My Cliche Love Story | ✓

Chapter 22

I may not want to be with this guy, but I sure am glad to see him when I grab my lunch and turn over my shoulder, looking for Molly and Jason. Dylan, of course, is right in tow, and I let out a small sigh of relief. I didn't want to have to go through the whole day without seeing him, it'd be too weird.

Okay, control it, people, I'm not professing my (nonexistent) love for him, or anything, I'm just saying that it's nice to have him around.

Besides, we're friends, remember? Friends that have kissed.

"Alex, do you think I should date Jason?" Molly chews her food and casually asks the question when said person gets up to buy an ice cream sandwich.

I practically choke on my hamburger. "What? Okay, hold up, wait for me."

She shrugs. "Look, I just wondered. I mean, he's been getting kind of friendly lately, and I don't want to lead him on if you don't think it's worth it."

"What makes you think I'd know anything on this topic?" I glare at Dylan, who's still sitting here, trying to look like he's minding his own business, but failing miserably. His eyes flick to mine for a split second, and then flutter back down to his plate.

"Well, I mean, the whole Dylan thing..." she starts, and I shake my head, dropping my food back onto the tray.

"No, nope, never, you are going to close that door right now, we ain't goin' down that path today honey, nuh-uh," I clasp her shoulders in my hands and shake her gently, trying to get her insane idea out of her head. "There is no 'thing' with Dylan," I insist, and when I see him raise his eyebrows, still looking at his food, I direct the words to him. "There is no 'thing' with you."

The words seem to affect him, and I can't tell if I'm glad that he's off my case, or guilty for making him feel bad.

"Okay, whatever," Molly caves in, and looks behind her, panicked. "He's coming back! Quick, what should I do?"

"Go for it," Dylan and I say in unison, and I smirk, trying to make up for the previous comment. I've changed, I know that, and I think I'm starting to warm up to this new me.

"Go for what?" Jason asks curiously as he sits back down, close beside Molly, and I can see her hesitate, not knowing what to say.

"Uh..." 

"Jason," I say in a sweet voice, "did you know that Molly's going to try out for the girls' volleyball team this year?"

His eyes widen. "Really?" He glances at her face, which is growing more and more red by the second. Then his mouth breaks into a toothy grin. "That's awesome!"

Even though I totally helped cover her, she isn't the least bit grateful. "Oh, I don't think I'll actually do it," she stumbles through her words, "I'm not actually that coordinated."

Jason shakes his head. "No, you'd be great." turning to take a bite of his half-melted ice cream sandwich, he says, "Can you imagine, my girlfriend on the volleyball team?"

"Girlfriend?" All three of us exclaim. Dylan's purely amused, I'm smug, and Molly's in shock.

Jason realizes what he's said in less than a millisecond. He stand up abruptly, and carries his tray to the garbage can, briskly walking out of the commons.

I snort unattractively. "Well, now we know how he feels."

Molly looks like she's in some deep thinking. "Yeah, I'm gonna go talk to him. See you guys later." In just a few seconds, she's followed him out of the cafeteria, and Dylan and I are left alone.

"I didn't realize that you thought there wasn't a 'thing' between us," he says, and I expect to see a smirk on his lips when I turn towards him, but instead, he's purely serious.

"But there isn't," I reply light-heartedly. "Is there?"

"What do you think the movie was? Driving you to school, taking you to that party--no matter how badly it went."

"Look, Dylan, we're friends, but that's as close as I want to get right now. Besides, I think Katie's going to do some actual damage this time. You should have seen her on the bus this morning."

He rolls his eyes, annoyed. "It always comes back to Katie, doesn't it?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"No matter what I say, you always come back to how Katie's going to do something--"

"Well, she is!"

"And I'm trying to show you that I like you!" His sudden outburst causes people to look around at us. He doesn't seem to notice; his nostrils are flaring and his eyes are angry, but also hurt. 

"You...what?" My voice is quiet and trembles.

"You heard me. But I guess you want to keep this looking like a one-sided deal." He's about to stand up, but his eyes grow even colder when he sees something behind me.

"I told you to stay away from him."

Katie. Of course.

"Go away, Katie," Dylan growls.

But she doesn't listen to him at all. "He used to be mine, you know. He used to only look at me, and now he's professing his cute little high school love for you."

"Yeah, so what?" I stand up, and I know I'm making a scene, but I do it anyway.

"So, if you don't follow my rule, if you don't get away from him, there will be consequences."

"Consequences?" Dylan scoffs. "You can't do anything."

"Yes," she answers, "actually I can." In her jacket pocket, there's a bulge of something that looks eerily familiar. She steps closer, and I step back, trying to keep the distance between us. "Stay still," she growls. 

I do. 

She reaches inside her pocket, and just slightly holds open the flap, letting Dylan and I peer down. It's shiny, a silvery color, and shaped in a dangerous way.

Then I realize: it's a gun.

She's got a gun in school. 

"Oh my god," I breathe.

"I told you," she smirks, "there'd be consequences."

She flounces away like nothing ever happened. 

Like that gun isn't in her pocket, threatening mine and everyone else's lives.

02/01/2016