Invisible Boy

Chapter 3

"Help me."

"No."

"Micah, please." Beckett is tugging on my shirt sleeve, bottom lip jutted out and brown eyes wide. "I'm shit at math."

"You're shit at everything."

Beckett scowls at my teasing.

"Ask your girlfriend for help." I point to Misty across the cafeteria. She's talking to some of her friends in the lunch line. As if she heard me, she glances back, sends Beckett a smile followed by a quick wave, that he enthusiastically returns, and turns back to her friends.

"She's not even in our class. She has her own homework and we both gotta work on this!" Beckett seems to think that will convince me but he should know better.

"No."

"Micah!"

"Beckett."

I take a bite of my pizza, staring at him while chewing with my mouth open. I can see his eye twitching followed by his lips twisting into a grimace. He hates it when people chew with their mouths open and, well, I love to annoy people. Eventually, he presses his hand to my chin, pushes it up then says, "I won't ask again so, please, stop doing that."

I salute him and do as I'm...requested? Told? Whatever. While Beckett is grumbling to himself about terrible friends, I'm trying to decide on what lie to give Mom so I can head off and practice some more after school. I haven't been able to get much in for about a week. There hasn't been any trouble on the walks home either so my evenings have been dead. It's actually leaving me a little jumpy. Oh no, I think I have become an adrenaline junky.

"You know what, I get why you're so pissy lately," Beckett says out of the blue, poking me in the chest until I send him a glare that he squeaks at. After a moment of him realizing I am not going to kill him, he clears his throat so he may explain, "It's because you don't have a boyfriend."

"One, I haven't been pissy lately. I'm always pissy."

Beckett snorts. "True, true."

"I'll let that slide."

"Cool, thanks, dude."

"Two, it has nothing to do with not having a boyfriend. It's just my personality." I start to chew with my mouth open again until Beckett gags.

"Whatever, whether it's the reason or not, get a boyfriend. You make me sad just looking at you!" Beckett exclaims, glancing about the cafeteria like he's trying to recruit a boyfriend for me. "Come on, there has to be someone here you fancy—"

"No one says fancy." I'm ignored. He'll regret that later.

"You haven't dated since Felix and, well, he was a walking, talking piece of actual shit."

I would argue, but it's true so I nod and finish my meal. Beckett looks to me like he expects me to say more, maybe verbally agree or admit to "fancying" someone. When he gets none of that and, instead, is given a confused look, he scowls. What? Did he expect a reaction from me? That's asking too much.

"Micah, has anyone ever told you that your emotional capacity is borderline nonexistent?"

"Yes, but never phrased like that before. You used some big words in there. Does your head hurt? You need to go see the nurse?"

Beckett slams his foot into mine beneath the table. I grunt, biting my bottom lip while giving him another glare that he actually ignores this time.

"I'm just worried that because Felix was a cheating bastard that you won't try to date again."

"No need to worry about that. I'll date when I want." I shrug, not sure what else to say, or if there is anything else. I'm not hung up on Felix. Yeah, it still hurts to think my first dating experience ended after discovering he cheated on me with every guy he could within a 10 mile radius. Then I panicked and Mom panicked and I got myself tested out of pure fear, but it's not like that has put me off from dating. At some point I would like to date again, just not now.