THE THIRD P3RSON

•Chapter 4•

I didn't want to go to the library. I wanted to go anywhere else. I wanted to leave and walk to Patsy's. As I walked past walls filled with books, I told myself it was a group project. This was a bunch of grades for a whole marking period. The one that made me stay: scholarship opportunity. This meant I would at least try. I would try to cooperate. I passed by the main poster by the center of the room. I looked up. It's nice to admire a work, especially if you did it yourself.
The poster read:

Reader: (n.) People who love to live in other stories.

I sighed. I find Christina sitting at a table. She's texting, of course. She wouldn't want to ruin her reputation if she was found in a library with a person like me and not doing something cool.

Me and my flip phone will stay right here, thank you.

Relax. I'm kidding.

"I didn't think the Teach would let you out." She tells me, as if that's the closest thing I'm going to get as a nice greeting.

Look at this girl and her cool slang.

She's still texting. Love this girl's manners.

"Well, they did. How'd you do it?" I asked her, sliding out the chair in front of her and inviting myself to sit down. If she wanted to play cold then I'll be Ice Queen too.

And before you do, please don't make any Elsa puns.

"Yeah, well, you're not me. I know people. " She meant Grey.

I rolled my eyes. She's still texting. Still didn't look up. The manners, I'm telling you.

I get down to the point. "Okay, so how are we going to get this project done? Text message?"

"Um, no? Why would I want to do that?" She replied, hurriedly. She said it so quick you would think she just rejected her worst nightmare.

I can't believe how sweet she is.

I fake a smile. "Well, I thought I would get it over with. We still haven't decided who is going to interview who. Miles-

"Principal Miles." Christina corrects.

Naturally, I ignore her. "Miles placed me with you two. It's not like I chose this." Maybe I should tone it down some. Maybe saying I don't want to be near her hurts her ego too much.

Hmm. Maybe.

Slowly, she finished the last of her conversation and brought her eyes to be level with mine.

Look at that. She can make eye contact.

Christina eyed me for a while. She was looking at me for so long I got the feeling she was comparing me to something. The question was what she was comparing me to. Because I knew, for a fact, that she was comparing me to something.

After a while, Christina ran her fingers through the back of her black hair and looks down at her phone again. She starts typing again. "Mr. Miles let's you call him by his name? To his face?"

"I know people." I echoed back to her.

Her head snapped up and her phone was forgotten.

"Really?" She gives me a doubtful look.

Now, she wants to look up and listen. I shrug. If we're going to do this project, she'll learn not to underestimate me later.

I'm not the type of person who drops names to be popular. I'm not Christina, who earned most of her friends by saying her best friend was Ryan, relative of the principal of the school everyone was going to in seventh grade.

Christina smiles, now interested since I mentioned knowing Miles. Christina makes a face like it's obvious. "You've been in the same classes I was in since I moved here. I kinda have the feeling I should remember familiar faces."

This is a first. No one told me anything. No one in this school, besides Michael and Lizzy from Art, even tried to make conversation with me. I cross my arms. My elbows hit the armrests of the libraries chair and I shift in my seat. My foot hits my bag. The library is quiet, except our table seems to be the loudest. The library is so close to being...empty.

Maybe that's why Christina decided to meet here. No witnesses to see her talking to me.

"And you've never tried to talk to me, in front of people or alone, because...?" I asked her, eyebrows raised.

"The guy I'm with loved you." Christina told me. "I'm not okay with that."

Yep. That one statement is why I never tried to be friends with Christina and if that's what happens when you're Ryan's friend? I didn't want to associate with either of them. I'd rather have friends who would do anything to keep me smiling on my worst days than having friends who laugh at my "wonderful" life.

I was almost close to yelling. My emotions were getting the best of me. Maybe I should keep my arms crossed. It would keep me from pounding on the table.

"In case you haven't noticed? I like to keep to myself in this school despite all the times I get called to Miles' office." I told her, leaning back in the old chair. I'm practically growling.

"That pisses me off. How come I've known Ryan for six years and Mr. Miles makes a face whenever I don't say 'Mr.'" Christina explodes.

Not my fault he doesn't like you. "Anyway," I mostly singsong. "We're here to talk projects. Again, how's this gonna work?"

She waves me away, returning to her phone, and is obviously done with me. "I'm going to tell you the details later. If you see Mr. Miles tell him I talked to you about this."

I leave the library just in time to get to my locker before lunch. I look around. People are eager to leave and I wonder why. Why would someone want to leave somewhere where they are welcomed to with open arms? I don't see it. I watch cheerleaders pass by me, the overly excited leader smiling like she just got laid yesterday. I mean, it's a school day. What is there to be happy about? Algebra? I sigh and slam my locker shut. I'm in my car, about to start it, when I get a text.

"Christina says she has something else to do. I'll just tell you everything about her. If there's something i doesn't know, which I doubt, she'll answer. Unc said it's fine as long as I get my report about you done."

Seen. ✔️

"Wait. What?" Did they already arrange who is going to interview who? Without telling me? I thought I was part of this group too! This...this is messed up.

I text him back, already saving the number on my phone. Guess Christina figured it out.

"And no one cared enough to come and talk to me about this?" I hit send.

Seen. ✔️ Know-It-All is typing...

PING! "Well, we thought u were flexible."

PING! "Lk, I'm busy. Talk 2 Unc bout it. I hav to do somethin"

My fingers are flying. "What are you talking about? I have things to do too."
Seen. ✔️

"Ryan."
Seen. ✔️

"Ryan."
Seen. ✔️

"So annoying!" I yell, as I slam the heels of my palm on the steering wheel. "Why does no one tell me anything?"