Light Me On Fire

By the time lunch came around, I had learned two things: one, Becca had taken a liking to Garrett, something I laughed at, because Garrett was just too weird for his own good, and two, I was sick of seeing Elle flaunting her and John’s relationship in front of my face whenever she got the chance. I sat down with my plastic box of salad and sighed as I slipped my messenger bag off of my shoulders.

“What’s wrong, Soph?” Kennedy asked as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

“I’m just tired, Ken.”

“Are you sure that’s all?”

I looked at him and smiled. “Positive.”

“Alrighty then.” He gave me a smile and began shoveling his piece of pizza into his mouth.

I laughed and stuck my fork in my salad, just as Kelsi and Becca approached the table. “Hey, loves.”

Kelsi took a seat across from me, and Becca sat to her left. “Feeling better?”

I shrugged. “Eh, it’s whatever.”

Becca gave me a smile. “Things will turn around.”

I laughed. “I hope you’re right.” I took a bite of my salad and Jared took a seat to the left of me.

“Sophia, how can you eat bird food?” he asked me.

I looked at him and rolled my eyes. “It is not bird food.”

He laughed. “Sure it’s not.”

I nudged my elbow into his shoulder and took another bite of my salad, just as Pat, Garrett, John and Ellie came to the table. I rolled my eyes subtly and smiled at Pat and Garrett.

“Don’t smile at me like that,” Garrett told me, pretending to shudder.

My smile fell. “Asshole.”

He laughed. “Jokes, Sophia, jokes. You know I love you.”

“Mhm.” I looked at Becca and saw that her cheeks seemed to turn pink as Garrett sat next to her.

“Becca, why don’t we have any classes together?” he asked her, pretending to pout.

She smiled shyly. “Ask the counselors.”

He laughed. “They don’t really like me, so I think it’s best if I stay away from their office.”

“Why don’t they like you?” Becca asked, laughing.

Pat threw his hands in the air. “Last year, he made this big fuss, because they gave him gym instead of art. He told Mrs. Smith that she was evil and he hoped zombies would come after her.”

I snickered, remembering Garrett getting suspended for that stunt.

“Garrett, you really need help, dude,” Kennedy told him.

He rolled his eyes. “She’s a bitch. She’s lucky I didn’t call her that to her face.”

I looked at him. “No, you’re lucky you didn’t say that, because your ass would have been in even more trouble than you already were.”

He smiled. “You're probably right.”

Ellie and John were talking amongst themselves, but I noticed that their voices were growing louder and louder. Soon, our whole table was staring at them.

“I don’t understand why you always find some excuse not to spend time with me!” Elle yelled.

John groaned. “For the hundredth fucking time, Elle, you know we have practice tomorrow night! I’m not trying to make up an excuse!”

She scoffed and stood up, crossing her arms over her chest. “You don’t even act like you love me anymore!”

At that, I had to laugh, and I noticed Kelsi, Kennedy and Garrett doing the same.

“I don’t act like I love you?! What the fuck are you talking about?!” John asked, standing up as well.

Kelsi looked at Kennedy. “If we ever get like that, I’m cutting your balls off.”

He laughed and covered his crotch with his hands. “Trust me, if that’s the consequence, we’ll never be like that!”

Kelsi smirked and stood up, bent over the table and planted a kiss on Kennedy’s lips. “Love you.”

He laughed. “Love you, too, babe.”

Pat, Garrett, Jared and myself groaned.

“Get a room, dude,” Pat said.

“For real,” Jared agreed.

I laughed and noticed that John and Ellie had slipped away. “Where’d John and Elle go?”

“I think Elle ran out and John chased her. Beats me as to why he follows her around like a fucking dog,” Garrett said.

“I take it they fight a lot?” Becca asked.

Garrett laughed. “You have no idea.”

After that, lunch went by pretty quickly and before I knew it, it was over. We all stood up at once, mumbled our ‘see you later’s’ and went our separate ways. Becca stayed behind to talk to me.

“You seem bothered,” she said.

I shrugged. “I’m just a little stressed out; nothing too big.”

She looked at me. “Are you sure it’s nothing else?”

If I had learned anything between yesterday and today, it was that Becca wasn’t shy in the least bit. If she had something to say, she’d say it. It was sort of nice, because I wasn’t too good at getting people to open up. Although, I did notice that whenever Garrett was around, she tended to close up.

“Positive.” I swung my bag over my shoulders. “So, now that you’ve found out how weird Garrett is, do you still like him?”

She laughed. “He’s a little out there, but so am I. I think he’s adorable.” She let out a love-sick sigh, causing me to laugh.

“You’ve got it bad, girl.”

She smiled and blushed. “Is it that obvious?”

I shrugged. “I guess because I know that you like him, it sort of is. But the others probably haven’t noticed.”

“Well, that’s good.”

I nodded my head. “Yeah, but don’t worry about it. Garrett’s a sweetie once you get to know him.”

“I hope so.”

I laughed as we stood in the hallway. “Want me to ask him about you?”

“Isn’t that a little middle-schooler-ish?”

“Mmm, maybe, but who cares? Garrett acts like a middle schooler.”

She laughed. “Well then, yes, but try not to make it too obvious?”

I nodded my head. “You got it, dude.”

“Full House?”

“You know it.”

She chuckled. “I’ll see you later, Soph.”

“See ya, Becca.”

She walked into her classroom and I continued my way down the hallway, going to my class. Just as I was about to turn the corner, I saw two figures huddling near a row of lockers. As I looked closer, I noticed that it was John and Elle making out. I rolled my eyes and scoffed. John must have heard me because he opened his eyes and stared straight at me. He pulled away from sucking Elle’s face off and gave me a sympathetic look. Why? I have no clue.

I gave him a shrug and walked into my fifth period classroom. As I took my seat, I realized that I was definitely going to follow through with my plan. Starting tonight, I was going to give John a taste of his own medicine.