Dear Estella,

28. lots of energy. lots of adrenaline.

"Hate's a very strong word, Devin."

She rolls her eyes, repeating her previous words. "And I'll say it again. I hate you."

I chew on a piece of chicken from my salad, watching their exchange, which rooted from Asher asking the group to ditch the last couple of classes of the day to do something funner.

"Don't you guys get bored of fighting all the time?" Aaron asks. "Cause I get really bored of listening."

I grab a crouton from my salad, tossing it into my mouth. If I'm being honest, I get tired of hearing it, too. Sometimes it's funny, the way they bicker, but other times it makes me wonder why they're friends if their opinions constantly clash.

"Me too." I agree through a mouthful of plain, dry lettuce. "Sorry."

From my peripheral vision, I see Aaron pressing his lips together. I haven't had the courage to even speak to him directly after what happened last week. He's tried to approach me, but I've found ways to avoid him all day.

He kissed me.

I kissed him.

We kissed. 

It's all I've thought about these past few days. I couldn't even fall asleep after due to the recollection of it all. I had my first kiss. With Aaron. Holy—

"Oh my gosh, it's Wednesday." I close the plastic container, getting up to throw it in the recycle bin.

"And you're not wearing pink." Asher gasps, watching as I make my way back. "The Plastics are gonna be ang-ry."

I narrow my eyes while he smiles proudly at the Mean Girls reference.

"What's Wednesday?" Aaron asks.

"I joined a club." I shrug. "I have to go to the meeting."

"You did?" Asher and Devin ask simultaneously.

I nod. "Yeah. A STEM club."

Aaron turns to me. "You're into STEM?"

Honestly, I have no clue. I joined because Madison and Vanessa are co-presidents of the club and they asked me to join it. I've always liked science classes, but I've never felt a passion for anything I've taken online.

"Maybe." I shrug.

"No way, me too," Asher replies.

Devin sends him a weird look before she shrugs it off, picking up her phone from the table to signify she's now over this conversation.

"You're welcome to join," I tell him, grabbing my cell phone from the table and my backpack from the ground. "I'm not sure what they do at the meetings, but maybe you'll be interested."

He stands up, smiling. "Yeah, I think I will."

Devin stands up from her spot at the table and tells us she's going to find Josh to get her homework back from him. That leaves Aaron sitting at the round table alone. He looks over to me and Asher.

He shrugs. "I guess I'll go to the meeting."

The three of us walk toward the cafeteria. Asher holds the door open for me and Aaron before we enter the large building and make our way up the stairs to Ms. Richards' classroom, where the club meeting is being held.

"Wait, I have to take a piss."

Asher takes a detour to the bathroom. Aaron and I stand nearby as we wait for him. I wrack my brain for something, anything to say to him. We haven't spoken much since last weekend and I have no idea what the kiss meant. I wish he'd give me a clue. Does he regret it? Maybe he wishes he had never kissed me in the first place.