I'm Not Sorry

Pride and Prejudice

We all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of man; 

but this would be nothing if you really liked him."  

-Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

One Year Later

"Okay, okay, I - I get - I GET IT!" I was talking on the phone with my little sister who just doesn't understand the meaning of stop. "Okay, I'll go to the fun fair with you."

"Really?" asked Riley incredulously.

"Obviously," I replied wearily. "If it'll get you to shut up."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it."

"Bye."

"See you soon!"

I hung up and stuffed my phone back into my pocket.

"I swear," I muttered to myself, "She's bipolar sometimes."

I was at home after school and was staring at my laptop screen. It was The beginning of May and I was getting so much more homework this past week. But thankfully, our teachers wanted a break from marking as well.

I looked at the bottom of my laptop screen and saw that it was 4:30. I still had one hour until I had to go to the fun fair with Riley.

Maybe I should take a shower, I thought to myself.

**********

"Come on!" shouted Riley, skipping ahead of me.

We were at the fun fair at my old school. It looked just the same, except smaller. But that's probably because my highschool was about triple that size. All around us were little kids running around the yard with cotton candy in hand. There were also a few older kids who seemed to be having just as much fun.

"Calm down, Riles," I sighed. "I thought that you would be tired from your soccer practice."

"Well, I'm not, so just stop being lazy!"

Sighing again, I walked a bit faster towards the games where Riley was headed. There, I saw a few of her friends who waved to her.

"Can I go now, Riley?" I asked. "You have your little friends to hang out with now."

But she wasn't listening to me. Her back was turned and she had a ball in her hand. She tossed it and missed to basket in which she was supposed to aim for.

I took that as a yes, and walked away from her. I had nowhere to go. None of my friends were her yet, even thought they promised that they would come.

Damn them, I thought to myself.

"Astrid?" a voice came from behind me. "It's you, right?"

I turned around and saw some very familiar faces. They were grade eights.

"Oh, hey guys," I replied, trying to remember their names.

There were six of them. Desi was there, with her auburn hair in a bun. There was also Seth, a tall guy whose arm was around Kristina, a small asian girl. Kurt had his glasses slightly askew, and he was holding a hotdog in one hand, and his drink in the other. Locking up his bike was Adrian with his short brown hair tucked under a helmet. Last, but definitely not least, was Bradley. His blonde hair was a bit longer than the last time I saw him and his blue eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses. But all of them were smiling at me.

"We missed you!" cried Desi, flinging her arms around me.

I laughed, and said, "I missed you guys too! So how's Imryson Heights?"

"It's pretty much the same," said Kristina.

"And we have a musical this year too," said Kurt.

"I know, my sister's in it. And I'm helping with the sets."

Kurt flushed a dull pink. "Oh..." he said meekly.

I looked at Adrian. He finished chaining up his bike and seemed to be purposely avoiding my eyes. He looked up and saw me looking at him.

"Uh, hey, Astrid," he seemed to be highly interested in something on his shoe. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"You saw me a couple months ago at your sister's party," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Well-"

"Maybe we could go somewhere else to reunite with Astrid," cut in Seth, whose eyes seemed to be tearing up from the smoke coming from the barbeques.

We walked across the pavement to the park where there wasn't anybody there. I sat down on the bench and Bradley sat down beside me. Seth and Kristina were holding hands, and walking around the playground.

"When did they get together?" I asked Bradley.

"A month ago, I think," he replied, fiddling with his sunglasses in his hands.

"And he didn't tell me," I huffed, not really angry.

"Ha, apparently you're not important enough."

I hit Bradley on the shoulder. "Boo you," I laughed, sticking my tongue out.

"A grade nine," said Bradley, "should not be hitting a grade eight. We are just little kids."

"Meh."

Bradley laughed. I just looked at him. Well, to be more precise, his eyes. Okay, it's been a year, but I still like him. It's probably because what happened at our graduation last June...