Me Versus Me

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

            The next few days passed uneventfully. Ivan was adamant about taking my pills and bed rest. I felt so lazy just lounging around the house not going to school. Christie stopped by every day after school to give me my homework and the latest gossip which never had anything to do with me, until today. Christie came in and found me sitting on the living room sofa eating popcorn.

            "Hey Christie," I said as she bent down and pecked me on the cheek. When I looked at her I could tell she was excited about something. "Okay Chris, what is it?"

            "Someone at school has been asking about you..." Her voice got progressively higher as she spoke. I could tell my startled expression was exactly what she was looking for.

            "Who?" I asked the question knowing she wouldn't give me a straight forward answer. Christie loved to draw out gossip and keep her listeners on the edge of their seat-- especially when it was about them. She smiled and pranced over to the recliner next to the sofa plopping down in it.

            "Someone we both know..." She giggled.

            "Who is it Chris?"

            "Someone who's worried about you..." Her face told me she was having way too much fun with this.

            "Dammnit Christie who is it?"

            "Andre," once again Christie reveled in my shock.

            "Andre. Andre Tyler?"

            "Only Andre I know."

            "Why was Andre Tyler asking about me? He doesn't even know me."

            "Apparently he does. He got your name wrong though. He said he hadn't seen you around and he was worried something might have happened to you or something. He said with your 'lifestyle' you might have been dead for all he knew." She didn't seem as disturbed by the comment as me.

            "What do you mean my 'lifestyle'?"

            "Dunno, but he sure was interested. Aly was pissed. Made for an entertaining lunch."

            "Huh," was the only response I gave. Andre was Alyson's boyfriend, so why would he be concerned about me? I've barely even spoken to the boy.

            "You're not... messing with him are you?" She asked a little too eager. I could tell she was looking for possible drama, not because Aly and I were her friends and she wants to keep us from fighting. Knowing Christie she would probably live to see us fight. Chris loved to watch people fight. She called it the 'ultimate drama.'" Even though I had never been in a fight I was confident I could at least take Alyson. She was a pretty girl who bullied people with words and not with physical violence, in other words a bitch that can't fight. The one time a girl stepped up to fight her, she got a black eye and had to get her older sister to come and threaten the other girl the next day.

            "No I'm not, I've barely spoken to him. The only time I've ever spoken to him was the time I tripped off the front steps and he caught me."

            "When was that? You never told me that." She looked slightly annoyed that I'd withheld information.

            "It was a few weeks ago. There wasn't much to tell. I'm clumsy, I fall off shit all the time." I shrugged.

            "Maybe, but not onto Aly's super-hot boyfriend."

            "I've seen hotter," I mumbled. Just then Ivan walked in the front door with both hands full of grocery bags. He struggled to close the door and I jumped up to go help him.