Aren't Meant To Be

twelve

! Don't Forget To Vote !

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Anastasia Smith

   The Winter Ball is soon and everything is slowly falling into a pit of nervousness. I can't tell if I'm nervous about the ball, or to see Asher after what happened at the mall a couple of days ago. My mind could not stop putting the moment on repeat.

   At the lunch table sat Zach, Violet, Asher, and Meredith, they all were talking. Asher came into the conversation here and there, but I stayed quiet.

   "Are you sure you're okay? You are normally one to start a conversation and now you are one to not say anything at all." Violet looked at me, eyes squinted and confused.

   Nodding, I gather my things. "I'm leaving. See you guys later." All of them looked at me but did not pay mind to let them in so I went to my usual spot. Under the stupid tree.

   Today is not a drawing or reading day. My eyes stared off into the trees in the distance. My head lays in my palm as I am thinking of the ball. The switch dance? I still have o teach Zachery and the ball is in two days. Only two.

   Texting Zachery, I tell him to meet me at my apartment to practice since we don't have much time. After telling me he is okay with that, it was not long after when the five-minute warning bell rang signaling us to get back to class.

   When picking up my things, I saw Zachery walking with his notebook in his hand. Smiling, he waved at me before walking to his next class.

   My next class was Physical Education. Hell. Basically hell.

   Meredith and Asher were the only ones in that class that I knew. We shared with the juniors. Seeing as this class does me no justice, I will just switch to weights later on.

   "Welcome. I will be your substitute for the day-" An unfamiliar face walked back and forth while speaking to us all who stand on the line of which we do attendance.

   "Here."
   "Present."
   "Bright and early."

   Everyone got their chance to make themselves known. Realizing it now, Meredith was not in today's class. Just Asher.

   Hm.

   "Alright, today we are just doing a walking-running pattern around the track. On the first lap you will walk. The second lap you run. You get the memo." Before waving us off, he next told us uniforms were not needed for today's activity.

   With all the kids heading out the back doors at once, Asher and I were pushed shoulder to shoulder. Grunting, I try to get off of him but it is quite impossible when you are in the very middle of a large crowd of teenage babies wanting to go outside.

   "Fuck, you can't move?" Growling he pushes me to the side but it is no use as I am still glued to his arm with no way to move. "Can't you see touching you is the absolute last thing I want right now, Johnson?"

   Finally, the number of kids died down and there was room to move again. Getting off of this wrecked boy's arm, he gives me a light shove and makes his way past.

   "Dick," I whispered.

   I brushed myself off and adjusted my clothes before stepping outside. The air was cold, it was the first days in December. Frost covered the grass, there was a bubble of condensation with each breath you take.

   The track was found too slippery for anybody to walk or run on.

   "Okay, free period then. I am sure your teacher will understand."

   Mentally thanking the universe, I rush back into the warm gym. It was too cold to be outside so I gathered my belongings and went into the empty lunchroom. Smiling and waving to the working lunch ladies, I sit down at the very back near the entrance of the school stage.

   I sat there all period.

   The day slowly came to an end, school was finally over. Thank you to the frost, we are going to have half days for the rest of the week.

   "Smith!" Zachary called out, he caught up to me and we both walked to his car. He drives me home every day now after we go to the gas station. Sadly, there was no gas station stop today, I had to get my nails done. Meredith and the rest asked me to come with them.

   "I will drive you to the salon or whatever the hell- just tell me where." Nodding, Zach gets into the driver's seat and I get into my spot. Direction after direction, we finally get there.

   "Don't cause too much trouble, Smith." Zach smirked, I gave him a small nudge on the shoulder after waving goodbye. The salon was filled with plants and vintage posters. Everything was vintage, how did Violet find this place?

   "Ana! You sit here, next to us." The order was Meredith, Violet, Loren, then me. I was at the end next to a girl with split dyed hair. I thought that was cool. "I like your hair," I said after taking my seat next to her. Smiling, she says "Thank you. I like your aura." Tilting my head, I was not sure what she meant by that.

   She chuckled, "You have good energy surrounding you." I nodded like I understood but still had no idea what that meant. "I'm Mallory by the way. I go to Southside High." Mallory went to our rival school. Everyone in our school found it almost illegal to be friends with someone from our rivalry.

  
"I am from Evergreen. Rivals huh?" both of us let out a laugh which caused Violet to send me a glare or two. It did not matter anyway, none of them talked to me the whole time I was there. I talked to Mallory the long while instead.

"Nice friends you have," she mumbles. "Nice indeed." there was a hint of sarcasm in the response I gave her and Loren caught on. Mallory looked at them and gave them a side-eye. The atmosphere quickly filled with awkwardness. A small girl, who looked just a little older than us were doing my nails.

   "You guys are really pretty." Her face flushed red and her eyes squinted. Mallory and I looked at each other before smiling back at her.

   "So are you." We said in unison. All of us laughed and the rest of the afternoon was well spent talking to Mallory and Eden was her name.

"Hangout soon, yeah?" Mallory asked Eden and I if we wanted to go on a picnic since she was going to one by herself on Saturday. We agreed and picked all the details out.

"See you then. Bye guys!" Walking out of the building, they wave and I go home. The sun was slowly falling with the moon making its way up.

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