Well, okay then. That was a little offensive. However, I take a closer look at the tops she chose, and then find myself nodding in approval. They’re actually not half-bad.
Dang, is that annoying.
Chapter 14: You’re The Problem
This might sound crazy, but I think Brayden is avoiding me. Why do I think that? Well, when he came into Mrs. Flint’s class, he sat in the farthest chair away from mine. Like, he actually had someone switch seats with him.
He was one of the first to leave when the bell rang, and he was long gone once I made it into the hallway. Then he did the same thing in our other shared class. And forget about lunch; like yesterday, I’m convinced he never even came into the cafeteria.
So, what’s up with that? I don’t know, but he hasn’t stuck around long enough for me to ask him. Who cares though? Definitely not me. Why should I? It’s not like I want him hanging around me anyway…
“Still stressing about him?”
I roll my eyes at Lora, who’s now standing beside me. “I am not—and have not been—stressing about him.”
“Megan.” She gives me a disbelieving look. “You’ve been turning your head so much today that I was worried you were going to get whiplash. Don’t bother trying to deny it.”
“It’s just weird,” I huff, placing my hands on my hips. “He’s been driving me crazy every chance he gets, and suddenly he’s not? Why?”
She raises an eyebrow before nodding past me. “Well, there he is now…why don’t you ask him?”
Because that means I’d have to talk to him, and I’d rather get my answers some other way. Plus, there’s the fact that he’s walking right behind me without even saying a word.
“There’s my dad,” Lora says, hoisting her backpack higher on her shoulder. “Seriously, Meg…go talk to him. Otherwise dinner at his place is going to be even more awkward.” She proceeds to swat my arm. “And I want all the details, okay?”
“You’re annoying,” I inform her as she walks to her dad’s car, “you know that…right?”
“Love you too!” she hollers with a careless wave.
If only Mom was here already, then I would have a legit excuse for why I shouldn’t—and can’t—talk to him. However, it would seem like I have nothing but time, and Lora giving me death glares from inside the car is a pretty good motivator.
I mock-salute her as they drive by, and then turn on my heel so I can go after Brayden. Even. Though. I. Don’t. Want. To.
By the time I catch up to him, he’s already more than halfway to his car, and I almost turn around to head back the way I came. But I’ll never hear the end of it from Lora, and my curiosity gets the best of me.
“Hey, Brayden,” I say, hoping I sound somewhat casual.
His sauntering comes to a stop, and a few moments (that feel like an eternity) go by before he finally turns around. “Ya know, following after me into the parking lot is kind of stalker-ish.”
He’s not wrong.
Darn Lora and her awful advice…
“You know what?” I ask before he can say anything else. “Never mind. Just forget it.”
“Megan,” he drawls as I turn to leave, “it’s fine. What’s up?”
Suddenly, calling him out for avoiding me seems kind of pathetic…not to mention desperate. So, I decide to deal with this in a more low-key way.
“I didn’t end up seeing you at lunch yesterday,” I tell him with a shrug, “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
The corner of his mouth goes up. “You worried about me, Meg?”
Oh, great.
“No, no I wouldn’t say that,” I reply, mentally cringing, “I was just…curious, I guess.”
Perfect. I sound pathetic anyway.
“I didn’t mean to bail yesterday,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck, “it just kind of happened.”
A lame excuse—how comforting.
“Yeah, I totally get that,” I lie, seriously regretting coming over here. “No big deal.” I take a step back. “Well, I should go, my mom’s going to be here soon.”
And I might suddenly come down with a cold or something, so I don’t have to embarrass myself tonight as well.
Once again, I turn to leave, and once again he stops me.
“Wait a sec, Meg.”
“What?” I ask, looking at him expectantly.
He then shakes his head, fishing his keys out of his pocket. “Nothing. I’ll see you later.”
As he resumes walking to his car, my eyes betray me by checking out—ahem—the view.
Ugh, and that conversation did not go like I thought it would. He didn’t even have an actual reason! But you know what? I have a pretty good idea of what he was doing yesterday during lunch…and today, for that matter. He was probably with some girl. Yeah, it makes sense.
Maybe Beth made her move already, and that’s who he was with.
“So stupid,” I mutter under my breath, starting to walk in the other direction, “it doesn’t matter what he was going. Or who he was with.”
All of this feels way too similar to middle school, and I hate it.
Soon Mom is pulling up to the curb, and I roll my eyes when I see Hailee sitting in the passenger seat. Great, I’m stuck sitting with him.
“HEY, MEGANNNNN!” Kyle greets me as I get into the car.
“Stop yelling!” Hailee snaps at him. “You’re being obnoxious, and I can’t hear my video!”
Kyle proceeds to mock her, which starts a whole fight between them, and Mom goes into full lecture-mode.
Meanwhile, I close the door and put my seatbelt on; like the sane, unproblematic child that I am.
“You both need to just calm down, okay?” Mom says, her eyebrows doing most of the talking. “Otherwise losing privileges over the weekend
