freaks • j.f ( Slow Updates)

(1)

That's Arden in the photo
•
Arden
I walk around the gas station's store looking for a bag of lays to go with my Arizona when I notice that the guy working there is staring at me.
I feel like I've seen him before around school maybe but I just don't remember.
As I walk up to the register he smirks and that's when I had to speak up.
"Why are you staring at me?" I ask very suspiciously
"I can't stare at a beautiful girl? I'm just doing what any other teenage guy would do" he says very fuckboyish (that should be a word tbh)
"I don't know you so why you staring"
"Wow Arden that hurt"  How the hell does he know my name
      " How do you know my name?"
"Damn Ard you really don't know me" Only one person calls me Ard and that's James the freak of the school I really don't get why everyone calls him a freak he's more like the bad boy edgy type but I just went along with it.
"James? You look different when you're not wearing tight jeans and when you don't have Melanie attached to your lips 24/7"
  "Ah cmon don't be like that we broke up 2 months ago"
"Not according to Mathew's party last Saturday you're not"
"She purposely wore those clothes so I could do that stuff don't blame me it was the alcohol"  Alcohol my ass.
"Well can you just scan my items so I can go?"
"But I wanna get to know you babe since you always ignore my invites to parties at my house but always go to Mathew's"
"Mathew is cool and I see you at his parties you just never talk to me so"
" Fine then tomorrow after school I'm walking you home so I can get to know you"
"Uh okay? Why would I tell you about me anyways"
    "Because we use to be best friends until I started failing my classes so I wanna know what you've been up to"
" Okay tomorrow after school I guess it is" I say as he scans my items and let's me pay so I can go home and relax.

••••••••

As soon as I get home I get a text from James well I believe it's James because I never bothered to save him number but I have the previous texts to invites to parties.

Text Conversation

J: I was meaning to ask you why your hair is so curly, it's cute but I'm curious

A: Do you really want to know or did you just want to text me?

J:Just wanted to talk to someone of good influence

A: Wow. I've never seen this side of you James actually wanting to talk to me

J:Didn't I say earlier that I wanted to talk to you? Now who's the one who doesn't pay attention

A: Well you were the one that didn't know the very easy digits of pi in Mrs.Wilson's class so I think you're still the one who doesn't pay attention

J:I'm sorry that I'm a senior and that I don't know my basic middle school math

A:You should be,but what do you want to talk about that can't wait until tomorrow?

J:Well I wanted to get to know you since we stopped being friends I wanna know if you've changed or if you're still the same Ard I know from elementary school

I'm going to be honest James looks way different from when we were in elementary (obviously) but since we stopped being friends he's changed so I don't even know him anymore not even by looking at him. You know how they usually say someone can't change their personality? Or that they could but the old them would still be there. That's not there with James or at least I think.

A:I'm pretty much the same still "Geeky Arden" even though I wear contacts now and I actually socialize now

A:But why does everyone call you a freak?

J:Everyone including you?

A:I didn't mean it like that I only call you a freak because everyone else does it and I barely call you a freak it's just when people talk about you

J: Yea well it's because of the stuff I've done

A:What have you done?

J:We'll save that for another conversation just know that they may call me a freak but I'll only be a freak for you

A: They call me a pain in the ass but I like to go by Arden

J: I mean you are a pain in the ass because honestly your attitude will get you in trouble one day

A:You don't know my attitude

J:If it's anything like from elementary school then I'm sure I do know

A: it's worse but what do you expect I'm black

J: Well I still see you embrace being black which I actually like about you

A: you like that I'm black or?

J: I like that you're not afraid to be who you are you don't act like someone you're not

A: If we're naming things that we like about each other than I like that you still wear the bracelet I gave you in 2nd grade

J: wait what I don't wear that

A: I saw it when we were talking earlier and I see it in school so don't deny it

J: it's the only bracelet that reminds me of my old bestie

A: That's nice and all but I'm tired

J: it's only 12:30am? But goodnight Ard

A: Goodnight Freak

That's actually the longest conversation I've had with James since elementary school because if we ever tried to talk his friends would harass me or he'd get all rude which makes me think about if he's actually going to walk with me home tomorrow