My Life as a Teenage Rebel

Chapter 8: The Break-Up and the After-Effect

CHAPTER 8 The Break-Up and the After-Effect

The whole school is in a buzz (er, more than usual, that is), and I'm not really sure why. It's certainly not about my overalls (which are presently Out), because they've been out of fashion before. And it's not like overalls are that big of a deal anyway.

I turn to Kelsey questioningly (cuz she's the girl with a ton of connections - gossip-wise). "Any idea what's going on?" I ask her.

"Yeah, what's everyone up about...this time?" Evilyn adds, sweeping her dark hair from her forehead as she assesses the busy crowd of students, a thoughtful crease in between her brows.

"I don't know..." Kelsey mutters with a frown as the three of us stand in front of our lockers, looking around at the chattier-than-usual student body passing us by. We hear her phone make a noise, and she pulls it out to see who texted her. "Oh no wait, now I do!" she exclaims, brightening.

"Well for Pete's sake, girl, don't keep it to yourself!" Evilyn says.

"Tell us already!" I exclaim. Evilyn and I aren't much for gossip, unless the chattering really starts to irritate us - which it has presently.

"Oh..." the smile on Kelsey's perfectly lip-glossed lips falters. "Oh, that's...that's kinda sad..."

And my brain screams: WHAT'S SAD?!? Ah, dear brain, as patient as ever.

Looking up from her cell phone with sympathy faint in her hazel eyes, Kelsey (finally) tells us: "Mandy and her boyfriend broke up."

Oh. So that's what everyone's up about. The It-Couple split.

"Everybody breaks up eventually." I point out. I'd seen Mandy and her boyfriend act all mooshie around each other a couple times (in the cafeteria and stuff); they were so lovey-dovey that the sight of them had many a time nearly caused me to vomit inside my mouth. Like: Why you people no get a ROOM?

"Why'd they break up?" Evilyn inquires.

Kelsey slides her phone into her pocket slowly, and carefully answers, "He was cheating on her."

Oh...that is actually kinda sad...

"With who?"

"Nobody knows." Kelsey tells us almost faintly.

I fall quiet. Yeah, amazing, isn't it? Me, at a loss for some witty, sarcastic mental comment to make.

We hear the bell ring and we all head off to class without another word to each other, and the only reason Evilyn and I open our mouths to speak again is to greet Madelin back.

I know Mandy. Despite our history - I know her. She's not coming to school today. She'll be at home, sitting alone in her room or in front of the TV with a truck-load of comfort food in front of her, and breaking into sobs or a great big fit every couple of minutes, humiliated and depressed because some jerk actually thought to cheat on her - Amanda O'Conner, the Queen Bee of the school.

The image of it in my head is slightly depressing. Don't get me wrong, I don't like Mandy, but it's hard not to feel sorry for her, you know?

She's practically all I can think about for the rest of the period; for the rest of the day.

. . .

"Come on, Ky, get your friggin' head in the game!" Andrew tosses the ball at my head.

I shoot him a dangerous look and chuck the ball right back at his own head, but he catches it before it meets his skull.

It's after school. We're in the school gymnasium, playing two on two; it's me and Andrew versus Kyle and Evan. Right now you should probably be thinking: Poor Andrew. And why should you be thinking this? Well...