That Was Then

18-Now

I am anxious during the drive to school and the extra espresso shot in my almond latte is not helping. Psychic powers would come in handy about now. How will Kya react to all of this? More importantly, how much power does she have?

That question is answered in part when Vivi and I walk into our first period class. She had been waiting for me at my locker this morning and I have to admit, that made me feel significantly better about everything. Even if Kya shut down my mission at least I was making my own friends. Friend. Unless, of course, new girl buddy duty lasts past the initial tour and she is still just babysitting.

Seth is sitting in the desk that I had sat in the day before. At first I'm not sure if this means anything but then he locks his mischievous blue eyes on me and I know that even if Kya did say something, she has little to no control where her boyfriend is concerned. I very briefly feel a twinge of pity for her. It passes quickly and I make my way toward Seth with Vivi in tow.

"It's only fair, you stole my seat yesterday in calc." He says when I am within ear shot. I can't tell if his hair is wet or if he just has too much product in it. I find myself, again, wanting to poke it with my pencil just to see if it moves. 

I feign a pout. "I formed quite an attachment to that spot in the one whole class period that I sat there."

"Well..." he pretends to think, "I could probably move for you. But it's gonna cost you."

"Oh yea?"

"Just your number." He grins. I try really hard not to visibly cringe. I grab his notebook and open it to a random page in the middle and use the pencil sitting next to it. I write slowly and then close the notebook, handing it back to him. He gets up and I brush past him to slide into the seat, my hip hitting his leg. Vivi watches the whole exchange in abject horror, but takes the seat to my left anyway.

"Hey man, I was gonna sit there!" Seth says to whoever has occupied the seat to my right. I lean toward Vivi to tell her something but then-

"But you didn't," I whip around fast at the sound of Caleb's voice.

"Caleb?" I say dumbly. "But you weren't in this class yesterday."

"And you weren't in it last week," he retorts. "I had physical therapy yesterday after football practice, so I missed class."

"Physical therapy? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he grins, "just an old sports injury." Seth and the other guys sitting around him laugh at what must be an inside joke. I frown, feeling like he's making fun of me. I fix my face into one of disinterest where there had previously been concern and turn back to Vivi.

"What was all that about?" She whispers. "I told you that Seth has a girlfriend."

I shrug, still distracted by Caleb. "That's his problem, not mine." Vivi looks disappointed and I realize how that must be coming across. "Oh my God, no. I didn't mean it like that!" I back track before I give her the impression that I am, in fact, a boyfriend fucker.

"But you gave him your number," she says accusingly.

"No, I didn't," I give her a conspiratorial smile and we watch Seth flip through his notebook to the page where I wrote down just one number. Zero. He looks over at me, confused. I just wink.

"Okay, so then what's the deal with you and Caleb? How do you know him?" She looks very interested in this and my heart sinks a little.

"Oh, we grew up together," I almost say that he's like family but I definitely have not been thinking of him in a way that would be appropriate to think about a family member since last night. "Do you... like him?" I ask, not sure if I want to hear the answer.

"What? No! I like him." She discreetly points to the guy sitting in front of Caleb. He barely fits into the desk. He's not fat or even particularly tall, just... bulky. He clearly spends a lot of time lifting heavy objects, like cars or maybe even buildings. His shoulders are broad and his arms bulge in his black t-shirt. He has dark hair and a beard that looks more suited to a grown man. He does not look like a high school student, rather like an actor in a ridiculous teen flick where they cast some 30 year old to play a high schooler. "Aiden, Caleb's best friend. I promise you that there is a really cute face underneath that beard."

"Are you sure he's in high school? He looks older than the teacher!" I tease her. After class Seth catches up to me, taking my elbow and pulling me back to walk in step with him. Vivi looks back at me and I press my lips together to keep from smiling.

"Zero?" He asks. I stop abruptly and he stops too, still holding onto my elbow. We have split the flow of traffic in the hallway, forcing people to walk around us. If Seth wasn't a popular senior football player I suspect that they might push through us instead, but they give us a little room and gawk as they pass. I have created a bit of a scene.

"Yes, zero." I gently pull my elbow loose from his grasp and place a palm to his chest. "That is the number of chances you have with me... so long as you have a girlfriend anyway." I give him what I hope is a seductive look and slide my hand down his torso, pulling it away just below his belly button before leaving him standing stupidly in the hallway. I get to class first and sit in his seat again. When he arrives in class he takes the only seat left, two rows over. He turns to give me the look of a guy who is used to getting what he wants. If I didn't have his attention before, I do now.

"Girl, you are playing with fire!" Vivi warns me under her breath. I've known Vivi all of like 25 hours but I realize that her opinion matters to me. I wish I could explain to her what I am doing but there is no way I could make her understand. She wasn't there.

Later, in English, the teacher asks for a volunteer to help me get caught up on some things that I missed the first couple of weeks of class. Eden volunteers immediately. So maybe Kya didn't say anything to her friends. Eden is nice, like really nice. And very smart, too. I just can't see her being friends with Kya.

Photography class goes similarly smoothly.  Allie and Tatum make it to class a little earlier today and they choose the open seats next to me. Allie babbles the entire class period, completely oblivious to our teacher's scornful looks.

I turn them down for lunch again. "Tomorrow," I promise. Today I go out to lunch with Vivi and Mara. Only seniors are allowed to leave campus for lunch but Vivi reasons that I am in just as many senior classes as junior classes. Who am I to argue? Mara only hits on me twice throughout lunch and psychology class.

I get to French on time today. I'm there before Kya. Paige is already folded up into a desk along the far wall. She looks like she is doing her best not to be noticed, a far cry from the outgoing girl I knew two years ago. Whatever happened to her while I've been gone wasn't good. There it is again, that little twinge of pity. I push it away, isn't that what I want? Karma for the girls who tormented me through middle school.

"Attention s'il vous plait." Madame Dishier saves me from my moral dilemma. I look around and Kya is not in class. An odd mix of relief and disappointment fills me. It doesn't last long because a minute later Kya comes in with her friend Marley lurking over her shoulder, scowling at me like a some kind of henchman. I smile at them both and sit back in my chair. I haven't even really done anything yet and I'm getting to her.