To Our Pinky Promises

Chapter 17

I try to see the best in people, I really do.

Maybe that was why I didn't really thought of the possibility of this happening.

When I got to school the next day, heads turned as I walked past people.

And no, it wasn't of the good kind.

It wasn't that "Oh, who's that girl, she's hot" kind of looks. It was more of the "Her? Really?" kind.

I didn't know what it was about until I got to my locker to find Kimmy there, already waiting for me. She was wearing ripped jeans and a tucked in shirt, her backpack slung over one shoulder as she leaned against my shoulder.

She would lean back on it and push herself off it and repeat the motion several times, revealing how anxious she really was.

I walked to her and didn't get a chance to greet her properly before she rushed to me and met me mid-way, grabbing my arms. "Are you okay?"

"Am I what?" I ask her, dumbfounded.

"Did anyone say anything to you? Did anyone harass you?" She asked me.

I frowned, shaking my head. "What are you talking about? Why would anyone harass me?"

Kimmy paused, leaning back to look at me. "You don't know?"

"I don't know what?" I asked her again, feeling stupid.

Kimmy shook her head and dragged me to my locker, away from the crowd of people loitering in the halls. I unlocked my locker and placed some of my books inside as Kimmy paced beside me.

"Uh, okay..." Kimmy finally stopped pacing and faced me. She hesitated for a few seconds, her fingers fidgeting, before finally spitting out, "I don't know how to tell you this but yeah, your exchange with Alex yesterday basically sparked some rumors."

I drew my eyebrows together and formed a frown. "Huh?"

"The whole..." Kimmy made some motions with her hands that looked something like giving and taking.

"What?" I asked again.

"The plastic bag and paper bag you guys exchanged yesterday during lunch." Kimmy finally said explicitly, frustrated.

"Ah.." I finally nodded, getting it. "Yeah, what about it?"

"People started talking and they think you guys.. You know.." She trailed off, moving her hands in a circle, expecting me to catch on.

"I don't understand." I looked at her blankly. She groaned as if she was in pain from how dumb I was being.

"People think you and Alex fucked!" She practically yelled out.

My eyes bugged out of its sockets and threatened to fall out. "What?!" I yelled out just as loudly.

I covered my mouth when I realized how loud I was being and looked around to see if people were watching.

Indeed, people were watching.

I shrunk under their stares and fell silent.

"You see what I mean now?" Kimmy whispered in my ear, looking at the people staring at me too.

I nodded furiously. I get it now.

I never thought that people would assume something like this out of a simple exchange between two people and I think the same could be said for Alex. We both didn't anticipate it even though, in hindsight, we probably should have. I guess if you think about it, it's not that surprising that people would get the wrong idea from the exchange.