LUNCH TODAY WAS MEATLOAF. No thank you. The cafeteria, otherwise known as the commons, beheld such a strong and retched mystery meat smell that I thought I was going to be sick. My stomach churned and I steered away from that part of the lunchline that fed you poison. Instead, I ventured off to the salad bar and made myself something I could eat. A fruit bowl. Grabbing a fork, I went and paid for my food and made my way over to Monica's table.
She was surrounded by our other friends who were Harry, Yvette, and Oscar. They were laughing about something when I walked up but I wasn't really in the mood to know what it was. My mind was still in a whirlwind over what had happened this morning.
Two of the things that I had listed off were now false. I no longer have not talked to Jamie in six years and now he was in a class with me. I think Monica could tell something was racking my brain because she threw a piece of bread at face.
"Hey, everything alright?" She asked and gestured for me to sit down next to her.
"Yeah, just a weird day," I murmured and stabbed a strawberry, plopping it into my mouth. The subject still irritating enough that I decided to take it out on my food. And then, I bit down on my cheek.
I glared at Harry as he laughed when I yelped in pain. I had terrible pain tolerance. One time, I had a sliver but I screamed and kicked at my dad whenever he got close to me with the tweezers. Long story short: my hand got infected and I had to go to the doctor's to get the sliver removed and the injury cleaned. True story.
I didn't hesitate to throw a carrot from Monica's plate of food at him, just to get him to shut up.
"Hey! Throw your own food!" She snapped and gave me a small slap on my arm.
"He started it!" I jabbed, knowing that Monica wouldn't even eat her carrots anyway. I shot Harry another glare before plopping another strawberry into my mouth.
Yvette started talking about some big breakup drama that was going on between some kids in our class, but I was back in my brain, stuck in my own little thinking world when Monica suddenly gasped and clasped her hands together.
"I almost forgot to tell you guys! Ginny invited me to her party!" She said with excitement and everyone stopped what they were doing.
Apparently I had been so surprised by the news that the strawberry got stuck in my throat. I started to cough horrendously and quickly grabbed Harry's water, opening it and taking a couple of swigs, trying to wash it down.
"You mean Ginny Ginny? As in Ginny Andrews?" I coughed out as the water worked its magic and saved me.
"Did you just choke?" Oscar snickered and Yvette punched his arm.
"Hey!" He groaned and mumbled what sounded like 'it was funny' under his breath.
Ginny Andrews was notorious for having the wildest parties in our school. Stuff happened there. If you walked in as a virgin you most likely weren't walking out as one. People always got drunk to the point of puking their guts out. But the thing was, not anybody could just go to Ginny's parties. They were reserved for people like her. The "popular" kids. The stuck-up, ridiculously rich kind that belittled everyone else in this school. That's why we were all so shocked because none of us were involved with that crowd.
"How?" Yvette asked and Monica smirked at us.
"Well, she was talking about it in class today, and as you guys know I sit by her. Anyway, she forgot to do her literature packet, so I saw my opportunity and swooped in. I let her use my answers and in return she invited me."
"So, you cheated," Yvette didn't look too amused. She was the stricter one in our group about grades and such. Monica rolled her eyes and smashed her meatloaf with her fork.
"Look, the point is is that I got invited. It's tomorrow night and I'm not going to miss it," Monica replied, annoyance etched in her tone.
Things got silently awkward for a moment. I was kind of jealous of the fact that Monica was able to go. It was true that parties weren't really my thing, but I kind of wanted to go just to watch all the drama unfold. I've always heard the stories of what went down at Ginny's, but maybe I wanted to experience it myself too.
"Can you bring anyone else?" Harry piped up, breaking the tension.
"I don't know. Maybe," Monica shrugged.
I was about to say something when a familiar face caught my eye. It was Collins, standing in the middle of the lunch room all alone. I wanted to wave him over, but thought against it since the situation over here was a little awkward. Instead, I excused myself and made my way over to him.
"Hey," I smiled.
"Oh hey!" Collins instantly brightened up and stepped closer to me.
"Do you have somewhere to sit?" I asked and peeked over at my table. Monica was looking at me eagerly. She knew who I was talking to and I could tell how much she was hoping Collins would come over and sit with us.
"No, I don't, but I'm sure I can find somewhere," he shrugged. I wanted to invite him to come over to our table, but before I could, Jamie interrupted me.
"Hey Collins! My table is over there if you want to join," he flashed a smile at me as if it weren't completely rude that he just interrupted a conversation.
"Do you wanna join too?" Jamie directed his question at me. There was nobody else around, so of course he wouldn't be asking anyone else.
