A Dash of Complications

Chapter 4: Fronts and Façades

Chapter 4: Fronts and Façades

SOMETIMES, YOU HAD BAD days.

Today was mine.

Moran and his friends had ordered three large pizzas to share. All seven of us were crowded around a table, stuffing our faces full.

Somehow, despite attending another school, Xavier managed to fit in better than I did, conversing with everyone fluidly and naturally. I guessed it helped that a few of us had attended middle school together. And even for those that hadn't, social media existed. These days, people knew each other from their social media presence, even if they'd never met in real life.

Like many of the people I knew, Xavier had a strong one online. He was just one of those people whose name other people—from different across school the city—could bring up in a conversation, and there would likely be at least someone who knew of him. I, on the other hand, lacked immensely in this department, completely uninterested in playing into this social game.

I piped into the conversation now and then, spending most of it listening and laughing awkwardly when it was demanded.

After thirty minutes, Melanie and her boyfriend unexpectedly arrived, pulling up seats to the table. An easy smile played on her face as she greeted everyone.

"Saint Mel, how've you been?" Lin tossed at her jokingly.

She laughed. "I've been good."

Her eyes shifted around the table, and when they met mine, she offered me a friendly smile, just like she had with everyone else.

No matter how many years had passed, it was always weird to think that Melanie and I had been rather good friends in elementary school. That, however, had shattered with all the bad blood and conflicts that had arose that year. She'd taken her side, and I'd had mine. By the time the end of middle school rolled around, most of the tension had been forgotten and we'd become somewhat friends. It was still awkward and uncomfortable, but we could make small-talk, which I'd say was definite progress from completing disregarding the other's entire existence.

Despite the former tension that had existed between us, Melanie was admittedly one of the kindest people I knew. It was difficult hating someone like her. She was patient, kind, and open. She embodied all the traits that I envied in a person. And, personas, it was these precise traits that enabled her to tolerate dating someone like Stetson, who was an absolute brat compared to her angelic-self. They'd been the best of friends ever since I could remember, so news had spread fast when they moved up a ring on the Relationship Ladder, a concept coined by yours truly and a Mark Valentine. Copyrighted.

Moran piled the pizzas onto one serving tray and then slid the tray down to Melanie and Melanie's boyfriend.

I zoned out, watching Vera Collins, who apparently worked here and had just assumbably come in for her shift. I was watching her chat with her co-worker when a question was directed at me.

"I heard you quit the soccer team, Violet?" Maria asked casually.

My eyes flickered to her, and I quickly felt small under their intense gazes.

"Yeah, I did." I laughed awkwardly, toying with the bracelet on my wrist beneath the table nervously. "I wasn't feeling it anymore," I added with a shrug, feeling the need to elaborate.

The conversation then changed to one about soccer, seeing as most of the team was here.

During this, Xavier leaned towards me. "I didn't know you quit soccer," he whispered, a frown forming on his face.