Please Write Back

Chapter 24

When I get up, I immediately spot the sweater on my chair. I sigh, rolling out of bed to get ready for school. "I should really give this back to him," I mumble to myself, picking the sweatshirt up from the chair and shoving it into my backpack on the floor. I take my books and papers off my desk and put them in my backpack as well.

Being at school has been better recently, and it's not just because of Alex. Its just that no one is really talking about me anymore—which is a good thing—and everyone is just staying away from me. It's not really that good, I guess, but it's better than it was (in my standards). Although I wish that everything had stayed the same. I feel like was kind of selfish to want more—more attention, mostly—but it backfired. 

I get dressed for school, walking downstairs with my backpack for breakfast. There's nothing on the table, as usual for the past few weeks, and I just make a bowl of cereal for myself. My mom and dad are both on their phones, either reading the news or their emails. There is no food in front of either of my parents, unless you found the cup of coffee in from of my dad as food. 

"Good morning, Earnie," my mom says in a monotone voice, not looking up from her phone.

"G'morning," I reply, stirring around the last bits of cereal in my bowl, watching them drift in the milk. "Maybe I should go to school now."

"Isn't it a bit early?" she asks.

"I have Zero Period today," I answer before drinking the rest of the milk in the bowl. I get up, putting the bowl in the sink. "My first class starts earlier."

"I suppose you should be going off to work too, honey," my mom says to my dad. 

"Yeah, I should," my dad replies, also standing up.

I get my backpack that's sitting in the floor and go to the door. "I'm heading out now."

"Yeah, see you later," my mom says, still looking at her phone. She can't even stand look over to say goodbye to me? 

I open the door and walk outside, closing it behind me and locking it with my keys. I start walking to school, which isn't too far away. I've never really liked my school that much. I mean, I wish I went to a different school. When I was applying for high schools back in eighth grade, I took this test to get into this really good school. I really wanted to go, even though it was a private school. So I took the test and made it, except my parents didn't want to pay for the tuition. It was expensive, and they wanted to save their money for college. And here I am. 

I walk into the hallway, and I see Alex at his locker talking to someone else. I want to wait until the other person leaves until I give the sweater back. It's too embarrassing to give it back to him in front of somebody else. I start walking slower, just so that we'll meet up in time. But of course, Alex sees me.

"Oh hey!" he says, then turning to the person next to him, saying something. They turn to look at me. I've never seen this person here before. I guess I have no choice but to go to Alex.

"Hi, Alex," I say, eyeing the person stand thing next to him.

"This is my friend Hunter," Alex says. Hunter looks at me. He has blonde hair and green eyes, and is a bit taller than I am. "He went to my old high school. But it closed down, so he came here," Alex continues.

"Hi," Hunter says to me. "And you are..."

"Oh, I'm Earnest," I reply.

"So you two know each other well?" Hunter asks Alex.

"Mhmm, we're pretty close friends," Alex answers, nodding. 

Hunter glances at me again, and I start silently freaking out for some reason. The way he's looking at me is really intimidating for some reason. Or maybe it's just because I don't like meeting new people. But still, it makes me uncomfortable. 

"I should be going off to class!" Alex says. "You two should get to know each other."

And now I'm really freaking out. Alex can't leave me alone with someone I don't even know. And to make it worse, I'm already really scared of him for literally no reason. Alex walks away, and then it's just Hunter and me. I can feel my palms start to moisten up with sweat.

"Hm, so you're pretty close to him, huh?" Hunter asks me. I just nod. 

"Yeah, Alex and have known each other since... freshman year of high school," he adds. "How long have you known him?"

"Since middle school," I answer after some hesitation. "But.. we didn't really get to know each other until this year..." I say, trailing off at that last sentence.

"I'm surprised that Alex would be friends with you."

I don't even know how to reply to this. "...w-what do you mean?"

"I don't know, you're just kinda nerdy. And he's... more athletic and popular. He's never had a friend like you before. You're just not really his type."

What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I don't say anything to him, since I'm unexpectedly angry now. 

"I have to go to class too, actually," I say, remember that I have a Zero Period class this morning. It's a great excuse to get out of this.

"Okay, then," Hunter says, turning and walking away. That wasn't a really good introduction. This is why Alex can't leave me here like this. Maybe he doesn't know I don't like talking to other people? If Hunter's going to tag along with us... I just don't want it. But it seems like there's no way out of it.

I start walking to my class, sighing to myself.

And I didn't even give Alex his sweater back.