Invisible

A week later, Lana had convinced me to hang around with her and her friends every day during lunch and most days after school. I had been hanging around with them for a while, and although I didn’t particularly like them, at least I was hanging around with someone.

One afternoon, after school, I was with Lana at her locker. Since the whole revelation of me in the magazine, everyone wanted to get to know me and be my ‘bff’, but Lana didn’t let that happen. She wanted me all to herself, it made me feel wanted, but at the same time I absolutely hated it.

“Hey Jess, do you want to come with me and Stacey to the mall?” Lana asked me, as she checked her hair and make-up in a little mirror that hung of the inside of her locker door.

“When, today?” I asked.

“Well, duh!” she laughed.

I was supposed to be going to Patrick’s to practise for our music project, the performance was nearing and we hadn’t finished our piece yet. But at that moment I didn’t care.

“Yeah, I’d love to!” I smiled, hating myself on the inside for ditching Patrick.

We walked down the hall to go out to the parking lot, when I saw Patrick standing by his car.

He ran over to us. “Jess, are you coming over to mine?”

I was desperately trying to think of a way to politely tell him that I wasn’t when Lana rudely broke into my thoughts.

“Um, no she isn’t, you loser. What would make you think that she would want to go anywhere with you?” she pushed past Patrick and walked in the direction of her silver BMW.

She turned back to look at me. “You coming Jess?” she popped the gum in her mouth obnoxiously.

I looked at the hurt, dejected look on Patrick’s face. It was enough for me to reach the end of my overly long tether. I snapped.

‘It’s okay Jess, you can go.’ Patrick said quietly.

“No it’s not Patrick. Lana, I am not coming with you. I’ve had enough of you and your bitchy friends. What makes you think you have the right to speak to people like that?” I spat at her, moving forward with every sentence I spoke, “especially to people who are probably better than you could ever imagine being.”

“What?” she asked a scowl on her face.

“You heard me, I think you need to get yourself some manners and a personality and some friends with more depth than a puddle before you start judging others, bitch!” I added onto the end before walking away.

I grabbed Patrick’s arm and lead him over to his car.

We sat in the car in relative silence for a few minutes; I was shaking with the adrenalin that was coursing through my veins. My heart was pounding in my chest like it was trying to make a bid for freedom.

‘Whoa, I’ve never, ever seen that side of you Jess,’ Patrick said, looking over at me, his mouth slightly agape.

‘I’m sorry you had to see that.’ I said staring blankly out of the windscreen.

‘Don’t be sorry, I’m glad you didn’t get sucked in by those lip gloss inhaling skanks!’ he laughed.

‘How about we go and get started on that music project?’ I asked, the smile never leaving my lips.

‘Alrighty then,’ he said with an adorable grin as he started his car and set off.