Maybe Before Today

Chapter 7

As I was walking from my class out to the bench outside at lunchtime, I heard footsteps behind me getting faster. Then there was a voice next to me.
"Hey."
Startled, I turned round to see who was there.
"Oh. Lex. Hey."
"You okay? You seem a little freaked out."
"What? Yeah. I'm fine."
It was hard to believe she was the same girl I'd seen in shop that morning. When she had been talking to Mr Houston, she had looked so nervous, like she had something she really had to hide. Now, she seemed completely calm. Like she had not a single care in the world.
"Okay."
"What was Mr Houston talking to you about this morning?"
I couldn't help it. But I really couldn't figure out why I was asking. Being worried didn't make much sense since I hardly knew Lex, yet that was the only viable explanation.
The air of calmness she had about her instantly dissipated and she seemed to retreat into herself slightly. "It's nothing. It's just-"
"Sorry. You don't have to tell me."
"No. It's fine. He just... He knows a lot about my family. He was just checking in."
"Oh. Well, is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine."
I wasn't good at reading people, but even I could tell she was lying. But I decided not to keep asking questions; it really wasn't my business. I knew hardly anything about her family, but based on things she had told me, especially those concerning how much she did to look after her sister, I could gather that the situation was complicated.
When we got out to the bench, Ziggs was already there. And they had a jotter out.
"Hey. What's your English homework jotter doing out? And why is the page totally blank?" I asked teasingly as I sat down opposite them, on the same side as Lex.
"Figured I would listen in to your explanation."
"You mean you figured you would copy off of me?"
"Come on, it would be weird if I completed English homework without copying at least ninety percent of it from you."
"All right. Stop it with the maths talk. I'll help you."
They smiled triumphantly and Lex laughed.
"All right," I said, "So, for question one..."
And so, I proceeded to explain the entirety of the homework sheet to them. And it was oddly fun. Not that I could say that to them. I wasn't prepared for an onslaught of comments calling me a nerd and telling me to get a life.
"I owe you one," Lex said when we were finished as she put her jotter back into her bag and Ziggs did the same. It always freaked me out that they kept jotters loose in their bag and not in folders. But, then, I had always been a massive perfectionist and had a mild obsession with keeping my things organised. And I wasn't about to comment on it when it was two against one. I saved that for when Ziggs and I were alone so it was a fair fight.
"Don't worry about it," I said, "I-"
"She'd have had to explain it to me anyway," Ziggs said, "I'll bet it was nice for her explaining it to someone less idiotic than I am at English."
We both laughed. Then I said, "Not to sound mean or anything but you are completely correct."
"Well that is a little hurtful," Ziggs said, feigning offence.
"Oh, please, I've said worse to you."
"Like what?" Lex asked. And Ziggs seemed to that as a challenge.
"She once told me I looked like a smurf because I was wearing white jeans and a blue top."
I nearly snorted. "Yeah... That was funny..."
"And mean!"
"It is a little funny," Lex said, half-laughing, half-apologetic.
Ziggs shook their head, trying not to show their smile. "I should really go to the head teacher about this bullying."
"What are they gonna do? Tell my parents I called my best friend a smurf a year ago? My dad would laugh."
"He would tell you it was mean."
'Then he would laugh.'
"You're right. Damn it, Bill!"
"Do you happen to have a picture of the outfit?" Lex asked.
"It was during their mirror selfie phase, they must."
"I do," they admitted reluctantly, pretending to glare at me.
"Let me see," Lex said.
So, Ziggs got up the picture.
Lex looked at them apologetically.
"Oh, come on! It's not that bad!"
"I don't think it's bad. But I can't get the smurf image out of my head. It's the white shoes."
"I hate both of you," Ziggs said clearly laughing.
Then the bell went and we alls tarted walking to class, Lex and I bullying Ziggs the whole way.

~

(A/N: Yeah. I'm definitely projecting my anxiety and perfectionism/obsession with organising things onto Alice but it's my story I can do what I want /lh)