The Life I'm Running From

16\ Mark Better Watch It

The smell of cheese and the sound of Drake's new single in the background meant only one thing: you were in our school cafeteria. Another tip off would be the overpowering smell of coffee, so strong that you could practically taste it. Nothing like a pinch of exhaustion in this already stress-filled atmosphere!

                "Would you rather..." Skylar squinted at her phone. "Eat your own toenails or sleep in mayonnaise for a year?"

                Adriana mimed gagging. "Neither?"

                I pursed my lips. "Sleep in mayonnaise," I said at the same time as Charlie said, "Eat my toenails."

                Skylar grimaced. "You'd eat your toenails?"

                "You'd rather sleep in mayonnaise?"

                "It wouldn't be that bad," I defended.

                "At least the toenail thing is one time!" Charlie crossed her arms and settled into her chair. "Then you're done with it."

                I rolled my eyes. "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Even if it's wrong."

                Charlie rolled her eyes. "Whatever." A group of guys passed, and one of them whistled at Charlie. She threw a fry at the back of his head. When he turned around, Charlie smiled sweetly and innocently. I personally have never had a guy whistle at me, but as Charlie and Adriana often stated, it wasn't fun. There was no compliment in it. Guys need to get that through their head.

                "So anyways," Charlie said, dipping a fry into Skylar's ketchup, "what's up with you and Harley?"

                I took a bite of my sandwich. "Nothing much."

                "But you were sitting beside him yesterday. Were you sitting with him last week while we were in detention?"

                Adriana looked alarmed, but I didn't see the problem. Skylar said she was fine with it. "Yeah. Harley's friends are pretty cool. I mean, some are kinda jerky, but not most of them."

                "What about Harley?" Charlie leaned her elbows on the table, her eyes flickering over my face.

                "He's funny and easy to talk to." I ran a hand through my tangled blonde hair. "Which is a good thing 'cause we sit beside each other on the bus now."

                Skylar was staring at the table, her shoulders sagged. Adriana was shaking her head almost imperceptibly beside Charlie.

                "So are you and Harley together now?" Charlie pressed. I opened my mouth to answer but Adriana cut me off.

                "They're not." Adriana smiled, but it was strained. "How about we do another Would You Rather question?"

                I took a drink from my water bottle. Adriana was being a bit over dramatic. Skylar didn't even care about mine and Harley's relationship. Why else would she be silent?

★彡 ★彡 ★彡 ★彡

"Who'd you say was coming over?" Danny asked me, walking out of the training room. The sheen of sweat on her face and her comfy clothing told me she had been just doing yoga. I turned away from her and started to take my textbooks out of my backpack.

                "Peter Parker. My Physics partner."

                Danny nodded. "The guy who your friends think you have a crush on."