Chapter 13

"Who the hell are you?"

"Don't mind her, she's nobody." Owen said with a bored look as if the bare mention or reminder of me bored him. I knew I wasn't anything to him but I wouldn't really refer to myself as nobody. I mean I had a body so that at least made me somebody.

"Are you mute?" She sneered at me and when I didn't respond, she turned around and muttered a whatever.

I didn't know if I was really easy to ignore or if the two had no trouble having an audience because things were getting a little handsy in the front seats.

I tried ignoring them but there was only so much I could do to ignore the two. They definitely were made for each other. A match made in heaven. More like hell.

Owen finally pulled up in the parking lot after what felt like hours and I got out of the car as soon as the two leaned in to do who knows what. I adjusted my bag strap and tried not to walk robotically from all the stares I was getting probably because I'd just walked out of Owen's car. I walked faster and tried to rush to get away from prying eyes.

In my haste, I ended up bumping into someone's chest and the impact knocked the breath out of me. I stumbled backwards, almost about to fall when I was caught.

"Are you ok?" I looked up and was met with the emerald green eyes of Dustin. His face full with concern.

"Uh yeah." I stepped out of his hold, "Thanks." I smiled up at him.

"No problem." He said and gave me a smile of his own. "Where were you rushing to this early?"

"Class."

"But classes start in," he looked at his watch, "thirty minutes."

"Uh yeah. I just have some assignment I need to work on. I'll see you later," I side stepped him and headed for my locker so that I could deposit some of my books.

I decided to go to class earlier and try to do a little of studying. The class was empty as I'd expected. I sat at my table and took out my maths text book but then I felt my phone vibrate in the front pocket of my jeans. I got it out and was greeted with a picture of mum and me. I smiled and swiped on the screen putting the phone to my ear.

"Hey mum."

"Hey baby girl. How are you?"

"I'm ok. How are you?"

"I'm good. Are you at school?"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes and sighed, "Yes mum. I'm at school."

"Good." She said, "How are you holding up so far? Are you having any troubles with that young lad?"

"Mrs James is very kind and her grandson, well, hes himself but we're not having any troubles."

"Ok. Uh honey I'll have to call you later. Have a good one."

"You too."

"I love you."

"Love you too." I responded and the call ended and the class started to fill up.

"So what is this I'm hearing?" I had been busy rummaging my bag in search of a pencil when Kate dropped in her seat.

"What do you keep on hearing?" I asked with eyebrows furrowed.

"About you and Owen?" She said with a goofy smile all the while waggling her eyebrows suggestively. I looked away from her choosing to go back to my pencil searching and avoiding her question completely. This only caused her to turn in her chair and fully face me. "So it is true."

I realised that completely avoiding her question would result to her getting the wrong idea. "What exactly did you hear?"

"That you came in Owen's car and that you two shared a kiss."

"And you believed it?"

"I don't see you denying any of it."

"Touché. But truth be told, I only came with him. There was no kiss sharing involved whatsoever." I clarified.

"Bummer. I'm sure it'll happen soon." I just rolled my eyes at her response. "How was your weekend?"

"Uh. It was..." I tried looking for the right word, "okay. How was yours?"

"Ugh," she groaned and threw her head backwards. I guessed it wasn't a good weekend if her reaction was anything to go by. "It was awful, and that's putting it lightly, I ran into someone who completely ruined it for me."

I didn't know whether to ask her who said person was or not but when Mr. Parker walked in class I thought it best not to.

It was lunch and I was sitting at my usual seat and the table was almost fully occupied save for one.

"Please tell me I'm not seeing what I'm seeing." Everyone at the table turned around to see what or whom exactly Kate was referring to. I had been too busy removing the onions from my burger to notice exactly what was happening till I felt someone standing right behind me.

"You're in my seat." I looked up and saw the same girl who Owen had picked up earlier staring at me with a sickly sweet smile.

"I don’t remember seeing your name on it." Kate retorted.

"I wasn't talking to you honey," the girl responded with her smile still in place.

"Don't call me 'honey' Marlene," Kate seethed through her teeth.

"Whatever." Marlene said with an eye roll and sat on Owen's lap.

Lunch went on with Marlene sending me side glares every now and then. Which I found strange considering the fact that she was seated in Owen's laps. Not that I wanted to be in her place or anything.

Kate and I were walking out of the cafeteria ready to head to our classes when we saw a flyer hang that stated that swimming try-outs were cancelled.

"Well that sucks." Kate sighed, "I'm pretty sure it's all because of Marlene making an appearance. I swear that girl just gets on every bit of nerve in my system." She looked at me with a remorseful look, "Sorry."

"It's cool. I wasn't even ready for it." The bell went off signalling that lunch was over.

"See yah later." She said before heading off.

I rushed off to my last class which happened to be Chemistry. I really didn't like the subject and the fact that I wasn't good at it didn't help.

The chemistry lab was already filled with some students when I walked in. I sat at a table that was near a window and dropped my bag on the stool that was next to me and started to doodle at the back of my notebook.

"Nice drawing." I looked up and saw Dustin looking at me with amusement. I looked down at my depiction of SpongeBob which was basically a poorly drawn square with a smiley face.

"And here I thought I was the only one who could see myself for the artist I truly am." I said trying to fight the smile that was threatening to break through.

"How modest," he chuckled. "Is this seat taken?"

"I don't think it would be there if it was." I retorted with a smile and this time he did not hold it back his laughter. I smiled to myself and removed my bag from the stool and placed it elsewhere.

When Dustin sat down I saw Owen and Marlene walk in and she was holding onto him like a life line. When she caught me staring she glared at me and I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. The girl needed help.