Collide

17

The weekend rushed by, I hung out with Blake on Sunday. November, now very officially his girlfriend, was around as well, and brought along some friends, not from our school, but who were actually really chill.

I walk to school to Blake, discussing the day before. He's head over heels for his girl, and it's actually pretty cute. We meet her in front of the school. I quickly say bye, and walk to my first class.

It's English, and I look around to see if Reece is there already. He is, and he's talking to a guy from the group he always hangs out with. He doesn't notice me, and I don't really mind. I just get to my seat and wait for the teacher to show up.

During the lesson, I gaze to Reece a few times, and one time he looks back. I smile at him. He frowns.

I look back to the teacher and the blackboard, just a tad confused now.

In the break, I walk out of the room after Reece. We make eye contact another time. However, he turns around and yells at his friend to wait for him. I sigh and walk to my next class. Reece isn't in that one, it's the only one out of two that we don't have together. I spend my time staring into nothing and thinking about Friday.

In the last two lessons of the morning I'm back in a classroom with Reece, but this time he doesn't acknowledge me at all. The class is working in groups for a project, and he's busy chatting with the people around him. Trying to catch up, I guess.

Sometimes I hear him laugh from the other side of the classroom and I can't help but smile a little every time.

I meet up with Blake for lunch, however, I'm faster at getting food, so I sit down at a table and start eating. November comes over to me and smiles. "Is it okay for you if I sit with you and Blake?"

"No, definitely not", I say jokingly.

She gets it and laughs while sitting down. "I'm glad if I don't have to sit with my usual people. Actually, I don't like hanging out with them that much." She shrugs. "Most of my friends are on other schools, I mean you've met some of them yesterday."

I nod and we fall into silence as we're both eating. Blake finally makes his way to us, and starts complaining about the younger students who can't wait in a queue. He and November start a conversation, but I don't really pay attention. I'm watching the other people, and yes, maybe I look out for Reece. I find him at one table then, surrounded by a lot of people. I notice the blonde girl sitting at the table, the one that asked me about him. And Reece said he low-key hated her. I know most of the people, they're pretty popular, and after a while I realize that it's the same group November usually was with.
So those are the people Reece doesn't trust. And the people November doesn't like as much. Interesting realisations.

Her and Blake however have stopped their conversation, and both of them check what I'm giving attention.

Blake squints. "Reece is back?", he realises. He turns to me. "How's it been?"

"Uh, alright", I mumble.

"So he's still been nice?", Blake reassures.

"Yes", I say, and it comes out more rude than I wanted.

"I still don't trust him", he states. "He's always been so rude."

"But Reece -", November starts, but then stops. "Doesn't matter."

"No, say it", Blake smiles encouragingly.

She immediately shakes her head. "No, really. It doesn't matter, now that I'm thinking about it."

Blake shrugs. "Okay."

Noone says a word. We sit in silence until November gets up. "Thanks for letting me sit here." She smiles.