Time And I

Thirty-Three

News of the fight spread around quickly, and it was all anyone talked about for two days. Usually there was something else to gossip about, but this was about the school's loner and most hated girl. I was dating Devon Quid, and despite not having done anything besides kiss twice, we were every goth, punk, and freak kids' ideal couple. Half the kids who came up to me ask to about him I didn't know, and I didn't appreciate people trying to weasel their way into my business.

One of the good things about being with Devon was the fact that a lot of girls quit their glaring and gossiping over my friendship with Buddy. Some girls still hated me, but a lot became indifferent because their biggest enemy was no longer a threat. It also became an excuse to talk to me about Buddy and what he was looking for in a girlfriend. I had half the mind to say it was someone just like me, but they weren't worth my attention.

It seemed like everywhere I went, people were staring at me. Though that was largely because of Devon following me around everywhere, I went like a lost puppy. Wherever I sat in class, he was right next to me. And since we were dating and shared the back corner of the math classroom, our teacher continuously glanced at us, prompting our classmates to as well. The attention was driving Devon insane, but he calmed down after a few days. The entire school seemed to calm down, and Devon's return was normal.

Buddy and a few of his friends were seated at our usual table, leaving two seats open for Devon and I. He followed me into the cafeteria and sat beside me, scooching his chair closer to me and placing his hand on my back. A group of girls at the neighboring table cooed and complained about how they wished their partners would do the same for them.

I should have been grateful that Devon was treating me with a lot of kindness and wasn't going around and getting into trouble, but the attention was horrible. I missed it when people would glare at me for being next to Buddy and start rumors he would quickly diminish. I missed the normalcy I grew accustomed to. Buddy noticed it, and I was sure Devon did as well.

"Do you want me to grab you a drink?"

"Yes, please," I whispered.

Devon smiled, kissed my temple (earning a few squeals from the same girls), and left the table for the canteen.

"You look miserable," Terry stated.

"Gee, thanks," I deadpanned.

"I don't mean that in a bad way." He leaned in and whispered, "Unless it is in a bad way."

"No, I'm just sick of people fawning over me," I loudly stated, as I turned to glare at the group of girls. They may have ducked their head, but they still whispered. "Why can't I be old news again? Why can't the girls go back to hating me for being your friend?" I asked Buddy.

"Because you outgrew those rumors. Now it's time to for you to distill your own sex rumors."

I gawked. "Is that a thing people are actually talking about?"

"Yes," everyone at the table stated.

"It's bad," Buddy frowned.

I groaned. "Sure, you kiss a guy once, and it's innocent. Kiss him twice, and everyone think you've slept with him."

"You've only kissed twice?" Brandi, Terry's girlfriend, asked.

"We haven't done anything but kiss. We haven't even gone on a proper date yet."

"Oh, Mel," Buddy frowned.

"Shut up," I groaned.

Devon walked back to the table and placed a water bottle in front of me before wrapping his arm back around me. The conversation was quickly dropped, instead focusing on an Algebra test Terry took.