The next week came and went with my days being divided. Mornings I had with Jeremy, afternoons with Luke and James, then my evenings at home. Things were different on the school time ends. When I was with Jeremy, we talked about how he hated James and his life. When I was with Luke and James, James was always in a bad mood, and Luke tried to lighten it up. He dropped me off home every day and home was still home.
It was Friday now. I got ready, and I walked downstairs to eat something. I was extra hungry this morning.
I was biting into some sweet bread when I heard honking from the front yard.
I panicked and ran to the front window, since I knew who it would be.
Luke was honking and James wasn't with him.
I went back to grab my things then I ran out the door before my father came out of his room.
I waved, happily, and got in the car.
Seeing his face, I figured being happy and overly excited right now wasn't okay.
"What's wrong?" I ask, getting into the car.
"Nothing, I just wanted to pick you up and hang before school."
I kept quiet. It seemed as if he had more to say, so I waited.
Then it came. "We broke up."
I kind of figured. James was not the James I knew back when, and in just a couple weeks of getting to know him again, he's declined in a way that made him hard to be around.
"I'm sorry." I told him.
"It's alright Andy. I'm just sad we couldn't make it a year."
"That's right, February 17th?" I asked.
"Yep. We're in the middle of January now and that's that.
"I'm sorry." I told him again, not knowing what else to say really.
"It's alright, it just wasn't working out. I can't help him anymore and it hurts too much to try." Luke tell me.
So I sit there with him as we drove to school and he played The Smiths.
When we got there we got out of the car and walked on campus together.
James was waiting at the parking lot gate.
"Seriously?" he said.
"I fucking knew it." he added and huffed away.
Luke took a step towards him, but decided against going after him.
"What's he talking about?" I ask Luke.
He just sighed and walked on.
I felt so bad that he was going through such a hard time, but what could I do but be there for him?
We had time before our first class so he walked me to where Jeremy was. He was waiting outside our first period. Luke gave me a hug and said, "If anything happens where James approaches you, please just know he's not himself lately, okay?" I looked at Luke and nodded.
He left and Jeremy looked at me in a weird way. I shrugged and said "Tough times."
"Oh yeah, I know all about it." he says
"Oh?" I reply to him.
"Yeah! James is a big time coke head dude, and he's not in the kind of mood where you want to fuck with him."
We walk into the classroom and sit waiting for class to start.
There's a man at the front of the room with curly hair and he's a bit hefty.
"I hope to god we don't have a sub today." Jeremy tells me. My mind is somewhere else.
I never thought James would be that way.
I remember him from years ago in classes we've had in the past. Quiet, but funny. He always had his hair short, almost bald. I guess he started growing it out in high school. I never really talked to him. He had friends. I on the other hand didn't. Luke was also in my thoughts. Poor guy. He's too sweet for his own good. I must have started spacing off, because the next thing I heard was Jeremy shouting.
"HELLO? EARTH TO ANDY! COME IN ANDY"
I looked at him and broke out of it, "I'm sorry" I replied.
"You were hella ignoring me dude." he said a bit peeved.
I frowned and looked away.
"HEY GUYS!" the guy in the front of the room boomed.
"I'm your sub for today, Ms. Robins is out and I am taking over! Please take out a sheet of paper and I will write down a journal prompt for ya!"
'Where will you be in 5 years?'
What a generic question, I thought.
English went on with Jeremy being upset with me for 'ignoring' him. Today was feeling really off.
