Spongebob Squad

16.

I went home on the bus because Lèa and Mike had already left (they didn't wait for me to finish with the goddamn principal) and I had to try hard not to puke because of the smell inside that car.

A horrible thought passed through my head. What if Lèa found out what Evan said? Well, it's obvious she did because the whole school had seen me hitting that idiot... I try to picture how bad she could be feeling if she'd hear about this.

I decided to call her but she didn't answer her phone. I started getting worried. If Léa was mad at me? Maybe she thought I flirted with Evan or something. No, she knew that I hated him. Or...?

I have to calm down! Every time I overthink something, I begin to believe the most wrong stuff. Last time I asked myself if I was even real. I mean, what if Matrix actually exists? Oh, and if it does, what would I choose? To live in this fake world or to see the real one?

Yes, what have I told you. If you let me overthink more than 10 minutes, I'd probably come to the conclusion that the Earth is flat like all that crazy savants with their theories. Wait, is it?

***

The next day Léa still didn't answer to any of my texts. When I went to school in Mike's car, she didn't even looked at me. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying all the night. Mike was sitting between us looking really nervous. He finally broke the silence:

"Guys, I thought maybe you could hang out with Hwan sometimes. She wants to know stuff about you and to get to know you two. I mean, we've all barely..."

"Not now, Michael" grumbled Léa.

Nobody called him "Michael" before, except our IT teacher. It's obvious Léa is really pissed off. I just couldn't take this tension anymore.

"Listen, I don't know what you've heard about what happened with Evan, but it's probably nor true. He was a jerk and I hit him. That's all"

"Liar" Léa said making my jaw drop. "He invited you at his house"

"I..."

I really didn't know what to say. It was so messed up that she was mad at me, when I actually defenced her there.

"Listen, I know he said some things. Some things that you should have been expecting from a boy like him. But you have to believe me that's why I hit him that hard! I took your side!"

"It doesn't matter, Jen! He likes you more than me! I almost thought we could have a relationship"

Her golden eyes were filled with melancholy. Or was that anger?

"And I know it's not your damn fault, but I just need some time apart from you right now!"

Thank God she believed me. But wait. She doesn't want us to be friends anymore, or what?

"Léa, why are you..."

"Please, shut up" her voice sounded like she was at the edge of a mental break-down so I decided to listen and keep my mouth closed.

Mike smiled in a fake way and continued on a positive (and a little scared) tone like nothing happened:
"Let's go for ice-cream after school!"

"No!" me and Léa both shouted.

***

All I can say is that this lunch break was the saddest one from my entire life. For real though. Léa went to Mike and Hwan's table just so she wouldn't stay near me, Aidan was with Rebecca, Evan, Victoria and the others... so I was sitting alone at our ex-Spongebob Squad table, looking depressed at my macaroni and cheese plate, having no one to complain about how bad was this meal looking like.

Suddenly, I heard a deep voice from behind:
"Are these places occupied?"

It was Ben, with his light brown hair and his glowing-annoying eyes. I hate every piece of him.

"Oh, wait, I forgot you've got dumped by all of your little friends, which are like... three, so this places are definitely not occupied"
He smiled cutely, like he have just said a beautiful thing to me.

"What on earth are you doing here?" I asked him, ignoring his meaningful comments.

"I'm trying to eat my lunch" he answered while sitting down.

"Stop playing dumb. What are you really doing here?!"

"Oh, okay, Parker, I see you have a hell of a mood today"

"Well, if your dumb friend wouldn't have talked to me like that, I'd probably be so much happier" I said ironically. "For the last time: what do you want from ME?"

"I felt pity for you, seeing you standing alone here, staring at your pasta like an 80 yo waiting for his death, that's why I came"

I'm pretty sure that's not the reason. If someone is a nice person, he's surely not Ben.

"You don't have to feel sorry for me. We are far from friends. You better go to your table, sit with your besties cause I really don't want you here"

Ben laughed. Then his eyes got darker as he asked me:

"You didn't know what I was talking about at the party, did you?"

He breathed heavily, showing his muscles form through the red shirt he was wearing.

"If you are talking about that boolshit you told me about Aidan, that he... you know, that he likes me and I like him, that's completely false"

At least, I am sure I don't have feelings for Aidan. Or I hope so. Until two days ago, he was just my best friend, well, not really a friend anymore, but now, when I think about him, I feel my body heavier, uncomfortable, like something wrong happened and changed my way of thinking about everything that he means to me. It may be the questions I have about his relationship with Rebecca. It may be something else... I don't know. I'm confused. And right now I should concentrate on how can I solve these problems, mysteries, not on him.

"No, I wasn't talking about that" he looked at me in a way that made my mind freeze for a second. Like he would know things. Many things.

"Then what do you..." I started a little bit nervous.

He intrerrupted me.
"I thought you knew. I thought maybe Aidan told his friends. Or at least that he told you"

"What do you mean? What does he have to tell us?"

Ben smiled in that innocent way again.

"You'll have to find our yourself, Parker"

Before I could ask him anything else, he added:
"I don't think I can eat this shit. It tastes like vegan ham" he got up and left me alone to stare in my disgusting macaroni plate again.