Rebellious to Rejection *Young Writers Prize*

Chapter 6

It has been about a week since my last encounter with Liam. I was feeling the sense of loneliness, it just wasn’t the same when I wasn’t arguing with him. The times that we spent bickering with each other actually brought me the emotions that I had bundled up for so long. I love my friends and all but it just wasn’t the same, they made me happy but what about all the other ones.

 

Anger, frustration, fear, sadness, joy,... the list could go on. I did what he asked me too, I ignored him during class and didn’t even attempt to look at him as he sat by himself underneath his tree in the distance. Two days with that annoying guy and suddenly it feels like I have lost a long lost friend all over again. It was… well depressing.

 

“Alana are you ok?” Zale asked, tapping me on my shoulder. He was one person who was always making me laugh, he was that person in your group that would be picked on and playfully abused.

 

Was I ok?

 

“I am just feeling a little down today,” I said with a small smile for reassurance. I couldn’t be obsessing over a kid I knew for two days, it just doesn’t make any sense. He was infuriating the mess out of me and he hasn’t even done anything. I have done a complete three-sixty since our little argument. I really never join in the conversations like I would want too, I just sit there and smile to make them happy.

 

“Did something happen the other day?” he pressed on. “I mean you started acting strange after you came back from who knows where. Where did you go by the way?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he started to overthink the situation.

 

I gulped. “I left something at home so I had my mother come and pick me up. She had to run somewhere before we could head back home so thats why I was so late getting back.” I was starting to lie better which in most cases was horrible considering the fact that I wanted to be truthful with my new friends. I just couldn’t say anything about being with Liam because he doesn’t want anyone to know that we ever knew each other.

 

‘It would be better for you.’ Biggest load of bull I have ever heard in my life. Who gets to tell me what would be better for me? I make my own decisions for crying out loud!

 

“That made you depressed?”

 

I looked over at him in shock, my face burning in embarrassment. “There is just some things at home that is a little rough on me at the moment. I didn’t think it was that noticeable, sorry about that.”

 

He tossed his arm around my shoulder and dropped some of his weight on me. “Ah it isn’t that bad, nothing to be embarrassed about that is for sure. I was just worried because the first day you were talkative and then we could barely get a real smile out of you.”

 

I couldn’t believe that he actually noticed my smiles were fake. Every time I looked at him it seemed like he didn’t care, man I wish I was carefree, to be free of the luggage I am held down by. He is really good guy, he takes care of everyone even though he doesn’t like to admit it. He is an open book to be honest.

 

“That is very sweet Zale,” I said with a smile, a real smile this time.