YET
THE WEEKEND WENT BY TOO FAST. I WAS dreading English. I even considered ditching, but my mom would have my head on a platter if I actually went through with it.
I just couldn't figure out why Rob went from Mr. Nice Guy to complete jerk in less than sixty seconds. It wasn't like I had provoked him. I only snapped at him after he had made it absolutely clear that he didn't like me. I hadn't said or done anything to him up to that point. Whatever his problem with me was, I wasn't going to let him see that it bothered me. But I was determined to make it perfectly clear that I wasn't going to let him walk all over me.
At lunch, I sat down next to Connor. Hailey leaned
across the table to speak to me. "So, what happened on Friday?" she asked in
a bubbly tone.
"I told you I don't know."
Ashley, who was sitting next to Hailey, interrupted our conversation. "Does it matter? So, one person doesn't like you." She said coldly.
Ashley wasn't one of my favorite people. She was always so negative and had an opinion about everything.
"No you're right, it doesn't matter." I agreed with her. "But you should have seen his face."
She shrugged. "I've seen it." She smiled blissfully.
I rolled my eyes in distaste.
"Maybe you should just ask him." Hailey suggested.
I stared at her in shock. "Yeah, I'll just go up to him and ask if he really hates me or if I was just imagining it." I said curtly.
Ashley grinned. "I'll do it!" she offered in a dreamy tone.
"No!" I objected as I took another bite of my ham sandwich.
Ashley laughed.
I scanned the cafeteria hoping he wasn't there. Luck wasn't on my side. I spotted him sitting with his sister and some of their mutual friends on the other side of the cafeteria. "Great," I grumbled.
Conner, who had not been involved in the conversation up to this point because he was busy talking to Dan about some hockey game, looked at me and then followed my gaze. "What?" he wondered in an indifferent tone. He figured it out before I had a chance to answer. "Oh, Rob Fox huh?" he chuckled. "Personally I ––"
I smacked his shoulder to prevent him from finishing whatever remark he was about to make.
"Owe!" he exclaimed, still laughing.
Dan leaned back against his chair so he could see around Connor and me. "I didn't know you knew he existed."
I slumped down in my chair, folding my arms across my chest uncomfortably. "It's not like that. Stay out of it!" I demanded.
They weren't buying it. Dan and Conner burst out laughing and continued to tease me about the situation.
I got up to throw my garbage away. It was an excuse to get away from the table for a minute or two. I purposefully walked down to the garbage cans at the other end of the lunch room. I passed by Rob's table and my eyes met Audrey's. I quickly looked away. I could still see her watching me out of the corner of my eye.
Like her brother, Audrey had hazel eyes. She was just as pretty as Rob was handsome. Her wavy brow hair stopped just under her shoulders, she was perfectly tall and thin.
Audrey's stare wasn't angry like her brother's had been. She looked to be more curious than anything else.
When I walked into English class at the end of the day, I saw that my seat, previously occupied by Rob, was empty. I glanced around the room and saw Rob sitting in the back corner on the other side of the room.
I sat down at my desk, relived that I wouldn't have to deal with him today. My mind wondered as I waited for class to begin. What was he doing in this class anyway? The semester was almost over and he hadn't been in Mrs. Parker's class all year. Why did his schedule change now?
When the bell finally rang, Mrs. Parker immediately started class. "I want you to continue working in pairs on Beowulf. Please remain with the same partner you worked with on Friday."
Gloom washed over me and I wanted to die. I had done my half of the assignment and I was sure Rob had finished his. What were we supposed to do for the next hour, glare at each other? I sank in my chair and put my head down on my desk.
"Cassie," Mrs. Parker called from the front of the room. "Are you feeling ill?"
I thought about lying so I could leave the room, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. I slowly lifted my head. "I'm fine," I said through gritted teeth.
"Good then, get to work." She smiled.
I looked over my left shoulder and almost had a heart attack. Rob was already there and I hadn't even heard him sit down.
"Scared?" he asked in a cold tone.
I rolled my eyes and looked away from him.
"I take that back. You're annoyed."
"Brilliant observation," I replied in utter distaste.
His forehead creased and his eyes narrowed. "Did you finish your half?" he asked roughly, his question sounding more like an accusation.
"Yes," I sneered. "And your half?" I mocked his tone.
"Done." He said dryly.
At least he didn't look like he wanted to strangle me today –– not yet anyway. His attitude hadn't seemed to have changed much though.
I was so caught up in what it was that bothered him about me that I spoke without thinking. "So, what did I do?" The question tumbled out uncontrollably.
Rob stared at me. He looked confused. "Excuse me?" he asked in the same accusatory tone.
My eyes narrowed. "Did I do something?" I repeated bitterly.
All confusion was suddenly wiped clean from his face. He stiffened, and his eyes were wide with furry. "Did you?" he asked angrily.
I almost couldn't believe how serious he was being.
Now I was confused. "No," I said, but it sounded more like a question. "I just don't understand why…" I paused trying to think about what I was really trying to ask. "Why do you act like you despise me? Or why do you for that matter? Did I do something?"
Rob looked puzzled. Even a little shocked that I had asked. "You didn't do anything…yet." He replied darkly.
"Yet?" I repeated in disbelief.
He looked at me through skeptical eyes, like I was missing something. Like I should have known what he was talking about, like he shouldn't have had to explain it to me. "Yet," he said in warning. Then he turned his head away from me, directing his attention elsewhere in the room.
As I drove home all I could think about were his words, that I hadn't done anything yet. What did that even mean? I wasn't planning on doing anything ever. Although the more I thought about it; I contemplated the possibilities. What still bugged me was that I was still dwelling on the subject. Maybe I could get my class schedule changed. Maybe I could be in the class he was taken out of, but I quickly changed my mind. No. I was going to stand my ground. I hadn't done anything to him yet nor would I ever.
I pulled into the driveway and slumped over the steering wheel. I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths in an attempt to relieve stress. When I felt a little better, I got out of the car and stalked into the house.
My mood improved when I entered the house and smelled the aroma of my favorite meal; meatloaf.
"Smells good," I said appreciatively as I walked into the kitchen.
My mom smiled. "So, how was school?"
My eyes dropped to the floor. "Fine," I lied.
"You sure about that?" she asked with concern.
I looked up at her again. "Really, Mom, school was fine." I told her, trying my best to sound convincing.
She brushed the hair that that was resting over my right shoulder to my back. "Good. And Jack," she paused. "I mean your father is coming over for dinner tonight."
"So that explains the meatloaf." I teased.
Claire laughed, seeming slightly embarrassed. "It's your favorite, too."
Dinner with my parents was nice. It was just like it had been when we all lived together. Except instead of conversation mostly revolving around work, my parents mainly talked about me. They asked me about school and college in the fall, and then there were all the stories they brought up about all the trouble I got into and the silly things I did as a kid. Of course they had to discuss all of the embarrassing moments as well. All I could do was laugh it off.
It was around ten when my dad finally left. I said my goodnights and went up to bed.
