The Ties That Bind

III: Not the Answers I Wanted

On a completely random side note, I absolutely love listening to music as I write. It inspires me so much. I absolutely love when songs perfectly describe a book I'm reading and sometimes the stories I write are completely based on songs. Right now the song Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds to Mars is stuck in my head. I'll post a link in the side if you want to listen to it. And if you've never heard it before... it's a great song and highly recommended! Well, I just stop rambling and let you read.

I can feel an unsettling feeling rise up inside of me as I make my way to the lunch room. I am about to meet with Richard and his brothers. Finally, I will be getting some well-deserved answers. Maybe they know why these sorts of things happen to me. I can tell that earlier today Richard knew much more than he led on. I know I might only be getting my hopes up and odds were they will all think I'm crazy by the time lunch is out, but I decide to take my chances anyway.

I spot their table from across the cafeteria. It is, fortunately for me, located on the complete opposite side of the room that Olivia and her group of friends sit at. If I play my cards right, I'll be able to slip through the cafeteria without her or her friends even noticing.

"Gracie!" I turn around to see an enthusiastic hand waving me over to a table. The owner of the hand is one of Olivia's closest friends who took it upon herself to provide me with a nickname against my better wishes saying that it could only help me feel more welcome. "Gracie, you can come sit with us!"

I nod an acknowledgment to her, hoping that Olivia wasn't nearby to see me. But of course, I have no such luck.

She appears in front of me with her boyfriend Jessie in tow. "Grace, where are you going? Aren't you eating with us?"

"Umm..." I subtly peak around her to double check where Richard, Anthony, and Thomas sat. Olivia, being the perceptive girl she was, doesn't miss it.

She searches for only a moment until her eyes land on the table of three boys and they widen. She turns back to me with a look of disbelief. "You can't be seriously thinking about sitting over there with them, right?"

I shrug. "Richard invited me to sit with them," I say. It wasn't a complete lie.

Her jaw practically drops. "Richard? You've got to be joking! I just told you that they don't make friends. Whatever niceties they show you, don't believe it." She pauses, taking a deep breath. "When did you even talk to him?"

I suddenly feel very frustrated at Olivia. Who is she to judge me? Who does she think she is telling me who I can and can't talk to? "Why does it matter? I met him in Physics today. He knew that I was the new kid so he was being polite and invited me to sit with them at lunch. I don't see what the big deal is?"

"What the big deal is?!" Next to Olivia, I hear Jessie let out an exasperated sigh like he's already heard this before and it's only become incredibly redundant for him. "The big deal isn't what's happening now, but the aftermath of the situation. You don't even understand the shit load of drama that's gonna be caused by talking to them. Even just sitting with them is asking for it."

I roll my eyes which only seemed to infuriate her more. "This is ridiculous. I can sit with whoever I want."

"Fine! But don't come crying to me when they shove your politeness back in your face. You walked yourself into this one." And with that, she storms off to the rest of her friends.

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. Looking around I notice, not to my surprise, that many people are staring at me. I figured that my little not-so-private confrontation with Olivia would attract some attention. Even then, it is nothing compared to the looks I get as I make my way across the lunch room and sit my things down at the table of the three brothers. I'm still not sure what the big deal is at this school.