The Untitled Diary of a Girl Named Bones

Ryan’s POV

I splashed water against my face, scrubbing to get the sticky cola that Thing 1 spit all over me off of my skin.

I muttered under my breath about that stupid gangster-player that is Tom. Of course, while I’m talking to myself, a zit-faced kid, probably no older than 13 or 14 walked into the bathroom. He gave me a terrified look, and I glared at him menacingly. He wisely turned on his heel, and ran head-on into the door that had swung shut. He shoved it back open, and ran out into the noisy mall again.

I turned back to the mirror and cringed. Blech, no wonder he ran. The whole ‘angry face’ and the way my hair was stuck to my face from the water isn’t all that attractive. I pushed my hair back into place, hoping that it looked as if I wanted it to look like I got caught in a torrential downpour.

Sighing, I put on my brave face and stumbled back out into the mall to look for my friends. I meandered back over to the table, not really wanting to see what Bones and Tom were up to now.

I realize that they agreed to just being friends and all, but I don’t like the guy. And she obviously likes him. I was just hoping that if I was angry about him, Bones would trust my instinct and shun him too.

So much for that plan.

I got back to the food court, only to find that our booth no longer held my idiotic best friends, as well asthe parasite Tom.

In their place was a large woman with a hoard of alternately screaming and chattering kids. My jaw dropped.

The assholes ditched me!

My phone vibrated in my pocket, making me jump and let out a not-so-manly squeaking noise. The noise caught the attention of the lady, who gave me a strange look in return.

“Yeah, yeah. What are you looking at?” I mumbled, obviously too low for her to hear. She did however, notice my lips moving.

Oh great, second person that thinks I’m clinically insane. It’s a new one-day record!

While I was grousing in the bathroom, I had apparently missed two texts.

It was from obviously from Brendon.

Ry- @ th fowntan w/ evry1 luv u, bby (:

Well, it’s official. My best friend is gay for me (which makes absolutely no sense. He’s dating Aimee) and he spells worse than a first grader.

I sighed for the millionth time, pulled my hood up and turned around to hunt my friends with various mental handicaps.

Well, I would have went to hunt them but I nearly ran into a pink-clad, blonde girl, who looked vaguely familiar.

Her face was a strange shade of nervousness when I turned at first, but she quickly covered by turning on that fake, ultra-white smile. I tried to force a smile back.

“Hi, Ryan,” she said, almost huskily, obviously trying to come on to me. I resisted the urge to gag, roll my eyes and find a security guard and tell them that she was stalking me.

I pushed another brief smile onto my lips. It got harder with each try. Hopefully she would go away soon.

“Well, Ryan, I don’t know if you remember me; I’m Julie. Julie Roland – we have the same homeroom,” she smiled as if we shared a lot more than a classroom for a little while five days a week. Oh yeah, she’s the girl that was hitting on me at McDonald’s, as well as the super-bitch of our class. I remember now.

I couldn’t quite force a smile, so it ended up being a weird little half-smile. A half-smile which she interpreted as an interested smirk.

She turned on her ‘charm’ again. Flipping her dyed hair over her shoulder she lowered her voice a degree. She talked for a few minutes.

I have no clue what about, though. I wasn’t paying any attention. She snapped her gum loudly.

I looked back at her face, which was holding a strained expression.

“Ryan, it’s a yes, right?” she asked. If I didn’t know any better, I would say she was about to become hysterical.

Or maybe she actually was.

I smiled slightly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch the question.”

Her face broke for a moment, but she regained composure swiftly.

“I asked if you wanted to go out tomorrow night – to a party that my friend’s boyfriend’s best friend from college is hosting,” she softly added, “as you know…more than friends.”

That took me by shock. I was not expecting her to be so forward. But honestly, what would a date hurt?

Bones.

I mean, there’s nothing holding me back.

Bones.

I have no reason that I shouldn’t just say yes to Jill or whatever.

Bones.

Oh, fuck you. Bones is happy with Tom. She doesn’t want me, and she made that clear, so shut up about her already.

But you like her, and you know she likes you.

No I don’t, and no she doesn’t.

Fine. Suit yourself.

I will.

I faked another smile to the girl in front of me. “Sure.”

She squealed and jumped, throwing her arms around me.

An idea crossed my mind, and before I could really analyze it, I voiced it.

“Hey, why don’t we get out of here? Go to Starbucks or something…,” I trailed off.

Her eyes lit up. “Oh, sure! I love Starbucks.”

I stuck my hand in my jeans pocket, expecting to hear the jingling that signified car keys. But not finding said car keys.

“Oh, damn. Bren has my car keys. I gotta go find him,” I gestured over my shoulder. “You can hang here, and I’ll come back, or you can come with-“

“I’ll come with you,” she cut me off.

Walking out of the food court, we passed into the center of the mall. I could hear the fountains, but couldn’t quite see them yet.

What I did hear though, was a sound similar to the sound of a zoo. Turning the corner, I realized that the ‘zoo’ were my friends. I rolled my eyes. Of course.

Bren was the first to notice me, and quickly trotted over to me. Over his shoulder, I eyed a very damp Christine and Bill, and Erin lying flat on a bench. I tried to not notice Tom and Bones talking very quietly, every moment or two, sneaking glances at Julie and I.

Out of spite, I grabbed Julie’s hand. She beamed like I had just told her she had won a million bucks.

Brendon glanced at our now intertwined hands, but decided not to push it. “Trust me, you don’t want to know,” he said in reference to the two wet people.

I shrugged, knowing he’d recap for me later.

“Julie and I are going to Starbucks,” I said, just loud enough for Bones to hear. I snuck a glance at her.

Her face looked as if I had shoved a steak knife in her abdomen and had slowly started twisting.

Good. It’s working.

Well, if it’s working, then why do you still feel like the biggest ass of the face of the planet.

I sighed at my voice-problem. I need to work on that.

Brendon raised both eyebrows. “Alright man,” he resigned. He dug in his super-tight jeans for my keys, finding them and placing them in my outstretched palm.

“Come on Julie, let’s go,” I said, slinging my arm around her bony shoulder.

I looked at Bones to see her reaction.

She still had that pained look, but now, a fire burned behind her eyes.

And her next action made me regret ever being born.