The Locker Wars

William forgot.

Because when other girls were waving at him during class, smiling devilishly as they slipped notes onto his desk, pretending to walk by, he almost forgot what it was like to trail after someone who was never going to like him back.

It was no different when Madison MacDonald came up and slipped a note under his fist. She was the girl who was dating that guy from the football team, not the captain, but he was certainly that guy. And for her to want to talk to William was apparent: her boyfriend wasn’t satisfying her lately. And William was just that guy that she’d be able to kiss and get away with it.

And William didn’t mind. He just needed some rationalization in his head about this all. The girl he really liked wasn’t going to miraculously swing him around in the halls and kiss him, and if she were to do that, he’d need some more practice?

Hormones were so weird.

Behind the school, 3:15, the note said, and then a small xoxo and a kissing face. It was so sickeningly disgusting and sweet and so not what he wanted in a girl, but it seemed okay enough. If it were behind the school, hopefully nobody would see them.

William slapped his hand on the note, watching Madison with slightly hungry eyes as she swished back to her seat. Her blonde hair fell softly on her shoulders and her piercing green eyes scanned the room. Her features were so different from Adele’s chestnut (William always argued with himself whether it was ‘chestnut’ or ‘coffee’) hair and sweet brown eyes. So different that William almost beat himself up over the guilt.

But no, there was hardly any guilt shown when he smirked back at her and wiggled an eyebrow. He couldn’t even help but bite his lip, and then he just felt guiltier. He drowned his guilt in the fact that he was going to get to eat her face tonight.

He looked at the note again, surveying her writing. So curly and so girly, and so... not like Adele. Adele’s writing was messy and scratched cursive, like some real lawyer.

He kept thinking about the afternoon to keep his mind off of things.

* * *

Later that afternoon, after the last bell, Adele was putting on her coat. Only a handful of days until Thanksgiving and already the cold weather was starting to set in.

“Hey, Adele, are you gonna walk home with me?” Kirsten appeared by her locker. Adele looked slightly puzzled.

“Um, yeah, sure. But... you see, I have homework...”

“Anybody knows you could get it done in five minutes flat! Besides, we haven’t hung out together in a long time.” Kirsten smiled, and if Adele was a little more social-smart than book-smart, she would have noticed that Kirsten was trying to tell her something.

But Adele was Adele, so she agreed to walk home with her friend.

“Your jacket isn’t cool,” Kirsten pointed out as they exited towards the back of the school. “You could get one that’s actually your size for once, and in a nice color.”

“It was on sale, they only had mediums and larges left,” Adele shrugged. “I opted for the large.”

“You’re drowning in it.”

“At least I’m warm,” Adele scoffed. “What, so I have to be cool now? I have to be cool and not wear a jacket? It’s not practical, you know. If I don’t wear a jacket, it increases the chance of being more vulnerable to germs, or viruses, or—”

“Ew,” Kirsten cut her off. They both halted in their tracks to see William Beckett groping Madison MacDonald right behind the school walls.

They both rolled their eyes. Not because it wasn’t such a William thing to do, but because it was Madison. And she was dating that dude from the football team that nobody remembered by name, but if you saw him, you’d know who he was. And neither Adele nor Kirsten would wonder why she was kissing William when she had another boyfriend. In Kirsten’s mind, it was the bitchiest move to make, and in Adele’s mind, it wasn’t too practical.

“Ew,” Adele agreed finally.

Kirsten snuck a look at her friend, and Adele surveyed the scene before turning her head.

“What was that?” Kirsten asked.

Adele turned around, her eyes glazed over in thought. “I didn’t say anything. But, if I had the courage, which I don’t because Madison could rip me to shreds, I would have told them to get a room.”

“Why didn’t you, then?”

“Madison could rip me to shreds. Especially with her fake nails. They look nice, I mean, but she could probably tear me apart. I don’t like her.”

“But you could beat her at a game of Trivial Pursuit.” Kirsten reasoned. She smiled lightly to her friend.

Adele shrugged.

“You’re quiet today,” her dark-haired friend observed. “You’re usually so... hyper. In the angry way. Not that I’m complaining, or anything. Something up?”

“I’m just tired,” Adele confessed with a small smile. “School. You know. Tiring. And the weather.”

“Yeah,” Kirsten nodded, and the conversation was over. They both looked over at William and Madison one more time before making their way home.

Not the reaction that any of them were looking for.