Life Lines

9: Denial And Seeing Things Clearly

"Ah, tall, boyishly handsome, and mysterious. What do you know about him?"

"Not much."

"But you like him."

"I think right now I could go either way."

"Date him casually and find out."

"That's the thing. I have...people telling me not to."

"Who? Your dad?"

"No."

"Then who?"

"Cecil and Jesse."

She stopped counting for a second and looked up at me. "Cyrus talked to you? Nat, why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not that big of a deal."

"Sure it is. The two of you used to run around here like you owned the whole town. I've never been a fan of his but..." She frowned. "Jesse said you shouldn't?" I nodded. She sighed and propped her hand on her hip. "Then you shouldn't. If he says this guy is bad news then I have to agree with him."

"Why?"

"Jesse is very open-minded. He doesn't judge someone on what other's say and I know your opinion of him isn't...sparkly. But if he says this guy's bad news then I think you should listen on some level."

"I want to form my own opinion."

"Then do it, just proceed with caution."

* 

The first day of school.

Normally I would've approached this day with my friends by my side, my car packed full with them. But I never got a text from Allie the night before. So I stayed away, my father looking extremely surprised when I walked through the front door at ten o'clock.

I pulled into my assigned parking spot and just sat there for a moment, staring out the windshield at the sprawling campus in front of me. The place was old, parts of it falling apart. They were constantly remodeling, the school board refusing to tear it down and build a new one. The teachers were tired of the leaking roofs, the barely shutable windows, and the threat of asbestos. Not to mention the stone carvings that had a tendency to fall the several feet to the ground. In fact, yellow caution tape surrounded the school, warning students and teachers to remain several feet away except for the various entrances.

"I'm in hell," I muttered and got out of my car.

"Only one more year, Nat." Schylar came up next to me from behind and slung an arm around my neck. "Then you'll never have to see this place again."

"I can only dream." I reached up and took his hand, allowing him to push his fingers in between mine. "Do you think they'll ever replace this place?"

"No." Chris stepped up on my other side, wrapping his arm around my waist. "They'll let it fall down first. My grandfather tells me stories about going to school here. It's creepy." He kissed me on the cheek. "Have a good night?"

"Oh yeah. I ended up watching Breaking Bad with my father. It got awkward."

Schylar chuckled. "Did he give you the 'don't do drugs or I'll kill you' speech?"

"Um, no. My uncle gave me that speech when I stupidly listened to you and asked my father if he was a hippie."

"Yeah, see, I still don't know why he got upset about that."

"Maybe it was because you gave me the marijuana plant to give to him for his father's day present days after."

"Dude," Chris leaned around me and looked at Schylar, "that was not nice."