Yes, No, Maybe So [8]

*8*

When I woke up in the morning, I stretched out my whole body, and stifled a yawn with my hand.

I felt well rested and almost forgot where I was. It was the smell of the place that reminded me that I slept over at Jeff’s. It felt unusually pleasant to find myself waking up in Jeff’s bed like Minnie never happened.

I smelled pancakes and rose to my feet immediately. He knew that was my favorite.

I went up the steps carefully, running my hand through my hair, and trying not to make noise.

The kitchen was filled with the smell of pancakes. But there was more, too. Scrambled eggs, toasted bread, bacon, and a pitcher of juice on the table.

Jeffrey was going around the kitchen, whistling, and getting breakfast ready. I stayed quiet, watching him preparing breakfast, and admiring how quick and fast he was with food. I never realized he looked so professional.

“Good morning,” he said, his back to me, scrambling more eggs on the stove.

I was surprised. “Uh, hi,” I said.

He shook his head, chuckling. “Food’s on the table. Help yourself.”

I hesitated. What’s wrong with you? You used to do this all the time. You even used to help

him prepare breakfast! Why aren’t you moving?

He was still scrambling some eggs. Still, the only sound was his spoon scraping against the pan. I don’t know why I hesitated. Maybe because I felt like a stranger in this house? Or was it because I wasn’t sure what to do?

I took a tiny step towards the big wooden table. That was a start.

“Come on, Athena,” Jeff encouraged. “Pancakes are your favorite.”

“I know,” I whispered, hesitating again.

“Just sit down,” he ordered. I looked up and he was done with the eggs, pouring some on two plates. I sat down in my usual seat that I used to sit at before.

I grabbed a toast that was already buttered and started nibbling on it. Jeff set a plate in front of me. It was my favorite breakfast dish. Pancakes, eggs and bacon, and my toasted bread to finish it off. I poured orange juice into the glass that was already set in front of me. I smiled, almost relieved that he remembered.

I poured syrup over my pancakes. I took a bite into them.

“So,” Jeffrey said, not eating anything off his plate. He sat back in his chair which was across from me, and folded his arms across his chest. I blinked. I swallowed hard and took a sip from my orange juice, keeping my eyes on my plate of food.

“So?” I asked, looking up and meeting his eyes.

“We,” he said, saying each word slowly, “have a situation here.”

“Situation?” I echoed warily.

Jeffrey nodded slowly, never taking his eyes off me. “Eat,” he demanded.

I took a bite of my eggs and bacon. “What situation?” I asked after I swallowed.

“You don’t like Minnie.”

“She doesn’t like me either,” I pointed out.

“Yes, but--”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be out of your guys’ way as much as possible. Especially hers. I get it now,” I said, and set my fork down. I glared at him. He was trying to protect her. He never once thought about me, did he? No, he doesn’t want me around to ruin his relationship between him and Minnie. “You can save your speech.”

He looked pained. “A--”

I stood up. “No, no. It’s okay. I can leave now. Thanks for the food, but I think I lost my appetite,” I said acidly.

“I knew you were going to be difficult about this, but--”

“Difficult?” I exclaimed. “You thought I was going to be difficult! I’m trying to help! I won’t be in your guys’ way, like, ever,” I said, spitting out the word ever, my eyes bulging out a little.

Jeff looked down at the table for a long time, looking thoughtful, but not mad. Maybe a little sad, but not angry. He stood up, too, and then came over to where I was. He then put two hands firmly on my shoulders and looked down at me. I stayed frozen in place, afraid to move.

“I don’t want you to be out of our way, Athena,” he said slowly, like he was talking to a little kid. “I just want the two of you to get along.”

I tried not to snort at the last sentence. So, okay, he still wanted me around. He just wanted me and Minnie to be friends.

Well, good luck on that one!

I pursed my lips together before saying something. “I … Jeffrey,” I started out, “I don’t think. . . .” I trailed off, shaking my head.

“I’ll talk to her,” Jeff promised.

“But that isn’t going to do anything!” I said. “She’ll act nice to me when you’re around, but she’ll still be mean to me when you’re not!”

“And how do you know that?” Jeff said.

“Do you want me to buy a hidden camera?” I snapped.

“Very funny,” he said, making a face.

“Well, if it’s the only way to prove it to you, then I will.”

He squeezed my shoulders. “I’ll talk to her.”

“Yeah, w-well, what if she lies to you?” I asked. “What if she tells you that I’m mean to her when you’re not around when it’s her? Who’re you going to believe? Huh? I just don’t get that.”

“Well, how do I know you’re not lying to me,” Jeffrey asked, now getting angry.

