Take My Picture? Book Two

Take My Picture - P.3

It was near impossible to focus on the 50 multiple choice test on the desk before you as your thoughts could only focus on skipping the rest of the school with Jonathan and the statement Nancy had made about forcing you to go to a party on Halloween night. Even the hair of the random boy sitting in the desk in front of you managed to keep your attention more than the test. Though somehow you managed to power through each question with a certain level of uncertainty and an acceptance that maybe you didn't remember as much from your studies as you would have liked.

Your head remained down trying hard to answer each question though you could hear silently the spaced out sounds of your classmates standing from their own desks to turn the test in to the teacher who looked insanely bored in the quiet room. Your heart began to race as your pace picked up feeling intimidated by your peers finishing so quickly while you struggled behind. You couldn't help but slightly shake your head as you remembered just how care free their lives were. They wouldn't struggle to study by remembering a living nightmare or grieve over a friend whom you could never speak about.

Suddenly, your stomach felt as if it had just flipped with the feeling of nauseousness slowly creeping in. Your body began to feel uncomfortably warm as you continued to power through the test trying desperately to keep your mind off of the terrible things that had been surrounding your life.

As the last few questions were in sight your leg began to shake wanting nothing more than to exit the seemingly shrinking classroom. Without even bothering to read the questions or the answers, you just circled random letters until the test had been completed. Quickly, you stood from your desk gathering your belongings tightly in your arms. The teacher never bothered to look in your direction as you placed the stapled papers on top of the other finished test. 

The empty halls seemed like a paradise as you took a deep breath and began a fast walk back to your locker. In that moment you had decided not to wait until after lunch to skip with Jonathan. For your own mental health you needed to get away before the beginning of the next class. 

Your hand anxiously twisted the lock to the appropriate numbers until the slightly damaged door popped open. You stuffed your books back into the cramped space ignoring the hanging pictures inside that would have only pushed you over the edge. Thankfully, you had already turned in your book reports that were due on Friday as the idea of just skipping until after the weekend became more and more attractive. 

Without hesitation, you closed the door of your locker and began walking toward where Jonathan's locker had been almost on the other side of the building. Of course you had to date a guy whose locker had been so far away making it impossible to spend any time with him before class or even walk with him for that matter. You never could see him leaning against the door waiting for you after class or waiting for you to gather your things just had Nancy did. The school completely killed the potential for those cute moments. 

As you walked down the hallway you were slightly spooked by the loud unexpected sound of the bell signaling that class was over. The once empty space had so quickly been filled by busy bodies pushing past each other and loudly talking to the person beside them trying to drown out the other sounds of mindless conversations. 

Rounding around a corner toward where Jonathan's locker had been you saw him standing there putting his books away as Nancy stood beside him with a colored piece of paper that was surely a party invitation that she had accepted from some random student. 

"Hey, (Y/n)!" Nancy called out as she saw you come into view. 

Jonathan's head instantly turned in your direction surprised to see you in this wing of the school as your next class was in the complete opposite direction. 

"What are you doing here?" Jonathan asked starting to look a bit concerned as you closed the space between the two of you wrapping your arms around his neck tightly. 

Jonathan immediately stopped what he was doing and wrapped his arms around your waist just as tightly and securely until you were ready to let go. 

His friendship with Nancy had never bothered you as you liked Nancy as well. You had heard from Steve how Nancy and Jonathan had teamed up in a way to locate yourself and Barb though he had also mentioned that they had grown rather close in a way that had worried him for some time. You had to admit in the beginning you were careful almost putting up a wall between you and her though after some bonding and getting to really know each other you considered her very close. 

"Tell me that's not a party invitation." you told Nancy as you pulled away from Jonathan not wanting to attract the attention of your teenage peers or even worse a teacher. 

"Oh it is." she told you handing you an invitation as well. "Halloween night. I expect both you and Jonathan to be there." 

Nancy gave you a pat on the shoulder as she walked in the direction of her next class just as the halls began to thin out. 

"Let's skip right now." you told Jonathan before he had a chance to ask if you were feeling alright. 

You were always thankful for his concern though you wanted to have a fun day alone with him and not have him worried about you the entire time. 

"Really? What happened to after lunch?" he asked closing his locker door clearly ready to leave with you. 

"Well...I already took my history test...and I just don't want to wait any long to be with you." you told him mostly telling the truth though leaving out about your almost breakdown in the middle of a class.

"Alright, honey, let's go right now." he happily agreed taking your hand leading you toward the exit where the student parking lot had been just as the final bell had rang.

~~~To be continued~~