WANTED: Love of my Life

38. The social significance of sprayed insults

“And that stopped Jen?”

“From what she said on the phone,” Anastasia yawned, “I gathered that she thought she could just as well break out of her prison after school was over. There's no sense in rushing things, after all.”

“Perhaps we should go see her again when school's over”, I suggested. “It might spare poor Mrs. Reynolds the trouble of having to deal with a teenage runaway.”

“Great Idea!” Anastasia squealed, suddenly excited. “We could have a movie night. We haven't had one in ages.”

“What should we watch?” I asked.

“How about 'The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy?' Sandra suggested.

“Or 'Easy Rider'?” Anastasia proposed. “But no, really, you should pick the movie, Ange. It was your idea after all.”

“That's so nice of you!”

“So, what would you like?”

I thought about it. Nothing with action in it, that much was clear. I'd had plenty of action last night, and wasn't entirely sure whether I had really recovered from it yet. Not that I'd had nightmares about it or anything. But the events of the night seemed strangely unreal to me in the light of day. Part of me still wasn't sure whether it hadn't been all a figment of my imagination – Giacomo included. He just seemed too good to be true, and the rest... the rest too terrible. Somehow I was afraid that when I saw fighting on the screen, it all would come back to me, and I would realize how very real it all had been.

“I don't know just yet,” I said, tapping my pencil against my lower lip. “I'll have to think about it. But I'd like something that...”

Behind me, I heard a reproving cough. I turned and saw our study hall teacher Mr Finn stare at me. Since I didn't think he was doing so to admire my outfit, I quickly turned to my homework.

“What are you working on?” I whispered to Sandra, in the hopes that it was the same thing I was occupied with and I could copy from her.

“English,” she said in a perfectly normal tone of voice. Sandra never whispered in the presence of teachers. Unlike me, she was used to them liking everything she said. “And you?” She leaned over too look at what a I was writing. Then, she frowned.

“Ange, what is that?”

“That? Well, my math homework. Or at least it's supposed to be.”

“No, that.” Sandra pointed to a sketch to the left of my homework. Oh damn! I had written it on the same page as...

Before I could do anything, Sandra leaned forward and read in a perfectly audible voice: “Fuck you suckers!”

Suddenly, the chatter in the study hall ceased. Very, very slowly, Mr. Finn turned to Sandra who was turning as red as a cherry.

“What did you say?”

“She said 'Fudge suckers',” I hurriedly exclaimed. “It's... it's a new kind of sweet she's been dying to try out.”

“Really?” Mr. Finns eyes narrowed. “I'll have to look for that at the supermarket. Perhaps I'll find it.”

He turned away, and I exhaled in relief.

“Ange,” Sandra whispered, “what is that?”

I opened my mouth to lie, but nothing came out. I hesitated. Never before had I told a lie to one of my friends. Told them half-truths, maybe, or not told them some things at all, but lied? Never. It wasn't like lying to parents. You lied to parents all the time. Yes mummy, yes, daddy, of course I'm going to pass the next history test, don't worry. But friends? Real friends? That was a different matter.

But then I thought of Giaocomo, and of his face, as we'd sat under the tree, our tree, together, and he'd asked me: 'You won't tell her, will you?'”

And I knew I wouldn't. Because I now knew there were some things even more important than friendship. The thought hurt inside – and warmed me, at the same time.

I forced a grin on my face.

“I've been thinking of taking up graffiti painting as a hobby. That's my first design, what do you think?”

“WHAT?! Ange, you can't seriously be considering...”

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Hi!

Well, have any of you ever said something like Sandra in class accidentally? :D :D I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :) :)
Cheers

Robert