Teenage Dirtbag

Jack’s POV
It was Monday morning and I was sitting in the cafeteria with Tay. We were waiting for our first class to start and for Alex and Haley to get here. Although, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to that. Haley and I hadn’t spoken since she left the festival. I had spent the rest of the night with the guys and Aimee and we had fun, but I hated fighting with Haley. Usually I would just apologize to fix things between us, but not this time. This time she was being unfair. As my best friend, she’s supposed to be happy for me that Aimee finally returns my feelings for her after all these years. Aimee might not always have been nice about or towards Haley, but she wasn’t exactly the nicest person to Aimee either. I was waiting for Haley to apologize and say that whomever I’m dating is none of her business, but she had been MIA since I last saw her.

Tay was playing some game on her phone while I was trying to read a book we had to read for Spanish but I couldn’t focus on it. I kept looking at the cafeteria entrance to see if Alex and Haley were on their way over. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face Haley yet. Knowing Haley, she wouldn’t be too forgiving either, as stubborn as she could be. Haley and I might be best friends, but we're both rather stubborn causing us to get mad at each other pretty easily.

Instead of Haley and Alex, I noticed Aimee and two of her friends entering the cafeteria and sitting down at a table not too far from us. I figured Aimee hadn’t seen me since she wasn’t coming over to say hi. In the distance, I noticed Alex and Haley enter the cafeteria. Alex immediately made his way over here, but I noticed Haley looking at me and hesitating to go to other way. After a moment of hesitation she followed Alex to our table.
“Hey guys!” Alex exclaimed.
“Hey” Tay replied, looking up from her game.

​​​Alex sat down and Haley followed his lead, without saying a word. I didn’t feel like it would be appropriate for me to say something, so I kept my mouth shut. From the look on Alex’s face I guessed he did notice the uncomfortable silence, but he didn’t say a word. He probably knew Haley was still mad at me.

“I’m gonna say hi to Aimee” I said, getting up.
I really wasn’t feeling like being around Haley if she’s gonna act like this. I walked over to the table Aimee and her friends were sitting at.

​​​“Hey Aimee” I said smiling, when I got close to their table.
Her friends looked over at me in confusion. I figured Aimee hadn’t told them about her and I yet. Aimee turned to look at me as well.
“Uhm…hey” she muttered.
I looked at her, a bit confused. She didn’t seem too pleased to see me. There was an awkward silence, none of us saying anything.
“Uhm… I guess I’ll just…” I trailed off, turning around to walk back to my friends.

​​​What just happened? I sat down next to Tay again.
“Well, that didn’t seem like a very nice conversation” Tay noticed.
“It wasn’t… It was really uncomfortable. She didn’t even seem happy to see me… I don’t get it” I said, my voice filled with confusion.
“You didn’t do or say something you probably shouldn’t have?” Alex asked, trying to help me understand.
“Not that I know of…” I answered. “I don’t understand girls.”
“Same” Tay replied sarcastically. “Oh, speaking of the devil.”

I noticed Aimee walking up to our table, her friends nowhere to be seen. They had probably left for class already. I looked at her quizzically as she approached our table.
“Look Jack, I’m sorry about that” she said softly, standing behind Alex and Haley, across from me.
“What even was that? I thought we had fun Saturday” I asked.
“We did… It’s just, I can’t really be seen around school with you… It’s social suicide” she said, barely audible.
“What?” I asked confused.

​​​Did I understand this correctly? Was she seriously ashamed of me? Aimee’s words even caused Haley to look up from her computer screen. Alex and Tay were just staring at Aimee in disbelieve, just like I was.
“Are you fucking serious?” Alex asked. “That’s fucked up.”
Tay nodded in agreement.
“Look, I really do like hanging out with you Jack, I’d just rather do it outside school” Aimee explained.
Before I realized it, I heard myself agree to what she was suggesting.
“I knew you’d understand, see you later” she said, turning to walk away quickly.

​​​“Are you kidding me?” Alex asked. “You deserve better than that, man.”
“Did I really just agree to that?” I asked rhetorically.
“Yes you did, you idiot” Alex said. “Is she really worth that?”
“I guess I’m about to find out” I shrugged.
The school bell rang and we all got up. Tay went to her class and I didn’t have my next class with Haley or Alex so I decided not to wait for them and just go to my class.

Alex’s POV
“How long are you gonna give him the silence treatment?” I asked Haley.
Haley swung her bag over her shoulder.
“Until he admits that she’s not right for him” she answered resolute.
“Hales, that’s not really up to you to decide” I said.
“You’re right, it’s up to him to decide who he cares more about, me or her” Haley answered, heading for class.
I quickly followed her, as we had science together now. “That’s not fair” I stated.

​​​“Honestly Alex, can you picture them together?” she asked.
“Well no, not really, but Jack should at least get the chance to figure that out on his own” I said.
“He has that chance. And why are you asking me about giving him a silent treatment? It’s not like he talked to me. And that bitch doesn’t even want to be seen with him in public. I really thought Jack’s standards were higher than to agree with something so stupid” she continued.
“Well, love tends to make people blind” I shrugged.
“Love? Please. More like a desperate teen crush” Haley exclaimed.

​​​I sighed. “I really don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal out of this. Are you jealous or what?”
“I’m not. I’m protective. That slut is gonna hurt him so bad because to her, he’s just another boy, while to him, she’s his dream girl. She’s gonna crush him as soon as she finds someone better and Jack doesn’t deserve that. He deserves better than that. He’s been there for me throughout all of the bad times and now it’s his time to be happy.” She admitted.

​​​“Maybe you should tell him this Hales, instead of telling him how much you don’t like his girl. Considering how protective he is of you, I’m pretty sure he’d find this much easier to understand” I told her.
“Well, that doesn’t change the fact that I think Aimee’s a bitch who has been giving me shit and calling me names for years and I still can’t understand why he would want to be with someone like that” Haley answered.

​​​“The heart wants what it wants” I answered. “You should know, of all people.”
I winked.
“Oh and what exactly makes you think I want you?” she laughed.
“I just do” I answered. “I’m a psychic.”
“Well, maybe you’re right” she said softly, standing still.
I too stood still. Haley leaned into me and just when I was about to do the same, she continued walking.

​​​“You’re such a tease” I called after her, hurrying to catch up with her.
“You love it” she winked.
“Maybe” I said vaguely. “But seriously Hales, talk to Jack.”
“Maybe” she mimicked me vaguely.
By now we had gotten to our science classroom. I followed Haley into the classroom and we took our seats.