Status: Slight hiatus. Sorry guys, lots of homework.
Distractions.
0008.
My shock was still wearing off and it had been about a day since I saw Jess and Sam together. I don’t like Jess at all but seeing that hurt. Just knowing that she was completely pissed at me for no reason and now she was going and sleeping around with him.
I’m sure he’s a nice guy but I don’t like the influence he’s had on her lately.
I was in Law and Society and, unlike me; I was finding it hard to pay attention. Frank reminded me that the ski trip is in six days, on Monday. I would be snowboarding but I knew I was going to suck; I never seemed to be able to master it, even with the instructors Mum had paid to teach me.
“Gerard! Pay attention.”
My head snapped up to find the teacher standing in front of my desk, staring down at me.
“Sorry, miss,” I mumbled.
“What’s wrong with all you people? Even Gerard’s slacking off!” Mr. K cried.
“The ski trip’s next week,” I answered. “Everyone’s pretty excited; it’s a big thing.”
“That explains things,” he mumbled, making his way back to his desk. “Instead of this work, we’ll do some stuff on skiing laws. How’s that?”
Everyone cheered, making Mr. K smile. For the rest of the lesson, the classroom was abuzz with talk and laughter over some of the more stupid laws.
When the class ended, I made my way to the concourse because it was break. I got my lunch out, a salad sandwich, water bottle and green apple, and sat on the wall waiting for everyone else.
I didn’t know what to expect if Jess showed up though. But I promised Pete that’d I come and sit with him and the group today.
“What are you doing sitting here?”
I looked up and my eyes widened when I saw Jess standing in front of me.
“Pete invited me to,” I answered, my voice shaking a little.
“Well, tell Pete I won’t be sitting with the group today and I’ll talk to him later,” she spat, turning on her heel and stalking off. I felt my eyes start to sting and gritted my teeth to stop the inevitable tears.
I saw Pete walking over with everyone following behind him and tried even harder to keep the tears at bay. Ray was with them now. When they got to the wall they were all laughing about something that had happened in one of Worm’s classes.
“Hey Gerard,” they all greeted me with a smile.
I returned it weakly, “Hey guys. What’s so funny?”
“Just Worm accidentally blurting something from one of his sexual experiences out loud in class,” Pete replied, chuckling. I chuckled too, despite myself; Worm was prone to that kind of stuff.
Everyone was all sitting down and now getting their lunch out. Ray was seated beside me but he didn’t say anything and he didn’t have lunch out either.
“Ray, where’s your lunch?” I asked quietly, ignoring the conversation going on between everyone else.
“I need to go to the canteen; I have money today,” he replied. “Wanna come with me?”
I nodded, zipping up my bag and leaving my lunch on the wall. “Be back in a moment guys,” I said, following Ray. The all mumbled a short reply and returned to their conversation, hardly even glancing at Ray or I.
We walked, side by side, to the canteen in silence. I wanted to ask Ray about Frank but I didn’t. In fact, I hadn’t seen Frank since I had stalked off after he showed me Jess and Sam. I shuddered at the memory.
Standing in the line for the canteen, Ray ran his hand through his hair. “Did Frank show you Jess and Sam yesterday?”
I nodded, surprised that Ray knew about it.
“I told him not to,” he grumbled under his breath.
“Why not?” I asked, a little defensively.
“I just didn’t think that you needed to see that is all,” he answered, looking briefly over everyone’s heads to the front of the line. I was defensive, probably reacting to the emotions Jess had triggered earlier.
“And who are you to judge what I see and know?” I growled, causing Ray to look at me startled.
“Chill, sorry. I was just looking out for you is all. I know she’s giving you a hard time lately and I just thought that seeing that would hurt you,” he explained, the hurt I had inflicted evident in his expression.
I glared at him a moment longer before my face softened to one of guilt. “Sorry Ray, I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”
“It’s okay.”
We got Ray’s lunch and went back to the wall in a comfortable silence, both mulling over different things. When we got back to the group they were all talking about the ski trip on Monday.
“You excited, Gerard?” Bob asked me. I nodded, grinning. I couldn’t wait. I think Frank was coming to.
*
The next few days passed uneventfully. Frank was mysteriously away and Jess avoided me as much as possible. Waiting for her to come and talk to me wasn’t working much and this fight was beginning to take its toll on my happiness and self-esteem. It’s stupid when someone is angry at you and you don’t even why, so that you can fix it.
