as if they had nowhere else to go.

Sandy waved, and Janice crossed her arms as I walked closer to them. Once I reached Janice, she grabbed my arm and threw me over to the tree trunk. "Before Gloria comes out, I need to talk to you," Janice said, pointing to me. "She told me you had a crush on Lucas. Lucas? Everyone in the school except for him knows I like him. And nobody else should. But your sorry butt came in and ruined it!? Wow. And yet I treated you as a friend," Janice said, glaring at me. I gulped, and started to sweat. I couldn't move, I was stuck in fear. I had no idea what to do, and I didn't want drama to come down to me. Especially on my first week here.

My eyes darted around the yard, seeing all of the students already in the bus. I looked down at Janice's hands. They brought my attention by the red, clinched fists they were making. I looked back up at Janice really quickly. Before I could even weep out an apology, Janice swung a punch into my face. My face slowly looked down, in a sorrow expression. "I'm sorry.. I just like him.." I muttered. "What was that? More?" Janice asked, placing her hands on her hips, in a fast motion. I shook my head, then let out a cry of pain. My face was crinkled with pain, and it was stinging.

Janice laughed, raising her arm again, getting ready for another swing at me. But, her arm was forcefully pushed down, as her head darted behind her. "What are you doing!?" A voice called out behind Janice. Janice then got pushed back, as her I leaped off of the tree. I held my cheek, breaking into a sob. "Darling, are you alright!? What'd Janice do?!" The voice spoke. I slowly motioned my head up to the voice, and saw Grace. I hugged her, clinching onto her back, crying. "It's alright. Let's go home, and talk," Grace said, hugging me back. I looked over Grace's shoulder, seeing Janice glaring at me.

Grace and I darted off to my house. We reached the door, and I took reach of it and turned the knob. We stepped in, and the house was quiet. "My p-parents aren't home yet. We'll be fine," I said, still holding my cheek in pain. Grace nodded as we sat on the couch behind us. "What happened?" Grace asked, holding my shoulder. "Janice said that y-you told her I had a crush o-on Lucas.. So she beat–I mean punched me.." I said, crying. "Yes, I told her. But I never knew she liked Lucas too. I'm so, so, sorry girl. Please forgive me," Grace said, changing her worried emotion into a sorrow expression. I nodded, rubbing my eyes. "I never said I didn't hate you or care if you told her.. I'm just glad you came in time," I replied to Grace. She smiled. "I am too, I am too."

My eyes then opened wide, and I suddenly moved my head into position of Grace. "Sweet Seat.. What if I'm on it?! Lucas will know I like him, and—" I said, panicking, until a notification on my phone had interjected the talk. I looked at my phone, and saw a contact. "Missed call: Lucas Meyers". I stood in shock, covering my gasping mouth. Grace took hold of the phone, seeing it. "Girl! Call him back!" Grace said, placing my phone in my hand, nudging my arm. I slowly looked down at the flashing screen, and swiped across. My first instinct was to call him back. I did. I placed the phone up to my ear, hearing the phone connecting to Lucas's. I stood frozen as Lucas answered this phone.

"Hello? Faith?" Lucas said in the phone. "H-Hi.." I say in reply. "Sup! So, when I got in the bus I saw you huddled with Janice and all of them. What were you all doing?" He asked. I looked over at Grace, and she gestured me to explain. "I.. I got punched in the face by Janice.." I say, quietly. "She did what?! Why!?" Lucas asked, yelling through the phone. "Uh.." I said, hesitating. Grace then took the phone and put it on speaker. "Hey Lucas. She got hit because Janice found out that she liked you, so Janice got angry," Grace explained, while I started to sweat like crazy. "Hang on, I'm coming over," Lucas said, hanging up. Grace handed me back the phone, and I grabbed it slowly. "How does he know where you live?" Grace asked, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "Bus," I mumbled.

Then, there was a knock on the door. "That was quick," Janice said, as she opened the door to reveal Lucas. Lucas stepped inside, sliding past Grace and walking to me. He sat right beside me. "Are you alright??" Lucas asked, worried. I nodded. "You like me, huh?" Lucas asked, smiling. I blushed slightly, and nodded. "Well, that's weird. Because I like you too," Lucas said, hugging me. "So you guys are a thing now?" Grace asked, crossing her arms and smiling. Lucas nodded. "We are?" I asked. Lucas smiled, and kissed my cheek. At that moment, it felt like I was living with a sweetheart.