It Can Never Be

10. The Day I Lost My- Marbles...

I woke up and rolled off my back onto my stomach, I mumbled to myself as I propped myself up on my elbows. I didn't want to go to school, Mitch was too much to deal with. I let myself fall forwards, face planting into my pillow. I liked Alex. But he was straight and way out of my league. I felt sad and I didn't understand why.

"Time to get up squirt, you got school" I heard Rory instruct. A sob escaped me. Then two more. Then tears. I could feel that Rory was shocked by my sudden crying, I was too. Then I realised it was the memories. The thing's I'd remembered yesterday. No way was I going to school today. Not like this.

"Dude, crying isn't gonna get you out of school! So get up! Right now! Ass out of bed!" Rory shouted at me. I felt him grab the back of my shirt and he pulled me up firmly.

"Aye, ya' got a problem? Well then then tell me what it's about. Get dressed for school, I'll make you some breakfast, yeah? Meet you in the dining room in a few minutes" Rory told me. He released my shirt from his grip and walked off, I wiped the tears from my cheeks and sniffled, next I got up and gripped the bottom of my shirt, I pulled it upwards and over my head, when the neck of the shirt passed over my forehead it pulled up my hair, once the shirt was off my hair fell and brushed against my face, I shook all my hair back into place and moved on to take off my pants. I pulled my zipper down and wriggled a bit to get them under my bum, I shook my legs to get them down to the ground, where I then pulled my feet out of them. I next went through a similar process to remove my underwear. Once in the nude I took a clean pair of underwear from my drawers, along with some jeans and a school shirt. I got dressed and walked out to the dining room, where a bowl of corn flakes awaited me. I sat at the table and picked up the spoon my the bowl in front of me, I began to eat, after only a few spoonfuls of cereal, Rory came and sat by me.

"What's botherin' you?" he asked. I felt sick in the stomach, I looked up at him, I felt distant from myself and everything around me.

"Rory... Well- You know that guy I was with yesterday?" I asked nervously.

"Yeah" he seemed suspicious.

"Well, Mitchel, he- he's weird..."

"What do you mean?" he seemed worried now.

"He just does things, he means good but he- I don't know how to explain..." I could see the look on his face, it said it all, "that's a first" was what was written across his lips.

"I think I get it."

"I-I am confused. He just decided he was my boyfriend, and I don't know if I like him that way, I may just like the things he does..."

"Yeah? So you like him being the puppeteer?"

"No, no. That's pretty annoying. I mean the hand holding and-"

"So the coupley things?" he interrupted. I nodded and continued eating. Rory got up and stretched.

"Just give it a go, see if it makes you happy. If it doesn't, then dump him" he advised rather crudely.

"I don't wanna break anybody's heart" I answered softly.

"Well then be miserable" he snapped at me and walked away. The rest of the morning continued as usual, my first few lessons before recess were a complete bore as usual, I didn't really engage at all. At recess Izaak and I sat down in the grass together. He hugged his knees and I sat closely in front of him with one leg tucked up towards my chest and the other laying straight by Izaak's side. 

"What happened to you yesterday? Where'd you go?" Izaak asked.

"Uh, I um- I..."

"Were you sick? Are you okay now?" he seemed worried, it made me feel bad. As I opened my mouth to explain I felt a pair of hands touch my shoulders. I immediately span around to see who it was. My jaw still hung open as if I was about to speak, leaving me to look baffled upon seeing the personal space persecutor, who was of course none other than Mitchel. I let my shoulders slump and I turned back to Izaak, who seemed to be slowly working out where I'd gone. Just when I thought I could relax Mitchel decided to sit behind me with his legs spread either side of me, the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I got goosebumps all up and down my arms. I heard a seemingly maniacal giggle from behind me, then a gentle pair of lips planted a soft kiss on my nape where my hair was still standing. I shivered and elbowed him back, he was making me very, very uncomfortable and a feeling of insecurity was building up as my cheeks grew red as a luscious rose. Rose... Hmm... A pair of hands wrapped around my middle, but then lazily hung and fell into my lap. I ripped myself away from him and sprung up before bounding behind poor and clueless Izaak. He grinned. Izaak did.