+ Positively Negative - | Freddie & Joey

7. Joey - Maybe

Chapter Seven

Maybe

Joey -

‘Can’t fucking wait ‘til Citizenship,’ Ryan groaned in ecstasy as we waited round the corner from Ryan’s house for Courtney and Abby.

‘Why do we have to have that fucking lesson every day?’

‘Oh,’ Ryan said, feigning sympathy. ‘You’re with gay-boy aren’t you?’ I glared at him.

‘Yes.’

‘Unlucky,’ he said flippantly. ‘Guess what though? I think I might be able to get in with that girl. Her name is Cari Diaz! Cari, Fucking, Diaz!’

‘Carrie?’

‘It’s said the same way, but spelt with one R and no E. Besides, that’s not the important part! Diaz! She could be from like, Hollywood or some shit-’ A snort escaped my lips. I could not believe Ryan had just said that. Sometimes, the people I hung around with really, really, shocked me. He could not be that stupid.

‘Diaz is like, Spanish or something Ryan!’ He looked at me as if I was mad.

‘No, Cameron Diaz is so not Spanish, Joe, think about it! Hot as she is, she is definitely American. She’s white.’

‘Spanish people are white.’

‘Not her kind of white.’ I shut my eyes for a full five seconds.

‘She could have Spanish ancestors or something.’ Ryan looked at me as if I was stupid again, then shrugged.

‘I’m going to check during Citizenship today. With Cari Diaz.’ He smirked.

‘You are not actually going to do anything, are you?’ I wanted to know.

‘You are not thinking about Kelsey again, are you? She is out of the fucking picture, okay? Just leave it at that. My days. I thought you hated her anyway.’

‘I do,’ I muttered wearily. ‘It doesn’t mean you should cheat on her. I thought you liked her-’

‘Can you fucking shut up about Kelsey? Christ Joey, now I need a fucking fag-’ Just then, the ginger that hung around with Freddie passed us, sending us dirty looks as she did so. She was soon followed by Courtney and Abby-- finally.

‘What a sket,’ Abby muttered as she and Courtney reached us.

‘I know right,’ Courtney scowled at the girl before stretching upwards and kissing me briefly on the lips them lacing her fingers through mine as we began making our way to school. I watched her carefully. She seemed oblivious to the fact that my eyes were on her. I had been thinking late last night when she’d been texting me that I had to either be a better boyfriend to her and give her what she wanted, or end it. Because I knew for sure that I felt nothing for Courtney –or at least not as my girlfriend—and I didn’t want to drag her along. I didn’t want to dump her either though. I couldn’t. I peered at Ryan, who was groaning about his need for a fag to Abby, then at Courtney who was watching them, a smile on her face. Courtney deserved better than, well, me. Sometimes I wished I had Ryan’s balls. He didn’t even bat an eyelid when it came to dumping girls. Or cheating on them.

-

In registration I had a feeling too similar to disappointment when Freddie’s gaze landed on me for a second before swivelling away again, not even a drop of recognition filling it. I didn’t bother him at all. Not even a hint of annoyance at me; I meant nothing to him! It was unsettling to think he could tease and taunt me whenever he pleased, but I couldn’t even make him nervous. I stopped glancing at him every five seconds though, when Abby asked me what I was looking at; I didn’t want her to start teasing me about liking him. I got enough from Ryan and Kelsey as it was.