Remember me

Chapter 6

Mia

Monday morning I'm jarred awake by Marilee pounding on my bedroom door. "What?" I bark groggily back to the locked door. "Mia if you'd stop locking your door I could have came and woken you up! I've been knocking for ages! You're late and I can't wait any longer to give you a ride, I'm going to work!"

Shit.

I couldn't sleep last night, my mind racing with thoughts and memories of Nick. Eventually when light was just starting to filter in through my window I drifted off. That was.. I look at my phone.. about an hour ago.

I don't have a car so I usually have to rely on someone giving me a ride. Luckily our condo is less than a mile away from school, so I walk if I can't catch a ride.

I groan as I roll out of bed, there is no time to make myself presentable. I grab an old band tee and a pair of denim shorts while running into the bathroom to brush my teeth and spray my hair with dry shampoo. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror and grimace. Oh well. I slip on my flip flops and I'm out the door.

I speed walk into the school parking lot right as the bell for first period rings. Great. Now I'm not just a hot sweaty mess but a late hot sweaty mess. I run into my English lit class and slide into my seat as discreetly as possible. Mrs. Lopez gives me a look and I give her a chagrined smile, but she doesn't say anything. I know my face must be beet red and sweaty, but at least she's taking pity on me.

After Ms. Lopez turns toward the board and the lesson begins I slowly let my eyes scan around the classroom. Could Nick be here?

He is.... not. Get a grip Mia, I think to myself. He's not here. It's just the same bored students in the same boring classroom. I don't know if he's even enrolled in school, let alone this school.

I sigh and rest my head on my arms on top of the desk.

..
..
..

Later that afternoon the bell rings for lunch and I return my things to my locker. Marley comes up beside me and leans against the lockers, looking like some sort of sexy vampire in her black fitted dress and combat boots. She looks me up and down.

"Woah girl, you look almost as exhausted as me. And I know you weren't the one out all night, what happened?"

I turn my eyes toward her and smile slightly, "Couldn't sleep."

"Ah, yes, sleep" says Marley, "remind me to schedule some more of that in tonight." I laugh slightly and give her an exasperated look. She looks fabulous and she knows it. Marley could run through the mud chased by a hoard of zombies and come out looking photo shoot ready. Marley won the genetics lottery, that's for sure. She rolls her eyes in response and hooks her arm in mine, dragging me towards the cafeteria.

Instead of standing in line for my usual slice of pizza I separate from Marley and head to the coffee line instead. I only have a couple dollars and caffeine is just more important than food right now. After receiving my iced coffee I turn back towards the lunchroom looking for Marley and our other friends.

Instead my eyes stop on him.

I freeze. Shutting my eyes and opening them again.
Once.. twice.

I suck in a long breath. Like a ghost from my past, there he is.

Marley sidles up to me and takes a big sip of my coffee. "Mmmm I'm gonna get me one of those, meet me in the quad in five?"

"Mmhmm," I reply distractedly.

Marley walks off and that tether must be pulling again, because suddenly I'm right in front of him. He's sitting at a table by himself with a plate of fries and a book.

I am so nervous, but my mind is made up.

I'm about to invite myself into conversation, again, with a boy who made it pretty clear he didn't want to speak to me.

I take a deep breath and sit down in front of him.

"Remember me?"