Motion Sickness

My first couple of classes went by pretty quickly but excruciatingly boring. Zoey ignored my comments and Mark glared at me as if he was her body guard or some shit. He really needed to realize he’d forever be in the friend’s zone because Zoey OBVIOUSLY didn’t like him.

It was a good thing I was pretty good at entertaining myself and wasting time. I slept for almost all of the day and most of study hall and only woke up at the end because someone climbed onto my back. Of course I knew who it was before I even looked. It was Taylor’s little brother Alex.

He’s the only idiot who would be stupid enough to touch me. Please tell me I wasn’t the only one who wondered if he was part monkey, because I’m not gonna lie… I did wonder and I was pretty sure he actually was. I sat up and yawned. I thought he had lost interest in me after that incident with his sister, but I guess Alex, unlike his sister, didn’t hold grudges.

“Ryland.” He whispered in my ear. “It’s lunch time.” Alex patted my face softly and I could hear his giggles. I groaned and got up. He wrapped his hands around my neck. I had to pull him off of me for, what seemed like, the millionth time since I met him and I didn’t enjoy it at all. Who did he fucking think he was, and how the hell did he always have so much energy? I was envious.

“Guess who was in my gym class?” Alex asked randomly.

“Alex, shut up.” I growled not at all in the mood to talk.

He shrugged and actually listened. We walked to the lunch room mostly quiet. The thing with Alex was that if you didn’t let him talk he left you pretty quickly, so he skipped away and ran to Taylor.

Surprise, surprise, she was playing with her hair sitting next to James. I had to rub my eyes because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Yeah, Taylor... my ex girlfriend was sitting next to James, but why?

Derek, one of my older friends, was also sitting at the table. He had his head down right next to Taylor. He looked beyond bored. Alex more than happily took the challenge and with a goofy grin plastered on his face, ruffled Derek’s hair. Funny how Derek didn’t seem to mind even though they used to hate each other.

I shook my head and walked away. My stomach growled silently. I was extremely hungry and I didn’t even bother with the line. It was always too long and I didn’t find the need to wait since bitches didn’t seem to mind because I let them ‘accidentally’ run their hands down my body. As long as no one touched my ass I didn’t give a fuck.

I grabbed a bottle of Gatorade and greasy fries. I doubted I’d finish it because I had to be honest with myself. The shit looked like heart attack, and I knew better than to put poison into my mouth. By the time I paid for my lunch and walked out into the open area, the table was full. Everyone who I had ever talked to was sitting there. It was like walking back through time.

Way to have brains of your own. I thought darkly. They all seemed to revolve around Taylor. She was a fucking genius when it came to manipulation. I should know. I taught her. James looked over at me and pleaded me with his eyes to come over. I’m not even exaggerating. He looked miserable.

Derek smirked when I got close enough to hear what was going on. Taylor and Alex were arguing it seemed. About what? I really couldn’t tell and frankly I didn’t care because it had nothing to do with me.

“Alex, move.” Derek pushed him away rudely at my approach. So much for thinking they didn’t hate each other.

James laughed but Taylor glared at Derek. He just shrugged innocently at her and kissed her cheek when she wouldn’t stop giving him the death stare. Mean while a seething Alex got off the floor and sat back down in his chair.

“It’s fine.” I stated.

I sat down next to Xavier. The only non-white kid at the table. Actually, no, I was pretty sure Xavier was mixed. He had green eyes. I really didn’t mind him too much. He sure beat douche bag Derrek who was antagonizing Alex.

Every time he kicked Alex under the table Taylor would throw a fit. She was oddly protective of her little brother. It proved the bitch had a heart. Something I would have never believed.

“Derrek, I swear to god I will castrate you.” Taylor said submissively. She held out her manicured hand and examined it. “We both know I can, so leave Alex alone… now.” She said it calm as hell. It didn’t even sound like a threat. Yet another reason she was creepily like my mother.

James and I ignored her and instead turned to our food. James was being oddly queit. He was picking at his burrito (when the hell did he get a burrito?) and his head was down. It wasn't like him to zone out.

“Stop daydreaming dumb ass.” I waved my hand in front of his face. James scrunched his button nose and pushed my hand away.

“Stop being an asshole to James, Ryland.” Alex interjected. James looked taken aback. Even I was taken aback. Since when did Alex swear, and since when was he friends with James?

I smacked Alex on the head. Not hard. It was pretty soft but his face turned sad instantly. “Don’t be dumb.” James said annoyed.

“God! How am I even friends with you guys?” Derek whined.

Was I amused by all that was playing before me? Fuck yes! Why did I ever stop sitting with these people? Oh yea, Taylor.

People watched on as if wondering where all these amazing people came from. Of course that would be a dumb question because the answer was obviously from our mother’s vaginas.

That was the only thing I disliked… the constant stares we were receiving. That and Taylor but I wasn’t going to let her rain on my parade.

