365 Days

240

240

It's Thursday morning and I just got out of the doctors with Quentin and Mum. It's nearly half past nine meaning I'm late to school, but Mum doesn't rush to get there. Instead she goes the speed limit and we sing Quentin's favourite song What Does The Fox Say all the way there.

That song will now be stuck in my head the whole day and I don't even like it. In fact, I have come to despise it. What's worse is that I will walk into class in the middle of English and my teacher won't be too happy about that.

Mum signs me in and the secretary hands me a late pass. I say goodbye to Mum and my little brother and head down the hallway, trying to keep in the spots of sun that are shining in through the windows. It is meant to be 20 degrees Celcius today, so I optimistically wore a t-shirt and jeans. It's probably around 16 degrees now but it should warm up by recess.

I quickly get my books from my locker and go to English, enduring a lecture from my teacher on why tardiness is 'impolite', even though I have a late slip in my hand. I decide not to argue today and just sit down up the back beside Luke. He has saved me a seat so I slide into it. He gives me a sympathetic look and I huff, rolling my eyes in agreement.

It turns out we are going through Hamlet, the scene I was doing with Alex on Sunday. Since then, he has come over a few times and we have continued to read through the play. I made sure to stay in the kitchen where Mum was so that I wouldn't be able to focus too much on Alex.

The class read through the play and the teacher thankfully doesn't ask me to read lines, probably learning from last time that I am useless. Alex can help me understand it but he can't help me with my reading.

Class is dismissed late as it always is, and Luke and I walk out together. We complain about the cold considering he did not bring a jumper either, and then we move onto the plans for the weekend.

"Are you doing anything Saturday morning?" He asks me, leaning against the locker beside mine. I put books in my locker and close the door.

"Not that I can think of, why?"

We walk up the rickety stairs and to his locker, dodging all our peers who are running around the halls. The sun creates quite the buzz of excitement, even though it is far from warm.

"Do you want to come over? We can just hang out, watch movies, talk about Alex's ginormous crush on you." He laughs and stops at his locker. It's outside on the balcony and over looks the courtyard.

I roll my eyes but nod. "Sure, that sounds great. Except for talking about Alex. Let's not do that." I'd rather spend at least a few hours without that boy clouding my thoughts.

"But as the best friend, it is vital for me to obtain intel." Luke closes the door to his locker and laughs. I just shake my head as we head to the cafeteria.

"There's no 'intel' to obtain," I inform him. "He knows this, too."

"Sure." He doesn't believe me, but doesn't push it. "I'm still a good wingman though."

"Whatever you say."

Luke and I end up walking around the school for the twenty minutes of recess before heading to class. Aiden and Lacey are both in my class so I sit with them and talk. We have a substitute teacher and he doesn't even tell us what to do, so we chat.

At lunch Aiden goes to his locker while I go with Lacey to hers. "How's it going?" I ask her. She has light brown her hair out today - a rare thing for Lacey - and it looks really nice.

"Good," she lulls, closing her locker and smoothing out her pretty skirt. It seems everyone was optimistic this morning when they saw the sun. It's warm-ish now, but I could still go with a hoodie. "And you? How are things with Alex?"