"I can't believe you missed that catch," Brent said in an annoyed tone, directed at Max and Max alone.
"Well excuse me for getting tackled," Max spat back at him.
You're probably wondering what's going on, well let me recap. Max and Marcie bumped into me when I was leaving the library, they offered for me to sit with them at lunch, which I kindly declined. They kept insisting I come with them, which I eventually caved in, obviously, and now I'm stuck at a table with Brent, Mia, Marcie, Max, and a few of their jock friends which are thankfully ignoring me.
"So Alex, how's your project coming along?" Marcie asked, trying to change the subject before Max and Brent got into a fistfight.
"We haven't started yet," Mia said, I could feel Mia shooting daggers at me, I didn't even have to look at her to know she was getting annoyed with me.
"Why not?" Max asked.
"Because someone never showed up last night," Mia said.
She's right I didn't show up last night, I was supposed to but, well things got pretty eventful last night.
"I already said I was sorry Mia," I said.
"I looked like an idiot sitting there all that time waiting for you to show up Alex."
We had agreed on meeting up at this small burger joint to grab a bite before we went back to her house to start working, but like she said I never showed up.
"You could have at least sent me a text," she muttered under her breath.
"I was going to but I was busy."
"With what?"
"I can't say."
"And why not?"
"It's personal, I had some family stuff come up last night," I said, feeling my body tense at just mentioning it.
Mia shot me a questioning look, before turning her attention to Brent.
I was still trying to wrap my head around yesterday's events, I still couldn't believe that she showed up, part of me feels like there was more to her showing up besides wanting forgiveness. Not only that but also the kindness that Kevin showed me after her leaving.
"Tommy, open the door," Kevin shouted, banging even harder on my bedroom door.
I groggily got out of bed, walking over to my door, unlocking it before opening it to see Kevin on the other side.
"Were you asleep?"
"Yeah," I said, still half-sleep.
"Get dressed, we're going out for dinner."
"Dinner?"
"Yeah you were asleep almost all day, now go get dressed."
Had I really slept in that long? Closing the door I walked over to my bedside table, looking at my alarm clock to see it was six p.m. I guess I had slept most of the day away then, I hurriedly threw some clothes on, before grabbing my phone and wallet off of the bedside table. I walked out of my room, to see Kevin waiting for me by the front door.
"Ready?" Kevin asked, opening the front door.
"Yeah." I walked ahead of him, waiting for him to lock the door before we walked over to his truck.
Getting in, he started the truck, pulling out of the driveway as we made our way to town.
"So, when did she leave?" I asked.
"About an hour or so after you went back to your room."
"Oh," I said as the truck grew quiet.
"Did she say anything before she left?"
"She did actually," Kevin said as we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant that he picked.
"What did she say?" I asked.
"She gave me her number and said to give it to you," He said, turning to look at me after he parked the truck.
"Ah," I said.
What was I feeling right now? It was almost like I was disappointed that she didn't say anything more than that. What was I expecting though, I guess maybe a sorry.
"I hope everything is ok," Marcie said, her voice full of concern.
"It is, thanks."
"Did you hear about the party out at Tyler's house tonight?" Brent asked the group.
"Hell yeah man, I heard it's going to be crazy," One of their jock friends said.
"You're going?" Max asked.
"You know it, I don't miss his parties."
"How bout you guys, you going?" the other guy asked.
"I'm down," Mia excitedly said.
"Same," Brent said.
"I'm skipping this one," Max said.
"But I wanted to go," Marcie said.
"Then I'm going I guess," Max grumbled out.
"Awesome, see you there then."
The two guys left the table, just leaving the five of us behind.
"Who's Tyler," I asked once they were gone.
"He was on the team with us last year, then he graduated," Max said.
"Hey, do you want to come tonight?" Mia asked, causing Brent to give her a look.
"No thanks, not exactly my scene," I said.
"Oh come on, it's senior year, and I've never seen you at any of the parties, you've got to go to at least one before we all graduate this year," Mia said.
"Babe, he said he doesn't want to go, leave him be," Brent said, glaring at me when no one else was looking.
"Really Mia, I appreciate you asking, but I don't do parties."
"You should go, Tyler throws some wild ass parties," Max said.
Great now he's joining in.
"He's not wrong you know," Marcie said.
"I don't know, it's not really my thing," I said starting to feel really peered pressured.
"I'll tell you what, how about me and Marcie come pick you up tonight, say about ten or so, and if you don't like it I'll take you home ok?" Mia offered, everyone seemed happy about his offer, well except Brent.
Looking over at Mia her eyes seemed to be bursting with excitement.
"Fine," I said caving in, for the second time today.
"Great, I'll see you tonight," Mia said, standing from the table.
"Bye Alex," Marcie said as she left with Mia.
"Bye," I said as the rest of us stood from the table, grabbing our trays. After throwing my tray away I walked into the hallway, so I could go to my locker.
Once I reached my locker, I felt a strong arm wrap around my bicep, roughly tugging on it until I was facing the person who was yanking me around.
"Brent?"
"Stay away from Mia," he said sternly.
"And why should I do that?"
Nice Thomas, what are you trying to do, get your ass kicked?