She pretended as if she forgot all about me. Everyone was talking to someone except for James, Xavier and I. Xavier was texting god knows who and James drank his mountain dew. It was a significant upgrade from the juicy juice he sipped on as a child and he seemed tame, well the tamest I have ever seen him.

Just when I thought things were going to go boring on me… guess who showed up? Lisa, with her hair flowing down in waves. Her face was red with anger. I winked at her remembering the pictures. Derek’s eyes grew irritated at the sight of her. I didn’t see why but then again pretty sure she didn’t give him the time of day, but maybe I was wrong.

Either way Taylor did not look pleased. She raised a perfectly done eyebrow giving off a very unmistakable message. In other words she came off as a bitch.

Lisa’s confidence and anger faded into fear as she realized she was outnumbered. She didn’t waste any time wondering what she’d do, because she came over to me.

“Uhm, may I ask what you’re doing?” Asked Taylor.

I smirked, in every way supporting what she was doing even though I couldn’t stand her.

Bottom line was that Lisa was embarrassed by Taylor and pretty much the whole lunch room had witnessed it. I didn’t even have to worry about confrontation.

Lisa bit her lip in defeat and turned away. She made the room noise shoot up as people began talking about what had just happened.

A lot of them seemed to be on my side. Calling her a skank and whatnot. Taylor giggled quietly to show that she was satisfied with the outcome.

Taylor looked at me for the first time. “Why her pictures?” I assumed she was referring to Lisa so I smirked.

“Jealous?” I asked challengingly.

“Not even.” She replied.

“What are you doing Taylor? I told you not to talk to the Nazi worshipper!” Derek said. What did he just call me? I’m pretty sure I heard Nazi worshipper. This is what I get for letting him borrow $500… this is why I don’t do friends. I flicked him the bird.

“Ryland isn’t a Nazi worshiper.” Alex said tilting his head to the side. I nodded. At least someone knew their history. “Ryland isn’t even German.” God, Alex. You should have kept your mouth shut. I was surrounded by idiots.

“Pretty sure he is.” Said Xavier.

“You’re retarded.” I said to Alex. “Taylor! Ryland is being mean!! Get him like you got Derrek.” He whined. Derrek hit Alex in the head. “Why is everyone so mean?” He cried out helplessly. James laughed.

“You’re too cute.” He commented. James' eyes widened and he instantly dropped his head to his drink. I raised an eyebrow questioningly but before I could say anything Alex’s voice cut through my thoughts.

“Derrek!” Alex whined. Derrek narrowed his eyes at Alex which got him to quiet down at once.

“Leave him alone, Derr-“ Taylor began.

I rolled my eyes and got up to leave. I hadn’t touched my fries but I couldn’t bring myself to listen to them any longer. There’s a thin line between amusing and annoying and it was only entertaining for so long.

I went to my locker and there was a yellow sticky on it.

-Meet me at the library after school.
Zoey-

Look who decided to stop ignoring me. I groaned.

At the end of the day, I walked to the library even though I didn’t want to see the whore. I walked in and smiled at Mrs. Cunt, the librarian. I hated the bitch.

Zoey sat on the ground next to a desk with a huge stack of books on it. I lazily walked over and picked a book from the top of the stack. ‘The Math Book of Theories’. This was a joke, right?

Zoey looked up at me and tilted her head. “Start looking through the books.” She instructed. I laughed. Who stuck a dick up her? Oh, that’s right, James did.

It seemed simple enough. I sat down with the book in my hand. “So I’m looking for some legit sounding shit, right?” I asked.

“Something like that.” She said not taking her eyes off her book.

That wasn’t even specific. God, the bitch was full of herself. We were quiet for a few minutes.

“Okay,” She said breaking the silence. “How’s this? ‘Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.’”

“Sounds like legit shit.” I chuckled.

“Um…” I hesitated for a second as I scanned the page. “Ok. What about this? ‘Black holes result from God dividing the universe by zero.’.”

She nodded. “Sounds like legit shit. What’s it mean?” She mocked.

I looked back at her. “No idea.”

She smiled. “Perfect! Write it down!”

I laughed, and then flipped to a new page.

Twenty minutes later, we were still at it. I yawned. “I’m so done with this.” I said putting my head down on the book I was looking at. I closed my eyes.

“No!” Zoey said. “We gotta keep working! I need this grade or else I’ll fail that class.”

I closed my eyes again. “Then you’re the one who should be doing all the work. I have a perfect score in his class.”

“We’re supposed to be partners. I’m not gunna do this by myself.” I opened my eyes wide enough to see her. She looked pissed. I closed my eyes again.

“I’ve been helping you.” I said, knowing I was ‘pushing her buttons,’ so to speak. “Do work, Zoey.”

We glared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. “Alright, Thompson. Truth or dare?” I snarled at her.

She looked at me in confusion. “What?”

I rolled my eyes at her. “Truth or dare, Thompson? C’mon, it’s not that hard—you’ve only got two options. Or do I have to explain the rules?”

“I know the rules,” She growled at me.

