TRIS
Marlene sits with her feet on the desk intimidatingly. Her thick combat boots relax in my face as they blend up into ripped jeans and a tight black sweater. If I didn't know her, I would be afraid of the girl in the dark eyeliner and burgundy lips.
But I do know her.
And I know she's the nicest person you'll ever meet.
"So Buddha wasn't fat?" Uriah questions hunched into an S over his notebook.
Marlene's head shakes. "Nope. Buddhism was started by and Indian Price named Siddharta Gautama in 520 Before Christ."
"Don't you mean Before Common Era?" Uriah teases.
Marlene snorts. "No I mean Before Christ. It's a major "religion" in China and I say religion in quotation marks because China is officially an atheist country but many people there are Buddhists."
"Where is the highest concentration of Buddhists in China?" Uriah reads out of the textbook.
"Tibet." Marlene and I answer in unison.
"What is Nirvana?" He asks coating the tip of his pencil in teeth marks. "If I put "a really awesome band" would I get points off?"
I chuckle. "Probably."
His textbook closes with a loud clap as he sets it gently on his neat stack of other books. "Are you going to the game with Four?"
"What game with Four?" I ask suddenly very curious. Marlene gives me a smirk as she jars at my suddenly stiffened posture and wide interested eyes.
Uriah snorts. "The football game?" He says with tugging brows.
"Why would I go to the football game when he's on the team?" I ask puzzled.
Uriah stiffens. "He didn't tell you? Oh shit, I mean, maybe I wasn't supposed to say-"
"Say what?" I question leaning over the table.
"I mean if he didn't want you to know then maybe it's not official-"
"What's not official?" I beg to know. I lower my voice after noticing the death glare from Mrs. Samuels. "Uriah if you don't tell me right now I swear to God I'll-"
"He quit the football team." Uriah says.
I look at Marlene digging in her purse, trying to politely ignore or conversation. "Why?"
Uriah shrugs. "I don't know something about tennis and conflicts and arm muscle and shit."
Marlene smacks her gum. "Can you even go ten seconds without saying the word shit?"
Uriah smirks. "Can you go ten seconds without noticing?" A large pink bubble blows from Marlene's mouth. A loud POP fills the air and the gum is audibly swimming in Marlene's mouth again. "You wanna be my bubble gum bitch?"
"I'll chew you up and spit you out." Marlene says glibly. "I'm gonna pop your bubble gum heart."
"Okay enough with the Marina and the Diamonds references." I say through a smile. My fingers run around the edges of my World History textbook.
Marlene blows another bubble. "You know once I blew a bubble so big it got all in my hair."
Uriah snickers. "I remember that. Lynn had to get it out and you ended up with peanut butter all in your hair." Uriah snickers. "Then you were in tears and didn't talk to us for a week."
Marlene snorts. "I'm not in the drama club for nothing."
VVVRRSSS my phone buzzes from inside my jacket. I pull it out slowly with Uriah and Marlene's sibling like bickering floating around me.
History is boring. Where are you?
A chuckle escapes my throat at Tobias' message. Study hall with Samuels. Why?
I need something to do. This kid next to me smells AWFUL.
Haha. What's he smell like?
Stale cigarettes and dead fish. And farts.
Oh my God….do I even want to know who it is?
Eric.
Greasy hair Eric?
That's the one!
"Who's making you so smiley?" Marlene teases.
"Are you sexting Four?" Uriah jokes.
"No." I say quickly. I lean back against the cool plastic of my chair. "No."
You wanna meet me at the bathrooms? One more whiff and I'm sure I'll have lung cancer.
I laugh. Sure thing. What time?
Now
I hoist my white leather messenger bag over my shoulder and grab my books. "See you in Spanish." I say to Marlene and Uriah even though Uriah takes French.
"Where are you going?" Uriah questions.
I smirk and brush my hair back. "The bathroom."
He pipes down in his posture, leaving Marlene with a joyful snicker.
After politely asking Mrs. Samuels, I retreat down the stone cold hallways. I can see myself in the polished white tile as I walk. Casually, I twist my silver bracelet and ruffle my curls.
Tobias rounds the corner with his backpack slung over one shoulder. A smile crosses his face when he see's me. "Hey." He says.
"Hi." I reply. We don't embrace. Instead we just stand together awkwardly.
"So..I…um…" He thrusts his hand into the electric space between us. "I sort of drew this…for you."
I accept the piece of paper and look down to see the drawing. "Oh my God." I whisper.
"Is it that bad?" He asks quietly.
I stare at the artwork. How could something as simple as a line be used to create such a beautiful masterpiece? The way one line connects with another into the perfect blend of gray shades and colors. "It's beautiful." I whisper.
"Do you know where it is?" He asks sheepishly.
I look up. "It's us on the roof. The night before you left for boarding school."
He closes his eyes and nods. I can't take my eyes off the way a small curl drops in front of my face, the way my eyelashes are thick and full, and how my eyebrows are the exact same shape in the picture as they are in the drawing.
"How did you do this?" I ask still memorized, almost as if I could step straight into the drawing.
He coughs into his shoulder. "I had some help from a friend across the pond."
"It's amazing." I say quietly.
"Thank you." He says inching closer to me.
The bell rings heavily and doors fly open. People pile up into the hallways like sardines in a can. "I'll walk you to your next class." He says with a smile.
I bite my lip and nod. "I would like that."
We start down the hall to algebra. About halfway there I realize that our hands are interlocked. When did that happen?
"Today is Monday…."He says thinking about schedules. "No gym. I'll see you in bio-chem."
I smile and nod. "See you then." I turn into the classroom and away from Tobias, letting go of his rough hand and back to twisting my bracelet.
A/N
Thank y'all for the sweet reviews :) It's nice to know people still read this story. I forgot how much fun it was to write.
Kisses!
AJ