Hypocrite

I awoke the next morning with my face against a hard, unrelenting surface. I had fallen asleep in the bathroom. My thoughts quickly flashed to my parents before a humorless chuckle escaped my lips. They wouldn't notice I was gone. Mom was too wrapped up at work and Dad was a on a trip. Heck I could leave school for a week and simply disappear, but would they notice, no they wouldn't.

I sighed as I pushed myself up from the floor. Murphy would know something was up, but would anyone else care I asked my self. The honest answer was that they would know and just not care enough to do anything about it. The lie I told my self was that they wouldn't even notice.

I busied my self with finger combing my hair and waiting patiently for the school bell to ring seeing as I had done my homework after my crying fit and before I fell asleep, but I can't guarantee that there won't be spots of dried water on the pages.

I was about to pull them out when the sound of the bell fell upon my ears and I stood up and took a quick peak into the mirror.

I hated what I saw. A pasty white kid with tile designs on her face. I got up anyway and made my way to the door to see what misery lay waiting for me today. Maybe I would be lucky today. Maybe I could amble through to day with no battels to rage. But only a director and story line straight from Hollywood would be able to predict my next situation.

Veronica, of course found me, and who was on her arm? Jake Cooper, his cheeks flushed from laughing a some joke or another that was just told. I simply looked away and hoped
that they would overlook me. It wished to fade into the background.

"Oh look, it our dearest Elle." Jake shifted uncomfortably before casting a quick glance sideways and then shooting me a guilty smile.

"And look, it our ever ugly Veronica," I shot back nastily. She could report me, but this morning I was too rebellious to even care. A confused look glazed her face before she left out an indignant sound, but by the that time I had been surrounded by the crowd.

"Elle! Elle!" Jake called as he did his best to hurry though the crowd. I of course tried to simply melt away, but this time to no avail. He found me, again.

"Wait up will ya," he panted. I kept my brisk pace however, determined to leave him in the dust.

"You know, she's kind of nice," he called out in desperation, worry leaking into his voice.

"Not to me. Not now, Not ever!" I yelled over my shoulder, my voice falling upon the mass of kids walking around me.

"Well it's a shame you won't try," and that's where my temper kicked in.

"Wont try?" I drawled in a deadly voice. "I tried for years. YEARS! AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT I GOT IN RETURN? SARCASTIC REMARKS. BRUISES AND BACKSTABBING FRIENDS! THAT'S WHAT I GOT, SO DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME I SHOULD TRY!" I turned about face to face and yelled. Jake staggered back.

"Huh?" I stormed away from the clueless boy and raged into Math class and plunked down next to Murphy.

"What's up my fine friend."

"Stupid boys," I muttered mutinously.

"Ah. Well, if it helps they are all stupid." I giggled.

"I concur." I said back. And we shared a grin that whipped Jake from my mind and made me feel happy that I had at least one friend, even if we weren't all that close. And a friend could make all my worries disappear.



"Elle! Wait up! If I said sorry would it help?" I spun on my heel and glared straight at Jake.

"Why do you care?" I snapped.

"Because you seem like you need a friend. And I volunteer?" The last part seemed to take all of his nerve. I did have to admit that having another friend would be nice, but honestly, this guy insulted me and then thinks a simple sorry will fix it? No way.

"And why on earth would you want to subject yourself to that?" I asked sarcastically. Jake gulped visibly before he mustered up the courage to say the next part.

"Because you seem, I don't know, refreshing." I laughed at that.

"Refreshing? That's new." I turned around, my curiosity sparked. "So, if I give you another chance will you actually, oh, I don't know, not be a jerk?" He looked up hopefully as students surged around us.

"That's it? I have to be civil?" I nodded, before amending my statement.

"Well, that and you have to actually apologize." Jake's face was pricelesslly confused.

"I already did."

"No you didn't. You asked if it would help, but you never actually said, 'I'm sorry I was so incredibly rude and that I didn't ask your side of the story before jumping to conclusions.'" He shuffled his feet before letting out something that sounded like a muttered sentence.

"I don't think I caught that," I not-so-subtly hinted.

"I'm sorry I was so incredibly rude and that I didn't ask your side of the story before jumping to conclusions." I forced my face to beam at him.

"There now, that wasn't so hard." He grunted as I turned again to melt into the crowd.

"Hey! I thought we were friends now!" I smirked.

"Keep in mind anger doesn't vanish on the spot," I retorted. "Give me some time to cool off." The last glimpse of him I got was his face fall into a sort of frown or pout as I, once again, merged into the crowd.