Hard Boy ✔️

12

- Loser; Beck -
- Painkiller; Ruel -
- Crush Culture; Conan Gray -
- Hard to Believe; Wallows -

Aurora Holland

Carter didn't talk to me during class. He looked at me and began to seem to head that way but when he saw Cameron and Griffin talking to me, he ended up choosing a different empty seat in the classroom.

I was fine with it, as I'd already been intimidated enough. Even talking to Griffin and Cameron was enough to make me nervous, but they didn't get stares or talked about the way that Logan and Carter did. They also invited me to each lunch with them, considering we had the same lunch hour. They have lunch at different times depending on what class you take, simply because there are too many students to eat at one time.

Logan also has the same lunch hour as us. I'm not sure what class he takes, but I know it's not any type of history class. He insisted I sat next to him, and although part of me wanted to hide by Cameron, I knew I couldn't.

Cameron was kind, and I know he was kind for a reason -- whether it be for his own selfish reasons or not -- I didn't want to take advantage of it and weird him out.

Logan continuously tried to make conversation with me, and I'd politely answer any questions he asked to the best of my abilities, but I felt really out of place. We were sitting in the middle of the cafeteria at a long table, seat after seat filled with people. Girls nearby constantly flirted with Logan, to which he would subtly flirt back with no meaning behind it. Some would even flirt with Griffin and Cameron, to which they'd just laugh it off after they walked away.

It was a nice difference to my awfully dramatic morning. It helped me a lot, and although the cafeteria food was quite nasty, I felt a little better after getting something sustainable in my stomach.

My last class was AP Environmental Science, and thankfully I didn't have that class with Carter. Not that he did anything to me personally, he just makes me nervous. It didn't help that news got out that 'the new girl got all jealous and attacked someone for flirting with Carter', despite that not being what happened at all.

I'm sure Kaya and her friend said some bullshit story, as I'm the only new girl at Riverway High and I did make a comment about her and Carter. But I wasn't jealous, I quite frankly don't care what Carter does. I don't know him all that well besides the little question game we played at the party, and even if I did know him and had a crush on him the way most girls did, I know I wouldn't have a chance.

It's ugly to show jealousy in the way they're saying I had. But I didn't, and anyone who was there and heard the exchange knows that.

Usually, I'd care what people think of me. I would cry until I throw up, I did it constantly at Point Prep. But right now, all I'm focusing on is my schoolwork and getting through the day. That's all I cared about. The quicker I did this, the quicker I get that stupid dress for that stupid work event, and the quicker I can get home and hide in my room.

Alone.

When the last bell rang, I felt relieved. Nothing happened in homeroom or during the last block of the day, and I felt relieved. I'm not used to things constantly happening in my life, I usually just hear about Paige's dramatic life.

It was very different experiencing it instead of hearing about it.

"I haven't seen you since this morning!" Paige exclaimed as I approached her car.

"We don't have any classes together," I said.

"Look, I know I upset you this morning and I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be so embarrassed in front of Logan like that. You never cared at Point Prep." She took a hit of her vape. I didn't even notice she brought it to school today.