i like (the idea of) you • grayson dolan

fourteen

OPAL'S POV

Keeping my head down, I weave through kids in the hall. By now, most of them had heard about the whole stupid Cherry-Picking thing, and me fighting with Grayson in the hallway.

Luckily, most of them didn't care, but it was obvious some found it funny or wanted to know a bit more. I just wanted to go back to being invisible.

"Opal!"

I sighed as I heard my name, continuing to walk toward my last class. Though I eventually stopped when I felt someone grab my arm.

"What is it, Ethan?" I asked, stopping in the corner of the hallway. He was panting slightly from trying to catch up with me. "I have to get to class."

"Yeah, I know, I just—you've been avoiding me and everyone else since last week," he frowns and crosses his arms. He said I was avoiding him as if we'd ever hung out much in the first place. Especially at school. "I wanted to apologize." I raise an eyebrow at him, waiting. "Alright, Opal, seriously—I'm sorry. I should've mentioned the joke to you sooner or stopped them. And I should've slapped Grayson for being so stupid."

"Okay," I nod.

"That's it? Okay?" He laughs. I don't know what he was expecting.

Ethan wasn't really the one I was mad at. He was a little stupid, sure, but the damage wasn't his fault. I wasn't a huge fan of him right now, but he'd never been my biggest problem. It's always been Grayson.

"I appreciate the apology. What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know, I just feel bad about how it happened," he says. "At the time it just seemed like a joke, but I guess we were all being assholes."

"Thanks, but it's really alright. You don't need to drag me to a party or anything this time," I snort. I wasn't upset with Ethan... we just weren't close. "Can I go to class now?"

Ethan shrugs, not stopping me as I walk away. I walk into class and take my seat with Celia, who's on her phone.

She had still been a little busy with Julie still, but between all that was happening, we were getting along. It was nice to be close to her again—especially with everything else going on in my life right now.

"Hey, wanna have lunch with me and Julie today?" She asks, grinning. "I'd love it if you guys could get closer. And we can get your mind off of he-who-shall-not-be-named."

"'Course, Lia," I laugh, shaking my head. "But you can say his name."

"So much less fun though." Grayson walks into english and slumps into the seat in front of us, not once glancing my way. "Speak of the devil."

"Not in the mood, Celia," he huffs without turning around. "Can you two complain about me later? I get it, I'm an ass. I don't need to hear about it."

She raises an eyebrow, turning to me, "someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Or did you just get kicked out of Ella's last night?"

Celia was known to be... a little mean, if she didn't like someone. She loved getting on people's nerves. Usually it was funny, mostly harmless, but as soon as the words left her mouth we both knew it wasn't today.

Grayson whips his head around to look her in the eye, stare flickering my way for a brief second. "I didn't fucking sleep with Ella. We're friends. She had a few people over last night, Ethan and I left at eleven. Mind your goddamn business."

"Grayson," I snap, instantly regretting it when our eyes meet. "Just because you're in a bad mood doesn't mean you need to take it out on Celia."

My voice gets caught in my throat, so it comes out as more of a whisper. His features soften, a small sigh coming from his mouth.