Shay was eating breakfast the following morning before school, and Alex was folding up the washing.
"Who's is this?" She asked Shay who slowly averted her eyes from the cartoons dancing across the tv screen to the checkered red and black flannel being held up by Alex.
"Shit." She had forgotten all about James and his flannel.
She quickly snatched it from Alex's grasp and tucked it under her arm.
"Okay." Alex said as Shay shovelled the cereal into her mouth as she walked towards the kitchen. Shay decided to return it after school, and since Alex was working late tonight, she would walk. She quickly got changed for school and got Alex to drop her off. Today, she would try and avoid Evan at all costs.
It wasn't that Shay as friendless, she just preferred to have one close friend, and one close friend only. Sadly for her, that one close friend was Alex. At lunch and recess she would sit on the other side of school, away from the cafeteria. She would usually eat her vending machine lunch by herself and maybe text Alex a bit, but today was different. Today someone had texted her.
12:34pm
From: Bradley but Brad:
Tris is a bit down in the dumps 💩
12:34pm
From Shay the bae:
He can't help it
12:35pm
From Bradley but Brad:
He was convinced it was love
12:36pm
From Shay the bae:
Poor thing, I'm sure Alex feels horrible
12:36pm
From Bradley but Brad:
I'm sure 😂
12:37pm
From Shay the bae:
How's your day?
12:37pm
From Bradley but Brad:
Been okay. Haven't seen you yet
12:38pm
From Shay the bae:
Cheese
12:38pm
From Bradley but Brad:
I can't help it 😄, how's your day?
12:39pm
From Shay the bae:
Eating lunch alone.👊 Been fantastic
12:39pm
From Bradley but Brad:
I could come and eat with you?
12:40pm
From Shay the bae:
I'm fine 😄
12:41pm
From Bradley but Brad:
Next week, I promise
12:41pm
From Shay the bae:
Yeah, yeah, you promise
12:41pm
From Bradley but Brad:
Yep. I promise ❤️
--
Shay left school a bit earlier than usual during her free period, so she had enough time to catch James just as he was leaving school. She walked quite fast and used google maps on her phone to make sure she was going in the right direction. She stood across the road with the flannel held tight, just until she heard the bell. She knew her public school clothes would stand out amongst all of their private school uniforms.
Once she heard the bell ring she crossed the road and waited outside the gate in hopes of seeing James. After a few groups of teenagers walked through the gate, Shay spotted James with a group of friends. She walked up to him and he noticed her a few seconds before she reached him.
"Shay?" He asked and gave her a quick, polite hug. "You transferring?" He joked and she chuckled. As if he suddenly remembered his friends standing there also, he introduced them to Shay. Shay caught their names. There was Shaun, Nate and Hank.
She smiled at them all and said hi before handing James back his flannel.
"I forgot you had it." He laughed and his friends said their goodbyes.
"I thought I'd return it,"
"Since you just happened to be in the neighbourhood?"
"Oh James." She said sarcastically. "You and your jokes."
"You could have kept it," he said and stuffed it into his bag.
"I'm sure you'd miss it." She smiled and noticed a pair of familiar boys walking from the school building.
She looked back to James immediately. She suddenly felt weird that she had come. She hadn't told Brad and now she would have to explain to him why it was James she came to see and why she had his shirt in the first place. All this thinking and worrying was giving her a headache.
Shay looked up at Brad one last time and he caught her eye. He looked confused, then he smiled, then he noticed who she was with. James was continuing to make conversation when Brad and Tristan approached them.
"Hey." Brad smiled as he walked closer to Shay. He decided to lean in try to give her a kiss on the mouth, but she quickly averted it to her cheek. She felt uncomfortable that he tried to deliberately do that in front of James.
"Bradley." James said. "Tris."
"James." Tris replied with a nod of the head.
"I didn't know you and Shay knew each other?" Brad asked looking between them.
"Yeah." James cleared his throat. "We met at Mark's."
Tris had to stop himself from laughing.
"Well, I gotta go." Shay announced while looking at James.
"Let me give you my number." He said and handed her a small piece of paper. "Just in case you're in the neighbourhood, or need a flannel."
Shay grabbed the paper and started walking away with Tris and Brad following her. Brad walked up beside her and grabbed her hand in his, she quickly pulled away.
"You didn't have to do that." She said, referring to the kiss.
"You didn't tell me your were coming." He tried to say as casually as he could.
"I needed to return something of his." She didn't feel the need to tell Brad what is was exactly that she was returning.
"Shay, I can see the way he looks at you." He blurted out and Tris mentally slapped his own face.
"Didn't we just promise to not do the whole jealously thing?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry." He said defeated and she went to walk the opposite way. Before she turned, she looked at Brad one last time before setting down some rules.
"Next time, don't take my hand unless you actually mean it."
"Shay-"
But she was already gone, leaving Brad's distress behind.
Tristan laughed at Brad as she walked away.
"Stop." Brad demanded.
"Shot down." His best friend teased..
"You as well." Brad reminded him, which ended up shutting Tris up for the whole walk home.
