Stereotyping Rock (Stereotyping Series) | ✔️

Chapter Five

Gee

I took a muesli bar and paid the canteen lady before walking out of the line. Jules met me halfway to our usual table. She raised an eyebrow, "You still okay?"

I nodded, "The devil hasn't shown up yet."

Julia placed her tray down opposite to mine, "I've seen him."

"What?" I breathed out. 

He was here. At school. Today?

Julia nodded, sitting down with me, "He sits next to me in Maths. He seemed nice enough until I brought your name up."

"You... you spoke to him?" I whimpered. 

My best friend shrugged as if it was no issue she'd conversed with the devil incarnate. Except it really, really was.

Julia then revealed guilt across her face, "Was I not supposed to?"

"Jules," I whisper-shouted, "If you speak to him you'll just get trapped in his little bubble of... selfishness."

She let out a small chuckle, "I'm sorry. I won't speak to him."

We were quiet for a long moment. She decided to open her muesli bar - the plastic the only sound either of us made. 

What did they speak about? How was my name brought up? Did Matt say anything about me in return? Did Matt... did he even care about me?

"Okay, Jules," I fought with myself, "What did you talk about?"

She smirked at me, her round cheeks widening. She answered softly, "I just introduced myself... and then said I was your best friend. That's it. He... zoned out after that."

Not even a reply? Any response to my name? 

"He didn't say anything about me?"

She shook her head, "No. But he seemed... distracted for the rest of the period if that makes you feel better."

It didn't. 

Ryan, the Physics kid, asked from the end of the table, "How are you fine ladies doing?"

Jake, the Chemistry kid, asked from opposite him, "You ladies don't have any refreshments. Mind some chilled water?"

I glanced between the two of them and gave them a polite smile, "Good, thanks. And, it's alright."

Jules plainly ignored them. Her eyes were wide on something behind me. She whispered, "Gee. Georgia. Gee, Gee, Gee..."

I raised an eyebrow and twisted in my seat to see what she was staring at. 

And then wished I hadn't.

***

Matt Wellington was my best friend from the age of four, since I offered him gum in Church. Every Sunday after that, his parents and Mitch would come over to have lunch with my parents and Grandma and every Wednesday for Bible study.

When I was eight years' old, I was hiding up in the treehouse with him so he wouldn't have to go home. We'd carved our names into the wood of the treehouse with some pencils to mark it as "our place". It was when he carved our initials into the wood that I realised... I was in like with Matt Wellington. 

I was a pretty abrupt kid. I did things without thinking, especially when it concerned Matt. So when I watched him finish up my last initial, I told him. I remember saying the exact phrase, "I like you, Matt. You?"

And all he'd said in return was, "Don't joke about things like that, Geegee."

But I wasn't joking.