“Hey.”
“Hey.”
Our greeting. It’s brief, it’s simple, and it’s... well, it’s for our “relationship” not to burn and crumble, while we’re left with the ashes. Not that we don’t go out, or do any PDA’s, of course. Sometimes, on special occasions, we hold sweaty hands, when we think nobody’s looking. Of course, half the time we’re right. Half.
“I thought you two were still going out?” My best friend, Cathy, asks, nudging me with her sharp elbow.
“We are.” I responded.
“Oh.”
Now, why ‘oh’, I want to ask. Usually, she gets to string out a whole line of reasons to why we aren’t going out. But today, she just sits there, poking the pile of... what IS that, on her plate? Sometimes I think they feed us mutants here at school.
“Did you hear?” Someone behind me?presumably, a girl?clucks.
“Hear what?” Her friend says.
“Well, you guys know Don Dustin?” She lowers her voice.
“Well, yeah.” The same voice as previously, replies.
“I heard, he’s cheating on his girlfriend.” She informs them. To this, she receives a collective gasp.
“With who?” Another female voice squacks incrediously.
“Tori Able, of course.” The tone etched into her voice indicates a ‘duh’ style quotation.
“The slut of her!” The unrecongnisable, second voice snaps. Then she there’s a snapping sound?bubblegum??“Saw her wearing his basketball jumper. I thought something was up, but like, all he said was that they were best friends.”
“With benefits.” The principle voice adds, with a hint of sarcasm.
“Yeah!” The two voices chime, and suddenly, there’s a screech as they pull out their tangerine orange plastic chairs, and the slapping sound of heels against a polished granite floor.
“Well, I’ve got something much jucier...” One of the voices starts up.
- - -
The thing that hit me, was the obviousness in it. ‘I thought something was up’. It was like a fresh slap in the face.
So did I, but I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t, I wouldn’t allow my curiousity to get the better of me.
I let it go.
- - -
“It’s over.” I whispered.
Disbelief crossed his beautiful, angelic face.
“What? Baby, baby?”
“Look,” I cut across him sharply. “I know about Tori. For God’s sake, the whole school knows about Tori!”
After a brief, momentary silence, he speaks quietly; “Just give me another chance.” And he presses those velvety lips against mine, and indulges me into a sweet, delicious kiss that I can’t help but tremble under.