Your Mark on Me

Chapter 3: Roy

On Monday, school started. It never used to be a happy day. Despite the fact that I had the best grades in my class, I really could have lived without public education, away from all the high-school drama. But Mom opposed the idea of homeschooling me — apparently, it was good for me to interact with people my age. Sure.

She had come home at the weekend. We baked a huge cake together, gone shopping and to the movies, and talked a lot about her new job and our future plans. She seemed happy. But on Sunday evening she had to go back. So now, for the first time in years, I was grateful that school was resuming. It meant that I didn't have to be on my own all day.

I was still mad at Chloe for making other plans on my birthday, but I made up with her by Thursday, because not having a girlfriend to hang out with at school sucked, and, as I had found out, made you an easy target for the bullies. 

Also, I'd been dying to tell her the glamorous tale of how I'd been saved.

"Eww, but he was old, right?Like twenty-five or something? Do you think he was some kind of creep?"

"No, not at all. In fact, he was..." I blushed, already knowing she'd make fun of me. "He was more like... the perfect gentleman."

"Ugh. Such a 'you' thing to say. Anyway, if you liked him so much, why didn't you ask for his number or something?"

"Umm, Chloe. Have you met me?"

I didn't tell  her about the card. I was afraid she would make me call him, or steal the card and dial the number without my permission, just for a prank, or worse: to "help" me.

"All right, forget about creepy old man, because trust me, there will be loads of hot guys to choose from."

"Wait, what? Where?" 

"Were you not listening?? George's parents are away next weekend, so, since I'm being such a crappy friend about your birthday, I thought I'd make it up to you."

I already had a feeling I wouldn't like it. Chloe had this talent of always dragging me into trouble, and, for some reason, I could never say no to her.

"We're throwing a party a George's next Friday. It's not like you have anything better to do anyway, right? And George is inviting all the guys on the soccer team. All seniors. So yeah, there will be hotties."

"I don't know why you're so excited, you've already got George", I replied sourly. Call me weird, but muscly, sporty guys were not really my type.
"Oh come on, it's gonna be so good!"

"I don't know... don't think Mom's gonna be happy with me going to a party while she's not at home. I don't want to worry her."

"Then don't tell her!"

"I don't want to lie..."

"Not mentioning it is not lying. Come on, I'm super stoked about this! Don't let me down." I thought it was incredibly hypocritical of her to be talking about me letting her down, but I was too wimpy to say anything. Or who knows, maybe we would have argued for once, had Roy not poked his head through the door.

"Scarlett, are you coming?"

I picked up my bag, happy for the opportunity to end the conversation. "Gotta go. See you tomorrow!"

"Sure. And about Friday... you're totally coming."

I couldn't suppress a chuckle. "If you say so." 

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Apart from Chloe, Roy was the only other kid I already knew when I started high school. We used to be inseparable when we were little, but, as we grew up, we learned that boys befriended boys and girls befriended girls. Now we spoke during the breaks, sometimes took the bus together part of the way home, and, other times, not so much lately, went by the comic book store together. Neither of us were very social, yet Roy was one of the few people in the presence of whom I felt comfortable.