Between the Lines | ✓

Cliche 16: Study Dates

I had never once been the star of gossip back in my old life. Compared to the scandalous teenage exploits of my classmates, I was boring news. People would much rather whisper about who was dealing drugs in the school parking lot, the handful of pregnancy scares after formal, or the poor students that got accosted by the class douchebags after hours. I wasn't surprised, because compared to me, a guy who just stayed home reading trashy novels online and out of any sort of trouble, everyone else was far more interesting.

It seems, however, that even if my personality was exactly the same as it had been, being in Xander's body changed everything. Even though I didn't go out to the frequent weekend parties because I preferred staying home, or if I dedicated myself to studying instead of deep vagina diving, my actions suddenly warranted an unprecedented amount of gossip. Even though I tried to stay out of trouble, trouble seemed to find me, and that made mouths mutter, whisper, snicker.

I had been able to avoid all the chatter during the holidays, even though a video of the very one-sided fight at the party had circulated amongst the students at my school online. I hadn't known about it, until I had met up with Elias and Aubrey towards the end of the break, the two of them always sneaking glances at each other as we ate. 

I had teased them about it, of course, smirking as I asked them if they had something (romantic) to tell me, but Aubrey had instead rested her hand on mine and asked me if I was okay. I had been confused, Elias and Aubrey giving each other that look again, before dropping it. I had pestered them about it for the rest of the lunch, hinting not so subtly that I would be fine and happy with whatever they were hiding from me, because as if their changed relationship status would make me anything but elated. Helping their relationship along was the reason I was transported to the novel world, after all.

They had surprised me not with the news of them secretly dating (because my friends were both dull and oblivious idiots, obviously), but of the circulating video instead. I had blinked at it, watching as Xander's - my - body got pummelled into the floor amidst the sparkling lights, and a detached sense of numbness had spread over me. Because that didn't look like me, but I could remember the feeling of Jake's blows to my face and torso, the dry rasp rattling out of my chest as I tried to breathe.

Elias had looked so worried when I didn't say anything, shuffling his chair around the table as Aubrey nibbled her lip in concern. The two of them were surprised in turn when I just let out a dry laugh, shrugging and pushing the phone away.

"Well, what's done is done. People can say what ever they want about me, I don't see how it matters," I had shrugged, continuing to eat my meal. "What they say just shows how they see me, but it doesn't change who I really am, you know? I know who I am. So don't worry about it, okay, guys? Just let them say whatever they want, I'll become boring enough when something more interesting comes along."

I smiled wryly to myself as I walked through the school halls, ignoring the eyes flickering over me indiscreetly, wishing that my pretentious words had actually been right. School had been back for three weeks already, but people were still talking. 

'Xander's different now, it's so weird. I accidentally bumped into him the other day, and he was actually nice, it freaked me the fuck out. He helped me pick up my books and it was fucking terrifying.'

'He hasn't been going out lately, and I heard he actually turned Krystal down. So, like, did his dick break or something? Or maybe he got some weird STD and now his junk is all lumpy and shit?'

'I heard that's because he got back with his girlfriend, you know, the really hot one that changed schools a few years ago.'

'I wonder what happened between him and his friends, they used to be so tight. Him and Jake, you know? I was in primary school with the two of them, they've been friends since way back then.'