VALERIA
"So...yeah. I think we're...friends again?" Alex, Jason, and I have been listening to Sam divest the last week of her confusing interactions with Chloe. We're sitting at our lunch table, and this has been the topic for the last twenty minutes.
"Great. So you can stop complaining about it now," says Alex around a mouthful of chips.
"Dude, please don't talk with your mouth full." Jason glances at his best friend with mild disgust.
"I'm glad you got that all sorted," I tell Sam, taking a bite of my sandwich.
"But is it sorted, though? Like, we haven't spoken since, and it's not like it would be normal to just text to hang out or something. Maybe we're just...reacquainted."
"Didn't this literally happen two days ago? What were you expecting to have happened in two days?"
"I don't know." Sam leans on her hand with her elbow on the table, picking at her food. "She's just so...frustrating."
"Are you guys talking about me?"
We all look up to Chloe, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"Conceited much?" jokes Alex, mouth notably free of food.
"You're one to talk." teases Jason.
"I don't mean to interrupt your conversation. Just wanted to come over here and remind you guys to vote. The link is open on the school's website."
"How come you haven't campaigned for me too?" asks Alex. "As Vice President? Wasn't your whole plan for us to run together?"
"Do it yourself. Something's gotten you VP for the past three years from doing nothing, why would it be different?"
"I mean, no posters or anything. Crazy." Alex mumbles under his breath.
"You know," starts Lexi, who's been standing next to Chloe. "I heard through the grapevine, that if Chlo wins, there's gonna be a crazy party next weekend at her house. With like five times more drinks and food as the last one."
"Who'd you hear that from? Chloe?" Alex smirks.
"It's a short grapevine," Lexi responds.
"Well, we'll let you guys get back to your scintillating conversation that wasn't about me." Chloe starts walking from our table. "Oh, and Sam? Expect a text from me later, yeah?"
We watch them leave, Sam with a look of shock, the rest with a look of boredom.
"Well, there you have it," says Alex, talking with a full mouth, again. "Are you done whining about Chloe now?"
"Close your mouth when you're eating, you degenerate." Sam fires back, before eating her own food.
We sit for the little time left of lunch before the bell rings. Alex and Sam head to class while Jason and I walk together to my locker.
"You, uh, excited for work later?" he asks as I take out the books I need for my last few classes.
"Not sure about excited, but it pays so..."
"Ha! Yeah," he gives a short burst of a laugh.
"Are you?"
"I mean, not really. But, you make it tolerable..." he looks away as he says this, cheeks pink.
"Aw. You're such a sap."
"I just meant like...you know..." he stammers. "Like, you're cool. And fun to be around, and...yeah."
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Better Late than Never
قصص المراهقينSix teens. Six stories. Follow them through a roller-coaster journey of love, hate, betrayal, and drama as they navigate through their final year of high school, preparing for the years to come.
