Sometimes

Chapter thirty-five

After forcing down two pieces of toast, I made my way to College with it in my mind to talk to Aiden the first chance I got.  I’d had a rough night’s sleep with Aiden featuring in every one of my dreams and I couldn’t help feeling that I’d feel ten times lighter once I got all of the truth out of me.

    First lesson was English, and much to my annoyance Aiden’s chair was empty when I got to the classroom.  I waved to Lara and sat in my seat, making a point to ignore Brandon as he passed by me.  I could smell his aftershave again and it made my stomach twist.  Aiden didn’t wear aftershave.  Not anything that I noticed anyway.  He always smelt of sugar and soap.  Not oppressive at all.  I could feel a smile on my face as Mr. Lloyd made to start the lesson but then I noticed Aiden’s still empty chair and my heart sank.  He wasn’t coming.

    I didn’t know why I was so upset.  Sure, I’d finally realised that I was in love with him, but more time was good.  It wasn’t like I knew what I was going to say to him.  I couldn’t exactly bring up my feelings in the middle of an English lesson.  Not without getting sent out for talking anyway.

    I walked round the lunch room slowly, trying to figure out where to sit.  If I couldn’t fix things with Aiden then I should have moved my aim to Cassie.  Only she wasn’t in either.  I’d asked a girl from her Drama class where she was and had been told that she’d rung in sick.  I sighed and looked over at Lara.  She wasn’t sitting alone, but back at Mike’s table.  They weren’t back together; I’d heard on the grapevine while walking to class this morning that Mike was still available, much to the delight of the girls who I’d overheard.  Still, it was good to see Lara and Mike sitting together and I hoped they’d get there eventually.  Lara deserved to be happy.

    “Harriet.”

I snapped out of my musings at the sound of someone calling my name.  I didn’t recognise the voice and turning to look behind me, it took me a moment to recognise the three guys sitting on a table together.  It wasn’t until I saw the guy with brown hair and braces call my name again, that I realised it had been him who had spoken.

    “Yes?” I asked, walking to the edge of their table.

They all seemed suddenly nervous at my arrival.  “Uh, Aiden said you should sit with us.”

I frowned.  “He what?”  But as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I remembered sitting with Aiden and his friends at lunch before. 

    “He said you should come sit with us.” 

It was still the same guy speaking.  The other two boys looked like they wanted nothing more than to continue eating their lunches in silence.

I nodded and sat down.  The guy with braces offered me a smile.

    The thought that Aiden had planned where I was supposed to sit made me laugh.  He knew he wasn’t going to be in.  Did that mean that he’d known that Cassie wasn’t going to be in either?  I didn’t think so.

    “He said to give you these, too.”

I set my lunch on the table in front of me before taking the small box from the one guy who didn’t seem intimidated by me.  The other two still wouldn’t look at me, instead choosing to paw over a magazine.  I glimpsed it quickly before looking at the box I was now holding.  The guy with braces looked confused and when I spotted the box of raisins in my hand I realised that Aiden probably hadn’t given him much of an explanation.  I smiled down at the box before tucking it away in my bag.

    “Thanks.”

Braces boy gave me a quick eyebrow raise before he went back to eating his lunch.  I started on my sandwich in silence, while listening to the two guys to my left talking about something in the magazine.  I looked down at it and tried to figure out something to say.  I didn’t want them to think I didn’t want to be here.  Any friend of Aiden’s was a friend of mine, especially if I started dating him.  My heart fluttered as I found an answer.