AN: I'm not too sure if this is a short chapter or not... it feels pretty uneventful so I'm half-tempted to just post two but I like to have a 2/3 chapter buffer before I post something new. I moved the story along a few months because I want you guys to see how much has changed and... hasn't changed. Trust me, it gets a lot more wild after this. Also, you guys asked for Phil's perspective, and that's coming up next so... Read, Review, and Enjoy!


Chuckie Finster

March 30th, 2010

"So... how's school goin' for everyone?" I cringe at how awkward I sound.

Everyone's heads suddenly raise to look at me like they're startled to hear my voice or something. They probably are. It's been so quiet the entire time we've been at the Java Lava that it's almost painful. I want to get up and leave, and so does everyone else I'm sure. But for some reason, none of us have budged. It's been, maybe... a half an hour.

The plan was to come in, get drinks and hang out like back in middle school, when everyone got along better. But so far it's just been weird. It seemed like a good plan at first... and I don't remember who's idea this was. Maya's, I believe, after one night I got drunk and admitted to her how close we all used to be.

Even sober it seemed right. I didn't care much about seeing them when she first mentioned it, but the more time I've spent thinking about it, the more it bugged me that I haven't so much as spoken a few words to the people I grew up with (besides Tommy, Dil, and Carter) and could at one time call my best friends. So, here we are now... sitting around this table, sipping coffee and twirling our thumbs.

Maya's here too, sitting right across from me at the circular table in the back, between Lil and Kimi who haven't really even acknowledged each other since we've been here, thankfully. Beside Kimi is Phil, and while those two have exchanged a word or two, I can tell it's a little awkward for them to be sitting beside each other. Phil is beside me and on my other side are Dil and Tommy, who are the only ones who have been holding any type of conversation... except only with each other. And beside those two are two empty chairs... one for Suzie and another for Angelica.

Suzie texted me earlier saying she wasn't gonna be able to make it anyway, but Tommy told me Angelica was gonna be here. I can't say it'd be less awkward without them... but maybe it would, just a little.

"Well... I'm doing well, I think." Kimi says suddenly, and I almost forget what she's talking about until I remember my earlier question. "I'm pretty sure I have like... A's and B's in all of my classes."

Everyone nods in approval and mentions quietly that they're doing about the same and suddenly it goes quiet again.

"Don't you have... Mrs. Jarvis for homeroom?" Someone asks, and I notice it's Lil. Kimi doesn't respond at first and Lil just shrugs.

"I do," Kimi finally says dryly. "With Maya."

And Maya grins and looks around at everyone. "Gosh, guys. Don't all start at once." She says before she digs an orange-tinted bottle out of her bookbag on the floor. "I can't hear when you all speak over each other."

"What are those?" Phil asks and Lil glares pointedly at him. Maya notices this and waves her off.

"It's... no big deal, Lil. They're for anxiety." She says, shaking the bottle in his direction. "Don't worry, they're prescribed." She winks at him before she pops the bottle open and shakes a few out in the palm of her hand.

"I hope you aren't taking all of those." All of our heads swivel towards Tommy, who looks oddly bothered by what's happening. His eyes are flickering from the pills in her hand to her face as she plucks one between her fingers and drops the rest into the bottle.

Disappointment threatens to creep through her face, but she manages to keep smiling. I wonder if she realizes that I noticed. "Nah. Just one," she hums just before tossing the pill back and swallowing it with iced coffee. She looks down at her fingertips and her smile fades again only slightly. "Juuust one..."

"When did you start taking those?" Kimi asks quietly, only to be cut off by Lil.

"Don't worry about it, Kimi." She snaps defensively. We all go quiet again and surprisingly, Kimi doesn't have any smart response or even the fuel to argue with her. Lil points at Kimi, but her finger swivels around to all of us at the table. "No one should be worried. If she hasn't told you about it, then doesn't want to talk about it. Mind your damn business, all of you."

And just like that, Lil stands up from the table and waves Maya along with her. They're just a foot out the door and I hear Maya shout, "I'll see you guys later!" We all take one final look around the table and with a few absent goodbyes we get up, and we leave Java Lava without another word.

"Well that was awkward." Tommy quips as we step out of the air conditioning and into the sun.

I shrug my shoulders and pull my sunglasses away from the collar of my shirt to put them on my face. "What can we say, man. It was an honest effort." I almost laugh when I say those words. It was supposed to be sarcasm, but Tommy doesn't pick up on it.

Instead, he says, "Yeah... we tried." And he, Dil, and I step into my Camero. Then, it's like nothing ever happened. Tommy's moving us along to talks about parties and alcohol. He says, "So, I'm planning on having this Spring Break party, since our Back To School Bash was a success." And then he starts going into detail, but all I'm doing is nodding and pretending to listen.