"I don't like how close you to are getting, so this is what you're going to do, you're going to call her tonight, make up some fake ass excuse as to why you can't go with her to the party, then once the art project is over with that's it, you'll delete her number and leave her the fuck alone," he spat out, his grip on my arm getting tighter by the minute.
"You know Brent the last time I checked it was your girlfriend who asked me to be her partner, and it's been her who keeps inviting me to things," I said, causing him to slam me into the lockers.
"I'd advise you not to backtalk me."
"Or what?" I asked, feeling extra ballsy today, compared to Kevin this guy was like a little kid threatening to tattle on me.
"Are we done here? I have to get to class," I said, Brent, let go of my arm, as he began to walk down the empty hallway.
"Just leave her alone," He said before disappearing into a classroom.
"Shit," I said under my breath, now I had Brent to worry about, wasn't bad enough that I had Kevin to deal with but now Brent.
_______________________________________
"Alex, dance with me," a tipsy Mia said as she grabbed my hand, dragging me to the crowded dance floor.
As you can tell I went to the party, I didn't take the "advice" Brent gave me earlier today in the hallway at school. Mia and Marcie picked me up at ten just like they said they would, when we got to the party Max was happy and a little shocked that I showed up. As for Brent, well I guess you already know how he feels about me being here, he was pissed that I hadn't listened to him.
I had to admit, I was having a little fun, so far the people I've met were nice enough, not really my crowd of people but they were ok.
"Why aren't you dancing," Mia yelled over the music, bumping into me giggling.
Everyone around us was doing these crazy dance moves, while I was just barely moving from foot to foot.
"I can't dance worth shit," I yelled back, laughing.
I had to admit, I was a little tipsy myself. This was the first time I've ever had anything alcoholic to drink, so two mixed drinks later I was feeling a little something. The music stopped before a slower song started.
"You know how to slow dance right?" Mia asked.
"A little bit, yeah," I said as Mia grabbed both my hands, pulling me closer to her.
"Good," she said as we began to dance.
My heart was beating a thousand miles a minute at the feeling of Mia's warm body against mine. Mia smelt good, she smelt like strawberries and her skin was soft like silk.
"You're not a bad dancer," she said.
"You either," I said as I pulled her closer to me.
"I'm sorry."
"About?"
"Our friendship breaking apart," she said, catching me off guard.
"Why did our friendship fall apart?" I asked.
"The summer before we started high school, you were pulling away from me, I just figured you were going through some issues you didn't want to talk about. I tried asking a few times and you would just brush it off saying you were fine, but I knew that was a lie, then school started and I got caught up in that and met other people and we eventually just separated from each other," Mia said, laying her head on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry I was pulling away from you."
"It's fine."
"It's not, I could feel up separating but I was so caught up in my own problems I didn't see how bad it was," I said, tightening my arms that now lay on her hips.
"What was going on?"
"My mom married Kevin, I was trying to adjust," I said.
After she married Kevin I got really distant with everyone, I think the reason being was after Kevin came along I felt like I wasn't really there anymore. I felt like I was in the way, like a third wheel.
"Can I tell you something?"
"Sure."
Mia placed her lips next to my ear, whispering a sentence that was like music to my ears right now.
"I'm breaking up with Brent," she whispered before pulling away from me to look at me.
"Why?"
"He's a fucking asshole, the only reason I've been staying with him is because my mom likes him. No shocker there, my mom has never had good taste in men," Mia said.
"Probably for the best."
"And why is that?"
"You don't need a man who's going to threaten your friends," I said.
"Threaten my friends? Who did he threaten?" she asked, sounding pissed before her eyes widened in realization.
"He threatened you?"
"Today at school after lunch, he said to stay away from you or else."
It probably wasn't the best idea to be telling Mia about all of this, but I honestly just didn't care anymore, what's the worst that could happen, Brent and his little goons start bullying me, can't be any worse than what Kevin does.
"That son of a bitch," Mia yelled out before storming off in Brent's direction.
"Where is she going?" Marcie asked as she and Max walked up to me.
"The better question is why is she yelling at Brent?" Max asked as he took a sip of his beer.
Looking over in the direction Mia stormed off to, I could see her and Brent in a fight, people around them were walking off, trying to get as far away from them as possible. Mia raised her hand back, landing a hard slap against Brent's left cheek, before storming off once more, with Brent following close behind.
"Wonder what they're fighting about now?" Marcie asked.
"Who cares, they just need to break up, Mia's too good for him," Max said, finishing off his beer.
"Come on Alex we're leaving," Mia said, showing up out of nowhere before grabbing my hand as we made our way to the front door.
"Mia we are not done talking," a very angry Brent said from behind us.
"Oh yes, we are," Mia yelled at him before, shoving her car keys at me.
"You know how to drive right?" she asked as we exited the house.
"I do."
"Well let's go."
We hurriedly walked up to her car, unlocking it before getting in, once in, Mia locked the doors right as Brent started banging on the passenger side window.
"Open the fucking door, Mia."
"Fuck you, Brent, I told you we're through for good," Mia yelled at him as I started the car, shifting into drive, before speeding off, leaving a cussing Brent behind.
I had a bad feeling that this was only the tip of the iceberg, Brent definitely wasn't through with any of this, especially me.