It was Sunday now and I was getting packed, ready for the ski trip tomorrow. Mikey had one of his little nerd friends over and was playing the Xbox down in the den. Morris had been helping me but he left a little while ago to fix up some food for my garbage disposer brother and his guest.
I’m sure he’s a nice guy but I don’t like the influence he’s had on her lately.
I was in Law and Society and, unlike me; I was finding it hard to pay attention. Frank reminded me that the ski trip is in six days, on Monday. I would be snowboarding but I knew I was going to suck; I never seemed to be able to master it, even with the instructors Mum had paid to teach me.
“Gerard! Pay attention.”
My head snapped up to find the teacher standing in front of my desk, staring down at me.
“Sorry, miss,” I mumbled.
“What’s wrong with all you people? Even Gerard’s slacking off!” Mr. K cried.
“The ski trip’s next week,” I answered. “Everyone’s pretty excited; it’s a big thing.”
“That explains things,” he mumbled, making his way back to his desk. “Instead of this work, we’ll do some stuff on skiing laws. How’s that?”
Everyone cheered, making Mr. K smile. For the rest of the lesson, the classroom was abuzz with talk and laughter over some of the more stupid laws.
When the class ended, I made my way to the concourse because it was break. I got my lunch out, a salad sandwich, water bottle and green apple, and sat on the wall waiting for everyone else.
I didn’t know what to expect if Jess showed up though. But I promised Pete that’d I come and sit with him and the group today.
“What are you doing sitting here?”
I looked up and my eyes widened when I saw Jess standing in front of me.
“Pete invited me to,” I answered, my voice shaking a little.
“Well, tell Pete I won’t be sitting with the group today and I’ll talk to him later,” she spat, turning on her heel and stalking off. I felt my eyes start to sting and gritted my teeth to stop the inevitable tears.
I saw Pete walking over with everyone following behind him and tried even harder to keep the tears at bay. Ray was with them now. When they got to the wall they were all laughing about something that had happened in one of Worm’s classes.
“Hey Gerard,” they all greeted me with a smile.
I returned it weakly, “Hey guys. What’s so funny?”
“Just Worm accidentally blurting something from one of his sexual experiences out loud in class,” Pete replied, chuckling. I chuckled too, despite myself; Worm was prone to that kind of stuff.
Everyone was all sitting down and now getting their lunch out. Ray was seated beside me but he didn’t say anything and he didn’t have lunch out either.
“Ray, where’s your lunch?” I asked quietly, ignoring the conversation going on between everyone else.
“I need to go to the canteen; I have money today,” he replied. “Wanna come with me?”
I nodded, zipping up my bag and leaving my lunch on the wall. “Be back in a moment guys,” I said, following Ray. The all mumbled a short reply and returned to their conversation, hardly even glancing at Ray or I.
We walked, side by side, to the canteen in silence. I wanted to ask Ray about Frank but I didn’t. In fact, I hadn’t seen Frank since I had stalked off after he showed me Jess and Sam. I shuddered at the memory.
Standing in the line for the canteen, Ray ran his hand through his hair. “Did Frank show you Jess and Sam yesterday?”
I nodded, surprised that Ray knew about it.
“I told him not to,” he grumbled under his breath.
“Why not?” I asked, a little defensively.
“I just didn’t think that you needed to see that is all,” he answered, looking briefly over everyone’s heads to the front of the line. I was defensive, probably reacting to the emotions Jess had triggered earlier.
“And who are you to judge what I see and know?” I growled, causing Ray to look at me startled.
“Chill, sorry. I was just looking out for you is all. I know she’s giving you a hard time lately and I just thought that seeing that would hurt you,” he explained, the hurt I had inflicted evident in his expression.
I glared at him a moment longer before my face softened to one of guilt. “Sorry Ray, I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”
“It’s okay.”
We got Ray’s lunch and went back to the wall in a comfortable silence, both mulling over different things. When we got back to the group they were all talking about the ski trip on Monday.
“You excited, Gerard?” Bob asked me. I nodded, grinning. I couldn’t wait. I think Frank was coming to.
*
The next few days passed uneventfully. Frank was mysteriously away and Jess avoided me as much as possible. Waiting for her to come and talk to me wasn’t working much and this fight was beginning to take its toll on my happiness and self-esteem. It’s stupid when someone is angry at you and you don’t even why, so that you can fix it.
It was Sunday now and I was getting packed, ready for the ski trip tomorrow. Mikey had one of his little nerd friends over and was playing the Xbox down in the den. Morris had been helping me but he left a little while ago to fix up some food for my garbage disposer brother and his guest.