Different Schedule

I promised Jean that I would waste some time with them, and so I did. She sent me a message telling me we'd meet at two o'clock afternoon in Midtown Manhattan, we lived in Brooklyn -close to the island- so it wasn't that far away. She didn't live far away from me, but for the sake of face, we decided to not go together.

More like I decided and made up some excuse that I needed to do something in the morning (which I did, my workout routine). Jean and Annie are quite popular not only in our class but in the school, although I'm quite popular too despite trying my hardest to be an outcast, us coming together would start a bit of gossip and unwarranted attention that I didn't want.

I wore casual white shoes, jeans, a white shirt with some rock band's red logo on the front and a black denim jacket. I also put on some glasses for the sake of it as it was quite sunny outside today. I got some gelly on my hair and perfume, ready to roll and waste some time with the youngsters, if I'm going out, might as well enjoy myself... it has been perhaps millions of years since I last did. 

I took the train, attracted a few gazes here and there and eventually met Jean in front of the designated restaurant in midtown, she wasn't by herself.

"Ray!" A short-haired girl waved at me, looking gorgeous. She was Annie Richardson, Jean's best friend and the other girl I saved during the accident. 

"Hi, Annie, it's nice to see you, you're looking gorgeous I may add" I greeted her and nodded at Jean, she immediately came at me and grasped my hand joyfully. Both girls looked at me up and down, blushing with astonishment as if I were some weird animal. They had never seen me in anything other than my uniform.

Jean comes to my house often to give me food and get her school homework done, so she has seen me in a pyjama aside from the uniform.

"T-Thank you, you too look rather handsome~," She said, flustered, "when Jean told me you were coming I couldn't believe it! I mean... since you never accept any invitations, you're always studying and that..."

"We all have to come out every so often to have fun, don't you think?"

"I thought 'fun' was not in your vocabulary. Annie is right, you're looking slick today, it almost doesn't look like a hermit that stays at home all the time, are you going out on a date or something?" Jean giggled.

"I wanted to let you know there is this facette of me you don't know. But anyway, I'm glad you girls like it... what's the plan?"

"We're a bit early, to be honest. I told you at two o'clock here, but the meeting is at three at 'La Premiere' two blocks down the road" She said with a small chuckle while Annie fidgeted. So they made me come earlier than necessary?

"And why is that?"

"Of course, we can have lunch at this restaurant and enjoy ourselves and talk for a bit until it is time. Annie and I have been walking around and we haven't had anything to eat. Have you?"

I looked behind her, it was a Mexican restaurant which is popular for its enchiladas. 

"I haven't had anything either, I don't mind, girls".

With that, we entered the restaurant. I didn't need or want to eat but since it is a special occasion for me coming out with 'friends' I decided to entertain the thought. I also paid for them both since the restaurant wasn't that expensive. They insisted that they'd each pay for theirs but I declined. With how many times Jean has brought me food, she should let me do this much.

While we ate it almost became like an interrogation mostly of Annie trying to fill in. This girl has been trying to get close to me in many ways, but she hasn't had the chance that Jean has because Jean lives close to me and sometimes when we leave school, we meet along the way and talk.

That is mostly the reason why Jean and I are friends.

**

**

Annie, my best friend, was all over Ray.

She leaned on him so brazenly and Ray didn't look uncomfortable at all having her so close. She was wearing short jean shorts and a white blouse, I know she put in a lot more extra effort because I told her he was coming.

There is so much perfume that people should be able to smell it from half a mile away, I'm not exaggerating. You don't need to try so hard, Annie... I know he can smell it. 

I looked at her and then at myself. I didn't put nearly as much effort as her, for different reasons. I think I had already given up. 

I have known for a while that Annie has a crush on Ray, like me... but I have been the one with the most chance between the two of us and yet he doesn't look at me.

Still, I couldn't help but think this is unfair. You're so unhinged when it was me who brought him today, he's accompanying me...

I discarded the thought and sighed, feeling a mild headache... I'm precisely trying to support her because Ray hasn't shown any interest in me. Also, Walt confessed to me last Monday and I think I'm going to accept him...

I thought I would until I saw Ray dressed like this today, he looks so handsome... and he's so mature, a gentleman; completely unlike Walt who is just handsome with no brain.

He knows how to hold a conversation way better than I thought without necessarily having to make it all about sports. I believed Ray Stark was socially awkward and introverted since he doesn't interact with anyone much, but it doesn't look like it.

He's even making funny jokes.

'Is this really him?!' I couldn't help but think.

I didn't know what to think or do. Jeans with white converse shoes and a white blouse, I didn't even do my hair... Tch, Jean... you should have prepared better for this. But then I saw him and I realised we went quite well together.

'Oh my god, what should I do?'

If I accept Walt... does that mean I'm giving up on Ray? If I were to start going out with Walt, would Ray even care?

**

**

The girls finished their tacos, by that point it was a quarter past three, and we were fifteen minutes late to meet the group in the Karaoke spot they had chosen.

"Thanks, Ray, that was nice, I was truly starving!" Annie hooked her arm with me and giggled. I have noticed how aggressive she is with her intentions, but I don't plan to entertain them so I discretely smiled and made some distance from her. 

"We should hurry up, the guys are waiting".

