The Boy Next Door

ｔｗｅｎｔｙ ｔｗｏ

~Rachel~

English class always makes me bored. I just stare at the clock and wait for time to pass. Every minute feels longer than it should. Time. If you really think about it, time is beyond our control. You cannot make time go faster or slow down. The clock just keeps ticking, whether or not we want it to stop or slow down.

"Rachel, are you coming?" Katie asked poking me.

I was so focused on the clock that I hadn't noticed the bell to go to lunch. I was gathering my stuff. "Yeah, just give me a second." I said swatting her hand away. I stood up and walked out of the class with her.

"You're so slow." She said once we were in the hallway.

"No, you're just really impatient."

"Well that is true." She said. We stopped at my locker. Colton didn't have the same lunch on certain days. I put my books inside. "Do you want to go out to eat?" I asked.

"Can we go to taco bell or subway?" She asked.

"If that is what you really want." I said. I wasn't feeling much of anything right now.

"Then let's go!" I grabbed my wallet and phone out of my locker.

We started to walk to the door that leads out of the school. I had driven my car to school today. Katie was the first in the car. I started the engine and started driving toward the exit, when I noticed that she had her feet on my dashboard.

"Katie, get your feet off my dashboard!" I said snaking her on the arm. "I just cleaned the car!" She took them down. We stopped at a stop light. "Are we going to taco bell or subway?" I asked.

"Well I'm craving a sandwich, so subway."She said. I took a right turn. "I didn't see you at Jake Newman's New Year's party, but I saw Colton there, where were you?"

"At home." I replied.

"Why? It was so much fun." She said.

"I was sick."

"You still could have come."

"I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want me puking my guts out at a party that you were having. Would you?" I said.

"There are always those people who drink too much and throw up. What is the difference?"

"Well, no. I don't think it would have been a good idea for me to come." I pulled into a parking space right in front of the Subway.

She opened the car door and without waiting for me, ran to the door of the Subway. She was already waiting inside to order when I got inside.

She mumbled 'so slow' to herself. Luckily there was no line yet.

"What can I make for you today?" The girl behind the counter asked.

"I will have a six inch on wheat." I said.

"What kind of sandwich will that be?" She asked.

"Ham and American cheese." She nearly folded and lined the ham on the bread. Then, she lined the cheese triangles in a row. She pushed it toward the guy next to her.

"What do you want on this?" He asked.

"A little mayo, mustard, lettuce, pickle, tomato, and let's see...how about some olives." He put everything on and passed it to the cashier who wrapped it up and put it in a bag.

"Are these two sandwiches together or separate?" She asked.

I thought about what she had asked. Katie bought me lunch last week and I could almost guarantee that she had no money with her. So, I decided to be a nice friend and buy her lunch.