See You on the Other Side | ✓

10 | She's MEAN Mean

"...I wish I knew what you were watching." - Wild Nothing, Shallow Water

~~~

When I returned home, the house was dark, with only one room being lit. It was the living room light. I expected my grandma to be reading something boring.

When I walked in, her green eyes brightened. "How was your dinner?"

"It was IHOP so, amazing."

"Who was it that you went with?"

"The girl that I defended. Her name's Avery."

"That girl had an amazing solo, don't tell Mr. Moneybags," she whispered, putting a finger to her lips.

"Don't worry, I won't tell him or his spoiled-ass daughter," I vented, forgetting to put the grandma filter on my words. What can I say, I was honest.

"I'll give you a pass because she really is rotten and don't worry, we don't have to see Katelyn's insufferable dancing."

I wiped my forehead. "Thank God."

I went upstairs with a smile on my face. For some reason, my grandma was growing into an increasingly positive mood. I liked this change, even though I didn't know the impetus.

All I knew was, my 18th birthday wasn't too bad.

~~~

I went to school the next day with the blustery weather still outside. It was days like these that I didn't dare exit my heated car to go to classes I despised. I still attended because the thought of my grandma being pissed off at my skipping frightened me.

Once I decided to leave the toasty car, I was approached by Brielle.

"Hi, Adrian," Brielle greeted flatly.

"Hi, Brielle?"

"Why'd that come out as a question?"

"Why are you standing in front of me? Is this about Avery?"

"No, this is about Noah."

"Johnson?"

"No, this is about Noah Centineo. Yes, it's about him," she groaned in what could've been anger or irritation.

I never talked to Brielle much since she was one of those popular kids. She often came off as defensive and short-tempered in the hall. It made me wonder why and how she was friends with a girl that was the exact opposite.

Avery exuded warmth, which was a little bit of a nuisance to me, while Brielle's body temperature matched the conditions outside. This was no exaggeration as Brielle wasn't wearing a coat in below-freezing temperatures.

"You are like el diablo."

Brielle gasped at my language. "Wouldn't it be la diabla?"

"No, my gender is correct."

She rolled her eyes, while clutching her arms. Her teeth were slightly chattering as she waited for me. For a second, I contemplated "forgetting" something in the car.

"C'mon, he's waiting for us," she commented, growing increasingly impatient.

She carried anger in her brown eyes and I wondered what made her such a resentful person. Then, I remembered that what made me the guy I was was absolutely no-one's business. That thought didn't halt my curiosity though.

We walked in the building and made an immediate visit to Mr. Johnson's office. His expression was light and I could tell he wasn't about to be the bearer of bad news.

"Just wanted to say a brief thanks to both of you for being so proactive in the retirement home. There is nothing but good things I have to say to you. Also, this will look very good on your college applications," he lauded. The look on his face could make anyone smile. It was genuine joy for both of us.

Brielle looked as uninterested as she was cold. She looked down at her nails and began chipping away at the nail polish on her fake nails. I tried, keyword being tried, to listen to what Noah was saying, but I couldn't stop staring at his baldness.

When he dismissed us after saying some more info about service, Brielle stopped in the halls to talk to me. Again.

"So, why did you think I wanted to talk to you about Avery? Do you know her or something?" she questioned me with malice in her voice. For some reason I was aggravating her even though I wasn't even trying to talk to her in the first place.

"I know her."

"How?"

"Why do you care?" I asked, attempting to match the same confrontational tone. "Why does it matter to you who she does and doesn't know?"

"Avery has the habit of being nice to the wrong people. That's her problem. Something tells me you're not such a nice person."

There was no way that she was telling me about being a not-so-pleasant person.

"Based on how you've acted towards me, you don't seem to be so nice," I countered.

Brielle seemed to lower her defensive wall slightly. "I don't act like this towards her. I just don't like it when she gets fucked over for being a decent person."

"Is that one of the reasons you aren't one?"

I expected to get cussed at or flicked off, but the reality wasn't that. I didn't get much of a reaction at all and I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't disappointed.

"C'mon, how do you know her?" she asked, her voice carrying little emotion. Her cadence reminded me of an interrogator's at a police station.

And where were you at 2 PM on Sunday, Adrian Brennan?, had to be the next question.

"I feel like you already know the answer to the question," I retorted. "Didn't Avery tell you when she asked who I was?"

"No, she doesn't tell me everything. I thought she might've just asked who you were because she liked you or something."

"If Avery has such a naivete to her, you'd think she wouldn't restrain in telling you shit."

"I never said Avery was naive."

"You make it seem like she absolutely needs you in order to have social relationships and needs your protection. That makes her seem like she has never experienced the world for herself."

She looked like she was about to make a comeback to my statement, but changed her mind. She walked off as the warning bell rang for the first class.

She walked off with all the answers to the questions I wasn't even supposed to be asking.