“Then pick—”

“Dare.”

I paused for a second not expecting her to pick dare, and then smirked. “Streak through the school.”

“No.”

“Hey! You chose.” I leaned my chin against my hand and looked up at her lazily. “Or are you really that insecure about your fat body?”

“No.” She repeated not even responding to my insult.

I groaned. “Ok, fine. I knew you wouldn’t do it. You’re too much of a prude.”

She glared at me and I could see her jaw tense with anger.

“Excuse me? A PRUDE?”

I grinned at her knowing full well that wasn’t what the whore was. “You know you are.”

“Dude, just cuz I won’t show the entire school my naked body, doesn’t mean that I’m a pru—”

“Have you ever had sex?”

I kept my eye level with hers and even though I knew the answer to that I still wanted to hear her say she had. I wanted to hear her admit that she was a slut. Her eyes widened with horror.

“What’s it to you?” She seethed.

We were nose to nose. I could smell her breath… and I all of a sudden wanted to lean in, close the gap between us. Kiss her. I momentarily forgot what we were fighting about.

Her eyes examined my face, trying to see through my guard. I frowned to myself. I could almost hear her brain humming.

“Ok, Thompson.” I said quietly so as not to attract the eyes of the zombies surrounding us. My voice was nearly a whisper. “I got a dare for you.”

“Shoot, asshole.”

“Kiss me.”

She looked at me, trying to figure out if I was serious. I knew my face gave nothing away.

Hers however gave everything running through her little mind away. The whore knew that If she kissed me, I’d think-know that she wanted to. If she protested…well hell, I’d still think she wanted to, but was scared. I was an intimidating person after all.

Then she smirked. I smirked back, but I didn’t quite feel the need to.

She ran her hand along the library carpet and I couldn’t keep my eyes from flickering towards it before looking back to her eyes. What was she doing?

She felt along the scratchy material until she made contact with my hand, resting on the ground next to hers. I grabbed it annoyed with her tactics.

She looked at me. Zoey wasn’t moving. I guessed she was holding her breath.

She leaned in closer to me; my hand still holding hers down.

“You can’t do it can you?” I asked.

That angered me. The whore could kiss James, have sex with him but she couldn’t kiss me?

“I knew you wouldn’t do it.” I smirked. I tried my hardest to keep a neutral front.

She pulled her hand from my grasp and looked up from the book she was perusing. “Wouldn’t do what?” she asked me.

My smile widened. “Kiss me. You don’t have the balls!”

“Dude, I can’t believe I touched you, let alone kissed you at that dinner.” She flipped a page with a bored expression on her face. “And as for kissing you willingly?” Zoey looked up at me with disgust. “I wouldn’t stoop that low.”

“Ouch, Zoey. As a whore, I didn’t think that you would have such strict standards.”

She smiled sweetly. “As a tool, I wouldn’t expect you to understand such things.”

I glared at her, and roughly picked up a book and opened it at random.

She smiled wider. “Oh, Did I hit a nerve?”

“You being alive hits a nerve.” I said, not looking up.

She laughed. “Ok your turn. Truth or dare, Peters?”

I didn’t answer.

“Don’t be a pussy, Ryland. Truth or dare?”

“JESUS, BITCH!” I slammed my book shut, and then turned my attention to her with mock enthusiasm. “Dare!” I flashed my teeth at her in a fake smile.

She raised her eyebrows. I narrowed my eyes.

“Don’t cry.” She looked back down at her book.

What? What kind of fucking dare was ‘don’t cry’? As if I’d ever cry, my eyes weren’t capable.

“That’s my dare,” She told me. “Don’t cry.”

I scowled at her. “You’re really not kidding are you?”

“Obviously not.” She stated not looking up at me.

This bitch really had another thing coming. I yanked the book she was intently staring at away from her and forced her to look up at me. She looked tired. The light blue tinting her healing eye made her look breakable. She was weak. She was a whore but the urge was still there. I wanted to kiss her.

I tried for distraction. “I’ll never cry.”

She rolled her eyes. “Good. Then you have nothing to worry about.”

Why were her comments bothering me so much? “Get off your high horse.” I said through clenched teeth.

“Get your head out your ass.” She spat back.

I opened my mouth to respond but then Mrs. Cunt’s head popped out from the corner.

“SHHHHHHH!” She said.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Clunt.” She whispered, displaying a sympathetic look. “I keep telling him to keep his voice down.”

The Cunt nodded understandingly and turned to glare at me. I, of course, smiled at her, whispering a mournful “Sorry!” Her eyes instantly softened.

“I’ll let it slide this time, young man, but next time…” She warned, shaking a finger playfully at me.

I looked at the librarian, then at Zoey. Her face was one of shock. What can I say, teachers just loved me.

She got up disbelievingly and so did I since school was out. Zoey tripped a little over her feet as she stood. She bit her lip unable to steady herself.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

Before she could answer she fell forward and all I could do was catch her before she hit the ground.