Sorry changing the focus for a little; makes it more suspenseful. Also sorry for not updating for a long time lots of stuff happened that was rather unfortunate. Time will continue like normal for them but for a while we'll focus on Firkle while Michael and Pete and Mike all begin to formulate their plans against each other.
p.o.v. Firkle
It didn't mean anything at first, it was even less than insignificant, but soon I could no longer look at it apathetically. I'm not quite sure when it began, but it started to take its toll on me when Pete finally gave into Michael. I never even wanted him as a friend; I had just resolved to keep him as… as a Nazi conformist cheerleader I could somewhat stand, but that hadn't panned out. I was standing in the graveyard; Mike had just left after making everyone feel as uncomfortable as being within a foot of him can make you feel. But soon that discomfort faded and I began to feel all too smug with myself over Pete and Michael's newly embraced mutuality, when my cell phone range.
"Firkle, someone's calling you; must be that project partner of yours," Henrietta sneered, taking a drag from her cigarette and using her holder to point at my phone.
"I thought no one had your number but us? Weren't you too hardcore Goth to ever give it to some fucking conformist project partner?" Pete taunted me stepping closer to me as he spoke indignantly. I wasn't taking any carp from HIM ever!
"Well I thought you were to non-conformist to ever embrace the icy grasp of love," I retorted. He glared at me, but Michael put his hand over Pete's mouth before he could extend our little quarrel any further and motioned for me to answer the call. When I answered, a warm, smooth voice spoke.
"Hey Firkle, I know you're probably busy right now, but do you want to meet up in like an hour?" the boy asked in a calm manner. I couldn't help but sneer at this voice my best chance to hide that smile that attempted to cross my face.
"Do I seem like I have all the time in the world? I guess its fine, but don't push me," I responded in a sharp voice. I didn't want anyone to think I was soft.
"That's cool. I'll see you then, can't wait..." he responded as though my answer had been polite. I hung up before any formal goodbyes could be exchanged. I didn't want to say his name, I didn't want them to know, especially Pete. And that boy most certainly didn't need to think I had any need for him.
"So this 'friend' of yours not have a name or do you just not want us to know who you're hanging out with?" Michel asked, noticing I never once said their name. Despite pestering me Michael didn't really care he had what he wanted and was preoccupied with making sure it didn't get away; he glanced at me, leaning against a grave stone to give his leg a brake.
"Does it matter? It really is none of your business," I replied curtly
"It's not as though we don't already fucking known who it is; we saw that Canadian Ike Broflowsky outside last time you rushed out of my house," Henrietta accused.
That idiot Ike.
Henrietta sighed and shifted her weight on the gravestone she had chosen to sit upon. "You better freaking tell us before we start insinuating things all on our own," she threatened in her false sweet tone. I swallowed hard.
"There's really nothing between us, we just happen to have several of the same classes, so we work together on projects because neither of us can stand the idiocy of our classmates," I responded with a half truth looking away from them as I spoke.
"Oh Hell, come on, as if that's all," Pete prodded, "you wouldn't be ditching us if that was all." Michael looked at me intensely his finger pressed against his lips, he slowly leaned out and grabbed Pete around the waist and put his hand over his mouth puling him back till Pete was leaning on him.
I stared at him accusingly. "Well some of us take our grades seriously, unlike others," I yelled, clenching the lipstick tube in my pocket tightly. Henrietta looked at me, grinning.
"Oh yes that's why some of us happen to be getting C's," she refuted. I cringed, having backed myself into a figurative corner.
"Whatever, you guys are bugging me today. I'm out of here," I said, leaving before it got worse, knowing I had lost.
I walked home despite it taking about a freaking half hour, and collapsed on my bed wondering to myself. Why was I ditching them for Ike? What was so special about one conformist? But he was so sweet… sometimes, and he wasn't like the others, he couldn't be. I would certainly hate him if that was true, wouldn't I? I took out my phone and saw a message from Ike.
"I know I said in an hour, but if you're free before then I can come pick you up."
I sighed and replied, telling him where I was and that I was free. Maybe he was using me, making me look stupid to suck up to that poser Stan; I mean his brother is Stan's best-friend and I doubt there is much he wouldn't do for his brother. Being used by a younger boy, lead around like I am how pitiful that would be.
I got up and checked myself in a mirror, unsatisfied with what I saw. Sure, I was taller than Pete; I mean who wasn't these days? But Michael towered over me, even Ike stood a good half foot taller than me. My hair fell into my eyes and made it hard to see at times but I liked it better that way, at least I didn't have a girly hair style like Pete or a head of unruly hair like Michael; but it could at least look better. My frame was sturdy yet thin; unlike Michael who was slim and muscular, and unlike Ike who was well built very sturdy and muscular, well at least I wasn't Pete small framed thin not very muscular in the least.
I sighed, turning around when the doorbell rang. I walked down the hall and opened it to find Ike standing there wearing a peach sweater… a uugggly peach sweater. "Hey Firkle, nice to see you looking so good. I've missed you, you know.
"Sure you have Ike, let's just get going." I was not going to play into his sappy game and tell him I missed him, he'd get to much satisfaction out of that and I wasn't in the mood to see others happy. I began to walk past him when he stopped me and grabbed my face, turning it towards him. His face was still quite far away but he had the power to hold me and the look in his eye was frightening, I'd almost forgot that Ike had the potential to be intimidating.
"Come on Firkle, don't act like that, you know its true and I know you've missed me, so why can't you just tell me?" he leaned down closer his face coming closer to mine as he spoke a smirk coming across it. Most of the time he was the sweetest person in the world but others he had a capacity for unhindered sadism but I liked that best about him; although right now I couldn't tell which it was.
"You obviously know, so why do I have to tell you? If you must know, yes I have missed you, I just haven't had a very good day and I'm sorry if I happen to be taking it out on you; I'm just really tired." I sighed, Pete's face flashing across my mind.
"That's ok, how about we get you in a better mood? Let's go out and get something to eat and you can tell me all about it. Then later you have to come to my hockey match." He smiled in my direction; none of my friends ever smile, especially at me.
"I'm cool with that." As we began to walk to wherever Ike was taking me, a piece of paper fell out of his pocket, so I picked it up and read it.
"Time wanes as it slips through an hour glass we fail to see
It ages us with every second with every breath we breathe,
We lapse and change but fail to grow in the direction of the sun;
We spend our days wishing for the moon,
But fail to grasp it when night comes.
We long for what we can't have,
And dream about what we may never achieve,
Although we long for it we may never reach it,
But still we try even if in vein,
We want, with every breath,
And are driven ever forward by time,
Encouraged to grasp what we want,
Time is not our hindrance but our motivator."
I'd never say it, but secretly I loved it, even if it wasn't too dark, even if it was poor excuse for a poem. I believed I could feel what he meant with every word, simply because I knew what he longed for; it was hard not to when I saw it every time I looked in cold his eyes.