ONELY

an's

everyone's talking about?" Melis

his set of popular girls at school and she's been trying hard to impress them. I've tried to talk to her about trying to impress anyone just to be friends with them isn't really true friendship. She waved me off and

what happened, she told me she was sick. I might be bad at reading people,

sk absentmindedly as

ng really hard to hook up with him. I even heard h

y interest and I look

y friends. We've only been in the sa

looks like. Everyone's

know he's interest

uper interested in someone's

interested

from one of the girls. They saw him with th

es and conti

re you sketching

w." I answer

ough her phone. A few minutes later, I

im?" Melissa's loud vo

devil and he

asketball team. They're all wearing the varsity jacket as they approach the popular table. Phoenix

e hell w

ng God. He's s

start using the F word const

oring Melissa's girly shrieks and constant 'Wow's and Damn's', I think about why he would wink at me? Wh

girls behind me if

She's looking at the popular girls's table

over there..." She says as she stands

urprised? Ye

close in and outside school. She literally tells me everything e

throughout this week, she ignored my calls. And today, my suspicions were becoming cle

and there's only one seat left, so... I'm really sorry N

y to her, flashing

she struts towards Phoenix's table whe

me. It's not the first time I've been without a friend, I always survived. I stand up with my b

*

an endless way to torture kids. I sit on the bleachers as the athletic boys and those who are trying to fit in warm up.

aise my head to sneak a glance at Phoenix for a minute. He runs his fingers through his hair as he sighs. He's wearing long sleeves underneath his PE jersey.

and deep breaths as he fidgets his

cking smoke." He m

e?" Phoenix speaks to me, calling

Phoenix would smile and even greet me when he sees me. It was strange, and I liked the attention he was giving me. Also, he's t

ed as I as

somewhere with

ould he even

it. He stands up and pulls me to my feet as he dra

ng to Phoenix, as he smokes a cigarette. I can't believe he dragged me out here be

at can't go an hour witho

out loud, cursing myself

ldn't be comfortable around him. When I don't get a response

hoenix asks at once, ma

ind." I

rm, don't

can't get used to t

s my chest and shifting my wei

lp with whatever

I am starting to overthink again, thinking

nd. Sorry

es at once, surprising me

sorry

ys. It sounds as if he just snapped at me, but

orth it. Things that aren't really your fault." There's a long beat. " Also, you'

but I know one thing for sure, Is that I need to stay away from him. He seems nice, and friendly, and I agree it's slowly rubbing

maybe reported his smoking in school's premises to the principal, but I didn't. Instead, I'm out here

s happen

ew on it. It's a habit I'm trying to get over. I always do that when I'm ner

e, forever. I notice he stays silent when asked about

o talk about it if

about it." He says, v

t home. And he can't be suicidal right? He seems alright, energetic, too. I've thought about countless ways to just end m

ding? There's so much I don't know about him and I'm willing to know

d of?" Phoenix asks

nd playing with the loose thre

g?" I

scoffs fr

d of?" I whisper. I'm not even sure

ays. I smile a lit

of minutes, with none of us

around to look at Phoenix. His eyes are a little red, o

're go

past me to open his locker. He brings out a bott

ne. When he's done, the entire locker room smells of his cologne. Phoenix wears

oday and smell like Phoenix all day. The thought

he walks past me to drop his bot

shut

re with me and keeping gua

er, hands beside me as

n me now, huh, Norm?"

urs before we leave. Well, there's no need for that. Come

I say, avoiding his

both of us ta

st him as I step out of the

s close to my ears. The feeling that jolts

then, I look away. I don't know what to s

do that, right?" I speak up, af

drag in the locker room a

t watch." I stop walking to tell him.

you really worried about me,

wrong with being worried about yo

're standing in the middle of the emp

swer his questions and he tak

t's weird to nickname someone y

ix chu

, that's why."

Someone cal

l. One of the girls from the popular table. She's surpr

whispers for my ears only, as he winks

again? And why would he do

the popular people, I barely see her around. She's never around. Sometimes I call her cell

he's avoiding me. Why, is

You two friends now? You and t

lk past her towards gym class. " And w

ar Melissa's n

melled like Phoen

lass myself. I don't know what this is with Phoenix, but