Masquerade

Car Ride from Hell

I was already pissed at Simon for not sitting with us during lunch and then he partnered up with one of his football buddies in English class leaving me to be partners with Hannah a sweet girl I barley knew. So when Simon told me I had to squeeze into the back of his car so that Violet could come with us I was really angry. I knew in the back of my mind that it was natural for Simon to branch out and it was crazy that it took this long, but he was acting like our friendship didn't even matter!

Violet sat in the front going on and on about how next week cheer started and how that was going to take up her whole social calendar. Sammy was secretly texting and hiding his screen away from the rest of us. Lu was next to him trying to talk to me about the upcoming play at the school. I was half sitting on Lu's lap and half on the seat my hip squeezed in next to Sammy. I was really pissed now! How dare Simon pull this I knew that Violet always went home with her friend Sasha because they were next door neighbors and I had seen Sasha in first period so I knew she was at school.

"So Violet?" I started interrupting her ramblings that no one was really listening to, "why didn't Sasha drive you home?"

"Oh! She totally was going to but then I saw my baby here in the hall and just HAD to tell him all about my day!" 

I was rolling my eyes at this point trying to stay out of sight of the rear view mirror so Simon couldn't see me. "That's just great Violet just so great" My friends could all hear the sarcasm in my voice  but Violet didn't or at least pretended not to. 

"This is me!" She pecked his cheek and hopped out of the car. I climbed over the median into the front seat twisting to crack my back to over exaggerate my discomfort. 

"Do you have to be like that?" Simon sighed after Violet had made it into her house 

"Like what?" I responded genuinely confused on why he was so exasperated.

"Why do you have to act like you are so much better than anyone who is different than you! So she cares about the school and is happy being  a cheerleader, well I'm sorry you can't find it in yourself to give a shit! You are sarcastic and bitter and you just want to get out of this town but not all of us want to escape Dorthy! I am so fucking done with you trying to bring everyone down with your shit. We are here and we have to deal with that so we might as well give a shit!" he finished and looked at me "Dorthy you are one of my best friends but I can't do this anymore I can't deal with you dissing my relationship and the school. I want you to be happy and I want to spend time with you but I also need to be happy and  that means changing my life for the better and right now that means not dealing with your negativity."

"Simon..." I wiped the tear that had formed from my cheek. I looked back and saw all my other friends looking between us trying to decide if they should get out of the car at my house like we had planned or continue on to their own houses or even Simon's. "If that is how you feel I'll see you at school...West"

I got out of the car not looking to see who was following me just trying to hold it together until I got into the house.