A/N: Sorry for the long hiatus between this chapter and the last. I got a seven day ban from due to my author note that was unattached to any chapter, and had a bicycle accident before that that prevented me from typing. My elbow is still messed up, so excuse any typos that slip through my attention. And to all my reviewers: I love you to death. I'd give you all individual responses, except that I don't have an online computer in front of me, so I can't look at the specific reviews. ;;
Less Than ZeroBy Cradlerobber Speedo-kun
The fact that I was in a geometry class Monday morning was just for convenience. I still didn't feel like dealing with anyone, but my father had threatened to drag me to see a shrink if I remained in my room any more. And I went to class because then I wouldn't have to see anyone. I don't know anyone in my classes, really, and they are all afraid of me, so I can sleep through every class and it won't matter. No one'll bother me.
The teacher draws triangles on the board. She wants the angle measurements. I hate triangles (1).
I manage to get through an English class, Media Immersion, and then chemistry. I don't think I've been to chemistry all year. Wonder if they have any acids in the labs. I can pour it down my throat and forget the last week. But Jay Neeling is not suicidal. We can leave that up to Ellie Nash, 10th grade mistress of darkness (2).
I stop at my locker to drop off a book one of the teachers somehow managed to off-load on me. It's only the second one in there now. Unless you count the 20 years of Playboy book in there, but somehow I doubt it counts. It'll probably be gone soon enough, anyway.
Dylan passes by, and I catch a glimpse of him before my books suddenly crash out of my locker onto the grimy, tiled floor. Fucking figures. I can't help but feel like I'm one of those air-headed girls from one of those teenage soap operas Alex used to love. Alex. I used to watch them with her, even though I hated them. Miles from that now.
I shove the battered books back into the small space of my locker, and look down the hall where Dylan has almost disappeared. This sucks. This friggin' sucks. He's fucking cute.
"You like him." The statement interrupts my thoughts, thank god, and I don't even have to look to know it's Towerz. I don't have to answer either. It wasn't a question; it was a statement. One that was… unnecessary. I look back down the hall, before looking at Towerz. I sweep an eye over him. Maybe I should just deal and start hitting on Towerz. Would make more sense than staring after Homochuk.
Hm, anyone seen my sanity? Seems I lost it.
I shake my head, but before I can manage to slink away with Towerz following, Lel bursts out of nowhere. I can't stand Lel, but I can't get rid of him. I've tried, but the bastard keeps coming back. Originally he had been ok, obviously since he wouldn't've been in my gang otherwise, but then he just suddenly became annoying. Really, really fucking annoying. But I guess every group out there has someone who is annoying and extremely slow… and he serves a purpose when I need to scream at someone.
"Hey! You're feeling better, Jay!" He grins maniacally, and I feel the urge to smash his face into a water fountain. I mentally bury my hands in my face. I can already feel a headache coming on, "Yes, now fuck off."
"But, I have good news. In addition to you being back, of course."
"I don't care. Go away or I'm going to smash your face into a urinal."
"Oh, haven't you been getting enough sleep? Not that you look tired, you just sound cranky. I mean, no, you sound a little tired is all. I bet it's because you actually went to class today. I was so suprised when I saw you sitting in Mr. Telnets class!"
"Lel, shut the fuck up." Now Cameron's here. Great, what is this, a party? Now Alex and Amy are sure to appear. I don't need to see Cameron and Alex sucking face on a Monday morning.
"But… I just wanna tell you my good news is all. Y'know Heather Sinclair? You won't believe this but,"
"She's a transvestite with no brain, which explains why she's dating you. Big fucking deal, Lel, Jay told you to go away." Well, here's Alex. And there's Amy behind her, looking a little glassy eyed (3). Have I become a magnet for people without knowing it? I'm going to lunch, and none of them are going to come. No fucking way are they all coming.
I turn around a just leave. I hear someone hit the floor, and a whine from Lel, meaning he probably tried to follow and someone tripped him. Stupid goddamn bastard. Only Towerz can follow me when I just walk away from all of them like that. He's the only one I won't deck for following me when I obviously don't want anyone around.
We leave the building, and I just collapse onto the curb. Towerz noiselessly settles down next to me. "Cigarette." I mumble, and he hands me one. I haven't smoked in ages, but I don't care that it took me a lot of effort to stop. He hands one to me, already lit. I greedily suck in the smoke, and let my eyelids fall shut.
"They'll figure it out." Towerz finally says. I wasn't even expecting him to talk.
"Who?"
"Alex. Amy."
"What makes you so sure?"
"They're girls."
"Hmm."
He's probably right. Girls and gaydar. I don't understand it at all. "What about other girls?"
"They don't know you."
A small relief. Great, so I'll be able to discuss guys with Amy and Alex. How fucking wonderful. Except that Alex doesn't really discuss guys. She just goes after them. Even when I basically handed her over to Cameron, she was interested anyway. If I hadn't, she would've. Amy will go on about guys. When she isn't drunk.
We remain in silence, me absentmindedly smoking, and Towerz just sitting there, doubtlessly deep in thought. He always is.
But someone thuds down next to me, breaking the "peace". I scowl in their direction, "Fuck, Cameron, get lost." I look at him and realize I hate his eyebrows (4). He looks determined to make me listen to whatever he has to say, so I resist the urge to shove him off the curb and storm away, "No, just listen for a moment. I promise it matters more than the shit Lel was babbling about. Then I'll go away." A few minutes pass, but he says nothing, so I sneer at him, "Well? Aren't you going to say it?" He bites his lip, and looks like a three year old who wants nothing more than to run away, "Yes."
"I don't care that you're… uhh, that you don't like girls that way. And I broke up with Alex. I'm going out with Ellie Nash, she's a grade ten. Alex said she sort of misses you, but she's going out with some grade twelve. I think she might know. And that's all I have to say. Good bye." And he did leave. There was a girl waiting by the door for him, but she was inside, so she didn't hear. It's his vampire mistress, Ellie. She could talk to Alex, maybe they could compare notes on what it's like to date a fag. She used to date Marco.
Too many people knew. Know. Towerz, Dylan, Cameron, now Alex. Damn gaydar to hell.
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(1) And what do upside down triangles mean, children? ;P
(2) I forget why I put a note here. I could always go back and change the numbering, but I feel oddly too lazy to do so.
(3) Because she's obviously less than sober. Hmm, that could be my next fic, starring Amy… 'Less Than Sober'.
(4) They are really terrible, aren't they?
(5) Excuse the lack of indentation. I had to upload using Notepad because for some reason Microsoft Word uploads weren't working, and neither were WordPad ones. Boo.