Put Time In Reverse

Chapter two: Collapse

"Thanks..."

"Can I use your project for a demo for other students?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Thank you Celeste. Your work is admirable," then her expression darkened a bit when she rolled her eyes, "compared to some students..."

I internally chuckled. Then she shook her head to exit her grumpy daze and told me that I can finally leave to get my lunch.

"Hey!?" I yelped, furrowing my eyebrows, swinging around to see who just poked my ribs with a force strong enough to break them.

Melissa Harper.

"Gotcha!"

"Did not." I huffed. I noticed that Melissa stopped walking so I stopped too and turned to face her. "What?" I guess I said it harsher than intended.

"What crawled up your ass and died?"

"Why do you say so?" She must've sensed my bad mood aura. Oops. I hope it didn't rub off as though I'm mad at her.

"You're giving off this 'wassup, I'm irritated' vibe. What happened to you?"
I just shrugged.

"It's nothing really..."

Melissa slapped my arm and continued walking as I followed after. I should know by now that hiding things from her, even the slightest detail, will switch on her 'I've got to know or I'll choke it out of you' button. Which, personally, can be amusing, yet annoying.

"Listen, if you think bottling it up and forgetting stuff is gonna help you, your just keeping the bad stuff in so the good stuff won't get out!" She pointed out, making a waving gesture up and down my person. She always tells me its her job to know what's bothering me, she calls it relieving me of my inner burdens, I just call it being a great friend, even if her pestering annoyed me a couple times before. That's just her thing.

"I just lost something. Well I  thought I did. It doesn't matter, I bet I left it home." I shrugged. Tilting her ginger-haired head, she studied my face accusingly with her golden-flaked brown eyes.

"That's not it. Your keeping something from me." I shrugged, its no big deal anyway. "Did Jason talk to you?" How did she guess so correctly?

But she's a hella good guesser. I just nodded my head. She must've seem him nearby or something. I honestly am not sure, but I've learnt to trust her own instinct, if not mine. "But that's  not the only thing, the boys in History class were being buttheads, as usual, but worse since it was a free period."

Lifting an eyebrow, she sighed. "Whatever you say. But seriously, I thought you and Jason parted ways for good.. well, kinda?"

I thought so too. Two months ago.

"And the way he used you, then two months later when expected to have already moved on, pops out of nowhere, shamelessly digging up the old grave." She folded her arms crossly.

We were already in the cafeteria and had a seat on one of the tables at the side of the room, after grabbing lunch of course. I was having my favorite, my mother's special Chicken Ceasar. Oh, how I loved food.

"So," Melissa continued the conversation, "what did Jason say to you?"

"Nothing much, just tried to guilt trip me by trying to make me feel bad about me not seeming to care about him after our breakup."

"That asshat has no idea how devastated you were when you finally realised he was fooling you. Is he dumb? You know what, don't answer that." She smiled, making me chuckle. Even whenever we had a conversation about the breakup, she managed to make the slightest joke about it. Him, to be specific. And that's why I love her, she throws a flashlight in your face when things are dark and gloomy.