Assisting Victoria

Part Fourteen

            “So, what happened?” Lauren asked when I ran in to her the next morning at my locker.

            “We talked, sorted music, nothing more.”

            “Yet.”

            “Lauren!” I turned to face her. “Stop it. Seriously. I’m not that lucky. Why would she ever like me?”

            Lauren didn’t say anything after that. I felt a little bad for snapping at her, but I just didn’t feel like pretending there was a possibility Tori actually liked me that day. I grabbed my books and headed to my English class as I would ever other day. This time though, I did have something else to think about.

            Tori was right, if someone was looking to get any kind of reaction out of you, you shouldn’t give it to them, and that’s exactly what I had been doing. The only possible reason Mitch had to pester me about my crush on Tori was that he wanted me to get upset. Maybe, if I didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to do it anymore. I smiled to myself as I realized the previously endless harassing might finally have its end.  Of course, it would have been nice if I had thought of that a lot earlier.

            When 4th hour rolled around I walked in the door more confidently than before and took my seat by the window. I managed to get there earlier than Mitch and his friends, which was good, because it gave me a little time to prepare myself for what I knew was going to come.

            “Hey, look who made it to class early today. Didn’t get to stay after class during lunch for a make-out session today?” he asked as he walked in the door.

            A few other members of my class, the ones that had seen the whole locker incident, sat waiting in anticipation for my response, knowing very well who I liked now. His friends laughed as usual and I turned to face him and look him right in the eye. I wasn’t sure how to go about this, so I said what first came to mind. After it came out, I wasn’t sure that it had been the right thing to say.

            “Well I guess there’s always tomorrow.”

            I shot him a cocky smiled and his friends laughed. This time however, Mitch himself did not. That was a good sign. At least I left him with nothing to come back with.

            “Whatever,” was all he eventually said before turning back around.

-

            I walked into the band room that day cheerier than I had been in a long time. Tori was already there moving things around when I got there. She looked up at me and smiled.

            “Well someone’s in a good mood today. What’s up?” she asked.