Something Used

Better

JANUARY

Two weeks later there was a spring in my step. Can't find a way to explain it but things had made a full turn all of a sudden. I was grateful for it. Every morning I knocked on my lamp stand as soon as I woke up, I didn't want to jinx my good luck. There's always more good than bad. I made my way downstairs that Thursday morning after a routine shower and grabbed a cup of coffee. School was back on from break and I seemed to be the only one up. Why was I the only one up?! I checked the clock and it still read 5:45am. Oh well. I sat down on the bar stool and propped my make up bag up on top of the counter. I began working away at my face to kill time and ended up getting a phone call just about fifteen minutes later. I smirked as I read the caller ID and set my mascara down to answer it.

"You're gonna get tired of hearing my voice if you keep calling so often." I whispered into the phone.

"Bet you I won't. Good morning." Xavier whispered on the other end with a groggy voice. He definitely just woke up.

"You just wake up?" I put my arm on the counter and rested my chin on top of it as I spoke to him.

"Yes."

"You calling to make sure I'm alive?"

"You were the first thing I thought about. So I thought it wouldn't bother me if I heard your voice too."

I was swooning. "Wanna know what I'm wearing too?" I said and bit down on my lip. I couldn't help it.

"Yes please." He said with a little more enthusiasm.

"Too much." I giggled on my end and twirled back and forth on my chair. I'd been dating him for two weeks now. Think it was safe to tease him here and there about that sort of thing right? Or maybe I was just being cruel by giving him something he couldn't forget about. I was sooo incredibly into him, it was insane. Even at the sight of his name popping up on my phone, my stomach turned.

"Jesus." His voice was choked.

I laughed into the phone inevitably and zipped up my bag. "We still on for bowling today right? With Caroline and her random guy?"

This time it was him that was laughing. "Yeah of course."

"Okay I was just making sure. I'll catch you later huh? I have to drag my brother out of bed. Byeee." I planted a kiss on my phone and exaggerated it so he could hear it on his end. I was so darn extra wow. I set my phone down and skipped all the way up the stairs to Jeremy's room. He needed to wake up if I was going to make sure I wasn't late for school. "Wake up Jeremy!" I grabbed the light switch and flickered his lights on and off until he showed some signs of movement. He was up, great! "Be in the car by seven okay? Please?" With that, I left him to do his thing.

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foot-long hot dogs and tater tots with months old green beans was what the cafeteria was selling. To think that waking up with all that energy would drive me to make my own lunch. But in my defense I completely forgot how shitty the school food was. Flooded with disappointment, I walk out of the line empty handed and decide to just go sit at our table. By the time I sit down, Caroline and Bonnie show up with trays full of food.

"How do you manage to get in the front of the line that easy?" It's like they bolted to the lunch room. I came straight here and I still had to wait ten minutes to grab a tray.

"Find a guy in the front of the line and tell him if he lets me cut I'll let him touch these." Caroline gropes her boobs and winks at me.

"Yeah right." I rolled my eyes at her because evidently, that wasn't how.

"I'm kidding." She says with a laugh. "My class is right next door so I just walk over right after it."

Figured as much. "Don't forget about bowling! At five." I pointed at her to make sure she didn't forget and try to pull the whole 'forgot-so-I-can't-come excuse.