Severed Feelings

The turning point started on a March day – a Thursday specifically.

Imilee and Trevor had shown up about ten minutes before classes officially started only to decide to bail on the whole academic thing for a day for the social aspect – meaning that they’d ditched to go make out in Trevor’s basement while his parents were at work.

As I was gathering my books for my first two classes, algebra II and literature, I felt someone slide up to my locker. I half anticipated it to be Maverick, but the one person I hadn’t expected was standing right next to me.

John was watching me, nonchalantly leaning against the locker beside mine. Cool, was the first word I thought of when I actually took in the sight before me: his arms crossed, his leg kicked out and crossed slightly over the other, white tee shirt and fitting jeans.

“John… Hi?”

“Hey.”

I felt strangely uncomfortable – which shouldn’t have felt strange at all because I literally was the most awkward person around him. My social ineptness always played a crucial role in nearly all of our social interactions. There were really no exceptions.

I felt my brain going slightly haywire. “Do you – Do you need something, John?”

He shrugged. “Not really. Have you seen my sister?”

I would have told him the truth, but he was protective over Imilee and I didn’t want to piss Imilee off by ratting her out, so I only shrugged. “She said she wasn’t feeling well. I think she went to the nurse’s office?”

John rolled his eyes. “You’re a terrible liar, Savannah.”

My face flushed red. “I’m not lying.”

John only rolled his eyes again because I really was a terrible liar. “Yeah, okay,” he scoffed. “She ditched?” he guessed.

I sighed in defeat, nodding. “Where’s Louisa?” I asked.

It wasn’t an uncommon thing anymore to see him and his girlfriend walking down the hall, his arm looped around her waist as he walked her to class each morning. I thought it was really sweet, Imilee thought it was gag worthy.

Apparently, Louisa was about “the fakest person” Imilee had “ever had the displeasure to meet” – and that was a direct quote from our telephone conversation after Jenny O’Callaghan invited her over to dinner so that she could meet her eldest son’s “friend”.

Imilee just couldn’t stand the girl – which I figured was solely because she’d thrown a loop into whatever grand plans Imilee had made for John and I.

John shrugged. “I don’t know. We’re not on speaking terms right now.”

I lifted a brow. “Were you being a jerk?”

He looked thoroughly offended. “Why does everyone think that I’m the one at fault?” he asked, sour expression crossing her face. “It had nothing to do with me.”

“I was only going to say that you should apologize if it was your fault that you’re not talking…” I offered, smiling.

He only shrugged it off. “Eh. I’m stubborn anyways – your advice would have gone in one ear and out the other.”

That he could be, and my advice wouldn’t have mattered.

“What are you doing tomorrow night?”

“I – uh.” I didn’t know where he was going with his words and the uncertainty of it all made my face burn with emotions. “I don’t know.” I admitted. Maverick and I usually hung out on Fridays, but things always changed.

“She’s going to Mikey’s – with me.”

I’d spoke of the devil. Maverick stood behind me. He slipped his arm around my waist and tugged me closer to him to press a kiss to my cheek. He had a smile on his face, but the look in his eyes told me that he wasn’t all that thrilled.

“I am?” I asked stupidly.

Our relationship was full of in-betweens and limbos. He knew my friends, but I didn’t know his. He hung out with my friends every once and a while, but I never hung out with his. His invite to his friend’s party seemed completely out of the blue.

Maverick laughed, nodding and running his hand along my hip. “Of course, Sav.”

John looked unamused with Maverick’s appearance. A frown had taken over his light smile and his shoulders went rigid at the sight of my boyfriend. “Really? I’ll see you there then. I’ve got to get to class, but I’ll see you around, yeah?” he asked, pushing himself off the locker.

I nodded, clasping my books tight to my chest. “Yeah, alright.”

“Tell my sister if you talk to her that if I hear about her skipping again, I’m going to nark on her.”

Imilee would be so pleased to hear about it.

“See you Savannah,” he said with a nod as he backed away. With a bit of hesitation, he turned his green eyes toward Maverick and gave a second curt nod. “Maverick.” And with that, he was off, making his way through the crowded hallways of our public high school.

I turned to Maverick and forced a smile up to him. “Are we really going to Mikey’s?” I asked.

“Of course, Babe. We’re going to have such a great time,” he said, as if sensing my reservations about going to an actual party.

My idea of a high school party included me and Imilee sprawled out over couches with cans of whipped cream and gummy worms as we watched Clueless for the millionth time. I had a feeling Mikey’s party was a completely different kind of get together.

“You’ll stay by me the entire time?” I asked, closing my locker and stuffing the books I had in my arms into the backpack at my feet.

“Of course.”

But even as he said it, I had this feeling in my stomach that said he didn’t mean it.

The warning bell sounded though, so I couldn’t exactly dwell on it when I had to be across the school and up a flight of stairs in less than a minute.

Pecking a quick kiss to Maverick’s cheek, I tossed my backpack over my shoulder and hurriedly started walking towards my math class.