What I Couldn't Tell Him

2-Get Your Ass 𝑂𝑈𝑇 𝑂𝐹 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐴𝑌

JAIMIE POV

Chemistry was terrible. I was partnered with this arsehole who didn't speak to me at all, except when he splashed acid on my thigh and then said it was my fault. (Thankfully it was only 1M of HCl.) No one else spoke to me and despite the sour feeling, I knew it meant I was doing better than in first period.

Despite my attempts to hang invisibly off of groups of people, Jenni spots me at lunch she waves me over, apparently forgetting my broken promise to wait after Chem. She is stood in a group of five, including the silent girl from earlier.  She's doing that hollowed smile again.

"This is the bad bitch I told you about." Jenni says. I blush, taking a little ironic bow.

"Hey girl, I'm McKenzie."

McKenzie is really pretty, with expert eye makeup. Her lips are coated in a slimy pink gloss. She has tiny crop top on with a glittery piercing in her belly button. It's a yellow stone against warm, dark skin. It looks cool. She must be freezing.

"Élodie. Super good to see you again," A sweet, tinny voice says from beside Jenni: So the girl who makes me nervous is called Élodie. It's a very soft name for someone who's smile gives me goosebumps.

"I'm Lucy." A girl with a constellation of silver face piercings, blue hair and black clothes introduces herself simply.

"I'm Jaimie," I reply. She eyes me up then turns back to her phone, apparently satisfied. There isn't even a glimmer of emotion on her face.

I take a seat on the plastic stool beside Jenni, who turns to me with her full body to speak in her strong, honeyed voice. She's the opposite of Lucy; Jenni is spilling over with warmth.

"Can I retell the story of you fucking with Alden, or do you want to?"

It takes me a second to remember myself. I don't need this attention right now.

"Oh, um, if you want. You all want to hear, it's not that exciting?"

"Bitch, yes? I live for this shit." McKenzie says, pulling pieces of bread off a roll and dropping the relics on a paper napkin. Lucy's eyes are on me and Jenni is basically gasping to hear. I run through it, with Jenni interjecting with embellishments she heard from other people. She insists that I'm being too chill, but McKenzie is smacking the table and laughing out loud anyway.

"So you all hate him that much?" I remark. Lucy snorts. Jenni and McKenzie nod and Elodie is stoic.

"I literally slept with him once! I think once, anyway. He made out like I was desperate for him!" McKenzie growls. I choke on my water.

"You'll get used to it." Jenni comments. McKenzie grins and shoves her playfully.

They're quite cynical, sarcastic. Most of the energy comes from Jenni and McKenzie. I try to keep my mouth shut and to be anonymous but they laugh at my jokes and ask me friendly questions that I can't ignore.

McKenzie is loud, Lucy is cold but I like the simplicity of it. She is very beautiful, kind of Tim Burton-esque, like a girl I fancied back home. (It hurts to think that I'll never see any of those people again, so I black it out in my head.) I really don't think I'm going to fall for her. I'd need to work her out first anyway. Jenni is quieter, sarcastic and seems generally suspicious of people.

I'm a little suspicious of Elodie.

The bell rings and we part ways.

ALDEN POV

I'm walking back from a lunch hour detention, still seething about Jaimie. Why does she always have some shit to say?

I bump into my friends.