Mess To Be Made

5

When I woke up Monday morning, I figured it would be like any other Monday.

Spend way too much time picking out an outfit, putting on makeup, and straightening my hair.

Sit in Lindsay, Rachel, or Sean's car in the parking lot, listening to music and chatting until the bell rang.

Attempt to understand what was happening in first period Calculus with Brian.

Mess around with Sean in second period Spanish.

Struggle through third period Anatomy with Rachel, who was especially bitter and unpleasant Monday mornings. I was thankful, at least, I had one of my best friends in my science class to always be my lab partner. I had no one in Chemistry last year and I was consistently harassed by guys to work together, on top of other crude comments. I ended up partnering with some quiet guy. I can't even remember his name now. He probably can't remember mine. But he was a life savior at the time.

Want to die in fourth period English Lit with Allegra George, a junior girl who's annoying as fuck but is in the popular crowd making us automatically "friends," and, unfortunately, Spencer. I spent most of my time trying to avoid talking to him, which surprisingly wasn't hard because Allegra wanted to flirt with him every second she got a chance.

Lunch was often spent eating with Lindsay and Rachel in Lindsay's Lexus and then hanging out and socializing in the parking lot.

Fifth period was PE. As upperclassmen, we had our choice of elective. I chose a PhysEd—a class for, I shit you not, Speed Walking. I knew it would be a joke. This class by far had the most people I typically hung out with. There was Rory Prescott and a well-liked junior Lauren Clarke—the three of us stuck together. The guys consisted of seniors Landon Bishop, Blake Adams, and Kevin Morton, and a junior named Zach Hudson.

My day finished with World History. I had zero friends in that class and so far it was the subject I was doing best in. Funny how that works.

This Monday, however, was different.

I did spend way too much time picking out an outfit, putting on makeup, and straightening my hair. I sat in Rachel's Range Rover with Lindsay and we talked until the first morning bell rang. I helped Brian in first period Calc, and then made my way to Spanish.

I always sat at the very back of the classroom. I'd gotten to class before Sean, so I pulled out my phone. Spencer had texted me asking if we had any Lit homework due. I responded that we didn't just as Sean slid into the desk next to me.

"Who're you texting," he asked.

"Your mom," I replied without hesitation, setting my phone face down on my desk.

"You know, the sad thing is I actually wouldn't be surprised."

"You shouldn't be, because it's the truth."

Before I could counteract, Sean snatched my phone off my desk and opened it to my text messages. When I leaned over to grab it, he put his large hand flat on my face and pushed me.

I immediately pulled back, worried that he may have smudged my eyeliner or mascara. I ran my fingers around my eyes and was grateful when they came up clean. Ass.

"Ohhh, it's your boyfriend asking about homework," Sean teased as he placed my phone back on my desk.

"You mean my hook up, which, if my calculations are correct, you haven't had in, like, three months now," I shot back.

Sean's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but he quickly masked it with a forced laugh. "At least I care about who I sleep with."

My jaw unhinged slightly and I felt an initial pang in my gut, but I was able to brush it off. This was the kind of back and forth between me and Sean. And I started it by pointing out his dry spell. Fair is fair; he had every right to make a jab back at me.