Him & I

15

"Anybody could look 'oddly familiar', Anica" was Danielle's way of calming me down yesterday.

She also gave me honey-tea.

But have I really calmed down? I might have slept last night thanks to the tea, but waking up this morning, all of the information came rushing back in. Along with the feelings and vague memory, because the man with the eyepatch, Diego, does indeed look oddly familiar. Though I can't put a location on it. No particular setting, or timing. I just know the ice-cream shop isn't the first time we were unofficially meeting.

I've seen Tyler quite a few times today. Once on the field as I tried jotting down as much notes in the report as my exhausted brain could, and another time during break. I didn't expect him to start a friendly conversation or begin clarifying the questionable dialogue he'd had with Kelly, yet. Not yet, but I expected something - anything - later on.

Even yesterday, the rest of the drive home was quiet. It felt normal on the way to meet his friend, but this time around, I couldn't help glancing his way time and again, in hopes for any sort of explanation.

Perhaps he felt he didn't owe me one? Or... not? Or not?

Or what?

I hate how jumbled up my thoughts are. The tea didn't work. Telling myself, Melissa get over yourself, hasn't worked either.

Bored of staring at my reflection, I close my locker shut, only to get stuck staring blankly at the metallic blue back of it. That's till I get the faint feeling of being watched.

Glancing to the side, sure enough, there's Breanna at her locker that's two or three away from mine, giving me a look holding no exact meaning.

Her red lips crinkle in a tight dot, and that's when I guess the meaning might not be a good one, after all. Although she's always been this way. A bit... hostile. Yet she'd still ask you if you'd like a reading.

"Hey, girlie." Steph chirps, coming up from behind, eyes raking me in a friendly way. And a smug smile on. "What's good?"

"I'm.... I'm okay." I force a smile.

"Uhuh- Wait Oh look, it's Bri. Hey, Brianna, over here!" She yells in decibels much higher than needed to Brea's stoic form. She didn't even need to yell at all. Or say a thing too, 'cause despite Steph's ecstatic greetings, Breanna walks off towards the main exit.

"Hm. A weird one." Steph murmurs. I pick my bag off the floor as we start walking together. "So, you ready to go? Wait, stupid question, everyone is- how you going?"

"Um... a driver from Martinez works." I reply.

"Amy didn't work out, huh?"

I, anyway, send a forced smile her way, stopping to strap on my backpack properly. Kind of glad she waits, though her waiting causes a small traffic in the way of students urgent to leave. Even as this is the alternate exit.

She nods once i'm done, then to continue conversation, she tells me Breanna's to hitch a ridewith her because - what i'm sure is her brand new silver lexus, broke down.

"It did? Didn't she just get it?"

"Right?" Steph squeaks with the same intensity as me. "It's not from your dad's, don't worry. And whatever dealer company she got it from it's not on them either. It's probably on her if you ask me." We corner a couple who choose to disregard the 'No PDA in the hallway' so Steph has to stop talking for a while. And we don't really have a poster like that hanging on the wall, or anything, no PDA in the halls is more of an unspoken rule. This is almost a Catholic school, only lacking teachers showing up in regalia for that.  And not necessarily requiring anyone here to be of high faith.