The Lies We Tell

Chapter 4: Exclusion

     The fun of high school didn't last, nothing good ever does, but instead began to wane after the first few months. The people that Laurel had come to call her friends had very little in common with her. She was, admittedly, quite a loner and often rather proud of the fact, but it was not reason enough that she should be completely abandoned by her peers. The group grew ever more rapidly until it reached an astounding peak near Christmas.

     The library buzzed with activity as it always did during lunch. The friends had thought themselves lucky to all have lunch break at the same time. Even as the friend group grew the lunch group remained mostly the same five girls. One afternoon only a week or so before the school let out for Christmas break the five had gathered once again. Ann had a thick book with her, as usual, and Dakota was busy sketching out a plan for a Latin project, she was completely obsessed with the subject. Meanwhile Lark, who sat next to her, watched over her shoulder. It was Lark and Scarlet who did most of the conversing, but the other two paid close attention and inserted their thoughts when necessary. Laurel, however, sat apart from the group studying and working on the homework from the previous class. Though engaged in her own leisure, the girl paid loose attention to the conversation at hand, not out of curiosity, mind you, but out of the sheer loudness of it and of her inability not to.

     "So, how much money are you guys bringing this weekend?" Scarlet was saying. "I know the prom dresses are sort of expensive, but I'm thinking about something a bit simpler and less expensive since it's just a semi-formal."

      "Ooh!" chimed in Lark, "We should watch Princess Bride when we go back to Dakota's!" The other three happily expressed their agreement. Even Ann, who was more of a tomboy than the others, was enthusiastic about the shopping trip. Laurel had not been invited, but she did not blame them. Even when she was remembered it was only as an afterthought. She was often excluded from such events, not that she minded, per se. Sure, it would be nice to be noticed by her so called friends, but did she really want to stoop to such a petty level as to go shopping for pretty dresses and talk about boys? No,it was decidedly much better to keep separate and discourage such useless endeavors. And yet, to be known.

     The lunch bell rang and Laurel, who had already packed up her things, rushed out of the library and towards her next class. Towards the security of assigned seats and forced silence and away from the awkwardness of such social events. It was not until she slid into her chair in the biology lab that she breathed a sigh of relief.