I Do Not Own Anything.
Summary: It was a simple and lost moment. Now everything is anything but for Harper and Justin. What started as friends helping each other has got the two in trouble- more so than usual. What are they going to do? Is this happening? Most importantly: What will Alex do?
Harper P.O.V.
"Harper I have never seen or heard you be so sick before." Alex concerns over me as I release my insides into her toilet. She admires from the doorway, half wanting to comfort half wanting to throw up herself.
"It's just nerves," I breathe heavily. "First Day of School jitters." I get off my knees and flush the toilet.
"It's First Day of Seeing Zeke jitters." She states. "You've been avoiding him since Gigi's party and now you are going to be forced to see him every day." I walk over to the sink and begin to brush my teeth, ignoring her thoughts. "Yup! Now you have to face that two-timer-" I gargle mouthwash to drown out her rampage.
It's easy to say that Alex is no fan of Zeke. After we saw Gigi tongue my ex-boyfriend Zeke, she had badmouthed him and banned him from the house. I sadly thought that today would be different, then again the day is new: New Day, New School Year, New Me!
"He's not a two-timer." A voice interrupts my thoughts and Alex's rant. "Stop calling him a two-timer Alex." Justin flatly defended Zeke. Alex rolls her eyes in annoyance.
"Well what do you call a jerk who doesn't tell his girlfriend that he is tutoring another girl and then makes out with her in front of all New York?" She probes her brother. They were on each side of the bathroom door. They represented the good and bad of Zeke. It made me sick. Hurriedly I rush over to the toilet.
"One: they broke up before he kissed Gigi and two: has she been doing this all morning?" Justin's defense was weakened by his curiosity.
"Try all week." Alex sighs. "I thought her nerves were crazy before but this week has definitely shown me a new Harper." As I get up for a second time, she braves the bathroom and hands me the mouthwash. "Take it easy. Zeke is just a guy- a jerky guy and if he wants Gigi then he must me a dumb jerky guy." She hugs me in support. "Remember that okay?"
"Breakfast!" Mrs. Russo calls us for eating. "Alex I need you to bring me your book bag for checking!" A mumble left Alex's mouth and she was gone.
"Junior year is going to be a pain! I know it!" She screams down the hallway. Justin and I smirk at her outburst.
"You going to be okay?" He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed. He's dressed to impress today. A button down shirt, tie and loafers. I was reminded that he had his NYU interview today, he had applied for Early Admission in June and now was time for the interview portion.
"I think so- no, I know so." I perk up. "Alex and you are right, he's a dumb jerky guy and at the same time he didn't cheat on me." I sigh in acceptance. "He did not tell me about tutoring Gigi and we were broken up when he kissed her. I am crazy to be this nerve wrecked over a guy that clearly wasn't that nerve wrecked about me." I look at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were puffy and my clothes wrinkled from the constant bending over for throwing up. I was crazy, Alex never lost her cool over a boy and surely Gigi never lost her cool ever- not that I should be using her as an example. This year was going to be a New Me!
"Harper before you do anything drastic, just remember he was your first boyfriend and what you felt for him the last year doesn't go away that easy." He reassures me. "Trust me on that." He smiles and heads downstairs.
I know what he means and my heart aches more.
Justin P.O.V.
"We're seniors!" Zeke runs up on me, rustling my hair. "We own this school!" He yells full of energy.
It's the first day of school and all is as it should be. Freshmen are grouped up, sophmores are leaning against everything, juniors are double checking their supplies and seniors are talking big game. Man I love the first day of school! We high five and stop at my locker.
"I know bro, this year is going to be awesome." I unload my book bag. "I have four A.P. classes, am vice-treasurer of student government and I'm student assisting in Life Sciences."
"You're student assisting in Life Science?" Zeke asks confused. "Dude we passed that."
"I know, but chemistry and earth science were taken and it looks really good on applications if you show that you know what you're doing when it comes to science, so what better way than to teach it?" I explain to Zeke's understanding.
"You really want to go to NYU don't you?" He jokes. I punch his arm and slam my locker shut.
"Hey Harper." Gigi's voice travels down the hallway. The first day hallway commotion ceases and all eyes focus on the two juniors.
Harper is sadly standing alone, Alex probably having left to ditch the first day of school. She looked better than she had in the bathroom this morning. Her hair pulled back in a ponytail, makeup much neater and clothes less tattered.
"Hi Gigi," She clears her throat and makes an effort to pass the girl. Unfortunately, Gigi is the queen at cornering. She had Harper pinned between lockers and an on looking crowd. "Excuse please."
"What did you do this summer?" Gigi pried, ignoring Harper's plea.
"Oh, nothing much . . . just worked at the Sub Station." Harper didn't stop trying to get away. "I have to go meet Mr. Laritate, so if you could just move over-"
"Don't you mean sleep over?" Gigi spat out. Harper turned sheet white, her tormentor's words catching her off guard.
"I . . . really really . . . have to go." Without another word, she pushed past Gigi and the crowd of Tribeca Preppers. Not stopping until she was out the entrance doors.
Harper P.O.V.
So much for the New School Year and the New Me. In a matter of seconds I had been reduced to a blob: crying alone on a bench across from school.
Why did Gigi have to humiliate me like that? I was sure she was too drunk at that party to remember seeing me at her party. I guess she wasn't that intoxicated after all . . . oh no! What if Alex finds out? What if Gigi tells everyone what she meant about "sleep over"? I cover my face as more tears stream down my face.
"You okay?" I look up and see Justin with a tissue in hand. As usual, he comes to my rescue and I'm a mess.
"I've been better." I admit taking the tissue. "Sit, hear about the better times." He smiles at my humor.
"Look at it this way-" Justin begins his cheer up routine, but I can't let him start it.
"Gigi totally caught me off guard!" I cry out. "Coming up from behind and dangling my walk of shame in front of me- in front of the whole school!"
"School hallway actually." He corrects.
"Justin it's not funny!" I face him in all seriousness. "If anyone finds out what we did, it'll lead to questions, which will lead to Alex-"
"We were drunk Harper, people do crazy things when they're drunk." He reasons, touching my shoulder. "You were having a bad breakup and I was nervous about my application, add a bottle of rum to that mix and . . . things happen." He looks me in the eyes, searching for my understanding.
"Yeah, but things shouldn't happen when the people in question are the best friend of Alex and her brother." I reason back. "Oh and at Gigi's house!"
"Gigi didn't see anything but you walking away from her parents' room at 2 a.m." he sighs. "Besides she was out of her mind drunk; Harper don't think twice about it! Gigi has already had her dramatic confrontation- right now she's not even thinking of you anymore." He grabs my hand and begins to stand up. "C'mon let's go back and face this day. First period is going to start soon." I yank my hand from his.
"I can't right now." I honestly couldn't. "I need to just be by myself right now." Justin sighs in acceptance.
"Just don't sit here too long and know that Alex isn't going to find out. It was a onetime thing and a lost moment in time." He smiles and walks back to school.
As he walks away I can't help but think about us: him and me. We were closer. We had come a long way from the days of being stalker and stalkee. Now we were friends, two people who have an understanding of their relationship. Two people who were there for one another and happily fought the battle against Alex's procrastination.
That's what I need to do: find Alex. Find her, and all my problems will be solved . . . or at least I'll be distracted from them.
Thoughts? Comments?
