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…
Scheduled for Friday
by Anton M.
21: Hoodie
…
Thursday, January 26
I dreaded returning to school. After Tuesday, the thought of seeing Edward with Lauren made me feel heavier than ever, but I also knew I had to snap out of my pathetic simping. Wearing (and sleeping in, don't judge) his hoodie was sweet but entirely unhelpful for stepping out of my dreams and into reality.
I raided mom's closet to wear a teal long-sleeved T-shirt under my moody blue overalls, folded to look cropped because my mom's a giant. Not everything she owned fit me perfectly but we had similar proportions and clothes that she wore with a tight fit had the comfiest loose fit for me.
Plus, it had pockets. Who was I to say no to overalls with pockets?
I didn't arrive at school as early as I'd hoped, so the subtle return of Edward's jacket and hoodie couldn't happen in the parking lot. I drowned under my gear: my backpack, a duffle bag (containing Edward's clothes), and Jasper's helmet pressed against my stomach. The sheer force field of my gear was designed to keep the sadness of life away from me… except it wasn't doing a good job. I caught Edward leaning against a pillar next to the wall-full of heartleaf philodendron, my spot with my friends, with the one and only Lauren standing in front of him.
The vice around my heart tightened when our eyes locked, and even though I felt beautiful in his gaze I gave him a nonchalant smile and a nod. Casual. Friendly.
You stole my fucking spot, dude. You mean nothing to me.
Very convincing, Bella. So convincing, in fact, that I nearly walked into a teacher with all my gear. Apologizing profusely, I didn't realize a guy was running after me.
"Zendaya," the skinny guy with glasses and a black pony tail yelled, holding my chapstick. "You dropped this." My duffle bag swung away from me as I turned. He stepped back. "Whoa."
"Sorry," I muttered, attempting to remember his name. "I'm summoning a pond so that I can drift into class with my gear."
He pushed up his glasses as he laughed, and I had it—Peter.
"Zendaya?" Jasper challenged, approaching me from behind, and I had to gather all my energy and then some not to give him and Alice my toothiest grin. They were holding hands. Alice was totally suppressing every inch of her joy while also warning me with her eyes, and I knew I couldn't tease her. Damn it. Teasing her to death was my solemn duty as her best friend even if they did look disgustingly adorable together.
Jasper's eyes flickered from me to Peter to where I knew Edward to be, and when he stifled his smile with mischief in his eyes, I narrowed mine at him.
Peter, meanwhile, leaned closer to me as I accepted my chapstick. "You ever need to make that fool jealous hit me up on Insta."
He winked, made some clicking sound with his mouth, nodded at Jasper and walked away. Alice stood with her mouth open.
"Who is that and what did he just tell you?"
"That's Peter," Jasper answered for her, his attention still across the entrance. "And I don't know what he told Zendaya but it was beautiful and I need more popcorn."
"More popcorn for what?" I asked, catching Edward scowling at me. Alice and Jasper whispered like two schoolgirls before I felt the faintest tug on my duffle bag.
Edward's hoodie fell on the floor.
"Oopsie," Jasper drawled. "I don't know how that happened."
I gaped at him.
Dude.
What the fuck?
Edward's new hoodie was quite recognizable, white and black with a navy V on its torso. I gathered my guts to look at them, and sure enough, Edward and Lauren were frozen in time, staring at us. Edward facepalmed. Lauren began to gesture wildly with her hands as she talked, and I wanted the ground to open up and drop me into a river so that I could float away on Jasper's helmet.
"This day would not get any better if I got into Harvard today," Jasper said, wearing the most mischievous smile. I felt eyes on us.
"You applied to Harvard?" Alice asked, eyes wide.
"Of course not," Jasper replied, grinning down at Alice and squeezing her hand. "I'm just saying it's a beautiful day."
I pressed Jasper's helmet against his stomach and stepped in front of him. "Fix it," I demanded.
"Bella…"
"You fix it right now or I'll show you how the world burns."
Jasper drew a slow breath before he took hold of his helmet (but gave it to Alice) and picked up Edward's hoodie. "Fine," he replied. "But I am very sad that you do not like favors."
"Favors?" I repeated. "Making the entire school believe Edward's cheating behind Lauren is not a favor. Implicating me in it less so. Nothing happened. You know nothing happened."
Jasper squinted at me, eyes twinkling. Leaning closer, he whispered, "Oh something happened, alright."
"No it didn't."
Jasper sighed like I was stupid. "Fine," he repeated. "It's your funeral."
Hand in hand, the two approached Edward and Lauren. I moved closer to them and crouched next to my backpack with the valid excuse of pretending to search for a notebook while Jasper balled up Edward's hoodie and threw it in Edward's face. Edward caught it.
"Left it at my place," Jasper lied. "You're welcome."
I would've tried to gauge if Lauren believed his lie (did he see Jasper take out the hoodie from my bag or did she see it already on the floor?) but my interest in her reaction would've drawn more suspicion than I was comfortable with.
First, I'd already given Jasper his extra helmet (why did I have it?), and second, Edward's jacket was still in my duffle bag (and how was I going to return it to him?). I was involved in a lot of suspicious activity for a girl who did not do anything.
Other than grow pinecones for a guy who had a girlfriend, but, you know, ask me for a human who's perfect and I'll show you the cemetery.
Jasper handed his helmet over to the reception. I didn't know that's where they kept them in school but the helmets didn't fit into lockers so it made perfect sense.
Alice and Jasper walked back to me. Confused about whether I wanted to slap Jasper or squeeze him like a toothpaste until all his secrets came out, I asked, "Did she believe you?"
