But I love her

12~kathy

"Come on man you have to get ready for church" Maverick said, shaking me awake.

"Give me five more minutes" I grumbled.

"I've already given you like ten minutes. Your dad thinks you're getting ready. I got you something out of your closet." Maverick said. I reluctantly got out of bed and got dressed. I wore a white button up shirt with jeans, boots, and a belt.

I walked to the kitchen. "How do I look?" I asked.

"Great man" Maverick said, clapping me on the shoulders.

"We should get going or we're gonna be late for church and your mom would have my head. " we're just one big family. Mrs. Thompson is like a mom to me, my dad is like a father to Maverick, and Maverick and I are like brothers.
***
It's Monday at lunch and I haven't talked or even looked at Allie or Aria since Saturday night. I hate that I had a mental breakdown almost in front of them.

Alike walked into the cafeteria with Duke smiling and laughing. I can tell Maverick hates them hanging out. "Hey guys" she said happily, putting her tray on the table.

"Hey," Maverick said, grabbing a fry from her plate. He doesn't want her to know it bothers him that she hangs out with Duke.

Aria walked in, alone as normal. The class she has before lunch doesn't have any of us in it. She got her lunch tray and came and sat with us.

"Hey tramp go fetch" Kathy said, grabbing the apple off of Aria's plate and throwing it across the cafeteria.

"You little-" Allie got cut off by Aria grabbing her arm silently telling her to stop.

"Hey Adrien, there's a seat over there at my table that doesn't have dogs" she said to me. My blood started to boil.

I smirked. "You know I don't see any dogs over here but I think your table is infested with them" I said looking at her table to make my point. "Not to mention that I'm looking at one right now" I said staring her down. She turned away and headed for her table.

"Are you okay?" I said to Aria. She nodded in response.
***
Me and Aria had to work on our project today. We worked at my house again. We worked silently for a while neither one of us wanting to talk to the other.

I couldn't stand the silence. It made me think I did something terrible. She was sitting on my bed and I was sitting on the floor.

"Adrien?" She said quietly. She reminded me of the first day I met her, shy. I looked up at her confused.

"Thank you for standing up for me in the cafeteria."

"It was no problem," I said, turning back to our project.

"Actually it meant a lot. No one ever stood up for me at my old school, except for Allie. The last time Allie stood up for me she got in a fight and now I won't let her do anything"

"Why does she call you tramp?" I asked.

"What?" Aria asked.

"Kathy, why does she call you Tramp?" I asked again.

"Well she's been bullying me since I was a freshman. I was always nerdy and smart so the teachers liked me. She called me the teacher's pet."

"She's been bullying you for four years?" I was in disbelief. She just nodded.

"One day in sophomore year I went to a party after a football game, much to my protest but my boyfriend insisted. I gave in and went to the party. Some of his friends got me wasted. After that this guy that was in my English class offered to take me to lie down. Kathy saw him take me into a room and took it the wrong way. Nothing ever happened with him. She just twisted the truth. She's been calling me tramp ever since."