Maybe I'm the One You Like

I walked into first period feeling sick from drinking last night. The party was great, the sex was awesome, but I knew as soon as I woke up this morning that it wasn’t going to be a good day. I could barely make it downstairs and just got past my mom, and I didn’t even want to think about how much of a mess I was physically. The shower hadn’t dulled my pounding headache at all. And on top of all that, I had math first period.

Peyton was already sitting down by the time I’d dragged myself into the room. She actually looked happy to be in class for once, which was bad timing because this was probably the one time I didn’t want to talk to her. Or anyone, for that matter.

“Hi,” she said when I sat down next to her. I grunted in reply and put my head down on the table. “Intense party, huh?” she smirked. I nodded.

“I don’t feel good,” I grumbled. “Jack stayed home because he’s a little bitch and can’t handle hangovers.”

“So that’s where he is.” I heard Megan’s voice behind me and nodded.

“He is fucked up, man,” I told her. Megan rolled her eyes.

“You guys really need to stop partying on school nights,” she scolded. “Plus, rumor has it you hooked up with Eliza Thompson last night.”

I nodded and shrugged, causing Peyton to scoff and shift away from me. “What?” I asked. No response. “Oh, Meg, this is Peyton. She’s my neighbor. Peyt, that’s Megan, Jack’s girlfriend. By the way.”

“You’re Jack’s girlfriend? You must put up with a lot,” Peyton smiled.

“Oh I do,” Meg laughed. “Jack’s a little...different, but he’s really sweet. He’s a good guy.”

“I’ll bet.” Peyton glanced at me and mouthed something to Megan, which looked something like and Jack’s friends with him?

What was that about?

“So Peyton, you’re Alex’s neighbor? Lucky you.”

“Totally,” Peyt said sarcastically.

I crossed my arms and slumped in my chair. “Glad to know I’m a big loser to you,” I muttered. Maybe introducing the two was I bad idea.

--

“Rian!” I called as I ran up to him in the hall. “Dude, you’ll never guess what I did last night!”

I groaned as Rian kept walking and cut him off at his locker. “Ri, I’m talking to you here.”

“I heard that you fucked Eliza,” he said. “I honestly don’t think you should be so excited.”

“And why not?” I frowned, crossing my arms. He was already bringing me down.

“Alex, you’ve gotta stop being such a...manwhore. It’s not a good rep to hold,” Rian sighed.

“I’m not,” I frowned. “I didn’t know it was a crime to have fun.”

“Whatever bro,” he muttered. “Let’s go to lunch and you can tell me every fascinating detail if that’ll make you happy.”

--

Lunch was pretty quiet. It usually isn’t, since my lunch wave consists of Jack, Megan, Rian, his girlfriend Kara, and Zack. But after that party we were all pretty much dying. Jack especially; he’d showed up after third period.

“I told you not to go, Jacky,” Megan murmured as she rubbed his back. Jack grunted in return and closed his eyes, and I shrugged and took a bite of my pizza. It tasted gross and made me feel nauseas.

“Can I sit here?” I heard a voice behind me and turned to see Peyton standing behind me. I nodded and she sat down across from me, next to Kara, who immediately turned to her and started chatting with her. I could tell Peyton would become part of our group in no time.

“You’re not gonna eat anything?” Megan asked, focusing her attention on someone other than Jack, who whined for us to shut up because his head was going to explode.

“No,” Peyton mumbled. “I uh, I had a big breakfast.” She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, but no one questioned her further. Honestly, I just didn’t care.

Lunch carried on normally for a bit. Rian and Kara got all mushy and romantic and shit, Jack whined and complained, Zack barely spoke, and I just sat there, balancing my chin in my hand, until someone tapped me on the shoulder. “Yeah?” I said lazily, not even bothering to turn around.

“Hey, Gaskarth.” I heard a low whisper in my ear and jumped.

“Oh, hey Eliza,” I mumbled.

“Last night was great,” she purred. “Party was amazing, huh? Looks like we’re both great at ‘partying’.”

“Yeah I guess so. Well it was nice talking to you, have a nice day.” I shrugged her hand off my shoulder and put my head down until she let go and I could no longer smell her perfume.

“What was that about?” Rian asked. “Ten minutes ago you were all excited about her!”

“Yeah, but she wanted more than I was willing to give,” I shrugged, earning disgusted looks from Rian and Peyton.

“Does he always act like this?” she asked him. Rian rolled his eyes and nodded.

“Pretty much.”

Peyt looked at me and shook her head slowly. “Whore.”

I shot her a look and put my head back down into my arms. Whatever.