Something About Him

-34-

Layla Wilkes

So Chris got suspended for only three days, but he took it upon himself to not come today- Friday. Last night when we were on the phone, he told me that he thought it would be dumb to come for only one day when he hasn't been in school all week, but a part of him wanted to come only to see me. I made him made him change his mind about that though since I told him that it made no sense because we could see each other tonight instead if his mom let's him off punishment for the weekend at least.

All week it's been weird without him since I've gotten so used to being around him all the freaking time. I did miss being around him of course, but like I said- coming to school for only a day out of the whole week would be stupid.

We just left lunch and I have Civics right now and guess who I have this class with?

I plop down into my seat towards the back of the class and since he's my best friend, of course his seat is beside mine.

His presence is one that, I guess I can say, I would be fine not seeing right now considering things have been so awkward between us.

At first, we both acted like the other wasn't even there, but in this class we are literally side by side. In Civics, we do a lot of partner work while reading America's historical documents and everything so the desks are tables that are meant for two.

For the first I'd say... ten minutes, we sit in silence just both staring at the board trying to avoid contact with each other and it works out in my favor for that short amount of time until the teacher tells us to discuss the laws or, as we call them, bills that we've come up with the person beside us.

This assignment of ours is to create a law that America should possibly implement in the world today, but it's really just for fun in class. We're all only teenagers. We are aware of what's going on politically, but none of us are qualified for a job like this yet obviously.

As the rest of our class begins talking and discussing like we were ordered to do, the two of us still sit there for a second not making any sudden moves until the teacher comes our way telling us to begin.

I sigh and then begin. "I think that I'm going to make my bill about unemployment. In my opinion, in order for us not to have so many American citizens without jobs, we need to fix the problems with immigration and then if that works out th-"

Carter cuts me off and just by the way that he begins, I know that this has absolutely nothing to do with his bill or my own.

"Layla don't just talk to me like we just two niggas that only got class together," he looks at me sort of hard. "Things might be weird right now, but that's what we 'spose to talk about it for. Shit's been weird for weeks now and it's irking my nerves."

"I've been trying to talk so things can go back to normal, but you won't even take my feelings into consideration so..."

"I don't take your feelings into consideration?" He raises an eyebrow at me. "Explain."

"Well every time I try to tell you that I'm not about to just come from liking Chris to you at the drop of a dime, you get all worked up," I attempt making clear to him. "And I get it. Maybe your feelings were hurt, but does that mean try to hurt mine and then start coming up with stuff just to make my boyfriend look bad?" I ask him the last question rhetorically.

I think it's common sense that if you and someone else aren't on the same page emotionally that you should just let it go, but much to my surprise, my best friend, who I most definitely have a lot in common with, does not even correspond with that.