Mirror Coal (Crawford Collins)

Catching Feelings

"Whoah! What's up with you?"
Gabriel, Andrew, and I were walking in hallway heading towards my locker.
As we got there, Gabriel kept hyping up the conversation while Andrew kept the same serious face like he always had.
"Is it that weird girl in class?"
I answered in a low voice while staring on the inside of my locker, "Why do you have to call her that? She has a name you know."

"Well sorry for not knowing her name. I only know her as that," Gabriel said in disappointment.

"Vanessa. Her name is Vanessa."

"Why you say her name like that though?"

I started to laugh a little and asked, "like how?" Acting all dumb as if I didn't noticed it too.

Maybe I was being a little too harsh on them...

...nah. I was actually correcting them. That doesn't mean I was being too defensive right?

Lunch.

"So, this girl, Vanessa. She's nice?"

That's the most I've heard Andrew talk.

"I mean I've heard she's a freak about coal or something, but she's usually a trouble maker."

Gabriel looked at Andrew in shock while raising up one of his brow. He's probably surprised as me to be hearing Andrew talk this much or he's probably surprised Vanessa is what he says she is.

"Damn bro. That's the most I've heard you talk. You got your voice back?" Gabriel really be making anything a big deal.

Wait, so does that mean Vanessa is not who she pretends to be? I mean, I see her so nice and quiet. She told me people call her a "freak".

I answered Andrew's question after analyzing my thoughts, "yeah, man. She's really nice and funny actually. I don't see why you say she's trouble."

"Hm," he said as he started to pick out the pepperonis off his pizza all calmed and focused.

"What you mean by that?"

"Oh nothing. Just be careful with people in this school.  Soon you'll start to figure out how she got her nickname," as he sips from his orange juice carton.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"There's probably something she's not telling you."

Well, I left it as that. I wasn't about to argue with him for a girl that I barely even know. And maybe he's right. He probably knows way more than I do. Let's not forget I barley just moved in this school.

"Aye yo, Crawf!"

I glanced to see who was yelling my name across the hallway to catch my attention. It was Gabe.

"Aye man ,wassup?" I asked as I shut close my locker.

He looked funny just trying to get through the crowd in the hallway. Since this guy is a little bit tall, you can easily spot him.

"Hey I just wanted to say I was sorry about what happened at lunch. Especially with Andrew trying to get in your business."

"Yeah man, its cool. I don't mind him. He probably right too," I said as I scratched my head not wanting to admit it.

"Ah okay. Anyways, how's your brother?"

"He's okay. You know, he wont be back till Wednesday. Even Josh."

"Oh yeah.... Anyways, what you up to this afternoon after school?"

"Well, nothing really. One of my sisters is gonna make a music video today since one of her songs just got released. I might show up and support her."

"Oh you got a sister? How come we never met her? Overprotective brother, aren't you?"

"No. They're just homeschooled," I told him as I shut my locker and began to walk towards the hallway. Gabriel followed behind me, trying to ask more questions.

"Awe," he sighed in disappointment. "I was gonna tell you if you wanted to join the pep rally after school."

"Nah man. I really got to show up at my sister's studio and help her out. I promised her a week ago."

I began to speed walk towards the crowed of students trying to leave the building since it was time to go home.

Then I heard, "Heard Vanessa is going to be there," from behind me.

That's when I stopped walking.