All Good Things... (Part Four)

Going back to classes on Monday was decidedly awkward. Walking the campus, it seemed like everyone who cared to know about what happened did. Why as many of them gave a crap as they did, I have no idea. But if the perception of me as a grumpy dick had been there before, it was overwhelming now.

For kids to part like the Red Sea when I walked past, my face must have looked quite the sight. With headphones in, I couldn't hear if anyone was saying anything about me. Probably for the best. I didn't need those kinds of problems. My plan of gutting this entire thing out went swimmingly, until I actually sat down around friends of mine and had to interact with them. To their credit, it took most of the day for anyone to say anything. Even Julian had the good grace to keep his mouth shut at lunch. He and the rest of the Hellions just let me scowl and murder my food in peace.

It took until the end of history class in the afternoon for anyone to bring anything up to my face. Eddie was the first person to do so, because as good of a job as he'd been doing keeping quiet, he could only do so for so long, "So... are we just not gonna talk about it?"

I could tell he was testing the waters, and he needed to know that they weren't calm, "No, we're not gonna talk about it," I replied. Nearby, Noriko and Sofia winced.

Eddie was unconcerned, and with good reason. He was probably my best friend. What exactly would I do to him if he didn't stop? "It's just, dude, other people are talking about it. You sure you don't want to get out in front of this thing and try to spin it?"

"Sphere of influence," I said, confusing him at the vagueness of the statement, "Eddie, I don't care about what anyone I don't know personally thinks of me," I gestured to him, Noriko, Sofia, and to a lesser extent, their teammate Laurie, who I didn't know that well by comparison, "I care what you guys think, because I talk to you every day. So, New Mutant gals, what's the verdict here?"

Noriko seemed amused by how direct I was being, "On whether or not you've been cheating with Laura? My verdict is, what kind of idiot actually believes that?" I opened my mouth for the smart remark that had immediately come to mind, before she realized she'd set herself up and interrupted me, "-Okay, what kind of idiot that knows you? Yeah, you're an ass sometimes, but you're always loyal."

Loyalty may have been what had gotten me into this. Loyalty and a feeling of obligation to someone else besides who I was dating.

At least I still had decent friends that cared enough to try and help, "Why don't you give it some time and try to speak with her about it later?" Sofia offered as a suggestion.

No. I'd given that a try. I'd offered to wait until Megan figured she was ready. That had failed, and I wasn't about to do it again, "Screw that. I'm not begging anyone for anything. No one is obligated to be in my life. We can still be friends if she wants, but we'll deal with that whenever it comes up," Olive branches could wait to be extended, "What does it matter to any of you, anyway?"

Eddie slumped back in his chair, at a loss at how to remedy my situation, "It's just, you kind of got the shaft on this one, Sol."

Not that I needed to be told that. I could feel how unnatural the smile pulling at my lips was, "Never value something you aren't prepared to lose," I hoped it looked as disturbing as it felt.

"Well, that's just cynical," Noriko grumbled.

"You call it cynical; I call it pragmatic," I replied.

Eddie leaned over and gave me a consoling/encouraging pat on the back, "He more or less said this was always going to happen. I'm just glad he's not saying something like, 'I told you so.'"

I glared at him half-heartedly, "Yeah, because I'm such an asshole, I'd find any way to celebrate even the smallest part of my relationship crashing and burning," Eddie just shrugged in return, "Never change, buddy."

"It's also making you look bad," Noriko added.

And what did that mean to me? That no one else would wish to date me anytime soon? Oh, what a shame, "It's a good thing I'm not trying to fuck anyone else at this school then, isn't it?" I said. As if I had the stomach for that sort of thing anyway.

An uncomfortable silence reigned between all of us until the bell excusing the class rang. One of us, not being able to leave things as they were, had to add one last tidbit.

"Does this mean I should take Pixie out of the 'Skip's future mom' pool?" Eddie asked as we got up. He quickly found a glowing fist pointed in his direction, "Sol, don't shoot!"

He flew out of the classroom in a hurry. Good man, because he knew I absolutely would have.