These Bright Lights Have Always Blinded Me

Ali and I were sitting in Anatomy when Tom randomly goes, “Okay, I just realized something. And you have to explain it to me sixth.”

I looked at the two of them and said, “I’m confused!”

“Me, too,” Ali and Bill added.

“Remember this morning and you’ll know what I’m talking about,” he said before turning back to…something.

She thought for a minute when she said, “Oh! I get it. You’ll have to figure out for yourself Tomi-boy.”

“Ich bin konfuse,” Bill and I said at the same time.

“Never mind,” Ali said just as the bell rang. Everyone stood up and we left the room to go to our lockers for third period. Hell yeah photography!

I went to my locker and opened it. I threw my books in when I heard someone giggle. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my camera before closing my locker. Just as I did, I wished I hadn’t done so. Standing there were Tom and Kat. He had his arm around her shoulders and was whispering something in her ear.

“Wow, I can’t believe she’s dating the new guy,” I heard someone say.

“I know. I guess she’s trying to get in his pants,” the other said.

“Probably. He’ll leave her after a while. She’ll most likely cheat on him as she did with Gerard,” the first person said.

“Most likely. Come on, we need to get to class,” the second person said before they left.

Dating? When did this happen?! I’ll ask Bill fourth.

I put my camera around my neck and slowly walked to photography.

“Miss Iero, glad to see you join us,” Mr. Emmick said as I walked in.

I looked to see that it was a bit after the class started. “Sorry,” I said quietly before sitting between Ali and Gustav and behind Mikey.

“Chelzers? What’s up?” Ali asked.

I shook my head as Mr. Emmick talked about our semester project. I turned on my camera and started looking through the pictures. I looked over at Gustav and said, “Gusti, look over here real fast please.”

He looked over and I snapped a picture of him. “I need pictures of my friends. I now need a picture of Georg, Bill, and Tom,” I said.

He nodded when Mikey asked, “Chelsea, what happened?”

“Nothing. Nothing happened. Why is everyone on my back about it?!” I asked defensively and annoyed.

“Okay. I know something’s wrong. What happened?” Ali asked.

“I have to look through my pictures and find the ones I’m using in my project,” I said changing subject. I started looking through my pictures when Mikey took my camera.

“No! Mikey! Give Jokie back!” I said . Yeah I named my camera. Sue me.

“Not until you explain what’s wrong,” he said placing it around his neck.

I crossed my arms. “Just give me my ficken camera now,” I said getting irritated.

Mikey shook his head. “Chelzers, just tell him and he’ll give it to you,” Ali said.

“That’s what she said,” Gustav said suddenly. Holy shit he talks.

“Dude! You spoke!” Ali said. Phew. Maybe they’ll drop the subject.

I sighed. “Tell me,” Mikey said. Nope. They didn’t. Fuck me sideways.

“It’s not important,” I told him.

“Is it about Tom and Kat?” Mikey asked.

“What? Psh. No,” I said, although my body language exposed me.

“It’s bothering you,” Ali said, “I can tell.”

“Look, Tom can date whoever he wants. Knowing Kat and how she was when Gerard dated her, it’s not like we’ll be seeing much of him anyway,” I said pissed.

“You like him, don’t you?” Mikey suddenly asked.

“What?! Hell no. It’s not bothering me and I don’t like him like that. You’re several kinds of crazy,” I said.

“That, Chelzers, is the biggest load of bull shit I’ve ever heard,” Ali said.

I rolled my eyes. “Look, if he wants to date the bitch, let him. I’m not gonna get close to him because sooner or later she’s gonna make him not talk to us,” I said, wanting to add, “Saves the pain,” to that, “And there’s nothing we can do about it. Now Michael James Way give me back my effing camera.”

Mikey shrugged before handing it back to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We weren’t doing anything in Algebra II today. I rested my head on my desk and wrote random stuff on a piece of paper, not paying attention to what I was writing.

“Chelsea? Bist du o.k.?” Bill asked.

I nodded. “Warum?” I asked.

“Well, you’re drawing a sad girl with a rain cloud over her head,” he replied.

I looked to see that Bill was right. I sighed and continued drawing/writing.

Mrs. Teddleton was walking around when she asked, “Gisela? Bist du o.k.?” She’s my German teacher as well and we got to choose German names our first year. I chose Gisela.

“Ja Frau Teddleton. Ich bin o.k.,” I replied.

She looked at me before patting me on the back and continued walking around the room.

“Chelsea, you’re not ok,” Bill whispered, “Was ist es?”

“Nothing,” I replied, “Just thinking and whatnot. You’re brother’s dating Kat.”

“I know, seeing as I live with him. He would not shut up about it at all. I just ignored him when he started talking about her,” he said.

I sighed. “I’m so freaking confused. It’s bothering me and I don’t know why. And it’s not like I’ll get to talk to him anymore. Kat’s a bitch. When she and Gerard dated, she made him not talk to Ali and I. She told him that if he did, she’d dump him. He really liked her and didn’t want to lose her, so Ali and I were basically forbade by her to talk to Gerard at all.”

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me. “Tom won’t ignore you and Ali. I know my big brother.”

“Well, just to be on the safe side, I’m not getting close to him just to have him taken away from us.”

“Then he’ll wonder why and demand you to tell him. German stubbornness.”

I giggled. “Now there’s a smile,” he said smiling.

“Awe!” I said. He looked so adorable when he smiled.

“What?” he asked.

“You look so adorable!” I replied.

He laughed. “Wow Chella. Wow.”

I smiled just as the bell rang. I gathered my stuff together and Bill and I walked out of the room.

We stopped at my locker and Bill asked, “Can I put my book in your locker?”

I nodded and took his book. I opened my locker and dumped out stuff. “Go get Ali, Mikey, and Tom and I’ll get everyone else,” I said.

“Or they can walked down to the table by themselves and we can walk down together,” he said before linking arms with me.

I laughed and said, “Onward trusty stead!”

He laughed and we headed to the table.

“Hey skank!” Ali said when we reached the table. Ali, Mikey, Ray, Gerard, Bob, Frank, Georg, and Gustav were sitting as well.

“Hey hoe bag. Where’s Tom?” I asked as I sat next to Ray and Bill sat next to me.

She shrugged. “Haven’t seen him since the end of fourth,” she replied when her eyes widened.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Ali replied.

I rolled my eyes and dropped it. I grabbed my lunch and pulled out the Lock & Lock of Goldfish crackers before I munched on them.

The lunch table conversation went on and still no Tom. I started looking around for him when I saw him sitting with Kat and her preppy as hell friends. I turned back to the conversation at my table and started trying to keep my hands busy so I wouldn’t think about losing Tom as a friend, despite the fact that I’ve only known him for a few days.

“Chelzers? You look sad,” Ali said.

“Huh? No I’m fine. Just messing with my Tupperware container,” I said, “Bored really.”

Ali rolled her eyes and we continued our lunch table conversation.