"I was hoping she wouldn't," he replied. "But yeah. I think so."
I breathed a sigh of relief. Now with a random notebook under my arm for maximum fakery, I zipped up my backpack, threw it on my shoulders and lifted the strap of the duffel bag over my head. Not enough gear to summon a river and drift to class but that's the way I liked it.
"You're killing me, Smalls," Jasper said. "Tell me you're at least starting to figure out what I told you the other day."
Alice tugged at his hand, whispering, "What? What did you tell her?"
I groaned. "If I wanted to read a guy's mind I'd get myself a boyfriend who sucks at communicating."
They laughed.
"I can see why Masen can't—" Jasper cut himself off.
"Can't what?"
"How are you single?" Jasper asked before he hesitated and made a sheepish face, but Alice grinned.
"No disagreement here," she said, like a true friend.
"How do you know I am single? What if I have a secret boyfriend who doesn't go to this school? Big and buff and extra protective?"
"Please say that around Masen," Jasper pleaded. "I'll Venmo you ten bucks to say that around Masen. Better yet, come behind our classroom with Alice and flirt with Peter. It would make my week."
Alice stared at Jasper, a shy, taken aback expression on her face. He shifted, tilting his head toward her. His eyes were alight with a secret.
"You know what I mean," he replied quietly.
Alice beamed before she nudged me. "Would make my week, too."
Ugh. Someone throw these gooey flutter-eyed people out of the window.
It was really sweet of them to think that Edward would give a rat's ass about who I flirted with (not that I knew how), but a part of me still wanted to strangle Jasper for nearly getting me in the middle of a love du-angle. What would've happened if Lauren hadn't believed Jasper? If she'd seen him pull Edward's hoodie out of my bag? Would she have broken up with Edward? Given him the silent treatment? Did she suspect anything and would she be even clingier now since she loved knowing that she won him?
I hoped not. I needed some time to make my heart go all ptshhh in an ice bucket before I was ready for more of Edward's PDA with her.
Jasper put his arm in front of my body just before we'd left Edward's field of vision. "Seriously, Bella. Look at them."
I didn't want to.
Alice, too, stopped walking, and my heart twisted in my chest as we all stared at the beautiful couple across the entrance behind a few pillars. Edward's arms were crossed, his current grey hoodie sleeves rolled back to his elbows (probably to hide the ragged edges). He leaned sideways against a pillar, his new hoodie hanging off his shoulder and pressed against his cheek. When Lauren began to search for something in her bag, Edward turned his head and breathed in the hoodie, and he got the strangest look in his eyes, dazed, unguarded and soft. I'd never seen Edward, the man with the dirty hands and piercing and buzz cut, wear a tender expression like that, and it lit up my heart before I realized he must've been imagining Lauren in his hoodie. Because of course he would.
Heavy lead extinguished the fire in my chest.
He was falling in love with her, I needed a heart transplant, and I didn't care what Jasper was trying to show me because I couldn't watch them.
I sent Jasper my dirtiest look before I turned around.
"Hey," Alice said, taking hold of my wrist.
"I get it, okay?" I replied quietly. "I'm pathetic and I need to get over myself. Just let me do that without having to watch how perfect they are together."
"Hey," Alice repeated, gently. She did not let go of my wrist as she looked up at Jasper, asking, "What's your point?"
Jasper looked between us, back and forth, squinting. "How are we looking at the same guy right now?" He glanced behind him before he said, "Look at Masen next the time you pass them. Really look."
I really, really didn't want to, and my face must've shown it because Jasper leaned just a little bit closer to me, whispering, "He's bored."
I blinked at him.
"No, he's not."
"Bored to tears," Jasper continued. "I swear I would've blown my brains out if I had to date her. The girl hasn't shut up since Friday. I don't think she's asked Masen a single question since they started dating, what, not even a week ago? The guy's miserable. Have you seen him laugh once around her?"
My heart lifted in hope, but I suppressed it.
"Maybe he doesn't like funny girls."
Alice scoffed. "Everyone likes funny girls."
Jasper smiled at Alice. "My girl's right."
I swear if Alice's eyes went any gooey-er I'd have no other choice but to stick her into an air vent.
"Even if you're right that doesn't mean anything for me," I replied. "It's sweet that you're trying to console me but he's told me multiple times he's not into me. It's fine. Not his fault. I appreciate your… meddling but, how about you stop, okay? Please stop. The fact that he's dating her makes his feelings crystal clear even if you guys don't like her."
Alice made a face but didn't argue, and finally, finally, we started walking to our first class. Alice squinted at me when we turned the corner.
"You do look a bit like Zendaya," she said. "I think it's your eyes."
"It's definitely the eyes," Jasper agreed.
"Thank you. I'd be more flattered if I wasn't cosplaying in a Luigi outfit today."
"Oh my God you are!" Alice exclaimed, letting go of Jasper's hand and walking backwards in front of us. "You are Luigi! A sexy, cute Luigi." Alice took Jasper's hand again and leaned closer to me as she whispered, "Edward couldn't take his eyes off of you when you entered the school."
"Alice," I warned, desperately ignoring the longing squeeze of my heart. "Please don't make stuff up to make me feel better."
"I'm not making it up, Bee-Bee."
"He was probably just hoping to get his clothes back." I made a face at her, one that clearly said I was done with the topic.
Alice, the good friend she was, tugged at the golden button on my side and grinned. "I need blue overalls so I can be Mario to your Luigi."
"Who are Mario and Luigi?"
Alice and I gaped at Jasper before we looked at each other and laughed.
School was better when Alice was here.
…
A/N: What makes you happy these days?