The Time I Spent Loving You

Chapter 6

A week later, and we were swamped with homework. Our second week into the school year, for Grace and I, was going to be hectic. The honors and college level classes we were taking started by throwing us in the deep end. Which was to be expected considering we had been taking honor courses since our freshman year, they expect us to be able to handle anything they throw our way. Grace and I ended up doing our homework together ninety-nine percent of the time, since she spent a lot of her time over at my place. Even so, we still had nights when we would both be up until about one in the morning. We didn't usually focus solely on social events and such, making school and each other our top priority.

It was Monday, around the end of the school day when Grace had brought up Jenna. Over the past week I had grown distasteful around her, rolling my eyes quite a bit when she would mention boys or gossip. I was fed up, and I was starting to see how Grace felt for all these years. I always knew Jenna was a "player," but it never really bothered me until now. I had never been interested in any of the guys she had been talking to, until now. I wasn't quite sure if I was even interested in him more than as a friend, but it bothered me that she could be hurting him and he would be none the wiser. I kept telling myself I was being ridiculous but was I really? Why had I never noticed the cruel things she'd been doing until now? I mean, I knew most of it. Especially in regards to Grace, but it had never gotten under my skin as much as it did now.

"Hello, earth to Emma?" Grace snapped me out of my thoughts, and I suddenly realised I didn't respond to her. She asked me why Jenna was bothering me so much, she noticed in ballet especially, that I constantly rolled my eyes and scoffed when she spoke. I don't think Jenna noticed, but Grace definitely knew when something upset me.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and frowned, "She's just been getting on my nerves lately with all her boy drama B.S." Grace's eyes widened slightly and she nodded.

"So, it has nothing to do with her going after Trevor," she had a slight edge to her voice, knowing how I felt even before I did. I simply shook my head and sighed.

"It's not like that G, I consider him a friend, yeah. Its just annoying to me how much she focuses on drama, and not to mention how many guys she's messing with at once. It's disgusting!" I scowled at the thought.

"Ok, it just seemed like you had a bit of a crush on him," she smiled knowingly.

I shook my head, "Yeah he's cute, but I wouldn't call me thinking he's good looking, a crush."

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The next day was an overcast and misty one, expecting rain. Our first few classes passed by quickly, more so than normal and I was relieved for that. I only really looked forward to working with Trevor since we hardly talked otherwise, and Grace had been right, I might've been developing a crush. Trevor and I didn't talk much outside of class, we had two classes together, but it was enough for me.

The crowd of the cafeteria was surrounding Grace and I,making it difficult for me to breathe. It had been pouring since second period, and on any normal sunny day, I would just go through the back of the cafeteria to get my lunch. I had a pass to do so because of my anxiety, it permitted me to get my lunch through a less crowded route. When it was raining the path was almost always flooded, so today, I had to go through the anxiety inducing crowds.

We got our lunch and started to head out, relieved that I would be out of the crowds. Suddenly, my vision became tunelled, focusing on two people directly outside of the exit we walked toward. I felt my eyes widen instantly, seeing something unexpected. I gasped and grabbed Grace's arm for support. It was Trevor and Jenna. She was on his lap, arms around his neck and they were kissing. Grace started to question my sudden action, but when she saw what had startled me, she stopped. She then grabbed my arm and led us to our rainy day lunch spot, underneath the stairs behind corridor D.

"What the hell happened back there," she asked as we sat down. We were alone underneath the stairs, and I could finally let out a breath I was holding in since I saw them.

"Jenna and Trevor." I breathed out heavily, and shook my head. She was still with her boyfriend that she had been with already for a year. I told Grace about this too, telling her they must have broken up.

"They didn't see us, so ask her after school and say nothing about the kiss." Grace's eyes glazed over as she thought some more, and I already knew she was formulating a plan. I don't know why I was so affected by seeing that, it's not like Trevor had officially asked me out or anything. We had been flirting in two classes we were in together, that's it. I'm being stupid, I told myself, trying to talk myself down so I would breathe normally.

I shook my head, and we sat there in silence the rest of the lunch period. I could hardly eat, I just took a few bites of my food and before I knew it, the bell rang.

It was time for Biology. With Trevor.

⁂

Trevor had started to make a name for himself in school, as the trouble making transfer from New York. People immediately associated his name with either where he moved from, or what fight he had gotten himself into recently. Although he seemed like a "bad guy" I didn't see him differently for his troublesome reputation. I still saw the Trevor that I called my friend, I saw the boy that I felt like I'd known for forever.

Before class Trevor typically could be seen blocking the entrance, talking to his friends in the doorway or jumping on the rail of the door to do a pullup. That day he had been talking to someone when I walked in beside him, I ducked underneath his arm and caught a waft of his cologne. I held my breath hoping he wouldn't notice me, and he didn't. That was until his friend Devon spoke up.

"Ay Trev, isn't that your girl?" he had said this and I frowned, I didn't see Jenna come in. That was when I had reached my desk, realizing that I wasn't meant to hear what Devon said. He was motioning toward me, I looked down immediately and tried to cover my face with my hair. I didn't hear what Trevor said in response, and I'm not sure I wanted to.

I kept my head down, trying to conceal the redness in my cheeks. I was doodling on the side of my paper when I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Trevor, he walked up to me just a few seconds after Devon mentioned me to him. "You alright?"

I shrugged, unable to talk yet. And then I cleared my throat, trying to be nonchalant, "Yeah I'm alright, you?"

"I'm great, beautiful." He flashed me a pearly white smile and my heart clenched. He obviously hadn't noticed me outside the cafeteria just less than half of an hour earlier. The bell rang shortly after he said this, and he took his seat behind me.

The entire period I had remained quiet and taciturn, barely saying a word to him. It was fairly easy, using my work as an excuse. We had an assignment that required the textbook, and I stared at the words the entire period. Really not reading a single paragraph of it, I couldn't. I couldn't concentrate, in the back of my mind I saw what had happened at lunch, on repeat. I sat there the entire period, pretending to be working while I processed what I saw.

After the bell rang, I walked right out. Usually Trevor would walk me to History, so we left the room together as per usual. He asked me what was wrong, and I lied blaming it on not getting enough sleep, although he had seen me earlier that day smiling brightly at him in Literature. It was a stark contrast to how I was acting and feeling in that moment. Earlier that day I was full of light and overjoyed to talk to Trevor, saying hi to him cheerily and chatting avidly with him as we read the pair assignment we were assigned for that week.

I remained quiet as we approached our classes, getting ready to say goodbye to him and endure one last period without Grace. That was when he unexpectedly hugged me, and gave me his number. "Text me."