Chapter Three // ugh, school

Theodore is trying to console Nika, his girlfriend, after yet another one of her favourite side character gets killed off in a book she is reading. "Why do you care anyway? He was just a book character," he says as though that will make her happy.

"JUST a book character?!" Nika's voice gets louder and more shrill with each word. "They are not just book characters, you idiot! They are definitely better than you."

"Oh, boy," says Auden. "You've done it this time, chump." She gives him a pat on the back and makes her escape.

"But I am real," he argues.

"Do you want me to make you not real because you're seriously grating my last nerves."

Silena and I are across from Nika and Theodore getting things out of our lockers for class, watching the drama unfold. Our friends may argue a lot but they really are perfect for each other. "Ten bucks says they make up by the end of the day," she says.

"I say lunch time." I smirk

"You're on!"

Theodore and Nika start walking away and their ongoing arguement sparks of the memory of the number I had dialed yesterday and the reason why I was supposed to be annoyed with my best friend.

I close my locker with a bang and lean back on it nonchalantly. Silena raises a perfectly tweezed eyebrow at me. "What?"

I continue to give her the silent treatment. "Wha-aat?" she asks wriggling her eyebrows at me to emphasise her question.

"Seriously," I say in wonder, "how the hell do you get your eyebrows to obey you like that? You make them move so smoothly and easily without breaking a sweat," I sigh, fangirling over her eyebrow raising and wriggling skills.

"It's easy, really," she says with a simple shrug.

"Says you," I huff out. "When I try to do that it just looks like I have eaten something really sour and my eyes are twitching or that I have got something in my eye. And no matter what I do they don't do that." I gesture towards her still raised brow.

"True that. It also makes you look a bit constipated." I shove her and start laughing. I sobre up a bit when I remember (yet again) that I am supposed to angry and annoyed with her.

"I am angry at you, ya know. What you did was not- not- not nice," I finish.

She rolls her eyes at me. "Well, what did I do this time?"

"You put an A A hotline number onto the checklist, you asshole!" I try to swat at her arm but she twists out of my way. She sticks out her tongue at me.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot that that was the weekend you were going to start calling the hotlines. How did it go?"

"Well, for the first one, a woman picked up and for the second one it was an A A HOTLINE! But I have to admit it was fun even the Alcoholics Anonymous hotline. It did get Daniel to laugh."

At Daniel's name Silena perks up. "Daniel, hmmm? How is he?" I turn my head away from her so she wouldn't see me smiling and rolling my eyes. They both like each other. But getting them to admit it would be like teaching a pig to fly.

"Why don't you come over today and find out? Isn't today one of your lessons with him?" I ask. Silena is giving Daniel cooking lessons twice a week. It's a good thing for both of them other than the fact that they get to spend time with one another. Although Daniel is taking online classes for university, he feels useless doing nothing at home. So learning to cook makes him feel more important since the only thing I can cook is omelets, and reheat frozen pizzas. Silena is getting more practice with her new and old recipes that will help her with culinary school. And I get to eat whatever they make.

The bell rings for homeroom jarring me out of my thoughts. "Oh, yes. I have got the perfect new recipe for us to try that I know Daniel will enjoy making and that you will love eating," she says with a smile.

I push her towards class to bring her back to her normal self. I smile at her and rush towards my class after a quick wave.