“Ey, Posh! Where ya going?”
I turned away from my locker and followed him closely, wondering why he was heading to the west wing, when it was time for lunch, on the opposite side of the school.
“How many times do I have to tell you, Jae? Don’t call me Posh.” I could feel the annoyance in his voice and I smiled.
“But you’re parents are rich, and your name, Bradley McCoy, is so high class, so why not? Plus you’re very fashionable,” I said with knowledge, which hid the admiration tuned in.
“I am not fashionable.”
Neatly trimmed hair just brushed his forehead, a black blazer and white shirt fit snuggly to his body, and light straight leg jeans brushed high end sneakers. I coughed, hiding laugher. “If you insist, Posh.”
Brad stopped abruptly and spun around to face me. Not ready for the sudden halt,
I ran into him, stumbling backwards. He pulled back his shoulders and lifted his chin, eyeing me with a smug look that only a high class posh guy could pull off. It was hard not to be dazzled by those gorgeous eyes, and sharp, chiseled features.
“Jaelyn, I swear-“
“Okay, fine! Calm down,” As he started to turn again, I murmured, “Posh.”
I laughed as he kicked his foot out to try and trip me. I avoided the actually well aimed kick, and jumped into step besides him. Brad continued to walk, ignoring my glances and “accidental” shoulder bumps.
“So, where we going?” I asked, dragging out the ‘o’ a couple of beats. Brad continued to ignore me and I sighed.
It was the way he was walking that I finally realized where he was headed. Brad normally walked with confidence in his step, sure footed and proud. It was something I called his “swag”, which he didn’t enjoy either.
But as we got farther into the west wing, his shoulders went back, his chest went forward, and he held his head a little higher. His mouth formed a smirk and his blue eyes glinted with that know-it-all attitude. And with his lean, defined, 6 foot tall body, Brad intimidated all of the freshmen that passed him. Hell, he intimidated everyone.
Everyone but me. Because I knew that this attitude was nothing but cockiness. Confidence was one thing I thought, but when he became like this, an arrogant bastard, I greatly despised our friendship. He changed so quickly into this form these days on only one occasion. So, when it dawned on me what was happening, a disgusted look settled on my face.
“You’re seeing that thing, aren’t you?” It was hard to keep the jealousy out of my voice. Apparently, I still sounded deadly enough to scare a few younger freshman though. I quickly apologized with a kind smile, which faded even quicker, and then continued to glare up at Brad.
He didn’t answer me, only sighed, and my annoyance reached its top. I pulled him to a halt, ignoring the tingling feeling in my hand. He glanced shocked at me and seeing my facial expression, he seemed to loosen up back into the confident guy I knew and almost looked sympathetic.
Gritting my teeth, I asked him again. “Are. You. Seeing. Her.”
The sympathy faded and in its place stubbornness. “Why can’t I? Monique is my girlfriend, is she not?”
At the moment, I really wanted to hit him with my ten pound backpack. Instead, I settled for my fist connecting it to his arm multiple times. He held the spot where I had hit him, acting as though it hurt, though we both knew it hurt me more than him.
“I understand you guys are an item, but do you not remember what day it is? What time?”
His forehead scrunched up as he strained his mind, attempting to remember. I felt hurt at this, but pushed it aside, because I expected just as much. The past weeks he had been forgetting and pushing off our lunches more and more. In fact, since the time he started dating this Monique Leveque, he’s pushed me aside more and more.
“Let me help you out,” I suggested furiously. “Tuesday…11:45. Ring a bell yet?” When he refused to show any slight knowledge of the information, I threw up my hands, giving up. “Never mind. Just forget it.”
He reached out an arm to stop me, but I avoided it and stepped around him, walking away. He called for me once, but that was it.
I waited to hear his footsteps come after me, and to hear his voice say he remembered, but again I was disappointed when I realized that as soon as I had left, he had continued on his arrogant way.
Frustrated and upset, I kicked a locker. I leaned against it and held back angry tears. It was all I could do not to remember the good times we used to have. It would only make me feel worse when I compared them to the few we had, starting not long after freshman year started.
In the beginning it wasn’t bad. We were both new to a giant school, with bigger classes, and much more intimidating people. We had the same classes and throughout the first half of year, didn’t stray too far from each other. Threw the second half of the year, thing slowly changed. He joined the basketball team and started hanging out with other people. Slowly and slowly, we stopped hanging out outside of school.
The summer brought us close, only to have the same thing happen in sophomore year, then in junior year, each year getting worse. Now, as seniors, we only saw each other in school, and hung out at the same party on the weekends once and awhile. And that was when he wasn’t sucking face with his girlfriend.
“Jaelyn? Are you okay?”
Constance McCoy, Bradley's sophomore sister, was standing in front of me with a worried expression. I forced a smile, that obviously wasn’t very convincing, because she put her hands on her petite waist and raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
I sighed. “I’m fine. Your douche bag brother it just being a, well, douche bag.”
Constance frowned. “I understand. Ever since he’s been dating that Monique girl, he’s been such a jerk to me. Usually we get along too. Now he doesn’t even say hi to me when he sees me.”
I shook my head. “That girl is nothing but trouble…hey. Could I catch a ride with you to your house after school tomorrow? My car is kind of broken down in the shop. And I don’t really think Bradley is going to give me another ride. I’ll have my Dad stop on over later, if it’s cool with you.”
Constance smiled and nodded enthusiastically, her brown hair bouncing everywhere. “That would be great! I’m sure my driver wouldn’t mind an extra person to drive home. Plus my mother has been dying to know when she gets to see you next.”
“Okay, sounds good. Well, you better get to class- I gotta go eat lunch alone. See ya at the front at 2.”
With that, I hurried away, smiling a little at the excitement swimming in her pure blue eyes. Those McCoy people really were two opposite people. Yet, both of them had their way of pulling you in. Unfortunately, he pulled me in a little too much with that charm. Even with his selfish ways and snobbish attitude when around Monique.
My heart lurched at the thought of him with that girl. Shaking my head, I mumbled, “Jaelyn Saunders, you are an idiot. . .” Pushing those unlikely thoughts out of my head, I focused on the lonely lunch ahead.
**(Thanks everyone who comments. This is the first piece I've been able to write in awhile, and I'd really like some serious criticism and comments if possibly. Sorry if the writing is a bit rusty. Just let me know what you think please- if it flows nicely, how the characters seem so far. Anything is welcome and very muchappreciated. Thanks to everyone ahead of time. -Brie)
The main thing I noticed was the interaction between Jae and Bradley. They've been friends since freshman year, and now they're seniors. And yet their dialogue makes it seem like they don't know each other with the distant teasing and his reaction. I understand that they've grown apart, but there's always that underlying friendship that keeps things from being sort of cold and uncomfortable, unless one or the other did something in particular that triggered the split in their relationship. But you know your characters better than I do.
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