THEN CAME YOU

Chapter NINE: Weird like Me

Hailey

Okay, it was my bad.

I took so long getting ready that there was no way to appear casual about it and just go into David's room with a cry for help with my biology essay or whatever.

So I had to wait until Monday to make amends with Alan.

Why it was so important I didn't know. Lots of people thought of me as being one of the most awesome little inventions since Velcro, but Alan's words kept pounding in my brain. He had been right, and that was what hurt the most.

The thing was… I didn't want to be what he had truthfully accused me of being. I had always been well liked, I fitted right in at the Mission Academy… but I was never as popular as, say, Paul. And the thought of being with the Beautiful People may had blinded me a little of the things I was doing.

Alan had always been nice to me… I knew he had a crush on me and I had used him. And I couldn't well like myself and keep my naturally high self esteem knowing how low I had gone.

So Monday morning I approached him during lunch. He and David were sitting over the geek-only section and I made my way towards them.

"Hey!" I said cheerfully.

"Hey," David said and Alan just grunted and bent down pretending to be very interested in his comic. I shot David a look and nodded for him to get loss for a second.

He looked at me as if inquiring what I was up to. I just motioned for him to go. After a stares duel he sighed. "I'm going for a soda," David said and left.

"Alan?"

"Yes, you can copy my math homework." He said without looking at me.

"Is not that." I said and I couldn't keep the hurt out of my voice. He thought me an air-head bimbo and whereas I wasn't a rocket scientist it still hurt. "I want to talk to you."

"Why? Is Slater busy?"

"I haven't seen him all day."

"That explains it all…"

I ignored the gibe. "I wanted to apologize for the way I behaved." I saw him tense for a second, his gaze fixed on one spot on the comic. "I was a stupid cow, I feel awful. I'm sorry."

He looked up and gave me a level stare. "Why are you apologizing Hailey… really, tell me the truth. Because if you're doing it just to make yourself feel better you can just…"

"It's not that. Alan, I'm really sorry. I know I acted horrible and it was wrong, that's why I'm apologizing."

He stared at me for a few moments, as if deciding if I was telling the truth or just lying to get what I wanted. I held his gaze, I owed him that much.

"So… are you going to copy my math homework or not?" He asked after a while.

"No. I did do my own this time… though it would be really helpful if you could look over it." I said with a grin and moved to sit closer to him.

This was nice.

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CeeCee

Suze and Jesse were making out, hidden behind a column as not to give a show but I that was standing close by could totally see that there were hands everywhere.

Friday they had argued.

Saturday Suze had gotten drunk at Kelly's party and Jesse took her home.

Sunday Suze apologized for being a piggy head.

And on Monday they were back to their no-non-exclusive arrangement. Kissing and talking and laughing and looking happy together. If they weren't in love they were giving a hell of a good imitation.

A week later – meaning now – they were already being acknowledged as one of the Mission's official couples. A dubious honor but they didn't seem to mind all that much.

Finally emerging from behind the column, they made their way towards me. "I'll see you before leaving." Jesse said and Suze nodded.

Once Jesse was gone – and Suze and I spent a couple of moments staring after his retreating bum – Suze leaned against my locker and sighed happily.

"Oh, Cee! This is wonderful!" She said cheerfully.

"You certainly look happy."

"I am!" She said. "It's so odd; I don't remember feeling this happy in ages! Is so dumb and foolish! But I can't help it! It's almost as if…"

"… You were in love?" I offered helpfully.

"Oh, Cee, don't be silly… love." She shook her head. "I'm going to class now. See you on sixth period!"

She began to make her way down the hall. I sighed and went the opposite way.

"CeeCee!" I heard Adam's cheerful voice greeting me down the hallway, in front of the classroom.

"Hey, Adam." I said and managed to keep my cool. You're not to know it but I've had the silliest most dumb crush on Adam since elementary school. But I don't think he notices me all that much…

"Listen…" he said, looking down and blushing for some odd reason… "I was wondering, that is if you're not busy… that you maybe… would consider… would you like to go for a coffee after school today?"

Maybe I was wrong…

"Sure!" I said and he sighed in relief.

This is getting interesting.

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Jesse

Susannah and I were alone in the TV room at her house.

Her parents were out but her oldest stepbrothers were upstairs and stopping by the room every few moments to 'ask if we needed anything'. Not that we were doing anything in particular.

We were watching a movie. Last week she had made me sit through one of her silly girly movies and now we were enjoying The Godfather. Well, I was enjoying it. She just had eyed the DVD cover when I had brought it over and told me that if that was my idea of romance I wasn't likely to get any in the near future.

But never the less, Susannah sat with me to watch the movie, she was half lying in the couch, her head on my stomach.

"This is boring," She said and chewed on some popcorn.

"Shh, be quiet."

"No, really, I thought I could live through it but it's like… that movie about dead poets or something… like two hours that just won't come back to me."

"Susannah…" I said warningly, she was making me miss the important speech between Michael and Vito.

She sat up suddenly and put the movie in mute. Before I could ask what she was doing she said "Let's talk."

By which, of course, she meant 'lets make out'.

And what is a guy to do in such situations?

Let's just say that for the next half hour, I didn't give a damn about Marlon Brandon.

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End of Chapter NINE

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Notes:

Hey, I'm sorry for the shortness but I got a school project do to and I just didn't want to go so long without an update.

So here you go.

Click the review button and let me know what you think!

Luvness,

Clavie