Indie-America

33

   (((Edited•)))
 
    It's been exactly three months and a half since Luca and I started fake dating. The charade will soon come to an end, this fact is slapped on my face the moment I walk through the halls of Legacy High and find posters everywhere screaming 'SUMMER FORMAL! SIGN UP FOR PERFORMANCES!'
'SUMMER FORMAL: WHO'S GETTING THE CROWN?
 
One of these was posted on my locker which I find quite stupid. I don't hesitate to tear it off before opening the locker to collect my books.
A crowd of jocks pass and I find myself looking to see if Luca's amongst them. Our schedules shifted drastically ever since his sister got hospitalized. He spends most of his time either with her or with his teammates and I'm not complaining but I honestly miss hanging out with him.

"Heyoo!" Ronnie and Teddy scream as the appear in front of me suddenly.

"You guys are crazy." I say even though I'm laughing. We're slowly going back to basics, Ted and I figured our conversations don't get clogged when neither of us brings up Luca or anything relating to him.  I don't really mind it, we'll be breaking up soon enough right?

"So it's the 23rd of April," Ronnie says with jazz hands.

"And what happens on the 23rd of April?" Teddy dramatically raises an eyebrow.

I roll my eyes but supply the answer, "my So Not A Birthday Party."

"Egggg xactly!" Ronnie drapes a slender hand around my neck.

"Where should we go to this time?"

"Somewhere were they serve actual food." I say immediately, referring to the last one where Teddy took us to this Italian restaurant where I knew next to nothing about the foods written on the menu. Let's just say it wasn't good.

"Hey! It's not my fault you aren't cultured enough!" He fake punches my shoulder.

"I think we should just go to Starbucks." I say after a while and Ronnie detracts her hand immediately like I'm suddenly a plague.

"Hell no." She says, totally serious.

Veronica might be the only normal American teenager living on this planet who doesn't like Starbucks.

"I agree with Ronnie. For totally different reasons though." Teddy adds and I sigh.

"Ok it doesn't really matter. You guys think of wherever you want to go to. I've got to head to class." I leave before they can say anything and head to AP calculus.

***
The 23rd isn't actually my birthday. It's the 30th. But I don't celebrate it, not since Rohan died, what's there to celebrate about?

That my twins dead and I might just be next?

My parents don't push me but Ronnie and Ted could never swallow the idea of me never celebrating so they came up with this idea. The So Not A Birthday Party.
  Always held on the 23rd with only three of us as guests.

By the end of History class Teddy has already texted me the address of the place where it will be held this time. I stare at it with a little surprise, it's very familiar. In fact, I've written it myself many times but I've never been there before.

I shrug and shove my phone inside my pocket and start towards the library. I busy myself with thoughts about the world wars, life in space. Anything to keep me from thinking about my terrible birthday coming up.

The library is almost empty when I get in but this isn't surprising, most students are in the cafeteria. I smile tightly to the Librarian whose name I just can't get to stick in my head and walk straight to the back where my usual spot is.

The reason why I love the back seat in the library is the same reason why I love the back seat anywhere else. At the back, you see less, hear less and know less.