Keeper (bajancanadian) editing/re-writing

A Bad Feeling

"Bri!"

My name was being called from across the hall, and I shifted my body towards the sound of my younger sister's voice. "What's up?"

"You'll never believe what happened," Cassidy squealed, her face slightly flushed from running all the way over to catch up to me. I raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall in hopes that Mitch would come and save me from the horror that was my sister again. "Brandon invited me to the party tomorrow!"

Accidentally hitting the locker behind me and making a loud crash, I covered my ears, wincing when another high-pitched noise escaped her. "That's nice."

"I can't believe it!" She jumped up and down, but suddenly stopped and laid a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry," The younger brunette began, shooting me a pitying look. "You know, I can get you an invite if you want."

I felt a tinge of irritation bite in the back of mind. She didn't think I could get an invite by myself if I'd wanted to-- keyword: wanted. Not wanting to make a scene, I avoided letting a glare mar my expression. Shaking my head, I averted my gaze and spoke my words levelly. "No thanks, Cass."

I caught Mitch rounding the corner then, and silently counted down the seconds until he sauntered to my side, still half-listening to my sister. "What're you gonna do, then?"

"What I always do," I gave a passive shrug as he finally appeared beside me. Shifting my full attention to him, my eyebrows rose slightly as I sighed. "Can we go now?"

"Yeah," He replied, only able to give a nod in greeting to my sister before I dragged him towards the exit. Once we were out of earshot and in the front of the school, he elbowed me in question after taking his lanyard off for around his neck. "What was that about?"

"She was just talking about the party that guy she's obsessed with is throwing tomorrow." We strolled out into the parking lot, and I could hear the soles of my shoes click against the ground in the silence between my sentences. I took my time finishing the thought, the last words coming out bitter. "She wanted to know if I wanted an invite."

"And what'd you say?" He asked, swinging his keys back and forth as we neared his truck.

"I said I didn't want one," I caught him nod out of the corner of my eye, motioning for me to go on. After he unlocked the car, I slid into the seat and slammed the door a little harder than necessary before putting my bag on my lap. "She asked me what I was going to do instead of going, and I said that I'd do what I always do."

"And what do you always do?"

I caught him grin, making me turn and glare at him with a playful glint in my eye. "Just shut up and drive."

He backed out of the parking spot, and I studied my nails for a while, picking at the chipped nail polish.

"Stop that," Mitch's hand smacked at mine to get me to stop, and I gave him a weird look. "Don't do that."

"Why?" I looked at him, and he stared at the road. "I always do it."

"I know. Just stop."

I decided to leave it be, even if I wanted to bug him about why-- I didn't see why it was such a big deal that I was picking my nail polish away. Shifting my attention back to the window, I stared at the grey clouds. Weirdly enough, overcast had been the normal lately. In the back of my mind, I found myself wondering subconsciously if it was a bad omen of some kind. Mitch coughed quietly, and that was enough to gain my attention once more. Shifting my gaze the other way to look at him as he turned into our neighborhood, I asked a question that had recently crossed my mind. "Do you think Cassidy told Mom that she's going?"