stay

Chapter 22

The rest of the week went the same way. I ditched lunch and found a new place to try while I would sit and work on homework. My mind would wonder if Logan would go to the auditorium and see if I was sitting there. I didn't want my distance to be obvious. I had to be dropped at school because both my parents had to use the cars to go to work. This meant I would have to stay for the rest of the day. The week that had passed was refreshing and I could regain the distance I needed to maintain to allow their relationship to blossom.

First period went the same. It had become easier to keep my attention away from him. It was time for lunch and I went to drop my bag at the locker and grab the lunch I had packed for myself. The only downside of leaving school early was that I had to pay for more expensive food. I opened the little brown bag and pulled out the hot pocket that had to be microwaved. I walked over to the student kitchen where there were several microwaves and a couple vending machines. After waiting for a microwave to become free I popped the small lunch in and waited until it dinged.

I grabbed the hot sandwich and placed it on a plate to carry to the senior classroom. I had arrived at Mr. Reynolds' classroom. The door was shut so I placed the small cold bottle under my arm and turned the knob. The seniors inside remained quiet to make sure it wasn't a teacher entering the room. I smiled at them and they turned back around to continue talking about how Bradley had lost his virginity in an abandoned school. I closed the door behind me and looked to see where the best place for me to sit was. As I searched the room I made eye contact with Logan. He was sitting on a stool and using the wall as a backrest. I quickly moved my eyes away to find an open seat next to James who had his history book out studying for an exam he had next period.

I placed the plate down and broke the seal on the soda bottle. "Long time no see." James jokingly stated as I took a sip from the bottle.

"Yeah." I smiled back at him as I screwed the cap back on the bottle. "You have an exam after lunch?"

"I do. It is going to be the death of me." He said placing his elbow on the table and resting his forehead in his hand while he continued to read the text book. I looked over at Bradley who was still telling the story. I paid as much attention as I could, but found myself sneaking a quick glance in Logan's direction.

He was wearing the grey sweatshirt that hugged his body perfectly. The black fitted dress pants were unwrinkled as his foot rested on the bar of an unused stool. His freshly trimmed beard brought character to his face, which expressed deep thought. He looked down at a pencil turning, entangled within his moving fingers.

I took my eyes away from him, shaking my head. I returned my eyes down to the untouched Hot Pocket sitting on the plate in front of me. All I had accomplished the last week had just been gargled and spit back out. One glance at him and I knew that he was dangerous. Not dangerous to anyone else, but me. He was like a parasite that would crawl into my mind whenever it got the chance. I picked at the corners of the cardboard sleeve holding the sandwich and knew that I would not be able to keep it down from the realization I had just made. I slide the plate over to James who was still reading his history book with careful precision. "Here." I instructed.

"Oh, no I'm not hungry." He said as he took attention away from the words to look at the food sitting on the plate in front of him.

"No. If you want to do well on the test you have to at least have some energy to go off of!" I insisted.

"Fine, mom." He grabbed the Hot Pocket off the plate and started to take bites as he continued to read the book. As I began to slide my arm back towards my body, my eyes wondered to where Logan was sitting. He looked from James to me. Our eye contact was weird as he refused to look away. I blinked and when I reopened my eyes I was focused back on Bradley who was on to talk about how he was deciding which college to go to.

Lunch couldn't end fast enough. I couldn't leave and I knew that Logan was around this small school somewhere. All I had to do was avoid him. If I could accomplish that then the day wouldn't be a total disaster.

I grab my bag from the locker and start walking towards the auditorium. Before I enter I stop myself. He could be in there. I slowly walk around the corner to him sitting at the table I use to sit at. I take a deep breath and walk towards the table. There is nothing to worry about. Two people can be friends and not have to worry about conflict. Avoiding him was inevitable. I had to face this fact. As I walk around the table I see that he is focused on writing something on the lines of his notebook. I put my books down on the opposite side of the table and he looks up from his notebook. "This seat taken?" I ask while already sitting down.

"Where have you been?" He asked completely serious.

"I've been busy with things outside of school."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. It's nothing worth talking about. What's up?"

"I'm just writing."

"For an assignment?"

"Not for an assignment. Just to pass the time."

"It looks like you've written quite a lot."

"Yeah well there isn't much to do around this place while you wait for your classes to start." I am not sure how to take the conversation from there so I give a small smile and open up my binder. "Are you angry with me?"

"Um, what?" I ask completely caught off guard.

"It's stupid, but it looks like you've been ignoring me all week."

"That's crazy." He is totally right. "I don't know you well enough to be angry with you."

"You've known me for the last four years."

"Yeah, but the last month is the only time we have ever actually talked."

"That's probably my fault. I don't go out of my way to talk to people. And if we are telling the truth here... I thought you were pretty weird."

"What?" I laugh. "Why would you think I was weird?"

"I don't know. You only seem to hang-out with the guys from the class." I knew he was right, but I never saw a problem with it before now.

"Um, Bradley is hilarious and when you guys are together I can sit back and have a free show! Why would I give that up?" He laughs at the response.

"You're right. I wouldn't if I were you." He responds as he returns his focus to the notebook in front of him. I wait a few minutes before saying anything.

"Can I ask you something?" I break the silence.

"Sure." He says as he looks up from the book.

"You're pretty good friends with Mitchel right?"

"He spends almost every night at my house, but I wouldn't say we were close. Why do you ask?"

"Did he really sleep with a college girl while he was dating Alyssa?"

"I thought he said that had happened before they got back together?"

"He did." I should probably stop talking while I am ahead. "But I don't believe him." He remains silent for more than enough time. This answers the question without him having to speak.

"He mentioned sleeping with a girl, but he told us this after he had gotten back with Alyssa. He was worried that she would find out. So I can't be certain"

"How would Bradley know about this?"

"He was over my house when Mitchel was telling us the story." I nod my head taking in the news he had just told me. "Alyssa shouldn't find out this way."

"It isn't my place to tell her. If she is happy with him then I respect them together."

"Do you think that two people could actually last forever?" This was the most in depth question he had ever asked me. He never talks about things that he can't physically see or touch.

"I do. I believe true love exists." He nods and picks up his pencil and begins writing in his notebook from where he had left off.