Something There

Chapter Forty-Eight

Jordan bursts out laughing. "What kind of idiot drinks on a school night?" he asks, hunched over now, and Bryce kicks him hard in the shin.

It causes Jordan to yelp and stumble back a few inches, and Bryce couldn't look more annoyed.

"All my teachers back in Florida thought I should graduate a year early and I'm really regretting not going through with that," Bryce huffs, dropping his backpack to the ground by his feet.

He leans backwards against the lockers now, tilting his head back so that it hits the metal doors with a slight rattle.

"You take 'smartass' to another level," Jordan says slyly, and I'm concerned that Bryce is going to kick him again.

I decide to pretend that I'm ignoring them as I open my locker, grabbing my binders and books and tucking them into my backpack.

I'm definitely still tuned in to their conversation though, listening to the way that Bryce seems to be dodging every question that Jordan asks.

I take particular note of the way Bryce reacts when Jordan asks, "Why we're you drunk last night?" as Bryce tenses up, grabbing his backpack off the floor and walking down the hallway away from us.

"He doesn't drink for no reason. He's not like that," I tell Jordan, who is watching as Bryce departs.

He nods knowingly. "He's an interesting guy. He never ceases to surprise me. I mean, the first time I met him I was convinced that he was one of those stereotypical dumb douchebag jocks, but I guess that was wrong. It's scary how smart he is, don't you think?" he then says, and I nod at him in agreement.

My eyes scan the hallway to double-check that Bryce is gone and not able to hear us before I say, "It's obvious how much I like him, isn't it?"

Upon looking around for Bryce, I noticed that my brother and Mateo are talking with Daniel at the end of the hallway.

Jordan gives me a half-smile, tilting his head to the side a little. "Yeah, it is. You guys fit well together though. Opposites attract, I guess," he answers, shrugging, and I accidentally let out a sigh.

"I'm delusional. He'd never go for me. I shouldn't have caused him and Camila to stop whatever they had going on because she's so clearly his type. I mean, have you seen the girls on his Instagram?" I comment quietly, feeling completely distraught.

Jordan definitely doesn't want to hear any of this, but I really need to get all these feelings off of my chest.

Jordan purses his lips shut, looking unsure of what to say next.

Finally he answers my question with, "Yes. I've seen them. But he clearly didn't actually love any of them. Remember when he first moved back here? He was even more secretive than he is now, but right off the bat he made it very clear that he didn't have a girlfriend. He doesn't give a flying shit about what any of us think except for you, so don't you think that that must mean something?"

"He doesn't love me either, Jordan. Don't be ridiculous," I tell him, crossing my arms, and Jordan's lip curve up into a huge smile.

"You don't think so?" he asks me, and I shake my head at him.

"Interesting," Jordan then says, not giving anymore context at all.

The bell to get to class rings a few minutes later, and Jordan and I say our goodbyes before heading off our separate ways.

I run into Camila on my way to our voice class, and when she waved to me, I joined her on the rest of the walk.

I find that all my jealously surrounding her and Bryce has slipped away now, both in realizing how petty it was and also in knowing that Bryce and I will officially never have a relationship.