And I Wasn't Invited

It's been about a week since Alina and Daniel started dating, and Valentine's Day is coming up soon as well. Surprisingly Alina isn't spending less time with myself and my siblings either. Though I know for a fact that this year she and I won't be able to spend Valentine's Day together, making fun of romance movies and stuffing our faces with chocolates and junk.

The final bell for the day blares and we all rush to pack up and head home. The student council called for an assembly today in order to talk about Valentine's Day and some things that they have planned for it. For instance, there's going to be a school dance and students also have the chance to surprise their friends and partners with flowers. I have been thinking about getting Alina some roses, but after what happened last week I really don't want to piss off Daniel. I especially don't want to risk ruining their relationship or end up leading them to having a fight.

They look cute together. I give them that. Plus they clearly care for the best for the other, for instance, they workout and study together and Alina has even told me about a few times that he helped her with her mood swings and anxiety. He's honestly an amazing fit for her, so much better than her and I would be, and definitely a million times better than Zack.

"Eh, Knox!" Daniel's voice calls out to me as I exit my classroom. His class is right next to mine, so it's no surprise that he'd run into me. Though I don't get why he's talking to me, I've been avoiding him for a few days now after all.

Turning around, he stops in front of me and we start slightly blocking the way for everyone else trying to rush home. "What's up?" I ask, trying to act casual.

He nods behind me and we start following the crowd to the staircases, walking side-by-side. The chatter among everyone is headache inducing, and now I have to deal with my racing heart rate added on top of it.

"I just wanted to ask if we're good," He mentions, holding the door open for a group of ninth graders, every single one of them clearly vape. "I've noticed that you haven't been spending as much time with Alina and I as Keita has."

Keita has been spending time with them? "I didn't know he was even doing that," I shrug and we continue down the staircases. "I figured that I might as well let the couple enjoy their lunch together instead of risking being a third wheel."

"Yeah I can see that," Daniel laughs, struggling to keep up since a wave of people start making their way up the stairs instead of down, must be robotics club kids. "Where have you been spending your lunches for the past week then?"

I shrug again, my voice unintentionally lowering into a mumble. "I don't know, hallways, classrooms, occasionally go to McDonalds or the gaming Cafe near my old primary school."

"A gaming cafe?" He asks, sounding fascinated, his eyes go wide and light up. "I didn't know there was a gaming cafe nearby."

"It's not exactly nearby," I answer, preparing to exit the school and get punched in the face by the freezing cold. "It's about a thirty minute walk from here, but my teachers always lets the class leave early so I get just about enough time to get something to eat, drink, and maybe play a game of Smash Bros."

"Wouldn't it just be better to go home? You do live close after all," He suggests once we leave the school. I squint as a breeze of ice blows into my eyes, my face instantly starts feeling hot and my nose automatically begins running.

"How do you know where I live?" I ask, stopping in my tracks and acting like my face isn't getting knocked in by the Canadian winter.

"Oh, Keita invited me over for lunch one day," He shrugs, and my heart instantly breaks. If he and Keita went to my home during lunch, and Alina is grabbing lunch with them everyday, then that means that I was excluded. "It was pretty fun, we watched a movie, ate some snacks, we even managed to convince Alina to try and do a backflip."

That explains why my bag of Doritos was missing and Alina was limping recently, "And I wasn't invited." I mumble, keeping my head down and turning around, heading straight home and choosing to not listen to whatever else Daniel has to say.