6. Chloe #2
In my freshman year, I dated a senior boy.
He was the most handsome boy ever. I saw him on the first day of school and was immediately enamored with him.
Captain of the soccer team, who were undefeated, Christian was the school’s golden boy.
He was in the top ten percent of graduates, and everyone loved him.
We sat next to each other in my Art 1 class, and that’s how we got to know each other.
I’ve always loved art, ever since I was little.
It gave me a hobby in my room, away from my parents.
So, even though I asked the counselors if I could skip to the second level, they said I had to take the introductory class as a freshman.
My teacher would let me create anything I wanted, and I would help other students, including Christian.
He was so impressed with my art, and I blushed at his attention.
He asked me to be his date for homecoming, and that’s how the school found out who I was.
Little naive me, with my big blonde curls, in a sparkly pink dress, arm in arm with Christian as we danced together.
We dated for several months, and I fell in love with him.
I cheered him on during his games, and when they won the championship, I ran out on the field, and he picked me up in his arms, swinging me around and planting a big kiss on my lips.
After his senior prom, he rented a hotel room, and we slept together for the first time.
It was with the boy I loved, and even if I wasn’t sure if I was ready, it seemed like the right time. But it wouldn’t last.
Christian broke up with me at the end of the year, before he left for college in Arizona.
He said he didn’t think having a girlfriend while he started college made sense.
In hindsight, I agree. He would have turned eighteen and had a fifteen-year-old girlfriend.
If roles were reversed, I’d probably do the same thing.
But at the time, it wrecked me. I didn’t leave my room for a week.
When I returned to school the following year, there were rumors about me everywhere, about how I slept with the whole soccer team.
That Christian cheated on me the entire time we were together.
Even though I knew it wasn’t true. I didn’t know who was spreading them until I overheard Margot telling a group of girls in the bathroom.
I opened the bathroom stall door as she was mid-gossip, squeezed between them to wash my hands, and flung my wet hands side to side as I walked past. I don’t know why she chose me to tease.
Annika says she is jealous of me. So now, I keep my mouth shut around her.
I know she’s just waiting for me to slip up so she can talk shit again.
I walk into homeroom, and Liam is waiting next to my seat. He gives me a little grin and leans over to kiss my cheek after I sit down.
“So, did you talk to Annika about a double date tomorrow? Nico keeps asking me to ask you,” he says, rolling his eyes. “He has such a huge crush on her, and I don’t know what he sees.”
“Hey!” I say, pinching his arm. “That’s my best friend, don’t talk about her like that.”
“Well, I’m just saying I don’t find her attractive.”
“Okayyy, you aren’t even dating her. What does it matter?”
“She’s not even nice to him.”
“Think of Anni as a black cat; you just want it to sit next to you and hang out with you.”
“Yeah, until it scratches your eyes out.”
I narrow my eyes at him and keep my voice hushed. “Can you lay off? You’re being rude, she never even talks to you,” I question.
He rolls his eyes, “I just want Nico to get off my case about it. If we go out and he sees she’s not into him, he’ll stop bothering me about it.”
I stare at him for a second. I can’t read his expression and I’m feeling a bit uneasy.
The whole time we’ve dated, he’s had some animosity towards Annika and I’m unsure why.
The second bell rings, and our teacher closes the door to begin checking in.
“I’ll ask her at lunch,” I whisper to Liam, deciding to drop the subject for now.
But there’s clearly a new rift between us that wasn’t there before.
By the time lunch comes around, I’m already halfway through my PB and J, waiting for Annika. She has gym class before lunch, so she has to change out of her sweats. She walks over, her short black hair pushed back in a thick headband and her cheeks pink.
“Uh-oh, please don’t tell me Ms. Donoghue made you run the mile,” I say as she sits down, rolling her eyes.
“I’m not dressed for running a mile!” Despite having to change into PE uniforms, I have another class after gym.
So I have to change out of my sweaty gym clothes into my favorite pink and yellow matching outfit.
The top and pants both have a row of gathers that swishes as I walk.
Usually on days when we run, I wear something a bit easier to change in and out of. Like overalls.
“We are supposed to run the mile on Wednesdays, and that’s how she has always had it set up since the beginning of the year.
But yesterday, we played badminton. Badminton!
