Let's Reminisce

(7)

I exited my last class, exhausted, both mentally and physically. I'd had to do cross country in P.E. today and it killed me. I thought that the surfing would have made me fitter, but oh no. I practically died after maybe two hundred metres, along with the rest of my class.

I met a couple of people who were nice. A girl named Freya was friendly and didn't stare at me like everyone else. A boy called Rick seemed nice enough but he tended to flirt a lot. Along with the rest of the guys at my new - or old, depending on how you looked at it - school. And also, some of the girls were just desperate sluts that fawned over the hotter guys - aka Jesse, Cody and Ian - while wearing short skirts and low tops. I received maybe fifty death glares today.

I departed from the school building, making my way the the school car park. All around me, students were chatting and heading home, together or meeting someone else. I felt pretty lonely until I suddenly saw Jesse, and my expression – previously annoyed and tired – changed to one of relief. Just the sight of him brightened my day. The smile that was on my face faded, though, when I saw him chatting with a girl. I stopped in my tracks, fully intending to turn around and walk back the way I came, when Jesse spotted me and smiled. I tried to grin back but it was probably more of a scowl. Well, now that he had seen me, I had to go over there, as much as I didn't want to.

So I headed towards him, and as I reached him, the girl he was talking to turned her head, tossing her long, dark hair as she did so. She looked me up and down, a small sneer on her face.

"Hey, Ariana," Jesse said to me, grinning, completely oblivious of the fact that the girl was not, well, delighted to be in my presence. "Good day?"

I shrugged, glancing at the girl. "Uh... alright, I guess." I was feeling intimidated as this girl was clearly older and prettier than me and probably knew Jesse better. 

She cleared her throat and put on a fake smile, aimed at me. "Hi, Ariana is it?" I nodded. "So nice to meet you, I've heard so much about you." The false sweetness in her voice made it clear she had heard too much and she didn't like my hanging out with Jesse. "I'm Charli. Jesse and I have two of our classes together."

This Charli girl was undoubtedly trying to emphasise the fact that her in Jesse were in the same year and spent more time together than we did. She was trying to claim him as her own property, I realised soon enough.

Charlie beamed at me again. "How do you know him?"

I decided I could play this game as well.

I put on a sexy smile, and peered at Jesse before answering. "Oh, well, we go surfing together. On the beach. I mean, we met before school started – he served me in Starbucks once. Quite a coincidence really."

"Hm, yes, what a coincidence," Charli said through gritted teeth. Then she looked at her wrist as if there was a watch there – but there wasn't – and fake gasped. "So sorry, but I have to go. Catch up with you later." She threw a glare in my direction before glancing over at Jesse, visibly looking him up and down, winked at him, then walked off with a toss of her hair. 

Jesse and I looked after her, him confused, me holding back laughter.

After she disappeared from sight among other students, though, I let out my laugh. Jesse turned to me, bewilderment on his face. That just made me laugh harder.

"What's so funny?" he asked, frowning. 

He was so clueless. It was sweet. But it was strange that I, having lost my memory, could tell the girl's thoughts but he, a probably experienced guy, couldn't.

The world works in strange ways.

"Jesse, could you not see she did not like me talking to you?" I said, still chuckling.