Chapter 14—Lost in Space
According to principal O'Brien the fundraiser was a success and we raised over ten thousand dollars. And it was a success for me too. After Luke and I left the locker room, we got word that some kid accidently tripped into Victoria and her dress was smeared in chili dog sauce. She ran back to her room in a fit that her dress was ruined, and I no longer was on guard, worrying about her prancing on me and demanding I pay more attention to her.
I tried to avoid Christian's mom like the plague though, especially after she told me what she did. Still have no idea what to think about her comment. But I did catch her looking at me a few times before I walked away and she always had this weird gleam in her eye; she was looking at me like she was privy to information I wasn't.
I didn't see Christian for most of the fundraiser. He was manning the shooting booth, and I assume no one wanted to switch out with him because he stayed at that booth the entire time. When the fundraiser was over, he went out to eat with his family and by the time he got back to the dorm, I was already in bed, exhausted after all the running around and relaying my darkest secret to Luke.
After telling Luke my secret, I immediately noticed a change in his attitude toward me. He kept standing close to me, as if protecting me, and he made sure not to talk to me in the same relaxed way he did before I confirmed that we don't have the same anatomy. It's like he assumed the position of my big brother, and I'm silently praying that's how he views his relationship with me. I don't think I'd know what to do if he developed feelings for me.
The fundraiser was almost a month ago, and since that time Luke and I have grown a lot closer. I'll admit that now that he knows, it's a lot easier talking to him and no matter whom we're with, I instinctively choose Luke over anyone else. At first I think everyone was a little confused by the change of our dynamic, but no one commented on it and just went with the change. Except Christian.
He's been a little short with me and whenever I try to talk to him, he always seems to be in a grumpy mood. He barely looks at me, but when I'm not looking at him, I can see him gazing at me with a weird look on his face, like he's trying to solve an equation.
Luke and I are sitting at the lunch table with Drew and Steven—another kid Drew introduced me to a week ago—when Christian and Ethan come up to the table with trays in hand. I look up and smile at Christian and Ethan. Ethan smiles back at me while Christian just looks between Luke and me with that same weird expression before he takes his seat.
Drew and Steven continue to talk about whatever boys talk about as I gaze at Christian trying to figure out what his problem is. I find myself frowning at him in confusion when Luke nudges me to grab my attention.
"What's wrong?" he asks me.
I shake my head. "Nothing. Just thinking."
"Save some brain power for Mr. Fischer's test tomorrow," he suggests in a teasing voice.
I groan dramatically and laugh when he laughs at my exaggeration. "You just had to remind me. By the way, have you noticed how gigantic his front teeth are? I'm afraid he's going to slice off his bottom lip with those huge chompers of his."
Luke throws his head back in laughter. "Everyone has noticed. There's this rumor going around that he's part beaver part sloth."
"I get the beaver by why the sloth?"
"Because his brain works as slow as a sloth moves."
We stare at each other for a moment, and then break out into laughter. I laugh so hard tears come into my eyes, and I'm gasping for air as I hold my stomach. The worst thing about the joke is that it has some truth to it. A student asked him if he could use the calculator on his phone to finish a problem, and Mr. Fischer responded, 'Sure, as long as you don't use your phone.' Everyone looked around wondering what the hell he was talking about before the kid just shook his head and took out his phone to finish the problem.
"I wonder how he became a teacher in the first place. You would think they would have the teachers take an exam to test their knowledge," Luke says. I laugh again, wondering how many answers Mr. Fischer would get right.
Luke and I are pulled from our amusement when we hear someone clearing their throat from the other side of the table. We both look over and find Christian staring daggers at us. Jeez, what is his problem?
"So, Luke, I heard you hooked up with Jessica Welsh after the fundraiser," Christian says after taking a sip of his water.
He's glaring at Luke as I look between the two of them, wondering where all the hostility came from.
Luke just gazes at him impassively as he shrugs his shoulders, acting unbothered by Christian's comment. "I heard you punched Colten in the face after he made a snide comment about Andy."
My eyes widen as they dart to Christian. He avoids my gaze as his eyes darken further at Luke. I was wondering where Colten had been in the last few days.
"What did he say?" I ask.
"It doesn't matter," Christian snaps, still staring at Luke. "All that matters is that Luke hasn't been honest, and he's been lying to you."
I look between them with a frown, wondering what the hell is going on and why the temperature just dropped a few degrees.
"What are you talking about?" I ask Christian, but he ignores me. "What's he talking about, Luke?"
"I don't know," he answers simply, still gazing at Christian impassively.
Christian suddenly stands up, dislodging his plate and moving the table a few inches forward with the force of his movements. "The fuck you don't know what I'm talking about!"
"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?" Drew asks.
"He's what's wrong with me," Christian practically yells, pointing his finger at Luke.
Luke holds his hands in the air defensively. "You're pointing your finger at the wrong person, bro. If you should have a problem with anyone it should be Victoria."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means maybe you should think before you speak, and not accuse people of things when said people are trying to help you."
Christian sneers at him before his fiery gaze lands on me. I almost lean back in my seat at the hostile look in his eye.
"I guess it's clear whose side you're on."
He doesn't give me a chance to say or do anything as he storms off, leaving his barely eaten food on the table. I watch in shock as Christian storms out of the cafeteria, Ethan behind him, in complete and utter shock.
I look around, and everyone but Luke is wearing the same expression that reads: What the hell just happened?
I know, I know, it's been a while and I could give an excuse as to why I haven't updated in some time but I'll just settle on the explanation that life got in the way. But I have said it before and I will say it again, I'm typically not in the habit of starting things and not finishing it, so even if I'm writing this story until I'm 90 (highly unlikely) I will finish it, no matter what. I hate it when writers don't finish stories on this site and I don't want to be another one.
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SS&G xoxo