The Physics of Love

Chapter 33

'Watch where you're going, I'm not your guide dog!'

Annie walks down the hallway engrossed in her phone, completely disconnected from the outer world. I always wandered what's keeping people so occupied while they're staring at their phone screens; I'd really like to have an interest like that, something fascinating and fun that would keep me glued to a gadget and away from people. But in the end it usually turns out they're chatting with their possible or actual love interest, which seems kinda trivial for me at the moment.

'Are you chatting with someone?'

'What? No! I'm checking how many views I got since yesterday for my vlog. I posted advice about liking two guys at the same time.'

'Do you like two guys?'

'No!' she's a little too persuasive.

'Then how can you give advice about that?'

Annie huffs, visibly annoyed.

'You take everything so seriously,' she packs the phone in the bag demonstratively. 'Loosen up a little.'

We pick up Taylor on our way to the cafeteria. She's standing in front of the history classroom, squeezing her belly with both hands and a painful expression on her face.

'Hurry up! I'm starving!'

'Dieting again?' Annie gasps with loathing.

'Nope. I just didn't have time to eat.'

'I think we should have two portions each.'

'No, Annie, those portions are made for an average person. One is more than enough. We talked about this.'

A tall girl with dark hair whose name I don't know but whose face I'd recognize outside of the school gives me a reproachful look. Unless I'm imagining things, this is the second one today. I put my arm through Annie's, unconsciously looking for shelter.

'Why's everybody looking at me today? I thought I'd finally go back to being invisible now that I'm not with...him any more.'

As if on cue, two girls we're passing by do the same.

'Oh, you don't know?' Tayler's about to say more, but Annie beats her to it.

'We don't know anything.' She makes her most innocent face.

'Was that a pinch?' I stop, pointing at Taylor rubbing her arm.

'No, definitely not a pinch.'

'Why does she look like she's in pain then?'

'Because she's hungry, you heard her. Now, let's hurry to feed her.'

'Annie?'

'C'mon, Annie, we have to tell her. She'll find out sooner or later,' Taylor whines.

'Okay, fine,' Annie rolls her eyes. 'Here it is. Somebody started a rumor that Ted was out of his element on Saturday because you brought your new boyfriend to the game. There,' she dusts off her hands.' Can we please proceed now?'

I stare at her in disbelief, watching her mouth pronounce the words. At first they are just sounds floating around, but then they form a sentence with a meaning and that meaning is despicable.

'What? What did you just say?'

'There you go. I knew she would go berserk.'

'Who started the rumor?' A hot mass is boiling inside of my head, threatening to leak out of my ears and flood the hallway.

Taylor opens her mouth to say something, but Annie's faster again.

'We don't know.'

'Annie?'