Whoever She Is
Eight
Riley
I glared at Isabelle yet again, my retinas burning metaphorical holes in the back of her head. If looks could kill, she'd be long gone. I could not believe I was letting her drag me along with her to John's house. First of all, John probably had no idea who we were and it'd just be awkward that way but then on top of that, I knew what her, and possibly Garrett, were doing.
"I really think I should go home," I mumbled again, getting out of the car and looking at the house John lived in. It looked kind of like the one I lived in, except it was bigger and the colors were different.
"Just chill out," Isabelle sighed. "Not like they're going to rape us or anything. We're just hanging out. Your parents are at work, I am here, you are fine." She rolled her eyes, waving at John as he stuck his head out passed Garrett and Pat, who were explaining why there were two girls with them. John waved back, motioning for us to come in. I made an uneasy noise, but Isabelle hit me on the arm and starting pulling me towards the door.
"Chill," she repeated, letting go of my arm but leading the way to door. I just nodded, following her inside.
"Hey guys," John greeted, "How was mini-golf?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at me and smirking. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at him.
"Not well, I take it," he snickered. I shook my head again, glancing over at Pat. He offered a weak, timid smile. John looked from me to Pat and back, raising his eyebrows again.
"I swear," he mumbled to himself, grabbing Pat and dragging him into the living room. I glanced back at Garrett and Belle. Garrett shrugged, nodding towards the living room.
"Come on," he sighed, leading Belle and I inside.
____
"Are you serious?" Jared asked, chuckling. "I mean, I knew Pat wasn't the most popular guy in high school, but shoved into a locker almost every day?" Pat shrugged, shrinking in his spot on the couch.
"The guy who used shove me in Garrett's locker's locker was across from his," Pat explained. "I swear, he would wait there for me." I tilted my head at him, shrugging.
"Why didn't Garrett just meet you at your locker, then?" I suggested. Garrett snorted next to me.
"Oh yes, Pat. Why don't you tell her why you refused to stop coming to my locker," he said in a sing song voice. Pat shook his head, mumbling something that I couldn't make out.
"What?" I asked, looking from Pat to Garrett and back to Pat, tiling my head. Pat shook his head at me.
"Don't worry about it," he choked out. "It's nothing." Garrett laughed, rubbing his face for a moment.
"If you don't tell Riley, I will," he warned. Pat glared at him, shaking his head yet again.
"It can't be that bad..." I trailed off, glancing from Pat to Garrett and then to John, who was sitting on the arm chair, trying to hard not to laugh. I glanced over at Belle next, who rolled her eyes at me.
"Are you really that naive?" Belle asked. I shrugged, biting my lip.
"Apparently," I sighed, "Can someone just tell me the secret that everyone knows but me?"
"Can we just drop it, please?" Pat begged, his voice cracking.
"Fine, I'll tell her," Garrett said, turning towards me. "Pat's had a crush on you since the eighth grade." I opened my mouth, closing it a second after. I looked over at Pat, who looked mortified. I felt my face turn red, biting my lip.
"I...uhm..." I stammered. "Excuse me," I said quickly, getting up and pretty much bolting for the front door.
I glared at Isabelle yet again, my retinas burning metaphorical holes in the back of her head. If looks could kill, she'd be long gone. I could not believe I was letting her drag me along with her to John's house. First of all, John probably had no idea who we were and it'd just be awkward that way but then on top of that, I knew what her, and possibly Garrett, were doing.
"I really think I should go home," I mumbled again, getting out of the car and looking at the house John lived in. It looked kind of like the one I lived in, except it was bigger and the colors were different.
"Just chill out," Isabelle sighed. "Not like they're going to rape us or anything. We're just hanging out. Your parents are at work, I am here, you are fine." She rolled her eyes, waving at John as he stuck his head out passed Garrett and Pat, who were explaining why there were two girls with them. John waved back, motioning for us to come in. I made an uneasy noise, but Isabelle hit me on the arm and starting pulling me towards the door.
"Chill," she repeated, letting go of my arm but leading the way to door. I just nodded, following her inside.
"Hey guys," John greeted, "How was mini-golf?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at me and smirking. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at him.
"Not well, I take it," he snickered. I shook my head again, glancing over at Pat. He offered a weak, timid smile. John looked from me to Pat and back, raising his eyebrows again.
"I swear," he mumbled to himself, grabbing Pat and dragging him into the living room. I glanced back at Garrett and Belle. Garrett shrugged, nodding towards the living room.
"Come on," he sighed, leading Belle and I inside.
____
"Are you serious?" Jared asked, chuckling. "I mean, I knew Pat wasn't the most popular guy in high school, but shoved into a locker almost every day?" Pat shrugged, shrinking in his spot on the couch.
"The guy who used shove me in Garrett's locker's locker was across from his," Pat explained. "I swear, he would wait there for me." I tilted my head at him, shrugging.
"Why didn't Garrett just meet you at your locker, then?" I suggested. Garrett snorted next to me.
"Oh yes, Pat. Why don't you tell her why you refused to stop coming to my locker," he said in a sing song voice. Pat shook his head, mumbling something that I couldn't make out.
"What?" I asked, looking from Pat to Garrett and back to Pat, tiling my head. Pat shook his head at me.
"Don't worry about it," he choked out. "It's nothing." Garrett laughed, rubbing his face for a moment.
"If you don't tell Riley, I will," he warned. Pat glared at him, shaking his head yet again.
"It can't be that bad..." I trailed off, glancing from Pat to Garrett and then to John, who was sitting on the arm chair, trying to hard not to laugh. I glanced over at Belle next, who rolled her eyes at me.
"Are you really that naive?" Belle asked. I shrugged, biting my lip.
"Apparently," I sighed, "Can someone just tell me the secret that everyone knows but me?"
"Can we just drop it, please?" Pat begged, his voice cracking.
"Fine, I'll tell her," Garrett said, turning towards me. "Pat's had a crush on you since the eighth grade." I opened my mouth, closing it a second after. I looked over at Pat, who looked mortified. I felt my face turn red, biting my lip.
"I...uhm..." I stammered. "Excuse me," I said quickly, getting up and pretty much bolting for the front door.