So What?

Chapter 8: Bus

Chapter 8: Bus.

I shove my book into my locker and I close it. Aaron's face is the next thing I see. I turn around and start walking to my art class. Adjusting my hoodie, so people wouldn't see my face. There's only so much that concealer can cover.

"Hey, where are you rushing off to?" Aaron asks me wrapping his arms around me. I flinch as he touches me.

"Don't." I tell him, as I keep walking.

"Are you still mad at me?" He asks and I don't reply. I already told you that I was high off an edible." He says and I keep ignoring him. We get to the front of the art studio and I stop.

"You need to cut this shit out. I want nothing to do with you." I tell him. "Goodbye." I say before I enter the art studio.

I love art. I've always dreamt of becoming an artist, but I keep pushing the thought of actually going to college for fine arts to the back of my mind. Because art school is expensive. My paintings expressed the deepest part of me that I wouldn't let anybody see. I painted my pain. Mr. Scott my fine art teacher, thinks I have a gift, I think he's just saying that because he has a crush on me.

"Miss Prentice, I'm glad you could bless us with your presence today." Mr. Scott, says as I walk into the room.

"Sorry, I'm late. I was in the principal's office." I lie as I walk to my donkey.

"Got in trouble again, eh?" Torai asks me and I smack his head as I walk past him.

"Okay, settle down kids. Today we're gonna do some life painting." Mr. Scott says and the students cheer. "Oh, not so fast. You don't even know who the model is going to be yet." He tells them.

"I can do it." Gia says, raising her hand.

"Maybe next time." Mr. Scott tells her. "Jasmine!!!" He calls out.

Oh, for the love of. God.

Out of all the days, he picks today to make me model for the class. The one day I have a knot on my head.

"Huh?" I say, looking up from the canvas in front of me.

"Step up to the pedestal, please." Mr. Scott beckons.

"I can't do that."I tell him.

"Why not?" He asks her.

"I'm having cramps. It's that time of the month again." I say, sighing.

"I know you're lying, Miss Prentice." He says, standing in front of me as he stares me down.

"Fine." I say before I stand up and walk to the pedestal.

"Take that hoodie off and stand akimbo." Mr. Scott tells me. and I put my hands on my waist.

"I'm not wearing anything under this hoodie. If you're expecting me to stand here for-" I start but Mr. Scott cuts me off.

"It's twenty percent of your final grade." He says, looking at me

I don't say anything else, I just keep quiet as my classmates paint me.

An hour later, I'm walking down the hallway, about to start my journey home.

"Hey." I hear a familiar voice say. I turn around and it's the guy from the boys' bathroom.

"What do you think you're doing?" I ask him as we walk out of the school. Students are littered around the front yard, all caught up in their own conversations.

"I'm walking you home." He tells me. I burst into laughter and I stare at him.

"Pfft. This is not some rom-com where the mysterious nerd falls in love with the unassuming girl next door." I tell him as I walk into the street.

"I thought it was." He says moving closer to me as we walk.

"Ha-ha. You've got jokes." I say, rolling my eyes.

"For days." He quips.

We walk in silence for a while and then he finally says something.

"It's Miles, by the way." He tells me and I stare at him in confusion.

"Yeah, my house is miles from here." I say, groaning. He chuckles beside me and I turn my head, staring at him.

"What?" I ask, dumfounded.

"My name is Miles." He tells me and realization hits me.

"Oooh." I say, touching my forehead. "I'm such a dumbass." I tell him, laughing at myself.

"You're not. It's an easy mistake." He says, smiling at me.

"Well, in all honesty, my house is miles away." I reveal.

"Where do you live?" He asks me.

"Way, way, way downtown." I tell him.

We get to the bus stop and I take a seat, Miles joins me.

"I guess, I'm gonna see it today." He says and I gawp at him. "If that's okay with you." He adds and I nod.

"Alright. But don't freak out when we get there. I know you uptown babies don't like to get your hands dirty." I tell him, crossing my legs.

"Oh trust me, I won't." He says and I shrug.

The bus finally comes and we get in. The journey to my house takes a while. Miles and I spend time talking about all our favorite things. I find out that he has a really good voice and he loves Call of Duty. As expected. When the bus drops us in front of my house, I say goodbye to Logan, the driver and he drives away.

"This is it. My humble abode." I tell Miles.

"Let's go inside quickly. There's a huge rat over there." Miles shrieks beside me.

"Told you your soft ass would freak out." I say, laughing.

"Jasmine, let's go in." Miles says, looking really scared.

"Alright, we're going." I tell him, walking towards the house.

I unlock the door and walk inside. When I get in, I'm thankful that no one is at home. My mother would freak out if she ever finds out I brought a boy home. And a white one at that.

"Make yourself comfortable." I tell Miles when we enter my room.

"Oh, I will." He says, taking his shoes off before he falls on my bed. I shake my head as I stare at him.

"I'll be right back." I tell him, walking out of the room and heading to the kitchen. I open up the snack cabinet and I call out his name.

"Yeah." He answers from the bedroom.

"Would you like some Doritos?" I yell.

"Yeah." He yells back.

I grab two bags of Doritos and two bottles of Gatorade from the freezer. I walk back to the room with the snacks in my hand.

"Here you go." I say, tossing the bag and drink to him on the bed.

"Ouch!?" He groans and I giggle.

"My pain is funny to you?" He asks and I nod.

"Extremely." I tell him, laughing.

"And who drinks Gatorade?" He asks a look of disgust on his face.

"That'll be Aaron." I tell him and he stares at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"The two of you are still together?" He asks me and I nod.

"We're fighting right now, but we're still together." I tell him.

"Why did you finally decide to talk to me today?" Miles asks.

"To be honest, I'm kinda bored. I spend the majority of my time alone. I don't really have a lot of friends except Aaliyah."

That bitch.

"All my friends are Aaron's friends. I guess you can say, I just needed a new friend." I admit.

"Well, I'm as friendly as they come." He tells him, opening his bottle of Gatorade before he takes a sip.

"Here's to being friends with the almost school shooter." I say, raising the bottle in my hand.

"Shut up." He says and I laugh.