Eternally Lost and Crazy

Chapter 4

~Jasmine~

   One word. One word that ruins every mood. It makes everybody slouch in their seats and glare at everyone and everything they see. Monday. 

   "Then, she took me to this vegan place, cause she's vegan, and honestly the food was so good! If all vegan stuff is that good I want to be a vegan. Fuck burgers man," Sid rambles, but I'm too busy hitting my head against my locker door to notice.

   "Hey Sid! Uh, Jaz, you okay?" a large hand rests itself on my shoulder and I vaguely recognize the voice to be Lyalls.

   "Ugruhfublah," I growl as I open my locker and switch out my books.

   "I'm gonna ignore that. Anyway, ready to dissect a frog today? Personally I think -" 

   "Lyall, hun, I love you, but I don't care and Sid is a vegan now, so let's not talk about poking and prying at dead animals," I cut him off.

   "A vegan? Since when?" He asks Sid, who looks thrilled to have a chance to share her story again.

   "Well, Bethany took me to this place last night after we went mini-golfing and -"

RING RING

   "Saved by the bell," I mumble and walk off to first period.

~Time skip to lunch~

   "The lungs in your sketch were too big for the skeletal frame of the frog," Lyall criticizes my artwork as soon as I take my seat.

   "Lunch. Food. No frogs. Food," I say. I'm really not in the mood.

   "Who pissed in your orange juice?" Sabby chuckles, like my being in a bad mood puts him in a better one.

   "Can it asshat," I say, ending the conversation.

DING

   I pull my phone out of my pocket and examine the screen.

From: Sabby <3

Really tho why you mad bro?

   Okay. Maybe the conversation isn't over. I type my response in a hurry. I don't really like the possibility of someone reading over my shoulder.

From: Jaz-man

Uh well aunt flo is in town I guess

   When Sebastian looks down at his phone, confusion makes its way across his face.

From: Sabby<3

Who's aunt flo? I thought I knew your whole family

From: Jaz-man

You do. I'm on my period you doofus

From: Sabby<3

Ohhhhhhhh wanna come over after school today then? We can eat chocolate and watch chick flicks and do other stereotypical period things

From: Jaz-man

Can't I have work. Thanks tho

   "Yeah, no problem," Sab says. Out loud. To the whole table.

   "Um, talking to yourself Sab?" Luke asks, genuine concern in his gaze.

   "No, I was texting - and Jaz - no not Jaz- but no I - oh whatever sure," Sabby spits out, and I do everything I can not to laugh my ass off.

~whoosh! To Jaz's job! / time skip~ (lol too many of these, whoops)

   I walk through the door of the old, brick building and head past the main desk. I run my hand across tearing book spines. Classics like Pride and Prejudice or Moby Dick, occupy the shelves of the adult section. This section is rarely visited, which is a shame, really.

   In the basement however, is a different story. In the right, back corner their is a coffee bar with about four tables surrounding it. A few feet away, a bunch of used college textbooks wait, ready to be bought. By the textbooks, still in the back, about three rows of nonfiction books collect dust. The front, left corner has six working computers and a tub of headphones. By the door sits my desk, ready to check out some books. The rest of the room houses shelves of teen angst and comfy chairs and couches. 

   I settle into my seat and open my copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, before disappearing into a new world. I sit for an hour and half, occasionally checking out a book for someone around my age, before being rudely interrupted by a loud thud.

   Briskly, I stand and walk to the place the thud came from. I stop in front of the John Green books and look down to see Sebastian, collecting candy back into a grocery bag.

   "Dude! What the hell?" I whisper - yell.

   "Oh, um, surprise?" He sounds more confused than I am. "I thought I'd bring you candy, you know, cause of, well you get it."

   Okay. Why can't guys ever just say the word period? Honestly, it's not a big deal. 

   "Sorry Charlie, but I have work till five-thirty," I say, hinting that he should go.

   "Well, it's already four-thirty, so I'll hang here for a while and read this while I wait." He picks up a hardcover copy of Looking for Alaska.

   "Fine. Be quiet and remember," at this he looks up at me and I give him a look to let him know I'm not in a playful mood, "don't eat anything that leaves crumbs on the armchairs. Boss man would kick my ass."