letters to the boy who never cared

e l e v e n

A/N thanks for reading this. You are amazing.

Alyssa Texiera looked pissed to see me in her seat, but she sat down anyway. I smiled and sunk deeper into Reed's soft shoulder. He trailed his pen absently along my forearm, giving me tingles. It was like nothing had changed.

Except, my friends didn't know yet.

Marin walked in wearing sky-high heels, and clip clopped her way right to Reed's desk. "You going to homecoming?" she asked, as if I wasn't there at all.

"Yeah," Reed replied boredly. His eyes flickered up at her annoyedly when she continued to stand there. "So?"

"So are you taking anyone?" It was as if I didn't exist. I glared at her.

Reed chuckled. "I think it's pretty obvious who I was gonna take. Why dont you just..." He flicked his fingers like he was shooing an animal, and he slung his arm around my shoulder.

"But, Reed, you said--"

Reed cut her off with a raised hand. "That was before."

Marin Daley pouted. "Oh, calm down," I said. "Why do you always go for my sloppy seconds? Get your own."

Marin glared at me. "I wasn't talking to you," she said shortly.

"Well I'm talking to you." I smiled sweetly at her, and she went to sit down until class started, with a blush working it's way up her kneck.

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Matt's eyes widened. He glanced at me, then at Reed.

"Alexa, we need to talk," he said, his voice low and urgent.

"I know."

I let go of Reed's hand and walked toward Matt meekly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't say it to me. Say it to yourself."

"It was at the party and... and Matty, things got explained. As it turns out, it wasn't so cut and dry, you know?" I raised my shoulders sheepishly.

"Sure, " Matt said, chuckling mirthlessly. He looked me in the eyes, sternly. "Whatever he told you, did you really believe it? Or do you just want him back that much?"

"Are you calling me desperate?"

"No," Matt said tiredly. "Forget it. Just trying to look out for you." He grimaced and kicked his shoe at the tile floor of the hallway. "You know Jen, Grace and especially Summer, they're going to murder him. And maybe you."

I shrugged. "They want me to be happy."

"Are you?" Matt asked sharply, cocking his head at me.

"I think so. Yeah."

Matt nodded contemplatively. "Okay then." He walked away without warning, and Reed took his place on my arm again.

"What was that about?" Reed asked, staring daggers at Matthew's retreating figure.

"Nothing. My friends. They worry."

"Who is he?"

"My friend."

"That's it?"

I looked at Reed incredulously. "Matt? Yeah, we're friends. That's all."

"He didn't act like a 'friend'," Reed growled.

"Oh."

As we walked, I thought it over in my mad. How was Matt acting? Like a dad? Like a brother? Maybe even like a boyfriend?

I shook my head. No. Not Matty. He didn't like me. He was a worried, like a big brother. He did not like me like that.

As Reed and I walked to the parking lot so he could drive me home, I swallowed down those weird thoughts. They were too odd to think about.

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Lunch the next day was royally awkward, and lucky me, I was caught in the middle of it.

On one side of the lunch table were my four closest friends. They didn't talk much. They just stared at me, and glared viciously at Reed. I'd told him it wasn't a good idea to sit here, and now he was feeling the effects. Some people are not as quick to forgive as I am. Summer looked as if she wanted to lunge across the table and castrate him, and Grace wouldn't even look in his general direction. Jen and Matt whispered to each other, quite obviously about me. Reed and I sat in silence at the other side of the table.

Grace cleared her throat. "Reed," she said in a clipped tone. "I need to speak with you."

Something about the blankness in her tone made me worry. "Don't kill him," I said nervously.

Grace pouted and was silent. "Fine," she agreed, shrugging her shoulders. "Fine." She stood and motioned for Reed to come out into the hall.

When they were out of earshot, Summer turned to me incredulously. "Dude. After all that he did, why are you not moving on?"

I shrugged. "Dunno."

"I'm not sure if he changed. I don't have proof that he didn't, but still," Matt trailed off, staring off at the doors Grace and Reed had just disappeared behind.

"Just be careful, please," Jen finished.

I nodded. "Okay, " I said slowly.

Matt leaned forward. "Listen, I--" He was cut off by a forceful push on the swinging cafeteria doors. Grace and Reed walked back into the cafeteria. Reed looked scarred for life. He sat down and didn't put his arm back around my waist. Instead he laid his hand on the table where they could be seen. I got the feeling he wasn't doing this of his own accord. He was frowning slightly, and he shifted nervously.

I glanced at Grace. Of course, she wore a triumphant smile.