Asymptote (bxb)

Chapter 18: Normal Friends

            The next morning, Gemma was gone before I even had breakfast. Mom informed me that she had taken a ride early with a friend. I could only imagine who that could be. I knew I had no right to be angry with her; I wasn't her parent and I had set a terrible example. It was hypocritical. But at least I couldn't get myself pregnant. I knew how guys were; I'd heard enough of Trick's disgusting rants. I couldn't imagine my sister in any of these stories, and while admittedly I didn't know much about Hayden, what I had heard through Lake was not great.

When I pulled the Buick into the school parking lot that Tuesday morning, I barely had a chance to grab my backpack from the backseat before I saw Miles through the rear-view mirror coming up to my door. True to his word, he had decided to show up at school today. And for once, I wished he wouldn't have. Miles was fiddling with the sleeve of his navy uniform quarter-zip sweater. He looked uncomfortable. He stopped just behind the car, an attempt at boxing me in. Or perhaps to gauge my anger to see if I would throw the car into reverse. Without thinking I ran a hand through my hair in an attempt to tame it, and then immediately wanted to slap myself at the fact that I had just fixed for my hair for Miles. I sighed and opened the door.

"Hey," he said, quietly. I rolled my eyes, slinging my backpack over my shoulder as I stood up and closed the door.

I kept my voice just as low, "I'm not going to just fall back into this routine with you, Miles. We can be normal friends. I'll treat you like I do any of the other guys. But I'm not meeting you alone behind school or going to your house late at night anymore. I have to go."

I turned as I finished speaking and started to walk away. I didn't want to hear his reply. He caught my arm and pulled me back around to face him but leaving a sizeable gap between us.

"I don't get why you are making such a big deal out of this."

"I'm not doing this with you right now, and I'm definitely not doing it in public. I warned you, Miles. I gave you the choice. You chose. I'm going to class." I pulled myself from his grip and left him there, standing alone in the quickly busying parking lot.

He yelled something out to me, but it was drowned out by the sound of another senior pulling into their parking spot. I didn't look back.

I took out my frustration on the side entrance to the school, hitting it with both hands as I pushed it open. I saw Lake and Beatle standing just to the side of our lockers. They were making eyes at each other, and I was feeling way too cynical this morning to find it anything other than annoying.

Suddenly, a hand covered my eyes and pulled me back. I stumbled as I heard Trick's voice jokingly yell "Avert your eyes, Whiskey! You might catch the gay."

"It's too late for him!" Lake called back.

I pushed Trick and he stumbled into a row of nearby lockers. He was laughing hard, clearly amused with himself.

"And yet, the only reason that girls text you is to ask for my number," I retorted, thumbing the code into my lock.

"Hey, it's not my fault they can't handle all of this," Trick said, gesturing down to his grey uniform pants.

"You wish that was it. They are just suckers for Whiskey's leprechaun hair," Beatle said with a smirk. He reached from beside me to mess up my hair and I swatted his hand away.

"Can I just have one minute without being harassed," I whined as I smoothed down my hair. Beatle laughed so I opened my locker door at full force straight into his side, stifling it.