If Looks Could Kill - Vance Hopper

three

I walk home again after school. Vance joins me just as I step off campus.

"Hey, Anna," He says.

"Hi."

We walk alongside eachother without saying anything for a while, the atmosphere around us is uncomfortable.

"You wanna go to the Grab N' Go to watch me play pinball?"

"Not really," I mutter.

"What? How come?"

"Not my ideal evening, you know. Standing next to you while I watch you play a game and not give me a turn."

"You'll get a turn."

I look at him.

He groans. "Okay, whatever. Let's do something, though. You know I can't exactly go home because of the fucking situation I'm in."

"No. I have homework to do and I have to clean up before the weekend, when my parents come."

"It's Thursday, you can wait 'til Friday to clean."

"No."

"What? Why the fuck not?"

"I'm busy."

"With what?!"

"Vance Hopper, I don't want this. Don't you get the hint? I don't want to hang out. I don't want this to become a normal thing. I don't want us to be friends."

"Why not?! That's-what?!"

"Because I don't like you. You're rude, violent, agressive, and insane and just overall a huge dick! I already don't have any friends, people will hate me even more if they see me with you."

He goes silent but he continues walking next to me.

I don't apologize. I have nothing to say sorry for. I know it's rude and completely against the manners I was raised with but this is Vance Hopper. He doesn't deserve anything special.

"Whatever," he scoffs. "I don't care."

I raise my arms. "Good."

"Go fuck yourself man, you really think you're all that." He stops walking. I turn to face him.

"I am all that," I roll my eyes playfully and smile. He glares at me and his mean look makes me feel almost scared.

I turn around and start walking again in hope that he'll leave me alone. He does.

I don't feel like going home. I turn a few street corners here and there, wandering aimlessly. I see a kid that I met once in fifth grade-Robin Arellano- turn the corner in front of me and we narrowly miss bumping into eachother.

"Sorry," I say.

"It's cool," He studies my face. "Hey, you're Annabella, right? The one in my pe class?"

I shake my head slowly. "I am. Sorry, I didn't realise I had you in pe."

He shrugs. "I always skip. I hate pe. Mrs. Shan's a bitch."

I nod. "Got that right."

He grins. "Where ya headed?"

"I dunno. I don't wanna go home yet but there's not much to do when you don't have any friends."

"I thought you and Vance Hopper were friends. I've seen you and him in the halls. He talks to you, actually tries. It's weird coming from him. He usually lets his friends go up to him first."

I shake my head. "No. Definitely not. We're not friends."

He shrugs. "Okay."

"Yeah."