“So you’re telling me you don’t trust me now?” I hissed. I let out a frustrated sound in the back of my throat and got out of his grasp. “Just call any of the guys and see what you get,” I said, and started down the stairs to get my shoes.

“What are you doing?” hissed Jeffrey, following me. “You haven’t even finished eating!”

“Lost my appetite,” I answered him, grabbing my shoes. I slipped them on. I looked up at him and rose one eyebrow.

Jeffrey looked beyond furious. “You’re going home?”

“Yes,” I said calmly, feeling for my cell phone in my pockets, but couldn’t find it. “Is that a problem?”

“Yes that’s a problem!” Jeffrey exploded, his arms flailing in the air.

I searched the room with my eyes and saw it. Aha! It was on one of Jeffrey’s shelves. I started to move to retrieve it, but Jeff was faster than me.

“Nah-ah-ah …” he said, grabbing the phone right before I was about to.

“Hey!” I growled. “Give it!”

“No way. We still need to talk.”

“What? About you not believing me. I think we’ve been through that before, Jeff,” I said, scowling at him.

“Well, how do I know which is true?” he said. He looked pained. “I can’t do this.”

“Me, either,” I said. “I can’t be your friend if you’re not going to trust me! I already told you to call one of the guys.” My heart was pounding. I knew he was about to say he can’t do this, that he can’t be my friend. I felt like my heart was breaking into a million pieces before he could say anything.

“And how do I know you didn’t tell them to say that Minnie is lying?” he whispered.

“Does it look like I could telepath them and tell them to say it, Jeffrey?” I whispered back, my voice sounding depressed already. “Does it look like I knew this conversation was coming and told them no matter what to tell you that Minnie is mean to me?” I took a deep breath. No matter what, he was going to believe Minnie. “Just give my phone to one of the guys and let them give it to me. Or better yet, mail it to me.”

I started up the stairs, and out the door, walking home.

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

“Athena?”

“Give me a minute,” I said, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. “Okay.” I opened my eyes.

The guys shook their heads, most of them scowling at Minnie walking down the hallway, her head bent back with laughter and Debby laughing beside her as well.

“Maybe it’s the sex,” Roxas said.

I groaned. “Shut up. I don’t care. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”

“Well, maybe he couldn’t give it up.”

Oscar laughed. “Nice.”

“He just doesn’t want it to be true,” Mac said, his voice flat.

Cindy came up to us, skipping, though. We were out last night with Roy and Jet, you see. She was just happy as a fiddle.

“Good morning, my good people,” she said to us. She gave me a hug. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered in my ear.

“Oh, thanks, like I haven’t heard that one before,” I whispered back.

She let go and then shrugged. “Just trying to help. Last night you didn’t seem pretty happy. Even with Roy.”

I rolled my eyes. “I was just in a bad mood, I don’t know.”

“I’ve never seen you like this before,” Oscar mused.

“Never seen me so bitchy, you mean?” I asked, glowering at him.

“Yes,” Roxas laughed. Hammy joined in.

“Does this mean you guys aren’t friends anymore?” asked Mac.

“I don’t know. And if not, then I’m free to date whoever I want whenever I want.” I flailed my arms in the air, shouting, “WOO HOO I'M FREE!”

“Shh,” Hammy ordered, lowering my arms.

“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “I’ve always wanted to get detention before.”

“Well, your wish is about to come true,” Oscar murmured.

Cindy laughed. I glared at her.

“Miss Quinsy!” Mrs. Rivers screamed from down the hallway. I winced. She was the loudest teacher in our high school. She scurried down the hallway towards us--towards me. “No yelling in the hallway!” She was scowling at me. “Detention! You know the rules. And classes haven’t even started yet,” she sighed, shaking her head. “Here’s your first detention.” She gave me a slip, I took it gladly.

“Sorry, Mrs. Rivers,” I said sweetly. She just turned around started to scurry down where she came from.

“My first detention!” I hooted, raising it in the air.

“Oh, we all are so proud,” Cindy said sarcastically.

“You should be,” I said. “I haven’t had a detention since middle school. So, now that I got one in high school, I’ve lived!”

They laughed.

“No,” Roxas corrected, “you haven’t lived if you haven’t been bungee jumping.”

“Oh,” I said, disappointed. “Well, then, let’s go this upcoming weekend!”

“Oh, yes, sure,” Roxas said sarcastically, making faces while he was at it. “Let’s go and kill ourselves!”

I rolled my eyes.

Then they all laughed unnecessarily loud. I looked at them, annoyed. “It wasn’t that funny, was it?” I asked them. I slammed my locker shut.

