Studying The Star Crossed Lovers

❧Chapter 2☙

My cousin's a fool, and thou art another,

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Claire's lunchroom was exclusive. Sure people went in and out but they never sat down. People would run into mention something or ask for advice but they never stayed. There were only seven girls and boys sat down in the classroom and that group were the only ones consistently in the room. It wasn't a strict rule, of course, it was more just something people obeyed. There wouldn't be a punishment, it would just be slightly awkward.

"Justin is coming." Puffed out a boy Claire didn't recognize that ran into the classroom. Claire put her head in her hands while one of her friends cleaned up hair and reapplied her lipstick. Annie and Claire shared a look of annoyance at Claire's cousin before throwing the puffing boy a water bottle.

Sure enough, Justin burst into the classroom a couple of seconds later. Claire held her hands out defeated as she let her cousin pull her out of her chair and drag her into the hallway.

"What the fuck! Are you serious? Why is James Darney our worst enemy always fucking touching you? I'm not kidding. Every week I get a call you two were getting handsy in a corridor. We hate him, remember?

"Justin I don't hate him. We just make fun of each other. You can't overreact every single time and come storming into my school. I'm getting sick of it. You don't own me. I just do what I want so could you please leave me alone. I'll see you when I get home but can you please just leave?"

"If I told Uncle Micheal. If Uncle Micheal knew he would have me go beat him up." Pointed out Justin and Claire shoved her cousin against the school lockers.

"If I told Aunt Miriam about half the shit you do she would slice you up and feed you to her dogs. That's our unspoken rule though. We don't tell them. But imagine if I did, do you think Uncle Micheal would let you live? Do you think he wouldn't put a bullet right between you eyes without hesitation? Yeah so fuck right off Justin. Stay out of my business." Justin ran his hands through his hair and tugged at it before storming out of the school. 

Claire returned to her friends. She lay down on a couch while her friend Jack gave her a sympathetic smile as he patted her knee. That's what Claire hated the most about it all, the pity. The reason Claire adored Annie was that they could laugh with each other throughout their misery. Annie knew when Claire wanted real advice or when she just wanted to rant. Claire knew when Annie needed to comfort eat or when she needed Claire to make her get her shit together. It was a perfect dynamic built off their ability to communicate and be honest. 

The next day Claire was relieved as she got to avoid the possible drama of another English class. As she sat with her friends at lunch Claire did not expect Valery Reid to run through the door of their lunchroom.

"Annie so James took me out for lunch right which was great since we ditched science. Anyway, we were sitting eating food and he ends it. He said he is sorry but he doesn't feel the way he used to about me or something. I honestly don't even know what happened. I was just so shocked I didn't say anything. I just sat there eating my fricken ice cream for like twenty minutes without even saying anything. How embarrassing is that?"

"Wait so are you okay?" Asked Annie as Valery paced at the front of the room.

"No, I didn't even say anything I just ate ice cream. Who does that?" 

"I mean are you okay with the relationship ending? Like are you heartbroken?" Asked a confused Annie and Valery stopped her violent pacing.

"Actually I'm okay. You know what this is what needed to happen." Smiled Valery.

"Okay so here's what you are going to do. Go out to where he is, shake his hand, and agree to be friends. Then you don't have to worry okay?" Valery nodded confidently and marched out of the room.

The group of friends watched from the window as she went out into the quad and pulled James aside. They talked for a few minutes before Valery shook James' hand with a smile. It was peaceful and friendly and how all breakups should end.

Claire grabbed her bag and decided it was just better not to go to her last to classes. Her car was parked outside and she just hopped in and drove home. 

Collapsing onto her bed Claire sighed. She was so very tired. She had no clue why as she got plenty of sleep and she didn't exactly do anything tiring that day. It was more she was mentally exhausted. Since she couldn't sleep she just lay there wishing that the peace of sleep would come. It had been an hour when Claire felt her cousin climb into the bed next to her.

"You good?" Asked Justin.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just in a bit of a slump." Said Claire and Justin just hugged her and rubbed her back knowing it would help his cousin slip into sleep. "You know I love you, even when you are a dick."

"Yeah, I love you too cuzzy-bro." Laughed Justin and Claire drifted off pretty quickly after that.

When Claire woke up her cousin was missing and she was sorely regretting falling asleep in her school uniform. It was the weekend but Claire couldn't just turn over and fall back asleep. She was cursed with the inability to sleep.

After Claire got ready she made her way to the greenhouse her grandmother taught her to run before she died. Her grandmother was a very religious woman so before she had passed she told Claire that she would be watching her from heaven to make sure she looked after her plants. While Claire didn't believe in any of that she enjoyed looking after the plants. She pulled on some gloves as many of the plants were poisonous so Claire had to be very careful.