Outlasted (2.0) • Outlast | IN PROGRESS

Chapter Two: Walker and Gluskin

"Tony? Hey, Tony!"

Startled, I turn around. But the confusion fades as I match the voice to the face. "What, Aaron?"

"What're you comin' from this way for? You never go this way to geometry."

Aaron, a close friend of mine, shares a geometry class with me. "I was just talking to someone."

"Alright, who?" he asks, now walking beside me. Then, he smirks. "Is it who I think it is?"

"I don't know. Who do you think it is?"

"C'mon, don't make me say it," he remarks slyly. "I know you know."

The truth is, I did know, but it was fun to mess with him. "No, I really don't. Stop acting all smug."

"Tony, are you dense?"

"I don't know, am I?"

Finally, he looks frustrated. "Ugh! My god, Tony, were you talking to Camille?"

"What would you say if I was?"

"Well, I'd say screw you for dragging this out, and then I'd say, nice!" he exclaims, giving me a pat on the back. "It's nice having history class with her, isn't it?"

"Sure. It's given me an excuse to work with her on a few group projects."

"And? Are the feelings mutual?"

I shrug. "Haven't gotten that far yet."

"Oh, c'mon, dude. She's a freshman. You know she'll go for you."

"What does her age have to do with it?"

"It's got everything to do with it! You've got the upperclassman charm!" Aaron insists. "Trust me."

"Trust you? How many freshman girls have come flocking your way, Aaron?"

He temporarily goes quiet, much to my amusement. "We're not talking about me."

"Yes, clearly."

He smacks me on the arm. "Shut the hell up."

I snicker. "Why? I'm having fun."

"No! Because this is about you!" he retorts, all shame seemingly disappeared. "I'm not going to stop until you get Cammie."

"And how do you advise I do that?"

"You're an artist, aren't you? Draw something for her!"

Aaron was being ridiculous. "That's weird, Aaron."

"No, it's romantic."

"You don't know the definition of the word."

"Hey, I'm just trying to help," he insists. We're now standing just outside our geometry classroom. "Swear on my life."

"Shut up, Aaron," I grumble, enduring a second slap as we trudge into the classroom. Though an idea, shortly after, does come to me.

~~~

"Belle, Kenna, you two need to stop," I chastise my two girlfriends. "Seriously, all you do is make lunch miserable when you act like this."

"It isn't my fault, Cammie," Kenna (Makenna) protests. Belle (Isabelle) turns away with her arms crossed, ever so mature. "Belle knows what she did. Not my fault if she won't own it."

"Shut your lying mouth, Kenna. Before I shut it for you."

"Belle, for real, what did you do?" I ask, blatantly irritated. I often sided with Kenna in disputes; she tended to have more truth behind her.