The Good Enough Friend (YA)

Chapter Twenty Six - October 20, 2019 [✔]

If he was gay, then I would have to grapple with the reality that they might date. I would acknowledge that there could be no me and Milo. It would be bittersweet.

If Milo was aromantic, then both Wyatt and I would have to accept that what we wanted with Milo couldn't come to fruition.

If he was bi, then fodd would hit the fan.

Just knowing would ease Wyatt's heartache. That was the purpose.

A clock ticked above my head. Other than that, we were standing in silence. Quiet enough for me to hear my thoughts. Too quiet.

"Pleasure doing business with you," I joked.

She turned to face me and quirked a brow, "You truly have a knack for this stuff. I'm surprised you want to end this budding relationship so soon." She averted her gaze, "Not like a relationship relationship...A business relationship. I'm going to shut up now."

I watched her work. Her hyper focus allowed her to type without looking at the keyboard.

Her work meant a lot to her. No matter how creepy it was.

Why was she this comfortable showing me her archive?

Why me?

Penelope didn't make mistakes. She didn't choose to involve me in her plans by accident. She saw something in me and knew I would be a great asset to her team. She knew I would be useful. I hoped that aligned with her reasoning.

How did I go from thinking she was a weirdo to wanting her to think highly of me? Why did I care so much about what Penelope thought of me?

I should be happy that the plan worked. Yeah, I was high out of my mind the entire time but I did it. I was working towards a greater good.

There I was again. Trapped in my thoughts for the thousandth time.

I finally gathered the courage to ask her why she decided to become The Archivist. To confirm that she wasn't an evil mastermind.

Her eyes widened like no one had asked her that before, "High school splits us up into Populars, Regulars, and Undesirables. No one says it to your face but based on how people treat you, you just know which group you fall into.

"We're so focused on being better than the next person that we step all over each other. Again and again. That's what this is about. Making sure people feel bad when they treat others like they're nothing."

"Why do you need dirt on everyone? Why not focus on the bullies?" I questioned her reasoning.

She laughed, "What does a bully look like Zaydence?"

"Eric Lawson," I scoffed.

The name caught her off guard.

She pushed the keyboard away. She tapped her fingers on the table.

"He wasn't always like that. We're both on a stem schedule, so we share a ton of classes. He went to this concert during freshman year.

"The Marks—you know the four guys all named Mark... I call them that cause they travel as a pack —found out it was a boy band. They beat him up real bad. What did he do? He became one of them because no one was there to hold them accountable."

I shook my head in disbelief, "What about the school?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "Principal Lyle said it was out of his hands because it didn't happen on school property. It was an isolated incident and it's basically erased from history. All because Mark Cahill's parents donated those computers to the library."