It's Not Like The Movies (rewriting)

Chapter 2

If there's one thing I don't like, it's being crept up on.

I have earphones in as I'm listening to a podcast about the latest pop culture drama while rummaging around in my locker for Dale's calculator. It's not an educational podcast by any means but it's more interesting than school gossip and the rowdy crowd of students loitering by the entrance of Mary Madison High.

As I rifle through textbooks, notepads and loose bits of paper, I discover an old foundation palette, two unopened bags of skittles and finally, all the way at the bottom, Dale's calculator. I turn it over and yes, there's his name written in black sharpie. Satisfied, I swing the door shut and suddenly find myself face-to-face with a green-eyed boy in a beige baseball cap.

"Jesus, how long have you been there?" My body jerks away automatically and I take a step back, startled by Aaron's presence. I pull out my earphones and pause the podcast on my mobile before tucking both into the front pocket of my trousers.

Aaron half smiles and the scar at the left corner of his lips moves up. "Not long," he says, leaning his shoulder against the locker next to mine. He doesn't have a rucksack on him, not like I do, but he's carrying a plastic water bottle and a pencil so maybe that's all he needs. There are faint circles under his eyes and he's wearing a slightly wrinkled black t-shirt which makes me think he slept in it last night. He seems relaxed but I'm not sure if he is. Unlike Dale, whose face is an open book, Aaron is difficult to read.

"Everything good?" I don't know if he's in the mood to discuss yesterday's events but the question is vague enough for him to dodge talking about his break up if he wants to. 

"Never been better," he replies and he sounds like he means it. Aaron takes off his cap, letting loose his brown hair. In the light, it's almost blond.

"Cool." I slip Dale's calculator into my bag and tighten the straps. I don't know him as well as I know Dale so we rarely have serious conversations. Before he dated Lindsey, he'd say hi to me in the mornings and we'd chat about random things. He stopped doing that when his relationship with Lindsey took off, but I suppose now they're over, I might see him around school more often.

"You know you don't have to tiptoe around the subject, Frey," Aaron says before we lapse into awkward silence. "You saw the break up. Say what you want about it."

There isn't much I'd like to comment on. Apart from what Dale said about Aaron and Lindsey fighting, I'm oblivious to the details of their romance. There's just one moment which comes to mind that I think is worth asking him about. "Did you knock over something when you guys were upstairs? We heard a noise before you both came down."

"Oh." Aaron puts his cap on again but backwards. "Lindsey kicked my guitar and it fell. The guitar's fine." He says this in a matter-of-fact way, like it's no big deal. His tone stops me from asking why she did it. 

"Okay. And you're not...sad?"

He shakes his head, his expression neutral. "No. I thought about it and I'm glad it's over."

"Really?" He seemed shocked when she said they were done. He's calm now but he could be putting on a front.

"Really," he says firmly. "She was too clingy and jealous. I'm happy I don't have to deal with that anymore."

I simply nod, unable to confirm or deny the clingy part but understanding the jealousy. I caught her glaring at me sometimes when I spoke to Aaron in front of her. I can't say if she was like that with other girls but I think she had a problem with me acknowledging his existence.

"What about you?" Aaron says out of the blue, smiling.

"What about me?" 

"You're still single." The statement is true but the subject change is unexpected.