I felt my throat close up at his question, every part of me flipping out. "No thanks," I finally smiled and was more surprised with myself than Jamie's confused expression. Why did I say no?
"Um, alright," he chuckled and directed Collins towards his table, the transfer student giving me a short wave goodbye as he eagerly followed the boy who just made my heart skip about ten beats.
I pursed my lips and as I walked back to my table. I really wish Jamie didn't have that power over me. The one where you could just look into his eyes and get lost or feel your heart flutter from a small smile. I let out a hefty sigh in disappointment as I sat down and found everyone looking at me.
"What?" I laughed warily. I knew they had all been watching and they all knew how much I liked Jamie.
"I think that's the first time I've seen you that close to him," Oscar smirked and Harry burst out laughing.
"Oh, come on guys, give her a break," Yvette waved her hand and dismissed the whole topic. I mouthed thank you to her and she replied with a smile.
I turned my head to look at Monica and suddenly said something that I never thought I would hear myself say in a thousand years.
"Can you get me invited to that party?" I asked.
Monica thought the same as me because her eyes widened in surprise that I would even say those words, let alone breathe them. Then her face broke into a huge smile and she grabbed my hands.
"I promise that I will do everything in my power to get you invited," Yvette groaned at this and pushed out of her chair.
"You two are so stupid," she muttered and left to throw her food out.
Despite Yvette's rude comment, I was excited to possibly get invited. I knew Monica would find a way to get me in, so I wasn't too worried about it. Besides, if I went I wouldn't get involved in anything that would get me into trouble. I also knew that Monica wouldn't let me do anything stupid or embarrassing.
As lunch went on, we continued to talk about random things. Harry started to go on this big spiel about how our football team was going to beat the other guys to a pulp. That made me remember Jamie's invitation to the game.
I tuned out of the conversation once more as I peered ahead of me at Jamie's lunch table. His friends were messing around, treating a red apple as if it were a football. They ran around the lunch table, Collins's blue eyes abalze with entertainment. Yet, I was suprised to see that in the midst of the ruckus, Jamie was looking at me. I saw the realization hit his face as he quickly looked away, and I swear that I could see the faintest of a blush on his cheeks.
Too, I quickly looked down at my fruit bowl. Why had he been looking at me?
I was always so intent that he kind of just forgot about me and that night at Owen's, but he remembered my name. He still had no idea who I was, but my name was something he still carried around. In full honesty, no one really ever forgot their first kiss and what it was like, but that still didn't explain the blush. Sure, he could remember me as the girl he first kissed, but I wasn't the girl he liked. Everyone knew that he had a thing for Ginny, even Ginny herself. Maybe he was just embarrassed that I caught him looking. Maybe he was just observing our table. Or maybe he was looking past me, but that still wouldn't explain why he broke eye contact so quickly.
When lunch was over, I felt sick. My brain had been overworked. Monica leaned in my ear and told me to just go for it with Jamie. I pushed her off playfully and mumbled that it would never happen. Because it never would.
He wasn't worth getting involved in, not when I needed to focus on my grades and my scholarship. A boy would be a distraction, and my future career was more important than any cocky and arrogant football player.
As I grabbed my things and Monica disappeared for her next class, I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around to see Jamie standing in front of me, smiling.
"Would you please come to my game tonight? Collins is gonna be there, but you're the only other person he's talked to today and my friends and I are gonna be on the field tonight," Jamie's hands were shoved into his pockets, and for someone so confident, for once he looked awkward.
"I've only talked to him twice," I pointed out, and Jamie opened his mouth to reply but I smiled as I said, "But of course I'll go to the game. Not for you, but for him."
"I'll let him know," Jamie started to back away from me but stopped, turning around and saying, "Thanks Finn."
No one had ever called me Finn before, and I wasn't sure if I liked it, but the amount of butterflies dancing around in my stomach was enough clarification for me that I didn't mind.
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The last bell of the school day finally blared, students racing to their lockers, rushing to get home before the game and to enjoy the weekend. I met up with Monica at our lockers and got all the stuff I needed, bracing myself for her response when I told her we'd be going to the game tonight.
Monica had always wanted me to join her, but I usually went home instead to finish my homework and to get everything done. I just liked to have everything finished before enjoying the weekend, it made everything a lot more relaxing.
"So, I was thinking that when you finished your homework tonight, I could come over after and we could have a spa night. I bought a ton of new face masks and there are a few I want you to try," Monica waggled her eyebrows at me, hoping I'd take the bait. Unbeknownst to her, we already had other plans in place.
"Actually..." I bit my lip before continuing, "we're going to the game tonight."
Monica stopped moving, and suddenly her hand slammed her locker door shut. She stared at me like I was crazy.
