XOXO, Rachel Finch

five

I ordered a large fries and a lemonade, because I love myself.

I wasn't sure if I would have enough money with my emergency $20 if I ordered fries, a burger, and a drink when I would also have to add in tax and a tip, so I just went for the fries and treated myself to a large in order to satisfy my appetite.

Jamila and Piper both hadn't answered yet, but that was to be expected. Jamila didn't have practice today, which meant that she would be sleeping until lunch time. I knew that Piper was working hard on the violin, so until she played so long her fingers started to cry real tears, she wouldn't be taking a break to check her phone.

That left me friendless for the afternoon, and for a moment I wished that I had someone to actually talk to here. A moment later, a guy who looks to be in his twenties sits in my booth with a smile on his face. He wore a fitted Hawaiian shirt, the kind that only fuckboy could pull off, and he pulled it off well.

"Have you ever thought about becoming a model?" He asks, and I notice that he had a more southern accent.

"I'm flattered, but no."

"Listen, I'm a photographer for this huge agency. It's in downtown Columbus, if your folks don't mind you heading over there. I really think you have what we need, and-"

"Oh my gosh, hey! So sorry we're late, Kareena couldn't figure out what to wear." A girl wearing a headscarf walks over, giving me a pearly smile. She seemed to be my age, maybe younger. She was dressed in a yellow jumpsuit matching her friend's yellow top.

"She knows how indecisive I am, Hidaya. No need to remind her. Uh, who's this?" This is her friend speaking, giving a rather questioning look to the man sitting across from me.

"I didn't know you were expecting company," the guy says, clearly baffled by the current situation. I don't stop him from getting up and leaving, handing me his business card before he was out the door.

"God, what a freak," the girl, Kareena, mutters as she takes a seat across from me. Her skin is a golden color that couldn't be achieved with a beach tan, and I'm beyond impressed by the silky state of her raven hair.

"I know! Excuse me, would you be able to take our orders? My friend and I just got here." This comes from Hidaya, the one with the white headscarf. She was speaking to a waitress who just passed by.

After they both had ordered, they turn back to me as if we had all been friends for ages.

"I'm Hidaya, this is my friend Kareena. We saw you talking to Creepy Kevin, so we knew you must be new here." She gives me a warm smile, and her friend mimics the action.

"What was his backstory this time?" Kareena questions me, grabbing the business card that was placed in front of me. I had yet to actually look at it.

Kareena informs her friend, and Hidaya laughs loudly. "Photographer? Yeah, for nudes."

The pair receive their drinks, then ordering their meals and asking for separate bills.

"So, who are you visiting?" Kareena asks, sipping on her Cherry Coke with an interested look on her face.

"Actually, I just moved here," I inform them, and Hidaya laughs.

"Yikes, sorry. Life here is so boring, believe me. The second I moved here I legitimately thought about running away just so I could get back to New York," she tells me, letting me in on where she was from. No wonder I didn't recognize her.

"Are you going to North Park?" Kareena wonders, talking about the high school I had yet to attend.

"Yeah. And believe me, I know how boring it is. I used to live here until sixth grade." Hidaya looks intrigued, while Kareena's jaw drops so far down that I debate putting my hand out before it hits the table.

"No way. Rachel Finch?" Recognization blankets her face, and I give a sheepish grin. Even Hidaya had heard of me, because she seemed just as shocked to hear the name. Just when I thought I had made some friends, too.

"That's me." I waited for them to get up and move to another table.

Kareena is the first to speak. "Thank God you broke Erika's arm. I was tired of that bitch using it to try and pull Hidaya's hijab off."

"She did what?" I ask, genuinely in shock. I knew Erika was mean and a complete attention whore, but I didn't think she was actually a point blank bitch.

"It's cool, she doesn't do it anymore. My friend completely told her off and since she's scared to get on his bad side she left me alone. And anyways, she never actually pulled it off, just a tug."

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but I never broke Erika's arm. I'm kind of wishing I did, though," I say truthfully, eating another French fry.

"You didn't? I thought you for sure would have after you punched her in the face right before you moved," Hidaya spills, clearly wishing she hadn't said that.

"Never did that."

"What? What about when you pulled a knife on Noah Wester?" Kareena gallantly asks, and I almost laugh thinking about my morning encounter with him.

"Nope."

"The whole school knows about that one," Hidaya says, looking down at her lemonade again as if she was praying she could take back what she said. The girl clearly didn't want to hurt my feelings, but also clearly didn't filter her words, which I liked.

"I must be pretty popular if even you know who I am," I deduct, and Hidaya shakes her head.

"I just know because Noah's mom told my mom about you on freshman orientation night. She said you sent him a threatening letter one day and then ran off when the town realized who you were."

"Okay, that's absolute bullshit!" Now I was mad. That middle aged woman was spreading rumors about me? And she was probably still sitting in my living room too.

"Wait, you didn't hate Noah?" Kareena asks, and I shake my head.

"No, I absolutely hated him. He's the reason the whole town thinks I'm psycho." He was mean and acted like he ruled the world. Every time he would do something in school he blamed it on me and I got in trouble for it. Which brought more credit to my whole mental problem that the town thinks I have.

"Well, it's not the whole town," Hidaya protests, and Kareena nods her head.

"Obviously there's still some talk, especially since you're back now and according to every high schooler, you broke Erika's arm. But I don't even think that Noah's mom shit talks you anymore."

"You're old news- oh shit, sorry!" Hidaya cuts herself off and apologizes, making me laugh.

"That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day, actually."

Okay, so maybe I actually had a shot on living out my junior year as a normal high school student. After everyone finally got to see the infamous Rachel Finch, they would get bored of me and move on to something new. I was loving this. And I even have two new friends that hopefully, I would have a class or two with.

Or maybe I was completely and utterly fucked.