Boy in the Corner

His Replacement?

Once again, Matpat slammed a paper on the cafeteria table. "I managed to finish Devoe's English paper!"

"How? Didn't you get home 'til like 10?" Signe sipped her Jamba Juice.

"Well that means he copied someone, Signe. Dude's way over his head," Ethan said.

"Wow, for once your right about something, but it's the way over my head part," Matpat said. "Stephany was able to send me the work. I told her I'd repay her with a date this weekend."

"She's still in charge of the choir club?" Signe asked.

"Yup, we're still rivaling it out."

"Rivals in love. That's a classic romance if I ever heard one," Jack said and he looked to Mark, smiling but the smile was quickly dropped to a frown. "What's wrong, Mark? That was a perfect time to say something dumb like 'Oh classic romance? Just like this school and it's miserable kids' or something like that.'"

"Jack, that didn't even make since," Ethan said.

Mark chuckled, "You couldn't even be me if you tried."

"Yeah I couldn't, and I shouldn't have to be, what's wrong bro? You feeling alright?" Jack gave Mark a concerned look.

"Dude I'm fine, it's whatever." Mark got up from the table and headed to go get jello. Jack looked at his friends. Signe shrugged.

"I've got no idea." Matpat added.

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Mark sat down in his usual seat waiting for Jack and Felix.

Where's Jack at? He's never late, and why didn't he walk with me over here? He's probably with that tardy motherf**** Felix. Calm down Mark, you're overreacting. He probably had an emergency with something or needed something from a class, but he would've given me a heads up beforehand, wouldn't he?

Just then, Mark saw Jack and Felix coming in together dying from laughter.

I f**** knew it!

"Hey Mark!" Jack plopped down next to him trying to catch his breath.

"Why didn't I see you walking out of your science class today?"

"Oh I took him out of science class early . I may not be friends with the students here, but I'm killing it with the office ladies," Felix said.

"Yeah and the ladies think Felix is cute."

"Well you too. We're OB's," Felix said.

"O-B-!" Felix and Jack said in unison, hitting their chests with a closed fist.

"O-B-?" Mark said.

"Office Buddies " Jack explained.

"More like Office Babes, heeyy," Felix joked. Jack started laughing. "I'll be back, Matt's giving out papers I'll bring you one, Jack."

As Felix left, Mark told Jack, "Ask him to get me one too, yeah?"

"Hey Felix, get Mark one!"

"Okay!"

"Why didn't you ask him to get you one yourself?"

" 'Cuz he wouldn't have listened to me."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I'm sure you're probably going to stop hearing me too."

"Are you saying I'm following Felix?"

"No quite the opposite actually. He's following you like a little puppy, getting you out of class, listening to everything you say or tell him to do. He's trying to be with you all the time. It's like he has this obsession over you. I don't know how you can stand to be with someone so clingy," Mark said.