Crossing Stars

Chapter Sixteen-Margarita

[I'm actually going to continue this, finally.]
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Margarita was always worried to go back to school after a panic attack. She always felt as though everyone at her school would know that she had had one. It embarrassed her.

She went to school anyway, though, and Olive practically jumped her in the hall. Margarita almost dropped the novel she had been carrying.

"Margy, Margy, Margy!" Olive chanted.

Margarita giggled. Olive always made her glad that she had returned to school.

"It's been a day since you last saw me," Margarita pointed out, leaning away from Olive's tight hug.

"Should I not be happy to see you?"

"Not that happy."

"Whatever." Olive started walking down the hallway, and Margarita followed. "Have you seen the new guy?"

"There's a new guy?"

"Yeah. A few people were talking about him, and I saw him in the lobby. I talked to him a little bit. He's pretty cute."

"What's his name?" Margarita asked.

Olive laughed. "I dunno. I forgot to ask."

Margarita shook her head in mock disapproval, and Olive stuck her tongue out.

Margarita smiled. "What's he look like?"

"Dark hair, tall, brown eyes, nice jawline."

"I like redheads."

"Like David?"

Margarita wrinkled her nose. David was a loud, long-legged boy who sat next to her in her computer science class.

"He's annoying. Also, he has brown hair."

"No, it's dark red."

"Light brown."

"No, it's not!"

Margarita rolled her eyes.

Olive chuckled. "Anyway, how's your friend?"

"Who?"

Olive stopped at her locker and started working the combination lock. "Your online friend."

"Reese?"

"I dunno. The one who wasn't talking to you."

"Pippa. She was in the hospital. She's okay now."

"How many online friends do you have?" Olive asked, swinging her locker open.

"Six close ones."

"You're a nerd." Olive took out a thick geometry textbook and kicked the locker door closed. "And for all you know, these people could be random fifty year old men trying to track you down."

Margarita grinned.

"I'm serious!" Olive insisted.

"Most of them have sent pictures of themselves to me. I even Skype with Pippa every once in a while."

"Okay, so maybe Pippa's okay, but that doesn't mean all of them are."

Margarita shrugged.

Olive sighed. "I really don't get you. You worry so much, unless it's something that actually makes sense to worry about."

"I'm sorry, I just really feel like someone whose username is PumpkinPooper is not going to come kill me if I give out my full name."

"PumpkinPooper?"

"That's London. He's one of my online friends."

"You really are a nerd."

"You should talk to them sometime!" Margarita said. "You could use my account. I think you'd like them."

"I don't."

"You'd like some of them."

"It's not really my thing. Sorry. I just don't really...understand online friends, I guess. You never see them in real life. You don't even know their real names. Like I said, for all you know, you're talking to someone who was made up by some creepy fifty year old man on the Internet."

"I know that it can be dangerous, Olive. That doesn't necessarily mean that it is. I'm careful."

"Are you?"

"Yes!"

"Mm'kay."

The bell rang right over Margarita's head. She shrieked and dropped her book. It landed with a heavy thump.

"Jesus Christ!" Olive said.

"Sorry." Margarita picked up her book. "The bell startled me."

"You still on medication?"

"Yes."

"You need more?"

Margarita forced a laugh. "I suppose so."

"Alright. Well, see you!"

"Yeah."

Olive gave Margarita a quick hug. "See you at lunch!"

"Okay. Goodbye."

"Bye!" Olive took off running down the hall.

Margarita turned and walked slowly to her class, head down, looking at no one.