Paired With The Potterhead

Chapter Seven: You'd Make A Fair Beater

All Again For You - We The Kings

Chapter Seven: You'd Make A Fair Beater

Classes flew by like a breeze. Since the cafeteria incident, no one dared to talk to me which was exactly how I loved going about my day. Asher's nose was a little swollen from the impact and every time he saw me in the hall, he'd turn and go in the other direction. Though I liked when people didn't bother me, it kind of bothered me somewhat that they were frightened of me. I'm 5'5 and 120 pounds. I was hardly a threat.

Keyword being hardly.

At the final bell I skipped going to my locker and went right outside to the front steps to see if Josh was already out there. When I saw that he wasn't, I pulled out my phone and called him. He answered on the third ring.

"Hey squirt. I'll be there in a few. Picking up some groceries for Anya-"

"It's fine. You don't have to come get me. I'm going over to a friend's house."

If it was possible to hear someone's smile over the phone, I definitely heard his. "Oh? Which friend would that be? Sam? Dallas? Perhaps a new one I haven't met yet?"

I rolled my eyes. "Keep it up with that attitude and you won't meet them at all."

"Don't be like that-hey! Jesse that's mommy's eggs. Don't open them please. Yeah sorry about that. Jesse got into the eggs. What were you saying?"

"Nothing," which was true for the most part. "I'll be home when I get home so if you see dad, tell him I'm at a friend's to work on a school project. He never questions that."

Jesse yelled something over the speaker phone. "10-4 on that, Lane. Now I gotta let you go. Jesse broke the eggs and they're dripping everywhere in the car. Talk to you later bud. Have fun!"

I then hung up and sat on the front steps of the school. Nora was nowhere to be seen and most of the school was already out and gone home. So to pass the time, I took out my sketchbook and doodled some artwork.

"I didn't know you could draw."

I jumped in fright. "Jesus, Nora. You scared the shit out of me!"

Nora shrugged. "Sorry. I just got out of class a few minutes ago. Milligan wanted to discuss something with me."

"Milligan? As in the guidance counsellor?"

"The one and only," she nodded her head towards the parking lot. "Come on. I don't live very far from here. It's a ten minute walk at the most."

We walked along the sidewalk and talked about our afternoon. Neither of us brought up the incident in the cafeteria. Turns out it was in our mutual interest that we kept quiet about it to those outside the school in case I got in trouble for it if the word spread. If it reached Josh's ears, I'd be dead meat for sure.

"Your hoodie is really comfortable. I can see why you have a hundred of them at home," Nora pointed out.

"Oversized hoodies are the best. The bigger the better." I hopped over a manhole with one foot. "I have mostly graphic tees and ripped jeans and sneakers anyway. That's my style."

Nora snorted. "If it's oversized on you, it's a tight fit on me." She tugged at her skirt and leggings to emphasize the fact she was wearing them. "I like wearing mismatched clothes. Always did. I'm not sure why. Maybe I am a little weird."

I replied to that a little quicker than I had hoped. "You're not weird. You're just different-but in a good way."

She stopped walking so I did the same. We both looked at each other like we were both searching for the answer to an unspoken question but neither of us said anything. Cars sped past. The wind whistled through the trees. It felt as if we were standing there forever.