Jean caught up to me very quickly and pulled my wrist, "It is not in that direction, dunce! It is this way, come on".

She started pulling my wrist in the right direction, from the corner of my eye I saw a shocked Annie looking at Jean like a lost lamb. I resisted the urge to sigh, under different circumstances... I would have tried it, I would have tried to have a normal childhood life and get a girlfriend this early. 

If I could forget Lana, but I can't. 

...

We walked to the designated spot, Midway through Jean realised what she was doing and released my wrist blushing. We found a group of guys and girls standing in front of the Karaoke, there were way more guys than girls and I think they weren't happy to see yet another guy. 

"Oh, you girls are- here... Ray" A blonde boy spoke with poison in his voice the moment he saw me, other three guys stood next to him like they were his bitches. 

"What's up, Walt" I greeted casually and nodded towards the other guys in the class whom I acknowledged.

Walter Hews and I had a bit of history; I beat his and his friend's ass, several times... until they stopped thinking they could bully me.

In summary, that's all that happened. 

When I transferred schools in sixth grade he was there; he tried to pick up on me, but he failed. He tried once again in seventh grade when he had a few more friends and still failed.

He tried to get his ass beaten again recently, telling me to stay away from Jean but I told him Jean and I were nothing and left. Walt took that for granted, he and his friends didn't chase after me, so they saved themselves from getting beaten once more. 

"Why are you here?" He asked once again, displeased but Jean didn't let me answer.

"I invited him, Walt. Are you okay guys?!"

Everyone greeted Jean and Annie but they ignored me, something that displeased Jean. 

"I don't like being around this guy, Jean, why did you invite him?" Walt groaned and so did his friends, once they did that, it became a chain reaction. It was the power of money. Walt's parents have money and he doesn't mind flaunting it.

"Why are you being like this, Walt? Ray is in our class too and he also helps me and some others study frequently, why are you all being like this?" Jean was irritated, she looked at me apologetically, 'Sorry, I didn't think it would be like this' is what her gaze conveyed to me.

I'm surprised at how innocent she is, and even more surprised that she reflected that innocence in me, thinking it would be any different. 

"Don't you see he's an outcast? He may not even want to be here-"

"I accepted so naturally I want to be here, but if you guys don't want me, I don't mind going" I don't know what card he tried to pull.

"Yeah, we don't want you around, Ray. Who do you think you are? you think we can be friends after what you did to us?!" One of his bitches spoke, the guy was so funny that he was screaming and cursing while cowering behind Walter.

"That so? Then am off. What a waste of time"

"Wait, Ray!"

"I had fun Jean, Annie. I'll see you guys tomorrow at school".

I didn't wait for Jean and instead started walking in the direction of the train station. It is not like I didn't expect this, but... I didn't expect Walter to have segmented himself as the class leader this much, as expected... money is everything in this world. But, money can't buy you everything still.

"Wait, Ray, don't go! We can go somewhere else, just us" Annie pulled my wrist.

"Are you sure? You girls can just go with the group, that's the reason you came. I'll be okay, you don't have to worry about me-"

I heard screaming from the side of the group, Jean snapping at them, yelling and cursing. She even told Walter something about 'rejecting' something that he proposed to her before she stormed towards us and pulled the two of us away with her countenance fiery red in anger. 

"Let's go, leave those stupids behind. We don't need them to have fun".

"Are you sure Jean? this will just make things more awkward for you in the class-"

"Do you think I care about that? As long as I have my bestie Annie to have fun and you to do my homework, who needs those idiots? Let them be".

"Oi..." I deadpanned at her flaunt honesty while Annie giggled. Sometimes too much truth can be counterintuitive.

Both of them hooked their arms at either side of me, leaning their boobs against me as if they didn't know what they were doing, but they were.

"I'm joking~ let's go guys. Tou know I didn't want to go to the Karaoke from the start... they decided that. There is a movie that's airing today that's called 'Death Race' and it is highly expected, you wanna see it?"

"I don't mind" I shrugged my shoulders. 

"You know Jean I also wanted to see that movie!" Annie chipped in.

"You see? Who needs those idiots, we didn't even want to go there. I invited so I'll pay for both of your tickets~"

"Then I'll get the popcorn".

...

It only took a few seconds for them to decide and for me to stick along. We headed to the cinema with a bunch of popcorn and watched that movie. It was a thrilling movie about a baldy that's in prison and to get freedom, they have to race. It was good and I felt nice.

It is been so long since I've had fun that I almost wondered if I deserve to have it. 

"You know, that baldy was lowkey hot".

"Hehehe, he was!~"

Annie and Jean gossiped at either side of me, having their girls talk like I wasn't here in the middle, a boy. it was still early, about half past five afternoon, and we decided to just walk around and keep talking.

I got us some icecreams and we carried on, walking around midtown and eventually heading back to the train station, but before we could reach it... something happened. 

We heard shots fired, and all alarms immediately triggered on me.

"What's going on?!" Jean asked, I frowned and pulled the two of them aside to an alleyway.

We saw people running and several black vans stopping in what I believed to be Bank of America. Men with guns started shooting the security people at the entrance and got into the bank. It was a robbery in broad daylight. 

We had just seen a thrilling movie, and now the thrill had come to us.