Mistletoe And Wine

Samuel 15:3

Third period ticked by slowly, making me sweat just a little bit. I was anticipating Brian's appearance to take my final answer. My friends had all greeted me when I finally showed up to school this morning, but they all acted awkward around me. It was as if they didn't know what to say or what to do. I assured them I haven't changed that much, and we could still be how we always were, but even so, my friend Cassi, and her boyfriend Mica barely talked to me.

I'd tried to say hi to them, but they had just nodded to me and walked away quickly. By second period, I had heard the rumor that my dads insanity would rub off onto me, and they expected me to cause the next school shooting. Me and guess who...Brian Warner. The teachers now watched me as closely as they did him.

Reagan sat next to me in history class and kept looking at me through her long chestnut colored hair. I guess she thought I hadn't noticed. I kept looking at the clock and tapping my foot under my desk. Eventually, towards the end of the class, Reagan poked my arm with the eraser of her pencil.

"You good," she asks. "You look nervous." Her grey eyes narrow at me from behind her long straight hair. She had a beanie pulled over her head and wore a long sleeve grey shirt and black skinny jeans. She was more boy than girl, was the rumour. I new it wasn't true though. Secretly, Reagan was a sucker for pink lip gloss and eyeliner. Hell, at home she wore sundresses.

"Yeah...did you know Oliver hung out with the weird kids?"

Reagan's face fell blank. So she had known. "You mean Traci, Vic, and Brian?"

I nod slowly. Why hadn't I known? Had I really been that caught up in myself? How did they think I would react? "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well...you never took interest in anybody else. You're kind of high maintenance, you know."

"High maintenance?" I didn't even bother whispering now. A few heads turned towards me.

"You always had more money than the rest of us, and you knew you were better than the rest of us," Reagan said firmly. Her nervousness for telling me all of this was gone. She wasn't whispering either.

"And you're just telling me this now?"

"Because now you actually are one of us! You have less than even we do. Haven't you noticed Cassi and Mica? They haven't paid you any mind at all have they? That's because you no longer belong in the rich kid group. "

The words stung. The fact that my best friend was telling me this hurt more than if Cassi had told me this herself. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. The wind was knocked out of me and I couldn't breathe. I got my
things and stormed out of the classroom.

The tree outside became a safe haven for me and I sat at the base and pulled my knees up to my chest. I rested my forehead on my knees and fought back the tears that stung my eyes. After everything, was this really something to cry over?

By the time Brian found me and kicked lightly at my toes, I had made up my mind. I needed an escape, and sitting here crying wasnt doing anything for me. I needed real friends, and an adventure. Brian didn't ask what was wrong with me and I was greatful. It seemed stupid to be upset over it. Secretly, I think I had always known Cassi and Mica were fake. Reagan had just been keeping from bursting my bubble, until recently.

The strange boy helped me stand and gave me a welcoming smile as he threw his arm around my shoulders. "Welcome to my little band of misfits," he tittered. I giggled at the lightness of his tone and followed him to a small group of teens. True to his word, Oliver was amongst them. He smiled at me and offered me his fist, to which I quickly met with my own.

Oliver wasn't unattractive, with black hair cut short and spiked at the bangs. He had a narrow nose and crooked teeth, although they were white. And pretty blue eyes that usually had a mischievous twinkle to them.