Beautiful People

Four: Social Status

Keia's POV

"He was so nice," Lyrique said.

It was lunch and I usually don't go for lunch anymore since Selena tripped me in the cafeteria last semester. She thought I was 'eyeing her man' when she caught me drawing Cyrus on a piece of paper during history.

Well, she was dumped the next day so sucks to be her.

I told Lyrique I usually go to work during the one and a half hour break. Then she was shocked and wanted to know that I worked during the school day.

I decided that I could trust her as she was more or less like me.

So I told her about my orphan life and how my grandma died, leaving out the fact she was murdered because grandmothers die all the time. It's what they do, so no need to specify. I explained that I lived alone and worked in the Templeton Hotel as a maid and waitress. She was shocked but didn't, to my relief, look pitiful. Instead, she told me her story.

Her mother was killed in a police riot when she was twelve. It was just her and her dad after that. She lived in the boarding house for Ladies opposite her school since her dad was always away. Now she had her own apartment too. Pretty close to mine too. She had her own Mercedes-Benz S-class and she said she could give me a ride but at the moment, it was still being shipped here. So she was going to her cousin's place after school.

Lunch was over soon enough and  it was time for lessons again. Cyrus wasn't there like we agreed he should be.

That kid really can't be anywhere when he's needed, can he?

Just like lightning, he was running towards me in the hall and couldn't stop until the last second. I was falling backwards when he caught me, tango style. My hair had undone itself and was barely a braid when it escaped. I quickly grabbed it and pulled it back to my head.

He stared at me puzzled at why I always covered my head. If anyone knew my secret...

He lifted me up and didn't stop pleading with his eyes for me to forgive him. But how could I? People forgive friends for stealing boyfriends, sharing their secrets with other people and misunderstanding each other. This was not one of those typical instances.

I needed him. I was counting on him. He wasn't like the others, I thought. And he wasn't there when I needed him most. Twice.

He didn't even try to apologise or come up with a dumb excuse the second time. He just ignored and avoided me. He let them hurt me and he wasn't there to help. He was a ghost of my happier childhood.

He opened his mouth to speak but I said, "Don't ask. You didn't come to lunch today." I waited for a response but this time it came. He held my hand in his larger ones and held them over his heart.

"I'm so sorry, Keia. I had detention. I hurried the Math paper Mrs Harrison gave me so I could get here but she made me redo. I'm stupid and that's the truth why I couldn't come."

Hearing his heartfelt apology was music to my ears, but a part of me wasn't ready to forgive him.

I looked into his gorgeous, green orbs and almost let my guard down.

Uh, no! Kay, you can't let him walk right over like everything is fine. He's a player, in more ways then one. Don't fall.

I abruptly removed my hands from his grip. and he looked at me like I had just slapped him in the face.

"Am I still meeting you in the p-" I put my finger to his lips. It was a lot of effort.  I was so much shorter than him, my head ended where his heart was. You wouldn't believe I was older than him. So I stood on my points, a move I hadn't done since I stopped dancing. When I was ten...

"Shut up if you know what's good for your social status," I whispered. I had gotten used to not talking for a while so when I do it's in a clear hushed whisper. Well, unless a pair of idiot jocks impaled me with a football.

He furrowed his eyebrows. I didn't expect him to answer me yet again.

"Keia, I don't care what people will think. I just want you to talk to me again."

"You say that but you know you don't mean it," I replied, sadly. I wished life didn't have to be like this. Where it was fine for a popular guy to be seen talking to the class basketcase.

Before he could reply, the bell rang. I ran to the newsroom, where the school newspaper committee was having their weekly meeting. Before I went too far, I stopped dead in my tracks and walked back to Cyrus, who was tying his shoelaces.

I went and bent on one knee and whispered in his ear;

"I forgive your absence, Cyrus," I said. His eyes immediately lit up. "-at lunch. Still meet me at the parking lot."

The happiness in his eyes never faded like the cruel part of me wanted it to. He smiled at me a genuine smile like I told him I would marry him or something. It confused me and when I'm confused, my nose scrunches up.

"Thank you, Keia, for making my day." And with that, we went our separate ways.