Limonene |H. S.|

6. share of troubles

A thick, glaringly bright and stapled set of papers was being handed out in class today, worksheets we had to answer with whatever we learned from today's class. Mrs. Armenta had Lennon and some other guy pass them around, to which my friend scoffed but stood up anyway.

"I know it seems like a lot of work, but I'm giving you until Thursday to turn it in." The teacher continued to indicate, arm extended as she erases the whiteboard. "If you're on the baseball team, you have until next Monday to hand the worksheets in, because of Wednesday nights game."

"Yes!" Justin excitedly hollers, sticking out a triumphant fist which he bumps with another member of the baseball team. He turns to face me, smirking when I give him the middle finger.

"We're not friends anymore." I tell him seriously once the class is dismissed and we're all in the hallways.

"Aw, don't be jealous." He pouts, arms tightening around my shoulders.

"Get off."

"Does Armenta even know the team can't play for shit?" Lennon asks, stopping at her locker.

"You wish, Wednesday we're going to beat Hampton ass and going straight to sectionals. I'll accept your apology then." Lennon doesn't answer, instead she takes out a small, white container from her backpack and places it above her eyes, tilting her head back and letting two drops fall on each one.

"You look dead." I tell her, noticing how her skin was dull and eyes squinty, a hooded sweatshirt hiding her hair.

"It's called a hangover."

"The party was two days ago." Justin adds in disapproval.

"For you it was, Tara barely left my house last night." Oh?

"Tara? Tara Lee?" All weekend Lennon had texted how she was just chilling at her place, doing nothing special. She didn't mention Tara Lee.

"Um, yeah. My mom had like this, thing and with my dad was on call the whole weekend, he didn't even notice she was there." Lennon just shrugs it off.

"I didn't know you and Tara got along that well."

"I didn't really, but then you left with that guy on Saturday-"

"What guy?"

"Hm." We both ignore Justin's question, me too preoccupied by this spontaneous information and Lennon buying herself with counting how many tic-tacs she was about to put in her mouth.

"Well, I've got history so..." She ultimately sighs, soon getting lost in the enclosing crowd around us.

"There's ten more minutes until class." I realize sadly, wondering if she'd just decided Tara was a better friend than I.

"Come on, don't stress it out." Justin tries to empathize, looking down at me in a pitiful glance as we slowly make our way to AP Physics.

"Is she mad?"

"Why would she be mad?"

"Because I left her on Saturday."

"I wouldn't be mad."

"Yeah, because you were passed out in some twelve year olds room." It suddenly dawns on him, the memory of the state he was in and how he ultimately lost any grasp on consciousness.

"I do remember waking up to purple sheets and boy band posters."

The day moved by slowly, dragging the time with the most boring teachers at a torturous pace. Justin and I ended up being paired with a girl named Cynthia for a teamwork project, one that was so sudden and extended that we had to migrate to the library as soon as the school day was done, spending the rest of the afternoon in there.