Falling

40

Carson Hughes

"So me and Crystal broke up," Archie randomly brought up at the lunch table on Monday.

It was just Archie, Hadley, Isaac, Darren, and me at the table. Dana and Logan had gone off campus for lunch and Vinny never usually liked to eat in the cafeteria. Darren had been staying around more often, and from what Hadley said, it was because he and Seth had gotten into an argument.

"You broke up with her?" Darren asked, a look of confusion on his face.

Archie shook his head. "She dumped me."

Even I was surprised at that. The two of them were always hanging out and it seemed like I rarely saw Archie anymore because he was always with her.

However, Isaac and Hadley didn't look shocked at all.

"I don't know what to say that's not going to make your feel worse," Isaac said before taking a sip of water. "Because I have some things to say."

Archie scoffed. "Shut the fuck up. I know you don't like her."

"That's not true."

"Arch, it's not that we didn't like her," Hadley started. "It was just obvious that she wasn't going to stay with you long term."

I wondered how they knew that. We had all always liked Crystal. She was one of our regular waitresses at a diner we frequented. Perhaps Hadley and Isaac spent more time with them than I had. Maybe I was more withdrawn from my friends than I thought.

I had been spending so much time with Vinny, I didn't realize I had been spending less time with my friends. We used to see each other every single day after school, but that had dwindled into maybe once a week or sometimes none at all. But no one complained. No one said they never saw me anymore. Maybe we were all just too occupied with our own relationships to notice.

"She's moving away for college in a few months," Archie said, pulling me from my thoughts. "She was doing classes at the community college, but she's finishing them up so she's moving. That's the reason she gave me anyway."

"I mean, yeah," Hadley said, her voice slightly harsh. "What college girl wants to be tied down to a high schooler? It's better this way. She would have just ended up cheating on you."

"Shut up, Hadley," Archie snapped. My eyes widened at his outburst. The carefree Archie never snapped.

"Hey, don't," Darren spoke up, lifting a hand up.

"Are you actually upset over her, Arch?" Hadley asked.

He scoffed again, then his face softened and he wore an easy smile.

"No," he said. "I'm just annoyed that it wasn't me who dumped her."

I rolled my eyes along with Hadley.

"Typical," Hadley remarked.

"Now me and Isaac are single and we can go out and be each other's wingmen," Archie said, his grin widening as he threw his arm around Isaac's shoulder and pulled him uncomfortably close.

"No thanks," Isaac said, trying to push away from Archie, but unable to loosen his grip.

I wondered if Isaac actually did consider himself single. He had said his relationship with Spencer was nothing, but I couldn't tell if that was true or if he was just trying to save face.

"Come on, you have the easy job," Archie said, releasing him. "I only like girls. I'd have to pick through the guys and girls to find someone for you."