I turned my head just in time to see Minnie and Jeffrey holding hands, walking past us and Jeffrey looking at all of us--at them laughing.

I looked up at the ceiling, whistling, trying to look casual.

“So, detention,” Oscar said, changing the subject back.

“Oh, yes, my first detention,” I said, admiring the detention slip that Mrs. Rivers gave me. It was pink. “It’s pink,” I whispered, widening my eyes.

Jeffrey laughed. I looked up suddenly. I saw it. He was laughing at me. He would usually do that if he was with us, but now him and Minnie were moving fast. But I saw him looking away in time, but not fast enough for me not to know that he was laughing at me.

“He didn’t believe you guys, huh?” I said, folding the pink detention and slipping it into my back pocket.

“Like I said before,” Mac said. “He just doesn’t want it to be true. He wants to believe both of you, but he can’t choose.”

Hammy made a face. “I don’t see why he doesn’t believe you. You’ve been his friend way longer than Minnie’s been his little girlfriend.”

“Two years,” I said. “Two year’s we’ve been friends, and then now this. Who cares. He’s a senior, anyways. He’ll be gone next year and forget all about me.”

“Not true,” Oscar said.

They were all seniors, except for Cindy. We were both juniors.

“Is too,” I argue.

Girls were walking down the hallway and gave Cindy and I dirty looks. We looked at each other and rolled our eyes together at them. It wasn’t our fault that we were best friends with the hottest guys in school. It’s true. Mac, Oscar, Hammy, Roxas, and Jeffrey were the hottest guys in school. Girls in this school were always giving us dirty looks, especially the senior girls. Now they are scary.

“Okay, whatever,” he said. I crossed my arms.

Lunch wasn’t so bad. After Algebra II I was a little worried what would happen in the next period. It’s the same period I have with Jeff, and sat beside him, too.

We didn’t necessarily had a seating arrangement. Mrs. Hail didn’t really care where we sat.

Maybe a change wouldn’t hurt.

But wouldn’t that be cowardly? To runaway from my fear? Yes, it would, and I’m not a coward.

Well, I could try talking to some other classmates, anyways.

“Hey, Tyler,” I said when I sat down, smiling at him.

He was a junior, too. I never really talked to him even though he sat on the other side of me. His eyes widened a little. “Hi,” he said warily. He smiled, too.

My smile widened, and he looked dazed for some reason. I turned forward, a confused expression probably on my face.

Jeff was already seated in his seat beside me, and he was scowling from what I can see out of the corner of my eye.

“Is there a problem, Jeffrey?” I asked him in a dry tone, turning towards him. He was still scowling at me.

“Yes,” he said.

I smiled at him. “Oh, well, good luck with it.” I turned my focus back to the front of the class where Mrs. H started to talk.

After class was over I basically ran out of the room to avoid Jeff. That was cowardly of me, but I couldn’t handle being around him right now.

I was basically trying to avoid him in the halls, too. That worked. After school I went to the detention room this week which was in Mr. Brainiac’s room. His real name is Mr. Barns, but he’s so smart we just started to call him Mr. Brainiac. He doesn’t care. Actually, he kind of likes it. Mr. B is a really cool teacher, too, so I was kind of glad that detention was in his room this week.

I took out my pink sheet, and gave it to him with a sheepish expression when he gave me a hardened expression. He knew I was a good kid and surprised I was even in here.

I took a seat. The class was half full with slackers. I sat next to Georgie who was in the same class I was, but we never really talked, either. “Hey, Georgie,” I whispered when I sat next to him and gave a smile.

His face softened, and he said, “Er … uh, hi.”

I was bemused about this. Why do people keep giving me that look today? Well, girls gave me surprised looks, but the guys gave me this particular look.

Was it true about what Cindy said?

“Saunders, you too?” I heard Mr. B say incredulously.

My head snapped up. I was doodling in my notebook, but when he said Saunders …

Jeffrey didn’t belong here, either. Mr. B looked from Jeffrey to me to Jeffrey again with an incredulous look and then shook his head.

I looked at the seat beside me on my left. It was empty. On my right was Georgie, though.

Shit, I thought when he started to walk down towards me, his face looking determined and mad.

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AHHH!! now i know u guys are going to hate me for leaving you with a cliffhanger, but i think i put in TOO much n that was the only way I could leave it, so i'm sorry :( but i'll try to post on Sunday morning....maybe lol. if i have time that is. well i hoped u liked it n sorry for writing too long .... oh well! tell me wut you honestly thought n thank you all for voting and commenting!! i really appreciate it =D well COMMENT, RATE & SUBSCRIBE plz =]