Girls Return [Girls Talk #2] [LGBTQ+] ✓

Chapter Nine- Art Club

It was fortunate that by the time the next day came around, it had stopped raining, and the skies had cleared to their perfect almost-summer nature, again. I was feeling a little more optimistic given the fact that I would have art club in the afternoon to take my mind off things. 'Things' meaning the breakup with Lake, and everything that was set to follow it. I was so glad my birthday was soon. I needed that party more than anything, and that was saying something given my social anxiety over such events. Either way. I supposed that I probably should celebrate my birthday this year in style. You were only eighteen once...until they found an immortality serum, of course. 

It was a warm day, and I basked in the sunlight shining through the window of the library, getting to work on more studying. My assignment may have been complete by now, sure, but there was always more to do. Such was my high school life. I continued to read away studiously for a while, until I was joined by Gina. 

"Are you okay?" she asked then, meeting my gaze. 

"Wait, why? Is there something on my face?" I wondered as I pulled my mini-mirror out of my pocket to inspect my almond-shaped eyes. I supposed they did look a little blood shot. I hadn't slept all that well the previous evening. 

That wasn't because I was thinking about the break up  with Lake, though, on the contrary, I had just been spending an inordinate amount of time watching movies on Netflix that I definitely should not have been watching at 3 a.m., but hey, it happens. 

"I'm fine," I returned, and Gina just gave a nod in response, although she didn't seem to believe me that much. 

Gina was dressed in an amber camisole that drew attention to her toned arms- toned because she spent much more time in the gym than I ever had done. The statement I believed was 'no pain; no gain', but I preferred to not have to endure pain caused by strenuous activities. 

"Alright well, do you want some space?" she asked me then. 

I looked towards her with a managed smile. 

"Yeah, that would be good," I stated. It didn't sound too mean, thankfully.  

She gave a simple nod, before sitting on the table nearby me, along with Jay when he joined her. They began to speak in hushed tones, and the feeling that they were speaking about me hung over me. Of course, I had to remember my mothers' words that 'not everything was about you' but still...it was hard to believe that to be true though, when they kept making glances my way as I continued to read through the next book on our reading list- The Catcher in the Rye, to be exact. 

 I managed to get quite a lot of work done, but I couldn't help but notice pieces of Gina and Jay's conversation. They seemed to mention Jacques a little, and then Lake. I supposed it was only inevitable, but still, sometimes I wished that my friends weren't such great gossips. 

Gina eventually had to leave for gym, which meant that Jay walked over to my table to check in on me. 

"Hey, how you doing?" he asked. 

Dying inside. 

Okay, maybe that was just verging a little on the dramatic side. 

I would be okay. I just needed to keep reminding myself of that. 

"I'm good," I said. It didn't sound too unbelievable. Good work, Annie, I thought to myself. 

Jay smiled. 

"Good," he said. 

"How are you, Jay? How have things been going with Jacques?" I enquired. 

"Yeah! They've been great, thank you," he said, and then paused for a moment, as if working out whether he wanted to ask the next question or not. "Are you really okay, Annie? 'Cause it's alright if you're not, you know," he stated.