Dahliah
Please! Cant u miss just one practice?
-K
NO! u know how important track is to me. Besides, ur still grounded.
-D
Passing notes was the only way to survive the endless drone of Ms. Cohen in English. Not that Ms. Cohen would notice what anyone was doing in her class. She had horrible eyesight.
Meanwhile, as Ms. Cohen was explaining the usage of the iambic pentameter, Kaitlin Springs glared at me. Her eyes clearly said You are a terrible friend.
Sorry, I mouthed back, for the fourth time this period. Kaitlin just rolled her blue eyes. She had wanted me to miss track to hang out with her and James. I declined, claiming that it was because I couldn’t skip again, but that wasn’t the whole truth. I loved Kaitlin a lot, and while she’s always fun to hang out with, I sort of needed a break from her. It’s not that she’s annoying or anything, but she, I don’t know, lived so fast. Being with her made me dizzy.
James Seneca, who was aware of the situation, poked my back with a pencil.
“Ughgh, not you too, “I groaned, turning around to glare at him.
“Please,” he whispered softly. Somehow he made his eyes go wider behind his large glasses. “I barely see you anymore.”
“Yes you do! We have five classes together, and we live ten minutes away from each other!” I exclaimed. People were starting to look at us. I lowered my voice. “Don’t do this!” Kaitlin I could take, but James had a way of getting to me. He was so dorky and sweet…
“Fine! Gosh. I’ll come. Who knows how many practices because of you two.”
James and Kaitlin exchanged smug looks. I rolled my eyes.
Around me, the other students stared down the clock, counting down the seconds until lunch. I joined them, wondering what excuse I’ll give Coach this time.
------------
I ignored James and Kaitlin all the way to the table. I missed track at least once a week for my friends, each time giving some lame excuse for why I was absent for practice. One of these days, Coach was going to catch on, and I would be kicked off the team.
My friends and I sat at the edge of the cafeteria, away from the mess of teenagers in the muddle. Across the table from James, Kaitlin and I was Asher and Christina. Of all the friends I had at the school, these were my closest.
“So,” Asher says, pointing a slice of pizza at me. “I heard you and Jamie are going out after school today.”
“Don’t call me Jamie,” James muttered.
“I’m not ‘going out’ with James. I’m hanging out with Kaitlin, at my house because she’s still grounded,”
“You do realize that if she goes to your house she’ll just get into more trouble, right?” Christina pointed out.
“I’ll just say we’re having a study session or something,” Kaitlin said dismissively.
“That’s believable,” James said, rolling his eyes.
YOU ARE READING
A New Perspective
Teen FictionCHANDLER RYLANT does not believe in silver linings. He does not, in fact, believe in anything. His bleak outlook on life reflects on his ... unsettling appearance. His cold personality pushes people away, and he is rejected by his family and society...
