For once in my life, I was glad that Fae wasn't in the majority of my classes. During the beginning of the year, we both chose seats right next to each other in the back of the class. After we broke up, Fae immediately demanded to change to a seat as far away from me as possible. It was always difficult to meet her gaze.
My science teacher was out on Thursday, so we basically had a free day to talk. Which meant everyone was gossiping. It didn't matter much to me, except for the fact that a few people began to talk about me behind my back.
"What's been up with those emo girls lately? I thought they were dating or something." My eye twitched, and I tried not to scream at them. The teachers would definitely blame me for it. They were always trying to get rid of me and get me expelled.
"Didn't you hear? They broke up like a week ago."
"What happened? They've been dating for, like, three years. I thought they were looking to get married, or whatever it is the gays do." I rolled my eyes, turning my ear towards them. Sometimes I really hated the fact that Québec's so Catholic.
"Yeah. But apparently Lynn cheated on her with some weird senior guy from Rosemont High."
"Damn. When did that happen?" Another girl chimed in.
"During the last football game. Fae caught Lynn trying to sleep with the guy behind the bleachers during the game."
"You mean soccer?"
"Yeah, yeah. Soccer. Football, whatever. Point is, now they hate each other. I hear Lynn is now going out with the guy she cheated on Fae with."
"That's low even for her."
"I know. I heard she's a drug addict now. Like some real big shit like heroin and meth." It was cocaine, but whatever.
"Gross. I can't wait for her to get caught. Everyone just wants those dykes out of school. Hopefully they'll get expelled, too. Her and her little homo friends." That's when I'd had enough.
"Hey. You got something to say to me?" All of them jumped, their eyes wide with fear. The room went quiet. One of the girls must have felt either brave or stupid, because she actually answered back.
"Mind your own business. Isn't there something you should be snorting right about now?"
"Isn't there an STI infected dick you should suck right about now? Oh I forgot, you already did that in first period." Everyone snickered. Her face went red, and they all went back to their desks, speaking in hushed tones.
God, I really hated high school. Everyone was so clique-y, and people were always talking behind my back. No one ever minded their own business, and I swore the teachers were always out to get me.
I was surprised how true their gossip about me really was. Yes, this - not completely unattractive - guy was hitting on me last week at the football game. But I had known him for about a month. We met at a concert and had a lot of things in common. A few days before the game, he asked me out on a date, and I said no. He seemed alright with it and hoped we could still be friends.
I never told Fae because I thought it wasn't a big deal. But she absolutely flipped out. It wasn't the worst fight we'd ever had, but it was pretty bad. Nevertheless, we made up.
But then, the guy decided to show up at the football game. We hung out a bit, but then things got awkward. He said he had something to show me behind the bleachers. He started to get really creepy and tried to make a pass at me. I tried to tell him no, to back off before I broke his nose.
Then Fae decided to look for me and caught us in a compromising position. She didn't even let me explain. She knew who the guy was and probably just expected the worst. She just ran off with tears in her eyes, driving off quickly in her car.
That really sucked because she drove me there.
She didn't answer any of my texts during the weekend. I almost went to talk to Allen and Matt for girlfriend advice. Almost.
"Wow. This dude sure is punctual." Matt pointed out his friend as we neared the café's entrance. He had light blond hair and an innocent, cherubic expression. His professional dress was clear of any wrinkles and stains, his posture formal but at the same time relaxed. Appearing to be a bit younger than Matt, he was looking at the overhead menu. Matt smirked at me.
"I didn't know you knew the word 'punctual.'" I rolled my eyes. punching him in the shoulder.
"Shut up. I'm smart and you know it." He shrugged, still smirking.
"Whatever you say, pipsqueak." I groaned.
Brothers.
As soon as we entered, the guy's head shot up, as if he sensed us. He seemed startled, like he had seen a ghost. He looked familiar. I couldn't quite explain in. He got up and shook my brother's hand.
"Matt," he stuttered, face going pink. "Hey. It's good to see you again." He turned towards me and for some reason, I froze. For a few moments, we just stared at each other, as if under some kind of spell. Matt nudged me, and I felt myself focus again.
"Hey," I said. "I'm Lynn. You're Matthew, right?" He looked shocked that I knew his name, but I couldn't understand why. I noticed a little hair that was out of place that stood up at an unnatural angle. It was very similar to Matt's. Come to think of it, the two looked very similar, almost like brothers. Or cousins.
"Yeah."
"Nice to meet you." He flinched, letting out a hesitant smile, the corners of his lips twitching.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you, too." There was a pause before Matt cleared his throat.
"I'll go get us the drinks." He turned to me. "Same thing as always?" I nodded, and he walked to the counter, leaving the two of us alone. We sat down on opposite sides. I tapped my fingers on the table, looking around the room as if I didn't already know it like the back of my hand. We didn't say anything for a while, but I couldn't contain the question that consumed my thoughts since the moment I saw him.
