Just Another Lie, Right? [Kleinsen]

•22•

"Ok where to?" I asked after we walked onto the sidewalk from the Murphy's. "Food Lion, Walmart?"

Evan looked at me in shock, "Wait... You actually remembered the blinking technique?"

I rolled my eyes, "Duh! It wasn't that long ago."

Evan looked down at his feet, "Y-yeah, I know, it's just... you act like you don't remember anything from before high school..."

That got my attention. Because it was true. Once highschool started, I tried to forget about middle school and anything about it, in hopes that I'll become more popular again. I'd tell people heroic stories of how I caught someone who fell off a swing in 5th grade, while they would tell embarrassing middle school stories.

I always wanted to climb higher on the popularity charts. I was good in elementary school, the whole class would be my friend, but in middle school, I started shying away a little and sticking by Evan's side. At first, I didn't care too much, but then I saw how all the popular kids were treated, and I realized I wanted to be one.

So high school was like a new start for me. Sure, most of the other freshman there had an idea of who I was, but I had a whole summer to change. I wasn't the Jared Kleinman they thought they knew. At least, not in my mind.

I should've known that becoming popular wasn't going to happen. It should've been evident way before freshman year ended. But I didn't notice.

Once sophomore year started, I started picking up on trends. Evan had no friends. I hung around Evan. In my sophomore brain, I came up with the conclusion that the reason I wasn't popular was Evan.

So I stopped hanging around him. I would come up with excuses not to hang out and would make fun of him in the halls when other people were around. It hurt at first, it really did, trying to put my only real friend in the past. But, I got used to it.

I got used to trying not to be Evan's friend.

I took a deep breath in and sighed. "Yeah, you're right." Was all I said.

We walked in silence into Food Lion, the tension hanging between us unbearable.

"Ok so um," Evan said, breaking the silence and looking down at his phone, "There's a lot of stuff on this list."

"Of course there is, this is Alana we're talking about." I said, and Evan laughed. "You think we should divide and conquer?"

Evan shook his head, "No it's fine."

I leaned closer to him, smirked, and said, "You just wanna spend time alone with me, don't you Evan?"

Evan's face went pink, but he still managed to respond. "W-well, we're in a g-grocery store s-so we're not actually alone."

I laughed, despite Evan's obvious discomfort. Or comfort. The world may never know.

We walked over to the carts and Evan picked up a basket.

"A basket?" I asked mocking, "What are you, an elder?"

"Hey I'm sorry! It's not my fault my mom's old school." He said in response, smiling.

We walked to the snack aisle and Evan threw a couple things in the basket quietly. To break the silence, I said, "I'm surprised I'm not in this aisle."

Evan rolled his eyes, but his face still flushed a little pink.

"Why did you even bring me here?" I asked as we moved on to the fridge aisle to get popsicles. "I mean, you're doing all the work."

Evan shrugged. "I don't like going to big places like these alone. Too many people."

"I'm a person too you realize?" I joked.