The Odd Ever After

Chapter 13: Maybe I'm the hypocrite

It was the week after Christmas break, and knowing school, the last few months will fly by quick.

Today we were gonna take pictures for the year book, and the only thing I could think is why we hadn't done this sooner. We (sophomores) were gonna be taking our pictures during the last half of 2nd period and all of 3rd. I was pretty happy with that time slot seeing as I was trying not to talk to Nickol, only speaking to her to say hi, or when we do work together, other than that nothing else was said making 3rd period kinda awkward.

When it was picture time we walked over to the auditorium, which was currently being evacuated by chatty freshmen. With a loud groan I slumped into a seat in the back row. If I needed or wanted to leave I was literally a foot away from the 2 open wooden doors.

I didn't see the point in doing this, it's not like anyone is gonna remember me, or care to remember me that is. I liked being a hidden piece of high school, sure I had a good amount of friends, a couple upper-classmen, a couple lower-classmen, a lot of my classmates, but I wasn't popular, and never planned to be. I was even amazed I made any friends, but I knew they would never be long-life-worth-remembering friendships.

I watched on, amused as kids piled onto the stage for their pictures. The kids wanting to get it over with went first, follwed by the ones who could care less, and the popular girls were in the first few rows touching up hair and make up while the popular guys talked, judging each kid on stage, or watched their "girls" get dolled up all over again.

Yup, high school was not my scene.

With a final decision I got up from my seat deciding it would be another year with no photo in my slot. I pulled one strap from my backpack and headed to the door looking down so no one would ask me if I took my picture, I was a bad liar and they'd catch on, so I'd rather just avoid it. As I took two steps out I bumped into someone accidentally.

"Sorry." I mumbled, looking up to be meet with the soft brown eyes I had gotten so used to.

Samuel wore a crooked grin, his eyes holding amusement as they sparkled, his expression had me glaring at him. This was the first thing I had said to him after that whole situation with Nicky. Quite frankly I didn't want to talk to him, much less feel butterflies from our close proximity. His breath fanned my face lightly and even though it was a few seconds it felt like we were standing like that for hours, making my anger melt away easily.

"It's cool." He said moving to the side slightly. I was ready to move over to leave when the principal walked past us looking us over, a puzzled expression crossing her face.

"Excuse me, have you two taking your pictures?" She asked making my stomach knot. Please don't tell me I'm in trouble, I thought over and over as she walked over to us.

"Ma'am, sir I am talking to you two." She said annoyed.

"No ma'am I haven't." I said embarrassed as my stomach turned. I was never good when it came to "authoritative" type figures, I got nervous and told the truth. Yes, I was a good kid, and sometimes (i.e: this time) I wished I was bad.

"Sir?" She asked looking over Samuel again.

"Not yet, just got out of the restroom." He said smoothly. A knot formed between her brow and I felt like I had to throw up, I hated the thought of getting in trouble.

"Then I highly suggest you two get back into that auditorium. This could be considered skipping since you aren't where you need to be. There are 2 options for you go in there,"she said pointing to the auditorium before continuing, "or class, that's it. If I do catch you two out again I will call your parents informing them that you have in school suspension. Understand?" She finished.

I nodded furiously, even though I knew I wouldn't do either, and Samuel chuckled before she walked away.

"Yeah, you should definitely call her parents." He joked as we walked into the auditorium.

"Shut up." I laughed as I looked down at my feet.

"Oh, no, I seriously thought you stuck it to her. Did you get whiplash from nodding so hard?" He asked feigning concern.

"Whatever." I laughed out again.

"You really gonna take pictures?" He asked sounding serious as he took a seat in the middle of the auditorium. How we made it to the middle aisle so quick was beyond me.

"No, I was heading out when you got me in trouble." I joked causing him to laugh.

"Sure you were. You were probably gonna get dolled up like them." He said looking up at my still standing form as he pointed to the popular girls now adjusting their shirts.

"Pssst, as if. I don't take pictures for 1, and 2 I don't care how I look, it's a 'like me or not, I don't care' thing I have going." I said twirling a little causing him to laugh.

"I highly doubt you're gonna leave. Unless you're going back to class?" He asked quizzical.

"Nooopppe." I said playfully swinging back and forth on my heels.

"Oh, then you're definitely not going any where." He said in a matter-in-fact tone.

"Watch me." I said quickly turning and walking away heading toward Ms. Hale's class. I couldn't help but laugh as I felt his eyes on me as I walked up the ramp and out the room.

_____

"Do you think I'm a hypocrite for talking to him and not Nicky?" I asked Ms. Hale as I tossed a ball up with one had catching it in the other.

"Do you feel like one?" She asked looking away from the music she was ordering to me. I twisted in her bean bag thinking a little bit. 

Was I being a hypocrite?  I mean he doesn't know I like him, maybe he doesn't even think I have feelings for him. Plus he was shutting me out and I didn't try and stop him so he probably took that as I didn't like him enough. But Nicky?  Nicky knew how much I cared she knew it would hurt me, yet she still did it and I didn't know why. Was I a bad friend? She made me feel like that even though I did nothing wrong.

"I don't know. I don't think he knows I like him, so he probably had no clue it hurt me so much. But Nickol knew, or knows actually,  how much I like him and she kept flirting with him. I feel confused." I said rubbing my temples with slight pressure.

"I think you should follow your heart on this one. I mean, I love Nicky,  but I do think she over stepped a boundary this time. I just wish you didn't like Samuel, I hear stuff, and you're way too good for a boy like that." She said with a smile making me laugh. She was right in a way, but at the same time I felt like Samuel was way out of my league and not the other way around. I shrugged in response going back to tossing the ball as the conversation turned to her wedding plans, I happily followed the topic switch.

Oh well, if I was being a hypocrite by talking to him and not Nicky who cares. I felt happy talking to him today. It didn't feel awkward or forced, and it felt right, unlike conversation with her. I feel like he didn't know what she knows and maybe, just maybe, if he knew things would have been different. So if talking to him was hypocritical,  I was gonna be a proud hypocrite, especially since I planned on talking to him again.

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A/N: Just a quick chapter since I might not be able to update next week. There will probably be 2 more chapters and then an epilogue to this book, so I'm gonna try and have them done asap.

Once again thanks for reading.

-Jovy♡