"So, not to be weird or anything, but are the two of you related or something?" He seemed startled by my comment and started fidgeting in his seat.
"No. I mean, not really no." I raised an eyebrow, folding my arms.
"What do you mean 'not really no?'" He looked back to the counter, as if waiting for Matt to come back.
"We've just," He seemed distracted, looking past the window. "We've known each other for a long time. But we're not biologically related." I nodded.
"Family by choice, not by blood?" It was more of a statement than a question. He nodded, and I felt like I understood him a little better. "So, what are you in town for? Matt just said you were here in business."
"Oh, I'm, um, I work for the government," he rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Intelligence agency. It's actually kind of top secret so..." he trailed off. I nodded again.
"Ok. That's pretty cool." Matt came back with three drinks and my bagel.
"Thanks, bro." He always knew what I wanted, because I almost always ordered the exact same thing. I loved their salmon bagels. It was Mr. Taylor's specialty and one of the reasons I decided to work for him.
"So how old are you, Lynn?" I swallowed.
"Seventeen. I'm graduating high school next year." He gave a hesitant smile, and I looked to Matt. Something felt wrong, but neither one addressed this fact. I felt the unexplainable tension in the air.
I decided to ask. "Are you okay?" I tried to keep my voice low. He furrowed his brows at me.
"What do you-"
"You seem off. I don't know." Both of them gave me shocked looks. I raised a brow. "What?" They quickly tried to act normal, looking away from me.
"Nothing," Matthew said quickly. "It's fine. I'm fine. So you're a junior in high school? Are you going to college after you graduate?" He changed topics rather forcefully, and I let him.
"Culinary school. There are some good ones in France and America, and the guys - my brothers - said they'd support me. And even though I don't really speak English anymore, I still know it since I was raised in Ontario."
"I see, well if you ever do study abroad, I've got a couple friends in D.C and one in Paris. Maybe one day you could meet them."
"Ok. Thanks, I guess."
He told me a bit about his house in Toronto. He mentioned his love for the winter sports, and we talked a bit about hockey and some of our favourite players. Turns out, we had a lot in common.
We talked for a little over an hour. Well, it was mostly me and Matthew doing the talking. I knew Matt wasn't the chattiest person in the world, but he was uncharacteristically silent. I actually came to like Matthew a bit. I didn't know what it was, but something about him felt trustworthy. In a way. I felt like I already knew him even though I never saw him before today.
He seemed like a sweet guy. It was a nice change from the my brother's usual friends. Most of them I wouldn't touch with a twenty foot pole. Seriously, they were disgusting.
"Oh, maple," he muttered, looking at his phone. "It's already six. I'm running late." He turned to Matt. "I gotta go. There's a meeting downtown that, well, they would kill me if I didn't show up." He turned to me, giving a warm smile. "It was nice meeting you, Lynn. Maybe we could talk again sometime." I nodded, returning his smile.
"Yeah. Didn't you say you were staying for the rest of the week?"
"Yeah. So if you guys want to hang out again, just give me a call." He blushed, moving his gaze to the floor. "Matt, you have my number, right?"
"Yeah. I'll give you a call later tonight." My brother smiled. Actually smiled.
"Alright, good. Well then, I guess I'll see you guys later then."
"See you later, Maple Leaf." His eyes widened just a fraction before leaving the cafe, his cheeks dusted with red.
"So, what did you think of Matthew?" I waved goodbye to Mr. Taylor as I closed the door to the cafe. We had stayed a long time and it was already late in the day. I groaned as I thought about all of the homework I wouldn't do.
"He actually seems pretty cool. Cooler than you." He raised a brow, folding his arms.
"Oh, really?" I nodded, mirroring his expression.
"Yup. Of course, that's not really a high standard," I teased. He just rolled his eyes, smirking as he ruffled my hair. I let out a squeak of protest, punching his arm lightly.
"You're such a dork," he muttered. I didn't bother replying.
"So, Matt," I asked after a while. "Do you have a thing for him?" He stopped walking, his face going a deep shade of pink. He stuttered, trying to find a response. I smiled at him triumphantly. "Ha. I knew it," I slung an arm over his shoulder. "Just so you know, man, you have my blessing." I laughed as his face went even darker.
"Shut up," he stuttered. I laughed a bit more, trying to calm myself down. He eventually sighed.
"Was it that obvious?" I nodded.
"Oh yeah. Definitely. Of course, I don't think he really noticed. Or maybe he didn't mind," I smirked at him. "Maybe he has a thing for you."
"You think so?" I could tell he was trying to act nonchalant, but I easily saw through his tough-guy act. Honestly, my brothers were so easy to read.
"Seemed like it. He sounded pretty interested in you. And he definitely seems to play for your team, if you know what I'm saying."
"Shut up. You're so immature." I rolled my eyes, quickly going back onto the sidewalk.
"Whatever," I muttered. "You know I'm right."
