Faking Us ✔️

five

It doesn't take long for the other jocks to step into the diner. They are wearing their letterman's and dark blue jeans. All of them are wearing the exact same thing. Trent Gibbens and Cole Moreau copy Marcus for everything. And I mean everything.

All of them even have the same light brown hair and green eyes. Total douche trio, if you asked me. One time the school was giving an award to their star athlete, and it just so happened to be Marcus that month. When he walked on stage, the two of them followed and just stood there awkwardly as he accepted the piece of paper.

Just thinking about it makes me cringe again.

They notice the girls in the back corner and slide inside the booth with them. The annoyance is eating me alive. Why do they have to come in during my shift? Couldn't they have waited until my life sucked slightly less.
Great.

I hand them their plates of chili fries and their vanilla shakes. When Cassie tries to grab the glass from me, Marcus snatches it out of my hands.

"Hey!" she scolds. "What was that for?"

He wraps his right arm around her tiny body, pressing her into his chest. The way she looks up at him sends a knot to my stomach.

"Sorry babe, I just don't want him touching you."

Seriously?

"He was handing me my shake."

"And I handed it to you," he replies nonchalantly. Pretty much acting like I'm not even standing here.

Her eyes pierce toward mine and I lower my head and shrug. "It's fine."

Marcus tries to challenge me even just by speaking to her. When he sees the look on my face he leans further into the booth, bringing Cassie to him and kissing her on the forehead.

He's so idiotic.

I step away and head back toward the kitchen. As I make another table their drinks, I clench my jaw with frustration. You could tell how uncomfortable she was. Just the way she looked away from him and out the window. She chews on the side of her mouth when she's nervous or sad and she did that shortly after I walked away.

I can't stop glancing at her through the kitchen window.

If only someone else could see what I do...

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

The next day in Biology, Mrs. Higgins is demonstrating our lesson on Ecology and Evolution. We go over the origins of organisms and how they survive, or don't survive in their habitats. Anderson yawns rather more loudly than he intended to, making her turn around.

"Am I boring you, Mr. Young?" Her voice travels through the room as she gets his attention, crossing her arms against her chest.
Every day she wears black as if she were going to a funeral.

Even her dark hair blends in.

He sits up hurriedly. "Uh, no, of course not."

I can't help but chuckle under my breath.
She unlocks her arms and continues to write on the board. "Our final exam will be after Prom. I will let you study now with a partner before the bell rings."