The new girl - Elmax

Chapter 10 : True friends

Will didn't find the courage to face Jane during the week. The girl wasn't making things easier by avoiding him and the others. Even Mike seemed to have taken his distance with her. The black-haired boy was convinced now that she lied to him just to not be his girlfriend. Ignoring her was really hard, he didn't understand why she seemed to care about him. He preferred to make things clear and took her apart, behind the high school.

- "What's wrong Mike?" Jane asked with a worried tone.

- "Did you lie?" Mike angrily told.

- "Lie? About what?"

- "About your sexuality!"

- "Ssssh! (places her hand on his mouth) What the hell!? I told you to not talk about it!"

- "(takes off her hand) You seem to really appreciate Troy," the boy stated with the same anger. "You know, if you didn't like me you could have just told me instead of inventing a stupid story like that!"

- "That's what you think? Really? I don't appreciate Troy, we have a work to do in English. He is racist, sexist, homophobic, a bully, and arrogant. And no, it wasn't a fucking lie!" Jane explained.

- "I hope it's not!"

- "No it's not! What are you waiting from me!? To have sex with another girl right in front of you!?"

Mike opened his mouth to reply but stopped. He was imagining the scene and thought he wasn't totally against this idea.

- "Wake up!" Jane interrupted, snapping her fingers. "I'm not here for your fantasies!"

- "Yeah, sorry," Mike pouted.

- "You could have asked me without being angry, I would have answered you anyway."

- "I know, it's just, Monday, we saw you with Troy during the lunch time, and we began to have hypothesis, and I thought maybe, you wanted me to feel sorry for you to leave you alone."

- "Oh Mike," Jane sighed, "you really have no idea what people like me live everyday."

- "No, not really...I'm sorry..."

Jane had a weak smile to reassure him, but she was scared someone heard their conversation. Mike rubbed his thumb on her cheek to wipe a tear she didn't feel falling.

Will was looking for Jane. He saw her going outside with Mike, but he lost her track. He finally found them near the dumpsters of the cafeteria. Mike was caressing her cheek with heart in his eyes while Jane was smiling to him. Will was sure they were secretly dating. He felt anger growing and tried to convince him it was not bad if they were in love, people didn't have to be the way he wanted them to be. Jane wasn't like him, he had to deal with it and to apologise. But not now, he didn't want to witness a « make out » scene and preferred going back inside the school to see his friends.

- "You found her?" Max asked.

- "Yeah, but she was with Mike," Will answered with bitterness.

- "Oh, okay. They spend lots of time together."

- "Indeed."

- "You won't ask her out?"

- "No! I don't want to!" Will got worked up. "Can you stop with that!?"

- "Okay, okay, sorry," Max pouted.

Max saw that Will was hurt by their relationship, but both of them told they were just friends, so he still had a chance to invite her for a date. But he was too shy, and Jane told them she didn't want to be in a relationship right now, so maybe asking her out now was not a good idea.

The last period was beginning, and it was physical education for Max, Will, and Jane. The two girls met in the changing room, as usual.

- "Can I ask you something?" Max asked.

- "Go ahead," Jane answered.

- "Why didn't you eat with us this week? Is it because of Will?"

- "Um, yeah, I mean, if he doesn't wanna be my friend, I can't force him, and I don't want to...intrude your group. I've been here just for one week."

- "One month you mean."

- "Yeah, technically for one month, but at school since last week," Jane explained.

- "He likes you, he wanted to apologise but, you know, he is very shy."

- "Oh...I can relate to that."

- "Good. He is a nice boy and was probably worried to see you being close to Troy."

- "Mike had the same fear."

- "I'm not surprised, he has been bullying them for years now. Especially Will."

- "Yeah...I saw that," Jane said with a small voice.

Max heard some sadness in her voice. Seeing someone you like being bullied was always hard. Maybe she had a crush on him too? They would be a cute couple. But, for now, she wanted to see her smile, she thought she had a cute one.

- "Your eye looks better, still awful but less," Max joked.

- "Oh, thanks, I guess," Jane chuckled.

Mission accomplished. Jane didn't seem to be the happiest person ever, but Max liked to make people smile, and when Jane was smiling, she was feeling a pleasant heat travelling her body.

The two girls joined the rest of the teens on the field. Today, it was 110 meters hurdles. Max noticed that Jane made the first step to Will, the two friends were now laughing like if nothing ever happened.

The teacher made them do some races. Will didn't like it, he finished last one and heard Troy and his friends laughing at him. Troy was sadly good in sport and won his race against Jane.

- "Nice race," Troy told.

- "Thanks," Jane answered out of breath.

- "I saw you and the queer talking. He is still your friend, you're happy?"

- "Um, yeah, I am."

- "Cool, I'm happy for you," the young boy smiled.

- "I can't tell if you like me or not," Jane frowned.

- "I do."

- "Then, can you do me a favor? Can you stop bullying him and his friends?"

- "I'm not bullying them."

- "Yes, you are."

- "It's just jokes," Troy explained like if it was nothing.

- "Do they laugh?" Jane seriously asked.

Jane saw confusion on his face. He was so concentrated to make his friends laugh that he didn't care about his victims. She didn't know if he was mean or just stupid.

- "You think you can?" Jane asked again.

- "Your kindness will destroy you, Jane," Troy bitterly chuckled.

- "And your wickedness will make you finish alone."

- "I have friends."

- "Are they true friends? Or they just laugh at your jokes because you're the coolest guy of the high school. You are the captain of the football team, and you are actually pretty good, you are handsome, you have a cute smile, but you are an asshole, and one day, they will be done with that and leave you forever with the only regret of having followed you all these years. Maybe my friends aren't cheerleaders or sportmen, but they are loyal."

- "They are true friends," Troy stated with hesitation in his voice.

- "I hope for you, just, be careful with your attitude."

Jane gave him a peace sign and joined Max and Will. She didn't know if they were loyal friends or if she was actually friends with them, but she liked thinking that, they seemed to like her so why not.