Fae was still ignoring me. Even when I tried to talk to her, she would act like a child.
"Did you hear that, guys?" she would say. "I thought I heard something. But maybe it was just my imagination. You know how wild it can be sometimes." I usually just let it pass, knowing it was just how she was trying to cope through the breakup.
"Fine. Be that way." I would mumble. She would still pretend not to hear me, starting a new conversation with Travis.
The next day, though, she didn't even make this exchange. She just ignored me, continuing with her conversations.
"So, Fae, did you see the football game last night? We won three to one." I would say. She smiled to Travis, baring her teeth.
"And so of course I told her to lay off. It's my goddamn life." His boyfriend seemed really uncomfortable, and Travis looked like he was either going to cry or throw up. Probably both.
"Yeah. It was a pretty good game. It would've been cool if you'd watched it. I know how much you love football." I shrugged, feeling my throat burn. My hand twitched. God how much I wanted to turn to a bottle. No, I had to face my problems, not hide behind alcohol. "Of course, you know, maybe you really don't like the game. You never said it outright. Maybe I just read all the signs wrong. You know how I can be." Her eyes narrowed, still not looking at me.
"Oh, that's how it is? That's your excuse? 'You know how I can be?' That's a pretty lame excuse, even for you." My fist clenched.
"So you're finally talking to me now? That's a step in the right direction."
"Well if insulting you is a step in the right direction, then I should do it more often."
"It'd be better than you ignoring me." She finally turned to me, looking me in the eyes. My breath froze, and I tried to glare back at her.
"Is that a fact?" She whispered.
"Yeah. It is. Are you gonna start challenging facts now?"
"Of course not. Remember, I'm not you. I'm an honest person, not some lying piece of sh-"
"That's enough!" A tray slammed. Both of us jumped, eyes wide. Travis stood, head hanging low. His hair hid his eyes, body shaking.
"Trav-" Leon tried to calm him down, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"No! I'm sick of this. All week you two have been going at it and acting like children. You know, you can do whatever you want with your relationship. Get back together. Stay broken up. But, Jesus Christ, stop being at each other's throats. It's getting annoying. No, it's been annoying. Adam and I are fed up with it, and if you two continue acting like this, find some other lunch table to sit at. We're done with you two." He grabbed his food, his eyes red and glassy. "Come on, Adam." And just like that, he stormed off, nearly running for the door.
Adam's shoulders sagged, and he rubbed his neck, seeming worn out. "He's right, you know. Do whatever you want, but we're just tired of this fighting. Picking sides." He looked to me. "And we both know it's not healthy," he turned to Fae. "for either of you." He picked up his belongings, turning to the door. "Now I have to go try to calm him down." After that, we were alone together. We didn't speak, didn't even move. We just sat there, letting all of what they said sink in.
"God, this is stupid," she laughed bitterly. I flinched. "They're right. We've been acting stupid. And then what's worse is that we dragged them into it." I nodded slowly, running a hand through my hair.
"I know. This is all just a huge piece of shit." She gave a small laugh, and my lip turned up just a bit.
"That's a blunt way to put it, yeah."
"For what it's worth," I said."This whole fight made me learn his name. 'Adam.' So generic." She laughed. "I'm really sorry. I know you probably don't believe me, but I'm really, really sorry." She shook her head, sighing.
"It's going to take a bit of time to trust what you say again," she muttered. "But I accept your apology. Though, I'm still not ready to forgive you. Not yet." I sighed, giving a small smile.
"I can live with that." We didn't say anything for a while, just listening to the sounds of the cafeteria. Despite the drama that was happening in our group, no one else paid any attention. I guess it just goes to show that no matter how big your problems are, the world keeps turning.
"Just so you know, this doesn't really change much between us. We're not friends yet. I'm still mad at you." I gave her a cheeky grin, trying to lighten the mood just a little.
"Hey, you're talking to me, aren't you? That's a pretty big step in my book." I could tell she was trying to suppress a smile. Even she couldn't resist my charm.
"I'm serious, Lynn." She covered her face with one hand, taking on a more serious tone. "What happened is going to stick with me for a long time. I don't think it's something I'm ever going to forget."
"I know," I lowered my eyes to the floor. "I'm just glad you're talking to me again." The bell rang, and I grabbed my tray. "You wanna go grab Travis or do you want me to?" She shook her head.
"No. Let them cool off a bit. He seemed pretty upset when they left. Let them calm each other down." I nodded, smiling softly.
"They really are a great couple." She nodded, staring off in the distance. "Always there for each other. Never apart, yet they can survive completely on their own," she whispered, as if to herself. "We could learn a thing or two from them." The bell rang and we had to head off to class, going in two different directions. I waved to her.
"Bye, Fae. I'll see you around, alright?" She nodded, her eyes shining like stars.
"Yeah, I'll see you later. I promise." I smiled to myself, walking until she was out of sight.
Our problems were solved, yet the world kept turning.