The Broken Pieces Left Behind

Chapter 4

High School for me wasn't anything exceptional. I wasn't high up on the social chain to be noticed and wasn't really low enough that people didn't know who I was. I knew people people knew me, but no one was going to be throwing me a parade anytime soon.

Making my way down the congested hall I mentally went through my itinerary for today. I had to work, which thankfully meant putting off dealing with Sara just a little while longer. I'd have to pick up her dry cleaning since she never does it. Hand in the History assignment due and --

Someone called out my name interrupting my thoughts. Instinctively turning I saw Erin frantically waving at me, weaving her way through the crowd. Her hair was a curtain of dark curls that fell softly around her shoulders and the bright pink cardigan she wore made her easy to spot. Her head bobbed up and down as she called out an 'Excuse Me' or a 'Can I get By' before she reached me.

"Hi," I said, startled when she pulled me into a bear hug in the middle of the hallway, "What was that for?" I inquired when she let me go.

"Well," she started looping her arm in mine as we both started down the hall  "You had a crappy weekend and I couldn't come over because of the Terror Twins. Sorry about that by the way. So I figured that I owed you that one, and it made me feel better anyway."

A smile pulled against my lips, the girl was a gem.

Classes were generic and nothing exciting so when lunch came around I was glad. If I had to choose I think lunch had to be my favorite subject.

Erin and I were sitting at our usual tables, in the middle of the lunch room - the placement was not by choice - with red plastic trays before us holding what was supposed to be lunch. It was soggy fries and and a flat looking burger. The only thing that looked really edible to me was the juice-box.

"Oh I know," announced Erin excitedly all of a sudden "You can come to Scooter's party next week Friday." 

I studied her, making it seem like I was considering her offer. I knew that I promised Phil that I was going to put myself out there more but going to a party like this wasn't my thing. I honestly didn't think that it was my way of socializing more. I poked absently at the bun and took a sip from the juice-box, before looking up at her. 

"No," I declined making her pout, which in turn made me smile.

"Why not?"

"Because," I answered simply "I don't want to."

A chair scraped and we both turned to see a boy dropping his large body into it. "Hey babe," he said kissing Erin's cheek, before nodding his head in my direction "Hey Becks."  

Scooter Hemming, real name was Zachary Hemming was a big guy, with wide shoulders, huge arms and a tapered waist, but for all his gruffness he was the sweetest thing ever. His midnight hair was shaggy and brushed across his forehead and his blue eyes crinkled at the corners when he flashed his easygoing smile. At six-two he easily dwarfed Erin's smaller figure.

It was odd, the couple that they made, she was a hardcore math geek - even if she did have the bubbly personality of a cheerleader on a sugar high - and he slept, ate and breathed football; but even then they were the sweetest pairing. If not a little too heavy on the PDA which at times made me - the third wheel - feel a little uncomfortable at times.

He never called me Becca to him I was always Becks. I smiled my greeting. He was one of the few people I willingly could stand to be around. He was absently twirling a strand of Erin's hair around his fingers, the look in his eyes whenever he saw her said that he absolutely adored her. And that was a good thing because I'd hate to have to kick his butt for breaking my best friends heart.