Ella's Twisted Senior Year(13)
Lines deepen across the teacher’s forehead and I can practically hear him thinking that he doesn’t get paid enough to deal with this. “You can help me by keeping to yourself during lunch. You know that stunt was inappropriate.”
She gasps, putting a hand to her chest. “Sir, I was only trying to help! I mean, the administration should be embarrassed that they didn’t do something first. That poor girl lost her house. You should be talking to Ella since what she said was way worse than my offer to help her.”
He frowns. “Let’s just keep any announcements you may have to yourself, okay?”
She gives him a coy smile. “Sure thing.”
He leaves quickly, probably happy to have fulfilled his teacher duties for the day. I watch him walk away, curious to see if he’ll go chastise Ella as well.
“What are you looking at?” Kennedy says, snapping her fingers in front of my face. A cloud of perfume follows her hand. “I’m talking about prom here, Ethan.”
I look at her, and then at the rest of my crew, and it dawns on me for the first time that Kennedy has never invited one of her girlfriends to sit with us. From the day we started dating, she’d moved to my lunch table with the guys, quickly making friends with all of them.
Where did she sit before we started dating? And why are her only friends other cheerleaders who never seem to hang around with us unless we’re at a pep rally?
Kennedy taps the notebook in front of her. I’d bought her lunch—a salad and a bag of Cheetos—but she hasn’t even touched it yet. Prom planning is more important, I guess.
“Okay so, I’m still deciding between the pink dress and the white one. Your tux just needs to be black and it’ll match with whatever tie I get you.”
“Why are you so intent on being a bitch to Ella?” I ask. “You didn’t even know who she was until Friday.”
Kennedy closes her prom planning notebook and slaps it on the table so hard it makes all the guys look up.
“Would someone please tell me why my boyfriend cares so much about some stupid homeless girl who is not his girlfriend?”
Keith takes a bite of his burger and shrugs. “Because they used to be best friends?”
Ah shit.
Her gaze whirls on me and I get the sudden urge to hold up one of those bullet proof shields that swat teams use. “Do you have something to tell me?”
I try act casual and reach for a chicken nugget. “We used to be friends when we were kids. I haven’t talked to her in years.”
Her lips press into a thin line. “Really? Years? Because you two seemed to be having a great conversation when I saw you in the hallway on Friday.”
“It’s nothing, Kennedy. Just let it go.”
She lets out a huff of air and then reaches for her backpack on the floor. “I don’t even want to plan prom right now,” she says, like it’s some kind of epic sacrifice. She shoves the notebook back in her bag.
I know exactly how I want to end this conversation.
I want to break up.
Only I don’t say it, not here in front of everyone. I’ve been a bystander to one of Kennedy’s public scenes once today. There’s no need for an encore.
“Hey am I still coming over to study for the math test today?” I ask her.
She pretends to consider it for a moment and then shrugs. “If you want.”
“Okay, great.”
With my resolve set, I’ll only need to survive the rest of the day. Then I’ll go straight to Kennedy’s house after school and break up with her. I’ll do it on her front doorstep so there’s no awkward walking back through her house when it’s over. The more I think about the plan, the more confident I am that this is the right decision to make. I don’t know what I was thinking dating her.
Okay, maybe I do. I was thinking: hot, popular, likes me.
This is just high school and I know it won’t matter in the future, but it matters to me now. I don’t want to be known as the guy who dates someone as possessive and rude as Kennedy Price, hot cheerleader or not. She can’t get away with stomping all over everyone, including her boyfriend. She’d reeled me in with her flirty eyelashes and heavy-handed compliments on my athletic skill, saying she’d watched me all during football season but didn’t have the courage to approach me. Right. She lured me in and I’d bought it all, like a fish who’s too stupid to see the sharp hook underneath the bait.
The next time I date someone, I’ll make sure she’s more than just a pretty face. She’ll have to be worth it.
*
When the bell rings before last period, I duck out of physics and turn left, purposely taking the long way to the athletics hallway so I can avoid Kennedy. Usually we walk together to last period since I have athletics and she has cheer, but I’m so pumped about breaking up with her that I’m afraid I’ll give it away before we meet at her house. Breaking up with her at school would be a terrible idea, so I’m resorting to sneaking around like a criminal. At least this is the last day I have to worry about her.
When I reach E hallway, it’s nearly empty. That makes Ella’s hot pink backpack stand out even brighter than usual. When I’d hugged her at my house, she told me go away and maybe I’m just an idiot but I have to talk to her again.
“Ella,” I say, jogging to catch up with her. Her shoulders straighten. “Hey, about today during lunch,” I continue, ignoring the cold shoulder she throws my way. “I’m sorry about Kennedy. That was uncalled for.”