You Belong With Me

Chapter 22 // Vulnerable

Hey! Sorry for the late(ish) chapter. I usually try posting around 3:30pm (CST), but became preoccupied with chemistry homework instead. I'm so ready for the holiday break!! 🥲 Anyways, enjoy!
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The first bell had finally rung, signaling the end of another painful lunch.

"So, do you guys want to walk to class together?" Logan offered.

"Yes! I would love to!" Madison said almost immediately.

I didn't know how much more of Madison I could take - and to think, I used to be best friends with this girl! Well, the old Madison at least.

"Actually, my class is on the other end of the school, so I'd better just walk by myself instead of making you guys late," I said with a small smile.

"Okay. I'll see you on the bus then," Logan replied, waving as he began walking out of the cafeteria.

I was just turning around to walk out of the opposite doors, when I almost collided with a certain brunette.

"Madison what are you-" I started before being cut off.

"Look, it's okay if you're jealous of me. Maybe next time, have the guts to say it to my face. But just know, Logan is mine. See you later, Harper," she finished, spitting out my name like it was venom.

She walked past me, her heels clicking on the floor as she tried catching up with Logan.

I was left standing in the cafeteria, eyes wide and mouth agape as the other students filed out as well.

A couple of Madison's friends  - who she left behind, by the way - glanced at me, while others just walked past me to the exits.

Suddenly I felt like everyone knew everything about me; the fact that I like Logan, despite him having a girlfriend, and that he's the only friend I have, that the girl who just told me off was the very same girl I used to be best friends with before she left me since I wasn't and still am not good enough, and many other things that were unimportant to anyone.

Like how I sometimes dance to music in my room, or how I ate straight out of the cereal box last week.

I was completely vulnerable, and that's when I remembered why I kept to myself in the first place, ate lunch alone, rode the bus alone, didn't go out with friends - for goodness sake, didn't really have friends to begin with.

My mind flashed to different moments of my life, like when I was sitting on the bus in sophomore year and this guy randomly sat next to me, just so he could talk to his friend across the aisle, disregarding my existence.

Or at the start of this year when my dad encouraged me to 'have some fun on the weekend', as in seeing other people either than my family, but found myself with no one to see.

I even found myself thinking back to all the good times Madison and I shared throughout the years of being best friends.

The bell was what snapped me out of my overwhelming thoughts - the bell that told me that I was late for class.

The loud ringing created a hammering in my head, which only increased as my chemistry teacher informed me that I was late.

And the hammering stayed there for the rest of the day.