The Truth Of It All

Chapter 3: "I kept staring"

"Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you can possibly have" - Dale Carnegie

Dylan's POV

Laughter and euphoria replaced the air around me as I stepped out of my Toyota Camry. Kids were in multiple circles bonding with each other waiting for the warning bell to ring. One boy near a tree was teasing a girl on her outfit and causing his guy friends to snicker. The girl, who was wearing a long conservative skirt and a sweater that looked like it belonged to her grandma, looked down at her feet and sighed. Other students were walking fast-paced towards their first period holding their textbooks. The air was brumal and I felt my cheeks getting redder every minute. I never understood why people still waited outside. Don't they ever get cold?

I glanced at myself in my car's side-view mirror. My dark brown hair was combed- finally after a whole month- but barely neat and as I guessed, my cheeks were ridiculously red. The cold air caused my lips to become chapped as well. I ran my hands through my mid-length hair hoping to at least make it calmer. 

Giving up and realizing there was no hope, I sighed and started my way out of the parking lot and onto the path that leads towards the front doors. A serene and ancient bronzed statue of a lion covered most of the school's front property. Considering that our mascot was the lion, it was a perfect fit in the lawn and made us seem heroic and brave. A small label at his feet said: "HedStone Highschool Established in 1864". Someone must have been polishing this art since there looked to be no marks or scratches, only cleanliness, and shine. 

Multiple kids were sitting on the platform the lion was standing on and talking or texting on their phones. No one seemed to care about talking to one another. 

I continued walking passed the lion until someone reached for my shoulder and yank me out of thoughts. I quickly turned around wanting to punch whoever attempted that stupid move. As soon as I met their eyes, I breathed out. It was only my best friend, Hunter Brown. 

His hazel eyes yelled an amused emotion and his perfectly white teeth showed as he laughed until he shed tears. He slapped his knees, causing everyone who was sitting on the statue to glance up at us. 

"If only you saw your face! I'm dead," he managed to say. I rolled my eyes and let out an awkward fake laugh. 

As soon as he stopped laughing, he put his arm around my shoulder and continued to lead us towards the entrance of the school. The strong scent of cologne he always wears breezed into my nose. However, I didn't mind because it was a good smell. 

"So, bro. I hope you didn't forget about that party that's happening tonight at Madison's," he said. 

I widened my eyes. Oh, no. I did forget. It was the last thing on my mind... well actually, to be honest, it wasn't on my mind at all.  

"Oh, man... well I know you're not doing sh*t today so you might as well just come. Madison would sure be happy to see you," he said, noticing my reaction. I snuck a small laugh. 

Madison Love, or shall I say the Madison Love, has that status to the point of all the boys wanting her and all the girls wanting to be her. Word has gotten around that she quite fancies me and I may or may not feel the same. She was overly sweet and her beauty was over-the-top gorgeous, but I wasn't sure I was even fit for her or even being in a relationship at this point.