Homeroom

18: Drummer Boy

[A/N] Song for this chapter is Social Casuality by 5SOS  :)

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This week and the one after flew by. Between the heavy loads of homework each night and the billions of club meetings held after school, my days have been completely and utterly crazy.

But the craziest thing of all is that Luke toned down his bullying... big time. Although my thumb is still in an annoying metal cast, he hasn't even muttered an insult to me about it or anything else. I'm praying that this change is permanent and isn't the calm before the storm.

"Who's excited for the band auditions tomorrow?" Al asks as he takes a seat at our table.

"Me!" Charlie and I yell in-sync, laughing as we say jinx at the same time, too. 

"Yeah, me too. Let's hope we get a good turn out," Al replies, shoving a sandwich into his mouth. 

We continue to chit-chat about the auditions tonight with hopes that the band can find a good drummer.

* * * * *

The rest of the day goes by pretty quickly, and I feel a desperate need to talk to Shay. We haven't been hanging out recently, and I feel an empty void in my life without her.

"Hey, Shay, wait up!" I yell, running to catch up with her. The cool, fall wind sends my hair flying behind me as my sneakers clomp against the sidewalk. I leap around people to catch up to my best friend.

"Hey, slow down," I yell again. I'm completely out of breath when I catch her by the shoulder. 

Shay looks at me, glaring, and shakes me off. She walks ahead of me, wrapping her coat around her body tighter as her hazel eyes focus on the road ahead.

I catch up with her once more, tripping over a drop in the sidewalk in the process. "Shay, seriously, what's wrong?"

"You didn't tell me!" she angrily yells.

"About what?" I ask, confused.

She groans. "You didn't tell me about your kiss with Aaron. You realize Karissa was the one told me before my own best friend did."

...Oh. I sort of forgot about that after all this time has passed.

She raises her eyebrow as a silence falls over us. "Yup, that's what I thought," she indignantly says, crossing her arms.

"Look," I explain. "I really didn't want to tell you because I'm ashamed of it. It was in the moment and--"

"Ashamed!?" Shay cries out. "Why? He seems like such a nice boy."

I scoff, rolling my eyes. "He's cousins with Luke... and didn't even tell me!"

"That's even more of a reason to tell me that you kissed him."

I shake my head at her oblivion. "And you don't see anything wrong with that picture? Of both of them being freaking cousins?"

"Ever hear of the saying 'you can pick your friends but not your family'?" she remarks.

I don't say anything.

"Hmm, that's what I thought."

She turns around to walk away, but I grab her arm to stop her. "So are we good or...?" I cautiously ask.

 She searches my eyes for a couple of long seconds before sighing, her shoulders sagging. "Fiiine," she drags out, "but next time, just tell me. I won't judge, I promise."

"Okay, deal," I agree. "Thanks for understanding."

"Sure, sure. Now, can we please head home? I'm starting to get cold."