CHAPTER 16: Pinches and Pain

"Yo! What the hell are you spacing out for?" Ward, one of the decoration crew members, snaps me back from my empty thoughts. I'm supposed to cut this huge cardboard box into the shape of a mountain but I am spacing out while holding the saw (don't do this, it's highly dangerous). I smile apologetically at Ward, continuing my job, sighing heavily.

I have been a little out of it since last night. Since Allen kissed my cheek. I don't know why it bothers me so much to the point that I can't seem to focus on anything. I mean, it's not like I've never been kissed before (by a guy, cause I, of course have been kissed by a girl, I mean, c'mon). Chuck kisses me all the time. And it's not like he kissed my lips. So why am I making a big deal out of this? I mean, Allen doesn't seem to make a deal out of it. We met earlier this morning and we chat and joke normally. Maybe I'm overthinking it. I mean, the fact that another guy besides Chuck kissed me. All these times, he's the only person close enough to me, daring enough to be able to kiss me and I only let him because well, he's Chuck.

Allen... Allen is... I'm not really sure myself. I mean, he's a good guy. Very considerate and very kind. He helps me a lot. And he's like the first person to be able to get this close to us since, forever. And it's not like I hated it when he kissed me. I'm far too used to Chuck's behavior towards me and something like that is pretty normal to me. Well, maybe that's it. Maybe Allen just picked up one of Chuck's bad habits. Right?

I sigh and scratch my head and decide that that's the best excuse for what happened last night, though after trying to explain it, I'm getting even more confused. But, whatever. (I got kissed! By a guy! On the cheek! Not Chuck! Get over it!)

At lunch that day, the four of us (me, Chuck, Allen and Joy) sit together in the D cafeteria. Allen looks normal. He looks just like when I just met him. More cheerful, even. I study him discreetly as he chats with Joy. Maybe they've worked things out, whatever that is. That's good. I smile, looking at them. Ouch! What the hell was that? I scratch my chest after a weird pinching sensation came and gone so quickly.

"What's wrong?" Chuck asks, noticing as I am grimacing slightly. Now all eyes are on me. Great.

"Nothing," I say awkwardly. "I'm starving," I tell him and he chuckles, putting his arms around my shoulders.

"What a glutton," Chuck says, "Didn't you already finish the strawberry shortcake I bought you?"

"I need rice!" I pout. Yep, that does sound like I'm a glutton, but, like I care. Heh heh heh. Chuck chuckles and turns to Allen and Joy.

"You guys coming to my friend's party this Saturday, right?" he asks them. Allen turns to Joy questioningly. She shakes her head, answering.

"I have a business meeting at Lavina this weekend. I'll be back late Sunday," She tells us, "You guys go ahead and have fun," She says, holding Allen's hand with a look that tells him that she's giving him permission. Allen smiles and pecks her cheek lovingly.

Ouch! What the?! Oh, food!

Just then, the waitress comes with our foods in her trays. I smile as if I'm seeing an angel that has just come down from heaven. Chuck smacks my head when he sees me drooling at her shamelessly.

"Start eating or I'll finish yours," I threaten him as I begin eating my own food.

"Yeah, yeah," Chuck says as he takes my cauliflower (I don't really like them) and replaces it with some of his scrambled eggs, before dumping a ton (no, really, it's a lot) of chili sauce in his food (that looks terrifying).

I glance at Allen. He's as attentive to Joy as Chuck is to me. That must be nice. He's making sure that there are only the things she likes on her plate. Well, kinda' what Chuck does to me, but still.... We're not a couple. They are. I grimace when the slight pinch came and went just as quickly as the first one.

What the hell's wrong with me now?

"Schedules," Chuck then suddenly says, as if he's just remembering about it himself. I roll my eyes exasperatedly.

"Band practice at two for an hour," I start despite everything. "Then I'll be staying with the decoration crew until dinner."

"I have practice until eight," Chuck says thoughtfully. "You guys?" he turns to Allen and Joy.

"Me too," Allen says almost apologetically.

"I'll be free by dinner," Joy tells us.

"Ok then. So, I'll pick Joy up for dinner at seven then you two can join us," I tell the two guys who nod and then I turn to Joy. "Where will you be?" I ask her.

"Sport faculty's gym," She tells me.

Now that that's settled, we go our separate ways after lunch.

Later that night I find myself and Joy sitting on one of the round tables in the new Mexican restaurant not far from campus. She said that she's craving some Mexican, so here we are. The two of us. We haven't had the chance to really sit and talk for some time now. She's very busy, like Allen says. But she looks happy. Or, at least, to me she looks that way.

We order our food and settle down on our seat and start chatting about anything, mostly Allen. Don't get how he's the subject to our chat, but it just happened to be that way. She tells me stories about how they met, became friends, best friends until finally they became lovers. Very insightful, really. I get to know a lot of things about these two new friends of mine and it is actually very interesting and exciting.

Except for the fact that I think I don't feel well. I mean, I might be exhausted and my head keeps pounding and my heart keeps having this slight pinch every now and then. Not only is it uncomfortable, I'm also starting to get scared. What if I'm really sick? I can't afford to get sick! I have jobs!

It's not getting better by the time Chuck and Allen arrive (it actually gets kinda' worse until I have to keep rubbing my chest every few minutes). It's only getting better when I finally walk inside my dorm room, throwing my backpack on the couch, getting myself a bottle of beer and plopping down on the carpet in the living room.