Not The One

Ch. 17

Even if I wouldn't out right admit it to anyone, walking, or any movement still caused me discomfort bordering on grade A pain. I'd received a reluctant stamp of approval from the doctor, but Mom was the true obstacle. I argued my case that the more days I stayed at home, the more I felt I was missing at school. The truth of the matter was that I wanted to be with my friends, and see Mrs. Suarez, but I had to be strategic, lest my Mom catch on and put an end to my scheme. "Alright, don't listen to me," had been her last words before she too conceded. I'd gotten what I wanted, or so I believed. However, as I struggled now to get dressed for class, I had second thoughts over whether leaving the house was such a good idea after all.

"Georgia! Ya friend here!" Grandma yelled from the kitchen. "Okay! I'm coming!" She had the idea off, so instead of putting Alley in his crate, I brought the kitten downstairs with me, walking at a snail's pace, and thankful he didn't squirm in my arms. "You sure you don't wanna spend one more day resting?" Grandma asked me as I deposited Alley in her car and headed to the door. "Yes, I'm sure." I should have been using my crutches, but I figured my boot was fine for maneuvering around the house. I opened the door to let Jazzy in. "Morning!" she chirped, and I let her inside. Jazzy had offered to drive me to school and play chauffeur until I could drive myself again. What a glorious moment that would be. "I still don't understand why you wanna go to school. I'd be milking it for all its worth," she plopped down on the couch, shaking her head. Grandma came in, letting Alley leap to the floor. He scampered over to Jazzy, wove his lean body through her legs, then hop up on the couch next to her. "Don't worry Jazzy, she'll be singing a different tune when you bring her back later. Mark my words." Grandma gave me a long look, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me reconsider leaving.

"You're not even ready to go. Where's your stuff?" Jazzy asked. I directed her attention to my backpack and textbooks sitting in a pile by the door, my crutches leaning across. "You walked by them when you came in. And I am too," I argued but my limbs disagreed, and my neck ached. I'd packed away my pain pills just in case, but I prayed I wouldn't have to take them out, just to spite everyone. "Do you need your medicine or anything?" Jazzy asked, as if she had read my mind. I cursed under my breath as she led me out to her car. "No, it makes me drowsy," I replied, and a troubled look flashed across her face. "Georgia!" I waved off her concern and gingerly sat in her car while she tossed my stuff in the seat behind me. "You know, I could just tell you what you missed," Jazzy tried again as she got into the car, but she stuck her key in the ignition and shifted the gear into drive anyway as if she knew what I would say. "We only have one class together, and two of the same classes total, so that wouldn't work," I explained.

Jazzy placed a hand on the back of my seat and turned her head as she backed out of the driveway. I made sure my head stay facing forward and prayed Jazzy wouldn't make any sudden stops or sharp turns. "What about Anderson? You do take most of the same classes as him, right?" I gritted my teeth and glared at the dashboard knowing that if I tried to bump her knee or anything else for that matter, it would hurt me more than it would her. "Yeah, not gonna happen," I glared at her for the stupid suggestion. She was now aware of how my movie date went, and my misdirected attempts to go back to being friends with him. When I reached that point of the story, Antoinette had stood up abruptly and stalked out the room, claiming she couldn't' stand to look at me. "You are officially the dumbest person right now," Antoinette had shouted in disbelief, ignoring out attempts to get her to quiet down.

"I thought climbing the tree was bad, but this takes the cake!"

"Oh, shut up. You guys are making a big deal out of nothing," I protested, but Jazzy had come to Antoinette's defense. "If she's making such a big deal, why didn't you stay and finish helping with the mural thing?" I hadn't had anything to say to that. "Honestly I still think she has a chance. We all know Caitlyn's a big flirt." Jazzy nodded sagely.