Open This When...

chapter two

"Okay."

"We're done, it's over." A few of them gasps.

"Did you just get... dumped?' Ash asks. "You've never been dumped.

"Dang man, you really must have messed things up.'' Kyle says

"Too bad, she's pretty." Jackson looks from Sarah to the table, and back again.

"She's joking, obviously, she's not actually breaking up with me." Sarah rolls her eyes.

"I'm not joking; I'm actually breaking up with you. I'm sick of the way you treat me, I'm sick of you acting like I don't exist in front of your friends, and I don't like the way you talk to me either, you're toxic Jackson, and I'm done dealing with it.' A few of the guys gape at her, another one whistles.

"She told you." Hunter says.

"Shut up, no one 'told me' anything."

"Technically, she told you a lot." Kyle says.

"You've officially been dumped, dude."

"Yes, Ash, I can see that, thank you."

"I would say I'm sorry, but I don't like lying."

"BURN!"

"That was not a burn." Jackson says, turning red.

"We should get in line before they run out of tater tots." Sarah says. I follow her. "That felt great!" She says. "His face was priceless, and now the whole football team knows that I dumped him!!"

"Just wait, some of those football players have cheerleader girlfriends, and once the cheerleaders know anything, it's over."

"Yes! This is a great day." Sarah says.

"Hopefully they'll tell them why you dumped him, that way other girls won't have to deal with that."

"Oh, I hope so."

"Emma? You're back!" Kayla yells, running up to me. "What did I miss?"

"Sarah dumped Jackson."

"And I missed it? What did he do? Did he cry?"

"Unfortunately, no, but I did say it right on front of the football team."

"Which means they'll tell the cheerleaders and it's basically over."

"Pretty much, the whole school will know by the end of the day."

"Jackson can wave bye-bye to his "Never been dumped" reputation."

"Oh yeah, that's history." I say.

"Did you notice that they still have an empty chair?" Sarah says.

"Yeah, they still consider him as a part of the team."

"I think that's so nice." Kayla says.

"Me too, it's a really good way of remembering him, keeping his memory alive."

"Right." Sarah agrees. "Jackson might be a jerk, but at least he's keeping the seat empty."

"Yeah, I think that's the only decent thing about him."

"I just wish he showed me as much loyalty as he does the team.'

"You'll find someone who treats you right, it takes time."

"The majority of good things do." Kayla says.

"You both need to be motivational speakers."

"I couldn't be; I spit when I talk too much."

"Ew, yeah, I forgot about that."

"Debate class, sophomore year."

"Don't remind me, I was so close to bring an umbrella to school, you don't even know."

"You were the one who chose to sit up front."

"I was half blind! Remember, my math teacher is the one who told me to go get my eyes checked."

"Oh yeah, and you got those dark blue frames, and you dyed your hair to match."

"My mother flipped out, she made me dye it back."

"I remember that."

"You cried for a week and a half."

"I was fifteen!" She says, but she's laughing, we all are. "And now that I'm eighteen, I can dye my hair whatever color I want, after school is out. I say we write a letter to the school saying seniors should be allowed to do what they want."

"That won't happen, they don't even like band t-shirts here."

"Ugh I know, I'm so ready for it to be over."

"You and me both."

"I don't know; I think I'll kind of miss high school."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, I won't miss the tests and notes, but I don't mind homework, and it's just nice having something constant in my life right now."

"Oh I understand that. Things have been really rocky for you lately."

"Yeah, losing Eli is probably the worst thing that has ever happened to me, because before then, I had never lost anyone, not anyone I was that close too, anyway."

"Right, it's never easy losing someone you care about, and it doesn't get easier the more people you lose."

"Exactly, if people think it will ever get easier to lose someone, than they're crazy."

"You've got that right, hey, are you two busy over fall break?"

"Nope, I'm not, Emma, what about you?"

"I'm not."

"Awesome! We should do something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know yet, just something fun."

"We could go to the Halloween carnival, that's on the twenty-fifth."

"I won't get on any rides, but that sounds fun."

"I don't even think they have rides."

"Sounds like a plan to me."