Thalia

Chapter 2: Purple Moon

Chapter 2: Purple Moon

As I approach the main doors of the school, I notice someone standing there alone. Ugh, is he already here or is it someone else? I wanted to beat him so I didn't seem like I couldn't care less about his soccer playing butt or so it didn't look like I was standing him up or something of the sort. Although I've been told that I walk slower than the average human, it's not my fault that I wasn't born with psychotically fast walking genes, now is it?

No, it isn't.

When I reach the figure, my suspicions are confirmed; it's Ryan. Once I know he sees me, I take in his appearance. He has one hand in his pocket, one hand out, holding the strap on his sling backpack and his face turns into a friendly smile showing his dental, photogenic teeth. Does he treat them like his children or something? He has to. Nobody's teeth, and I mean nobody's teeth are this close to perfection.

"Hey, Rose." Apparently, this has become his usual, crappy greeting for me. I'm upset about it. But what else would he say to me as a greeting? "Hey, Rosie, you lookin' mighty fine today. Wanna hit up the mall with me and my home-bro's? We're gonna shop in Dick's Sporting Goods and eat manly muffins in the food court."

Maybe not exactly that, but it's close enough. We just had practically our first full conversation today, so I guess I shouldn't be expecting much from him.

"Hey, you ready?" I ask, but before he can try to pull a joke or something, I choose to speak again. "Or did you change your mind? Or maybe you just don't want to leave school with me. Because of your reputation or someth—" I'm cut off for another stressful time that day, this time from Ryan interrupting me. If I get cut off one more time, I'm probably going to stab the life out of my mailbox.

"What reputation?" He looks half shocked I said something and half offended. If anything, shouldn't I be the offended one? 'Cause he's trying to find a way to blow me off? Way to go, Rose; ruin a forming friendship why don't you?

"Well," I struggle, trying to find the right words to say without this all ending with me permanently looked down on. " You know, 'cause you're all." Cue the blinking just like water boy. Oh, no. I've changed my mind; now, I'm going to die. From humiliation. Where's the spontaneous asteroid? Now would be a great time to destroy me. "In vogue or whatever, and I'm just average." Breaking eye contact to avoid his gaze which only makes my face even more red, (if it's even possible) is the best idea I've had all day. Excluding listening to NSYNC* earlier. 

When I look back up, I guess he saw my face somewhere in the midst of my demented thoughts because his intense stare softens into some bizarre form of guilt.

"You think you're just average?" He starts speaking again after a few seconds of silence from me. Well, duh, it's not like everyone is punching the living daylights out of each other to sit with me and my friend's at lunch like they do to you. You could practically start the first LHG. Lakeview Hunger Games. "I can tell you one thing, you definitely aren't average to me, and I'm not in vogue." You speak lies. "I just have a lot of so-called friends. And I don't care what other people think of me and you shouldn't either."

He's talking to me as if I'm an incomprehensible child! Do I look like an idiot? I already had these talks from my weird mother, thank you very much, and I don't need them from you, of all people. Soccer players are so annoying sometimes. This is why I'm 63% awkward. They're the reason normal is becoming extinct.

"What was that?" He asked me. 

I have got to pay more attention to what I do and don't say out loud. Me and my big mouth are gonna be sending me to jail one day. Jail or the circus: they're both equally terrifying.