Life on Point
Truth, Sarcasm and a Lie
*Sophia*
Five and half days later the holidays were over and both me and Libby were back to college, back to dreary teachers, pointless essays for homework and stuck up girls who thought liking dick made them better than you. I kept telling myself over and over again that I only had a year left in this place and then I was free from it all. I couldn’t wait. As much as I loved my friends this place was so restricting, it was like you could feel your individuality being taken away from you the second you walked through the gates. As nerdy as it sounds I didn’t mind the lessons. I was really enjoying A-Levels to be honest but even interesting subjects and good friends couldn’t make this place, and it's inhabitants bearable.
Me and my best friend Kate were walking next to each other to our politics class when Lib tapped me on the arm, “Can I speak to you Sophia?” she asked emotionlessly before adding “it’s about the English coursework.” She said the end bit a little too hurriedly and Kate eyed me with suspicion, “I’ll catch up with you in politics yeah?” I told her and she nodded in agreement before walking on ahead. My first thought, like usual in school, was how damn hot Lib looked in the uniform. I told her so and she blushed before quickly glancing around to check if anyone had seen. When she was satisfied we were alone she allowed herself to smile and raise her eyebrows at me. “So...” I said after she hadn’t started talking, “what’s up?” Her face suddenly darkened and I read her emotions like a book, I knew the answer before she told me but forced myself not to react until the truth came from her lips.
“I got accepted to Ramussen,” she told me and I automatically grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into a hug. “Congratulations Lib! You so deserve it.” When I realised that what we were doing wasn't really going to keep up the pretence that we hardly knew each other, I also realised she hadn’t pushed me away yet, or told me to be careful, or frantically looked back over her shoulder. Instead, when I drew away from her she was smiling. Radiant.
“Oh my God, be careful , someone might see us!” I said sarcastically and she rolled her eyes at me before bravely kissing me on the cheek. She shrugged nonchalantly, gave my hand a quick squeeze and began to walk away in the direction of her class. “Come round tonight Soph, we need to celebrate” she told me when she was about four foot away. I pressed my finger to my lips in mock horror, sarcastically feigning the panic she would normally be in if I had said something similar. She stuck her middle finger up at me and smiled playfully before walking round the corner leaving me utterly bewildered and also incredibly late.
***
“So glad you could join us Miss Dundee,” my politics teacher Mr Cavendish quipped but I was far to happy to fight back so instead of doing my usual and starting an argument I apologised and quietly took my seat. His jaw looked liked it was going to fall off from his mouth as he realised I wasn’t about to start a confrontation. I guess it was a week of firsts.
As we were all writing an essay on the problems with Marxism, Kate started talking to me. “What was that about with Libby Gaiman?” When my answer of “oh nothing” didn’t seem to satisfy her need for gossip she tried again. “I mean come on Phia it’s not like Libby Gaiman seriously wanted to talk to you about English. You know what her and her homophobic friends are like, she would only come to talk to you about something that mattered, not a fucking English essay babe.” My fists clenched tight and I tried hard to keep my voice steady when I replied to her. “Firstly I don’t like being called Phia and I really, really don’t like being called babe, not even by the people I date. Secondly, it actually was about the English essay but feel free to read into it some secret drama if you want to Kate. Thirdly, she’s not that bad, she’s really not that homophobic. I mean, she talks to me in the lessons we share and she doesn’t avoid me like the plague or something. She’s nothing like you think she is. Trust me.”
At first Kate didn’t say anything so I ignored her and carried on writing the closing paragraph of my essay. Then she chuckled, “Jeez , you’ve got it bad.” I pretended not to know what she was talking about in the hope she would let it go so I could finish my last sentence in a way that would make Mr Cavendish give me an A* automatically, without having to reread the entire essay and pick out the flaws in it. I had no such luck and Kate continued to tease me, “You like her. You reeaally like her.” There was no point and trying to protest, I wasn’t a convincing liar and I was worried that if this conversation continued much longer Kate would realise the truth.
Instead I decided to turn it into a joke and so laughing light heartedly I admitted that I liked her, knowing this double bluff would work and she would think I was joking. Kate would think that if I did fancy her admitting it would be the very last thing I’d do and so my trick paid off and so the rest of the lesson passed like normal with no more talk of Libby Gaiman, Kate slyly copying my essay and me pretending I hadn't noticed.
♠ ♠ ♠
Feedback would be great (:xx