The next day was better... and worse.It was better because it wasn"t raining yet, though the clouds were dense and opaque. It was easier because I knew what to expect of my day. I got to sit alone in English, and my new friends walked me to my next cla.s.s, that was nice of them. People didn"t look at me quite as much as they had yesterday. I sat with a big group at lunch that included Mike, Eric, Jessica, and several other people whose names and faces I now remembered. I began to feel like I was popular but my quiet time was going down the drain.
It was worse because I was tired; I didn"t get to sleep til late I was grinding out slayer on runescape. It was worse because Mr. Varner called on me in Trig when my hand wasn"t raised and I had the wrong answer I hate math. And it was worse because Amanda Cullen wasn"t in school at all. How can I woo her if she isn"t here but oh well she will be back they always come back for this s.e.xy body.All morning I was dreading lunch, fearing her hungry glares. Part of me wanted to confront her. and just outright say im not edible. But we must remain low key follow the plot for the best results if they just up and dissappear I probably can"t find them I have zero tracking skills which now that I"m looking back on it is a pretty bad thing to not have.
But when I walked into the cafeteria with Jessica - trying to keep my eyes from sweeping the place for her, and failing entirely - I saw that her four siblings of sorts were sitting together at the same table, and she was not with them. Mike intercepted us and steered us to his table. Jessica seemed elated by the attention, and her friends quickly joined us. But as I tried to listen to their easy chatter, I was terribly uncomfortable, I hate teen gossip it"s so boring and I feel like that sense of not fitting in doesn"t really go away.
I walked to Biology with more confidence when, by the end of lunch, she still hadn"t showed. I held my breath at the door, but Amanda Cullen wasn"t there, either. I exhaled and went to my seat I would not become and oversized fruit gusher today no sir. Mike followed, talking about an upcoming trip to the beach. He chatted with me by my desk till the bell rang. Then went to sit by a girl with braces and a bad perm. In a town like this, where everyone lived on top of everyone else, diplomacy was essential. I couldn"t just say f.u.c.k off I want to nap could i?
I was relieved that I had the desk to myself, that Amanda was absent. I told myself that repeatedly. But I couldn"t get rid of the nagging suspicion that this was almost more dangerous than a yandere I mean I don"t think yanderes eat people do they? It was ridiculous, and egotistical, to think that I could affect anyone that strongly but I knew it was true I"m just that s.e.xy and delicious. And yet I couldn"t stop worrying that it was true.
When the school day was finally done I changed quickly back into my jeans and blue sweater. I hurried from the locker room, pleased to find that I had successfully evaded my new friends for the moment. I walked swiftly out to the parking lot. It was crowded now with fleeing students. I got in my truck and dug through my bag to make sure I had what I needed.Last night I"d discovered that Charlie couldn"t cook much besides fried eggs and bacon. So I requested that I be a.s.signed kitchen detail for the duration of my stay I"d have one of the house elves cook discretely. He was willing enough to hand over the keys to the banquet hall. I also found out that he had no food in the house. So I had my shopping list and the cash from the jar in the cupboard labeled FOOD, MONEY, and I was on my way to the Thriftway.
I gunned my deafening engine to life, ignoring the heads that turned in my direction, and backed carefully into a place in the line of cars that were waiting to exit the parking lot. As I waited, trying to pretend that the earsplitting rumble was coming from someone else"s car, I saw the two Cullens and the Hale twins getting into their car. It was the shiny new Volvo. Of course. I hadn"t noticed their clothes before - I"d been too mesmerized by their faces. Now that I looked, it was obvious that they were all dressed exceptionally well; simply, but in clothes that subtly hinted at designer origins. With their remarkable good looks, the style with which they carried themselves, they could have worn dishrags and pulled it off. It seemed excessive for them to have both looks and money. But as far as I could tell, life worked that way most of the time. It didn"t look as if it bought them any acceptance here.
No, I didn"t fully believe that. The isolation must be their desire; even I want people to f.u.c.k off so I can just nerd out sometimes but I"ve had responsibilities lately and my video games have stagnated a bit maybe I should just spend a day in my trunk like a true shut in.
They looked at my noisy truck as I pa.s.sed them, just like everyone else. I kept my eyes straight forward and was relieved when I finally was free of the school grounds.
The Thriftway was not far from the school, just a few streets south, off the highway. It was nice to be inside the supermarket; it felt normal. I did the shopping at home, and I fell into the pattern of the familiar task gladly. The store was big enough inside that I couldn"t hear the tapping of the rain on the roof to remind me where I was.
When I got home, I unloaded all the groceries, stuffing them in wherever I could find an open s.p.a.ce. I hoped Charlie wouldn"t mind. I wrapped potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake, covered a steak in marinade and balanced it on top of a carton of eggs in the fridge.
When I was finished with that, I took my book bag upstairs. Before starting my homework i plugged in my alienware laptop and checked my e-mail for the first time. I had three messages.
"Ryan" my mom wrote...
Write me as soon as you get in. Tell me how your flight was. Is it raining? I miss you already. I"m almost finished packing for Florida, but I can"t find my pink blouse. Do you know where I put it? Phil says hi. Mom.
I sighed and went to the next. It was sent eight hours after the first.
"Ryan," she wrote...
Why haven"t you e-mailed me yet? What are you waiting for? Mom.
The last was from this morning.
Ryan Swan,
If I haven"t heard from you by 5:30 p.m. today I"m calling Charlie.
I checked the clock. I still had an hour, but my mom was well known for jumping the gun.
Mom,
Calm down. I"m writing right now. Don"t do anything rash.Ryan.
I sent that and began again.
(Man I hope she isn"t a son-con I don"t think this is an incest story at all besides in game of thrones but even then it doesn"t involve me.)
Mom,
Everything is great. Of course it"s raining. I was waiting for something to write about. School isn"t bad, just a little repet.i.tive. I met some nice kids who sit by me at lunch.
Your blouse is at the dry cleaners - you were supposed to pick it up Friday.
Charlie bought me a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It"s old, but really st.u.r.dy, which is good, you know, for destroying the non believers.
I miss you, too. I"ll write again soon, but I"m not going to check my e-mail every five minutes. Relax, breathe. I love you. Ryan.