Piece Of My Mind

{Chapter 3}

Mia Dawson

''Mia, Anne!'' Someone called us the moment we entered our school bar, to grab a snack before heading home. I recognized immediately who it was. Alan, Jeremy, and Maria were sitting at a table there and when they saw us looking, they waved at us. We both smiled and headed towards them, totally forgetting to buy food.

Approaching them, I tossed my bag onto the ground and took a sit in the chair and Anne followed me. ''Where the hell have you girls been? We haven't seen you at lunch.'' Jeremy inquired taking a bite of his ham sandwich while penetrating my soul with his gorgeous stunning, annoying green eyes.

I was going to come up with a very good lie, but they don't deserve it. ''Me and Anne had lunch outside.'' I responded, robbing a potato from Alan's fries. Delicious. Everything tastes better when you're not the one that's paying.

Of course, he glared at me. ''Hey missy, hasn't your mother taught you not to take things without asking?''

I beamed ironically. ''Yes, but not when it comes to food.''

He snorted, taking his tray a little away from me like that would stop me. Dickhead.

Alan, Jeremy, Maria, and Anne have been my best friends since kindergarten. I know it may sound strange to say that I have four best friends from that early in life, but the truth is that I was really lucky. Making friends in kindergarten and sticking with them throughout high school and now college is a challenge, but not for us. Even though we are all majoring in different things, except me and Anne, we still spend most of our time together.

And yes, I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I tell them about what's happening with me yet? I will, eventually when the time is right. I don't want them to treat me differently as cliché as that sounds, because they would. And I'm still not ready for that, right now.

Maria snorted loudly looking right at the door. ''I cannot stand them. Those three can turn my insides into shit.'' She growled keeping her eyes fixated on the door behind me, which made me turn around. Oh, okay then. Here we go.

I saw Jeremy laugh super lowly. ''I think you have to understand that what you're feeling, isn't hate. It's love. Because that-'' He gestured to her face. ''Is not normal for a person who never even had an interaction with them.''

She rolled her eyes. ''You don't need to interact with them to know that they suck.'' She backfired, visibly annoyed by his comment.

And by them, she means Eric Watson, Isaac Campbell, and of course Thomas Williams. The three ''you can't touch this'' at this college. Yes, you do have the top ones even in college. Quite frankly I don't understand why she even bothers to hate them. I just like to pretend that they don't exist. That's much easier and not so time-consuming.

''I don't understand how you even play basketball with them.'' Maria added looking at Alan. Alan is our sporty friend guy. Every group has one of them at least. I think.

''If you didn't spend all your time hating them, you would see that they are nice people.'' He responded, making Maria roll her eyes in absolute annoyance. Even I had to follow the eye-roll. ''But then again, I'm with Jeremy on this one. Love's a bitch right Maria? Especially if we're talking about Isaac am I right?'' He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

The look on her face could kill someone, I swear. ''I don't even know why I vent with you assholes.''

We all laughed at her. ''You have to admit that you talk about them a lot.'' Anne intervened, not helping her case because now Maria was glaring at her. But that didn't stop her. ''Just ignored them.'' She added, maybe trying to help Maria brush off the feeling of love and annoyance that was taking over her.

''I would if I could.'' She answered frustrated.

We all don't know where her disdain for them came from, but it happened all of a sudden last year and since then, she can't stand them. Especially Isaac. We tried to get to the bottom of it, but she just shuts down. We will, however, get there.

''Out of curiosity, are they single?'' Anne inquired almost regretting it. Jeremy and Alan look at her dumbfounded. ''What?'' She double-crossed annoyed.

''Don't even go there.'' Alan warned nodding his head, after taking a sip of his juice and giving a big burp to which all of us glared at him. Dude, seriously, manners.

I interjected. ''Aren't they nice guys like you said?'' I inquired internally giving Anne a high-five for moral support.

''They are.'' He responded, quite frankly, not that sure of the answer.

''Then what is the problem of the question?'' Anne continued, with a deadpan look on her face.

''Besides the fact you asking if those three assholes have girlfriends? Haven't you been in this college for three years?'' Maria asked making a well-crafted point. ''They don't stick with one more than a month.''

''You sound jealous.'' Jeremy said teasing her.

She pinched his shoulder. ''Hey!'' He cried, looking at her upset. ''It's not fault that you're weird when it comes to them. Just take a chill pill, Maria, seriously.'' He added his face super serious.

Maria was about to respond, when Alan intervened, cutting the conversation. ''Enough about them.'' He started, pushing his tray to the middle of the table. ''It's Friday, what are we doing tonight?''

''Besides watching how to get away with murder winter break finale and wondering for the eleven-time if Wes is alive?'' Anne stated, making me internally roll her eyes. Her and that show. That is so 2020 drama Anne.

''You need to redefine your priorities. Netflix is making you not funny.'' Jeremy stated taking from his pocket a package of gum and placing one in his mouth.

''I have my priorities just fine, thank you.'' She backfired. Don't mess with my girl and her Netflix shows. At this point, it's a religion.

''I'm just not in the mood to go out.'' I said trying to mingle my opinion, without them coming down on me. Which I can tell you right now, didn't work. Was a good attempt though.

''Oh, come on Mia, you're like the only girl who's always up to go out.'' Alan pleaded and I leaned back on my chair, contemplating my will to go. Which, after today, was none.

''I know, but I don't feel it today.'' I insisted, hoping they would see that I wasn't really in the mood to go out.

Alan stared at me for a few seconds. He is trying to analyze me, and he was always good at that. Since we were kids, he was always capable of knowing when something was off with me and I could tell that as Anne did, he also knew that something wasn't right. But also, never insisted and always gave me space to process stuff and when I felt ready, I could always share with them. ''Okay, so let's go to Jomi's for dinner.'' He suggested and I gave him the biggest smile I could give. He knows that Jomi's is my favorite restaurant in town, with the greatest lasagna in the goddamn universe.

I detached my back from the chair and nodded vigorously. He cracked a smile. ''I can always convince you with food, can I?'' I beamed, yes you can because I live for food.

Jeremy turned around to face Anne and Maria? ''Are you girls in?''

''For some god-heavenly mind-blowing lasagna?'' Anna asked rhetorically. She loved it as much as me.

''It's a goddamn lasagna date people.'' Maria added.