Astray

12

It's been a week since Gracie came to my house. From that day onwards, we've been meeting every day. We sit in the library most of the times or she comes to my house. I haven't been to her place yet. I don't want to know what her mother might think of me.

Grace still doesn't know, or I hope she doesn't because she hasn't asked me anything. She knows I have three tattoos, that I party a lot and I'm pretty popular around school. But that's it, none of the gory details.

Right now, I'm standing near my lockers organizing the stuff inside it. I her footsteps behind me. Instantly, my defences are up as I turn around cautiously.

"Judy and Merrie?" I breathe a sigh of relief. "You guys scared me for a second there."
"We just wanted to talk to you about something." Merrie folds her hands across her chest.

"What is it?" I fully turn to face them, shutting my locker.
"Sassy wanted to ask you if you'd come back to our group. We've been seeing you hanging around with this girl who isn't really well-known. You might want to roam with people of your standards." Merrie says, almost like she's learned a script and is now reciting the dialogue.

These people never cease to surprise me. "Wow. Your whole life has been a lie." I mutter in disbelief.
Judy gives me a sorry look but Merrie continues to speak.
"Seriously, Melissa, it's high time you come back. You have a reputation, moreover, the party scene is missing you. Even George Ryder was asking about you. Not only that-"

"I'm done." I say, firmly.
"What?" Merrie squeaks.
"You heard what I said, I'm fucking done. Your supposed queen practically insulted me on a personal basis, she dragged my family into a petty fight, you guys abandoned me when I stood up to her and now after a week, you expect me to walk back into the hell I got out of. Also, you put down the girl whose been there for me. She's my friend, not you backstabbing assholes." I finish and the girls frown.

"You're making a mistake Lisa." Judy makes a face as she stares at me.
"I already have, so many of them. It wouldn't matter if I made a few more to set the rest of them right." I say and flip my hair as I start to walk off. I don't even want to look at their faces anymore. I might be trying to become a better person but for them, my bitch mode will always be activated.

I round about the corridor and come face to face with none other than Albert.
"Hi Einstein." I smile at him.
He looks at me and then turns away. I didn't notice before, but his eyes are tiny. I wasn't aware there were any Asian guys in our school. How cute! He is wearing formals again today.

If I had been the same old person, I would've never spoken to Albert or any of those who come under the 'nerds'. But that was then and this is now. And I don't want to lose the experience of knowing all sorts of people because of some stupid fear of being judged.

"No hi? That's rude." I tease him. Somehow, his ignorance towards me isn't mean or annoying. I don't know what that says about me.

"What do you want?" He asks me calmly, but his face still shows irritation.
"Oh that stack of books in your arms looks heavy. May I unburden you?" I bat my eyelashes at him, in an attempt to work him up.

"Was that a pick-up line Marissa?" He bats his eyelashes at me in a mocking manner before heading towards class, that obnoxiously tall stack of books still in his arms.

"I'm Melissa." I say as I bounce to keep up with him.
"Even I'm Albert, not Einstein." He says and a giggle escapes me.
He looks down at me. Albert stands a good two heads above me. His big, black frame glasses cover his black eyes and his jet black hair stand spiked up on his head. If he wasn't so black and white, he might be handsome.

"You're ridiculously stubborn. Why don't you let me carry some of those books? Will that hurt your fragile male ego?" I purse my lips and he glares at me once more before piling up the entire bundle of books in my hands.

"Jeez, I only asked for half of it." I grunt as I struggle under the weight.
"We must give more than people ask for. Now don't raise an issue about women's struggles and the burdens men put on them." He rolls up his sleeves and I notice that he has nice hands.

"Torture! Torture!" I start yelling and the kids lounging about in the corridor look at us.
Albert's eyes show alarm and he hastily takes the books back in his hands. "God you're such a..." He stops mid-sentence as his eyes dart between the people and me as he manages to take all the heavy stuff back in his hands.

"Bitch? Go on, say it." I fold my hands across my chest and glare at him.
"Troublemaker. That was what I was going to say. I don't use those words for girls, or for anyone for that matter." He perches his glasses up his nose and walks off as the warning bell rings.

I stare at his back as he retreats into the classroom. A small smile tugs at my lips. I don't know much about it, but I like this new world. The world of people like Albert and Gracie. I might just pack my bags and settle down here.

•••

Later at night, when I'm sitting at home trying to do some homework, I recieve a message.

Grace: Hey. Off to Singapore for eight days. To visit dad. Took leave from school. Take care Mel! 😘

Gracie's father had his business in Singapore so he stayed there for most of the year. For two months, he'd come to Seattle and the rest of the time, he would send for his family. It would become like a vacation of sorts for them as well.

Me: Enjoy babe. Take care and have a safe journey!!

So I'll have to be alone again. For some reason, it feels like something bad is going to happen. I shake the thought from my head and continue with my studies.