A Proscriptive Relationship

:A Proscriptive Relationship: 26

"Holly. Holly? Holly!"

Something hit the top of my head and I jumped, coming out of my daze. I looked to my right to see Lance frowning at me.

"I've been calling your name for the past minute!"

"Sorry," I responded, stretching.

"Can I have your extra pizza sticks?"

A grin made it's way onto my face and I shook my head, sliding my lunch tray over to Lance. "You wanted my attention just to ask me that? Usually you just take them."

"Can't I be a gentleman once in awhile?"

Lance grinned at me, and I rolled my eyes back. The small scar on his head from when the bat hit him caught my attention. He caught me looking and frowned.

"It doesn't hurt," he informed me, running a finger over it. "It just is sort of ruining my good looks."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, okay."

Silence fell between us again and I moodily picked through my trail mix. I had already picked out the M&Ms and the only things left were all the nuts and raisins. Both food items gross in my opinion.

I absently wondered if Mr. Heywood liked peanuts. Or if he liked chocolate... I frowned slightly after a moment. I didn't actually know anything about him, besides his past as a gang member, and I didn't even know all that. He was keeping something from me. But he never shared what he liked, or disliked. He never told me what he likes to do, or where he came from...

He probably wouldn't tell me who he went on a date with.

I huffed, crushing a peanut between my fingers. Who did Mr. Heywood know that was a girl besides the faculty and students here? And more importantly, what did he see in her? Mr. Heywood had never mentioned a girl before! And Jeremy didn't even know who he was dating.

I wanted to know who she was, but at the same time I didn't. What if she was a beautiful woman who I couldn't compete against? It was possible. Mr. Heywood was very handsome...

I heaved a heavy sigh, slumping onto the table. Love was a very unfair thing.

Suddenly I was forced into a sitting position and I looked around in shock and my eyes landed on Lance's hard face. He looked at me accusingly and crossed his arms.

"Holly Evers. You tell me what's wrong with you this instant!"

"Huh?" I looked at him in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"You've sighed at least fifty times since lunch started," a new voice from my left pointed out.

I jumped again, turning to my left to see Casey watching me with concerned eyes. "When did you get here?"

"I've been here the whole time," she told me, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't notice me?"

"Oh... no."

"Because she's too busy being in the dumps about something she won't share with us," Lance interjected, frowning at me.

"Tell us what's wrong," Casey prompted. "Obviously there's something going on."

I shook my head. "Nothing's going on."

Lance and Casey gave me skeptical looks.

"Really," I assured.

"Not even the slightest?"

"Fine. I didn't study for the math test," I lied. "All the formulas got to me and I said screw it, I can afford to fail. So it's not that big of a deal. And even if it was--"