And Then There Was Vince

Chapter 29: Fallout

Thanksgiving blew by as quickly as it had come. My sister was home from college for a short stint of time, and my parents had taken the opportunity to pack our schedules full of family activities. I didn't see much of anyone from school over the break, but it still ended up being a very good time. 

    Despite November coming in like a lion, it certainly didn't go out like a lamb. December descended upon us like a beast. The first week brought in the first snowstorm, and that first snowstorm resulted in the inevitable first snow day. It was going to be a very rough winter, not only for atmospheric reasons. 

    As the temperature dropped closer to zero, Vince was starting to freeze over as well. I didn't notice it much at first, but the gap between us was undeniably widening, and it was destroying me trying to figure out why. 

"You been okay lately?" I asked him one day in creative writing.  

"Yeah," Was always his uninspiring response. 

Something was bothering him, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it.

*

"I don't understand what everyone's problem with The Great Gatsby is," Liam declared in the hallway after. "It's really not that bad of a book."

"People just don't like reading," I complained. "The movie did pretty well here, though."

This conversation about American literature went on for a lot longer than I had really cared for, but thinking back on it, it was nothing that lengthy or extraordinary at the time.  

Neither was the day I briefly sat with Liam at lunch time before taking my rightful spot beside Vince. 

Neither was the day Liam and I had gone to the library together to get some homework done. 

These were all a bunch of rather insignificant interactions.
   
 I hadn't thought anything of them by the time Snowflake tickets went on sale. It was December 9th, and everyone was excited for the promise of Christmas, The New Year, the dance, and any kind of after parties those events would bring to them. Pretty much everyone had their tickets in hand before the second day of the sale.

"So, V," Ashley said slyly when I joined her a few days after at lunch. "I heard Liam doesn't have a date to Snowflake yet. Know of anyone interested?"

"Unfortunately not," I shot back, meeting a roll of her eyes.

"Well I heard something interesting," Corinne chimed in. 

"Oh yeah?" I inquired, hardly interested.

"I heard that he likes someone," She chirped. 

"Good for him," I confirmed.

I liked to play stupid in these little games. I knew exactly what they were insinuating, but I had little to no interest at all. I knew who I'd be asking, or hopefully getting asked by. I hadn't seen him nearly enough in the last few weeks, though. 

"God, V, you bother me!" Ashley snapped. "Obviously it's you and you're perfect for him. Can you imagine how cute your pictures would look."

It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Not interested," I deadpanned.

"And why?" Corinne pressed, angry with me once again. 

"Because I already have someone else in mind!" I shouted, louder than I wanted to. A few students at adjoining tables shot anxious glances at me before quickly losing interest in the scene. 

"And who's that?" Mandy goaded, rolling her eyes now instead. "Who the hell could be better than THAT?"

"Wait," Ashley interjected, suddenly sounding very serious. "You aren't planning on going with Gomez, are you?"

I could feel the fire igniting inside of me.

"And so what if I am? Why would you care?"

"Ugh, V! I care because it makes us all look bad if you go with something like...THAT."

She mimed the action of gagging, and I couldn't take anymore. 

"What do you mean 'THAT'," I raged with air quotes. "He's a good person, and if I may remind you, he was there for me during the entire month you spent locking me out. Excuse me if I value whatever I have with him over your shitty appearance. I am beyond caring what you or anyone else at this school thinks. You are a miserable, insufferable, terrible, horrible bitch, Ashley."

All three of the girls just stared at me, and I left the table in a rage. I passed Liam going somewhere in the hallway, but didn't stop when he attempted to hail me. I went to the bathroom, locked myself in a stall, and cried. 

I can only feel bad-ass for a moment, I guess.