The Boy Who Fell Off a Lawn Mower | Watty's '18

12. Big Ball of Confusion

Chapter 12

Big Ball of Confusion

"Diane, how have you been holding up?" asked Aida. Diane, Aida, and Tiffany were walking down the halls the next morning. They were passing time before the first bell rang.

"Holding up?" she questioned, confused. She twirled a braid around her finger as she usually did, a coffee in the other hand.

"Like after Ian?" clarified Aida. It had been a bit of a taboo subject in the group. Aida sort of blamed herself for the whole situation, but also knew that Ian was the scumbag here.

"Oh, nobody has really asked me that. Well, I'm good. Great actually. I don't think I realized how much he sucked. I think I hated him actually but just didn't know it, so it's like you did me a favor exposing him, Aida!" Aida looked at Diane, lost at how someone could hate the person they'd just started dating before they'd done anything wrong to them. She shrugged it off as a typical Tiffany/Diane musing.

"Yeah," began Tiffany, "I knew from the start that relationship was doomed. I always knew he was a slimeball." Tiffany popped her gum as she looked rapidly about the hallway, speaking nonchalantly. Aida ignored the fact that the day of that first party Tiffany had actually said quite the opposite. Aida knew Tiffany was the type of person who did not like to be wrong, though.

"Huh," said Aida in response. They continued walking, quiet for a few moments, until Tiffany actually noticed a familiar face in the background. Aida knew him as Mr. Lawnmower.

"Look, it's Levi," she said. "Should I talk to him?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah, do it" encouraged Diane. Aida looked at the girls in pure horror. They were not about to turn Levi into another game. She felt almost protective of him, knowing he avoided this world she'd found herself to be a part of.

"Maybe you shouldn't..." mumbled Aida, but it fell on deaf ears as Tiffany quickened her pace and walked towards Levi, who was sitting at a small table in the corner, reading a tiny paperback book that Aida did not recognize. Aida went to follow but Diane put a hand out.

"No, don't," said Diane. The two girls stopped moving and leaned against a wall, just barely in earshot. Tiffany pranced up to Levi and plopped herself down at the other seat at the table. Levi only looked at her.

"Hi, my name is Tiffany. You probably knew that, though. Levi, right?" she asked, lighting up her eyes.

He nodded and put his hand out for her to shake, not talking and looking slightly disturbed.

"Well, I am throwing a big party this Friday, parents out of town, you know. You should come along. Seriously. It's always a fun time. And I've never seen your cute face at any of my parties, so you'll get to see how much of a treat it is." She was trying her best to fit into Levi's cool façade and she was doing a really good job at it. Tiffany was cool, too. That's how she got to have so many friends, after all. Her confidence was certainly a key.

"Maybe," he muttered, returning his eyes to his book.

Aida internally laughed. Levi didn't associate with anyone at school. If she knew anything about him, it was that.

"Well, I'd honestly love to see you there. Come on, free booze!" she shrieked. It was apparent that she wasn't used to rejection and it was starting to hinder her bubbliness.

"I'll think about it," he said, giving her a look implying that she was severely bothering him.

"Well, I'll be there, along with all my friends. It's really great. Music, games, talking all night. Dancing. Sex. Really, whatever you're into." Tiffany looked directly at him when she said the last word in her list, but he wasn't even looking at her to see it. He was reading, again.