Who plays badminton on a Wednesday?” Annika explains as she unpacks her black-and-white-plaid lunchbox.
Her mom makes us sandwiches for lunch in the morning, but we all choose the snacks as long as there’s a vegetable, fruit, and a treat.
Annika has carrots with hummus, sliced strawberries and apples, and a tiny container of hazelnut chocolate spread.
I packed the same in my strawberry printed bag, but with peanut butter spread instead.
“I knew something was up when I walked into the gym and nothing was set up.”
“Yeah, maybe she was confused or something. But she seems to be in a mood today. So be prepared to run.”
Annika and I have never played team sports, but we enjoy exercising, even if it’s just at a minimum.
We will walk around her neighborhood or play baseball with her brothers and dad.
Annika complains about running, but she’s pretty fast. I told her she should join the track team, but she said she’d rather dye her hair pink.
“Chlo, you’ll never guess what we had to do in PE today,” our friend Marie says, sliding onto the bench seat next to me.
“Anni already told me. I might hide in the locker room.”
Marie laughs a breathy cackle. She transferred to our high school last year during sophomore year and sat next to Annika in homeroom.
Annika told her the first day that she could sit at our table during lunch, and Marie hadn’t sat anywhere since.
Marie is the funniest in our group. She’s always cracking jokes and telling the wildest stories about her band class.
She’s the lead saxophone player. We attended the school’s first concert last year to watch her play.
Midway through a song, she stood up from her seat, walked to the center of the stage, and performed her solo.
Annika and I dropped our jaws in shock at how talented she was.
Marie already has three college offers because she’s a badass saxophone player.
She undoes the clip, keeping her dark brown waves pinned back, and starts eating the burrito she grabbed from the cafeteria.
“Marie and I beat our times last week by three seconds.”
“I don’t understand how you two can run next to each other the entire time. I have to stop and walk a couple of times.”
“Oh, we do, too,” Marie says between burrito bites. “We are always chatting during, making the run less of a bore.” She mimes a sleeping gesture.
Annika giggles. “I wish we were all in the same gym class.”
“I don’t, and you guys run faster than I do.”
“We’d run however fast we’d need to all be together,” Marie says. “Hey, where is Kelly?”
Kelly is our last friend to join our lunch table quartet. Sometimes, other friends will join us, but it’s always the four of us who eat lunch together. But we are already halfway through the lunch hour, and it’s weird that she hasn’t joined us.
“She texted me that she went home sick,” Anni says.
“She did look a little green in science class. I thought it was because our teacher showed us a global warming documentary for the third time.”
“Sheesh, he’s showing you guys that again?” Annika says, finishing up her lunch.
“Yeah, I work on my calculus homework during it.” Marie takes the last bite of her burrito, and her face turns smug. “Hey, Anni, Nico keeps looking over at you,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows.
Annika turns, peeking over her shoulder.
Sure enough, Nico is sitting a few tables over with his friends, including my boyfriend, Liam.
Nico keeps looking up over at our table and toward Annika’s head.
I think it’s sweet how shy he is and funny that she pays him no attention.
She’s still hung up on her middle school crush, Reid.
But he moved away, so she needs to move on from him already.
“Chloe, why doesn’t Liam ever sit with us?” Marie asks.
“He doesn’t like Annika,” I say bluntly.
“What? Why not? What did you do?” Marie looks at Anni questioning.
“I didn’t do anything. There’s just something fishy about him. So, if he doesn’t like me, fine. The feeling is mutual,” Annika murmurs, finishing up her lunch.
“You don’t like anyone I date.”
“Not true, I liked Christian. Liam … not so much.”
“Liam is nice! He brings me flowers.”
“IDK, Chloe, Anni has a point. Didn’t that guy Blane, you dated for like a week last year, cheat on you with Margot?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Another reason to dislike Margot.
“Sorry if I think some of these lame teenage boys aren’t good enough for you.”
“Speaking of Liam,” I say, trying to change the subject, “Do you want to go bowling Friday night with me, Liam, and Nico?” I ask Annika, whispering Nico’s name at the end.
“And who? Who was that last name?” She squints her eyes.
“Nico.”
Marie starts laughing. “Chloe! You little matchmaker! I say go for it, Annika. Nico is cute!”