"We're what?" And then her lips turned upwards into a huge, beaming smile. I started to laugh and shut my locker gently, feeling bad that her poor door had been slammed out of excitement.
"I'm going home first to finish as much homework as I can, and then you can pick me up around 6:00. Sound good?" Monica bobbed her head up and down, so ecstatic that she could barely speak.
"Also, look your best, because we're sitting with Collins."
"No we're not!" She yelled in disbelief and I smiled meekly, brushing some hair out of my face.
"Yeah, we are. Jamie asked me if we could."
"Shut up."
"I'm not joking," I chuckled as we started for the entryway, pushing open the heavy doors and stepping into the warm September sun. The temperature had definitely changed dramatically since this morning.
"Okay, this is—this is crazy," Monica bounded down the steps and looked at me, surprised and confused.
"You haven't talked to Jamie in six years Finnley, and suddenly you've talked to him twice in one day?"
"Four, actually," I corrected her.
"Four?!" Monica was flabbergasted, her brows furrowed as she tried to find out where else I talked to him.
"Once this morning, once in class, twice at lunch."
"Class? Did you say class?" Monica's head was going to explode, I was sure of it.
"Yeah, he uh, changed his schedule and now sits next to me in first period?" I couldn't believe it either and Monica's jaw just dropped.
"You have got to share whatever luck you have, because this—" she gestured to me in a wave of motions, "is completely unfair."
I rolled my eyes at her and put my arm around her shoulder, squeezing as I smiled. "Don't worry Monica, you can take all of it."
She laughed at that and I let her go, waving goodbye as she headed towards her car. Monica would give me a ride home, but we lived pretty far from one another, and I only lived two blocks from the school. So getting a ride would've been pretty useless.
I took off my jacket and held it in my arms as I started to walk. The sun was pretty hot, so there was no need for my jacket. I was finally by myself and allowed my brain to take in the full extent of what had happened today.
I had talked to Jamie four times. I caught him looking at me. I caught him blushing. At least I think I did. This whole day had been so overwhelming that I couldn't wait to just go home and settle down with some milk and cookies. Even though my brain still had to work through homework, I could finally relax in the stillness of my bedroom.
Once I made it to my house, I immediately went to the kitchen and grabbed my snack of milk and cookies. I then went upstairs and entered my room, breathing in the lovely sea salt and lavender air freshener I had, the scent calming.
"Okay Finnely, we've got two hours to complete as much homework as we can," I murmured to myself and sat down at my desk, getting to work.
I didn't have as much homework as I anticipated, but I still liked to take my time and check over all of it, making sure I had the right answers. I was in the middle of my english homework when my mom knocked on the door and entered the room.
"How's it going?" She asked as she came over to me, leaning above me as I filled out the last question on the assignment.
"Good, I just have computer science left," I looked up at her as I leaned back in my chair.
It had only been my mom and I for six years now, because even though I had my first life-changing event with Jamie, I also had another—losing my dad. Cancer took him from us, and it had been the hardest thing I'd ever gone through. I didn't go to school for weeks after he passed, and even though my mom had been hurting just as much, she home-schooled me for those few weeks until I could get back on my feet. And ever since then, I'd been taking care of her.
"Do you have any plans tonight?" She asked and I nodded my head.
"I'm actually going to the game tonight with Monica, so I won't be here for dinner, if that's okay," My mom's eyebrows rose in shock at that, but she smiled. She had been wanting me to go out and have fun instead of cooping myself in my room all the time, so I knew she'd be happy about this.
"That's great sweetie! And don't worry about dinner, I'm going out with a friend tonight," there was something about the way she said 'friend' that made me suddenly dislike her plans.
"What friend?" I asked.
"Eh, you'll meet him soon," that was all she gave me as she walked out of my room.
Him? I couldn't get back to my homework as my mind whirled around the idea of my mom going out with a guy. I knew I shouldn't care, but for some reason, it just felt wrong.
To distract myself, I decided to get ready for the game and just put on a simple pair of jeans with a long-sleeved t-shirt, making sure to grab my warmer coat. I guess just this once my computer science could wait as I rushed down the stairs to grab something to eat before Monica arrived. Our school field wasn't anywhere near the school, so unfortunately, I couldn't walk there.
I swiped up an apple before feeling my phone buzz, knowing that Monica was just outside.
"Bye mom! I'll be back later!" I called out as I reached for door, hearing her say, "Stay safe!"
"I will!" I shut the door behind me and raced down the steps. I pulled open the passenger door and slid in, taking a bite out of my apple.
"Ready?" Monica smirked at me and I shrugged.
"Ready as I'll ever be."