Learning How to Swim

Horrible Coincidences

My parents had been absolutely thrilled about them sleeping over. I believe my mother’s exact words were, “Hey, it’s your funeral.” That didn’t matter, though. Actually, nothing seemed to matter to me anymore. Take my grades for example: I used to bring home the perfect marks, but I was lucky to get a D or two! And I didn’t care in the least. I would have tormented myself a few weeks ago. Oh, and it’d been a month since Kara went to Beckham again. I hadn’t visited her in a long time. She always asked for me specifically, but I made sure to be elsewhere so they couldn’t try to make me go. I just didn’t see the point in seeing her suffering, and she’d probably see my messed up body. I was probably as fucked up as her. Not that it mattered. Oh, and Steven acted like I didn’t exist. I didn’t blame him, not that it mattered. Nothing had ever mattered.

Adam sort of mattered, I guess. I mean, we’d been together for three weeks, and he still wrote me songs like he did when we first met. I really should have thanked Alicia for introducing us, but I doubt I ever would since I had never needed a boyfriend before. I had been just fine with only Kara. But then Steven just had to come along and ruin it.

I sighed, looking out the bus window. I was sitting alone, as I usually did. Steven no longer even glanced in my direction, but that was probably better. For him anyway.

I walked to class alone after finally getting Adam to go to class. He told me we would “talk later.” I told him not to hold his breath. Alicia and Roselyn were smart enough to back off in the first place. I just wasn’t in a good mood. Maybe it was the meth. It was known to make you irritable and aggressive anyway.

There was my seat. Next to Quigg. He didn’t even glance up as he slept on his desk, so I just walked up to my seat. I know it shouldn’t have been awkward, but it was.

“Love you, babe!” Adam yelled as he walked past the classroom, grinning. I smiled, kind of, and waved.

“That’s enough distractions for one day, don’t you think?” Mr. Crosland asked me, scowling. I shrugged, throwing my face onto the desk to hide my bloodshot eyes. “Anyway, we’ll be starting a new project today. And you are to work in pairs.”

I groaned as he called out the pairs, and I noticed a trend: he was pairing up the people who were sitting beside each other. Steven didn’t even look at me when he called our names—not that I was looking.

“Alyssa and Steven, I told you to get started. I probably shouldn’t have paired up the slackers,” he muttered as he stood between us.

Steven looked up. “Is it too late to switch partners?” he asked, still refusing to look at me.

“Yes. It is. So you two will have to work something out.” He talked louder to the rest of the class, telling us that we would have to work together outside of class.

Steven grudgingly pushed his desk to mine.

“I won’t catch secondhand, will I?” he mocked me, glaring.

I told him to screw off, and then looked him dead in the eyes. He flinched.

“You look horrible.”

I smirked. “That’s what every girl loves to hear.”

“You’re not a girl anymore.”

“Last time I checked I had no dick,” I told him, pulling out my book.

“No; you’ve turned into a monster. And you’re certainly not the girl I fell in love with,” he mumbled, raising his hand and excusing himself to the bathroom.

I smacked my face to the desk again, wishing someone would just shoot me.
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Steven is a persistent little guy, and I think he's my favorite character in this story :) thanks for reading, and especially subscribing and commenting. I wanted to take a break from myths and focus on things that could actually happen, and I really liked this story, so I decided to post it. And I hope you like it so far :)