05

The last holiday weekend passed really quickly and everyday school life was there.

Like every morning, I walked over to Dwayne, who was also coming out of his house.

'Ready for the first day of school? The last year Joe!!! We're almost there!” I grinned at Dwayne, who got into the car, his hair all messy. Ever since he had a car, he always took me to school with him.

"Ask me again later! ...I'd rather be in my bed now.” Dwayne laughed and we drove off.

"Have you heard from Jayden?" He pulled into the school parking lot.

“Thanks for giving my number! I thought I could just break up with him but now he texts me all the time!” He grinned cheekily and said he was sorry for giving my number to Jayden but I knew he wasn't sorry.

Tomm-tomm. My cell phone vibrated. again.

"Is it him?" Dwayne glanced at me as the car came to a stop and he put on the handbrake. We got out and I pulled my phone out of my back pocket.

»Yes...« This was followed by a deep sigh.

can we meet

Just the two of us?

I have to talk to you.

jayden

I put my phone away and walked to the front entrance with Dwayne.

»Peopleeeeee!!!!....« I knew that voice. Yes, it was Debby. What is she doing here?

Dwayne grinned from ear to ear and hugged her very happily when he spotted Debby. "So you actually did it? You're really crazy, you know that?..."

Debby blushed a little and gave me a short hug as well. »Yes, at my old school I couldn't stand the bullying anymore! And now that I have you guys, I'm hoping for a great senior year!” I saw her smile and it reminded me of Jayden. It was also clear to me at that moment that I couldn't avoid Jayden anymore. My mood kept getting worse. shit day Dwayne explained everything about the school and grounds to her, including where to find things and where to find our clique during breaks. She had almost the same schedule as me. Dwayne went to his class leaving us alone in the hallway.

'You hate me, don't you?' Debby looked at me helplessly. All my papers fell out of my locker and I gathered everything back together.

"No," I said doggedly.

"Doesn't sound very convincing!" I don't even have anything to argue with.

We were through our first school lessons and Debby was always by my side. When it was finally break, we walked down the long hallway to the cafeteria. In front of the doors there was a table with notes on it.

Behind it sat Sally, the Head Girl. "Hello you two! Welcome back. Please put your name on the list if you want to come to our school party in Heaven in three weeks. That way we know who's coming, what's needed and then you get the tickets after you pay me!' I forced a smile at Sally. She was so annoying and pushy.

“Hey Sally, I'm happy to sign us in, but we're getting tickets from Dwayne's dad. Have you forgotten he owns the club?”

She grinned and nodded. "All right, then just put your name on the list, even if you're coming with someone that evening!" Debby looked at me helplessly.

I turned to her. “Dwayne will take you! Just put your name on the attendance list!” She nodded and signed, among many others. Then I leaned over the table and started. I wrote myself on the list, also saw that the others were already higher up. When I saw the number of people, I first thought about what to write. I just drew a line as a sign that I wouldn't bring anyone else.

"Hello beauty!" I took a deep breath. No, not him now! I avoided him so well all day!! I turned sideways. Mike was standing next to the table. He was still so damn handsome, that asshole. Sally was busy with other students and Debby was waiting for me.

"What do you want?" I looked at him questioningly. In fact, everything was settled.

"Can we talk?" He really looked at me pleadingly.

I shook my head and gave a little shrug. 'I don't think there's anything left to talk about. We've settled everything! Just leave me alone!"

He took a deep breath and gave me the most charming look that had ever softened me. "Joey, it was a mistake, okay? We need to talk, you won't always be able to avoid me! ...at the latest in natural sciences!« Damn. He's always been my lab partner.

"Don't worry, I'll find another lab partner." He smiled and put his name on Sally's list.

Then he looked deep into my eyes and stroked my arm. "And who, if I may ask?"

Debby, whom I had completely forgotten, spoke up. "Me! I'll definitely replace you well!' I had to grin, turned to Debby and we went into the large dining room.

I spotted the others but queued up with Debby to eat. It went pretty quickly and she started asking me questions. "Who was that?"

My cheeks turned slightly red. "Mike, my ex!" She grinned to herself.

“He's really hot, but I'm sure you know that! When were you together?' I thought about it. In fact, I never wanted to talk about it again. But Debby was new and didn't know what had happened back then. Didn't need to know for sure.

'Oh, just last year. Mike has always been my lab partner and last year we were together, ... only half a year, then I went to Australia for 4 months and before that it was over!«

We had our food and drink and Debby followed me with the tray to the table where the others were already seated. Jane and Dan flirted like crazy and kissed constantly. Kirsten chatted animatedly with Steve and Dwayne. We sat down with them and Debby kept asking. "And why aren't you together anymore? What happened?"

I choked briefly. Dwayne and Jane looked at Debby with puzzled eyes and Kirsten fell silent. All eyes switched between Debby and me.

Dwayne leaned forward on the table, closer to both of us. "Are you guys talking about Mike?" Dwayne got a little aggressive and Debby told him everything while I ate a few bites. When Debby finished her short story, I still had my eyes on my tray.

"Joey, you're not going to talk to him?! ...Can you please look at me when I'm talking to you?” I looked into Dwayne's eyes, annoyed.

"Dwayne! What do you want to hear from me now? You know what happened to Mike, after all you beat him up! I don't intend to talk to him!” He leaned back in relief.

Debby's eyes widened and she was bursting with curiosity. "He what? How so? What happened then?' No one spoke, which I hoped.

I looked at Debby and stayed very calm. 'Listen Debby, this is past okay? And I certainly don't want your brother to hear any of my stories!” She looked away. Then back to me.

"It's okay!" I knew she would tell her brother everything if he asked her about it. Dwayne whispered to her that she should drop the subject and maybe in time she would find out.

The day could only get worse and I was absolutely right about that. Just before our break was over, Steve looked stunned into his phone.

“Holy shit!” Kirsten sat next to him, checking his cell phone. For a moment she was completely fixated on what she was reading.

Dan laughed at the two. "Reading the school tabloids again?" Dwayne explained to Debby. 'Our school has some anonymous press writers. They have their own website "Flash" where all rumours, news and all other unimportant things are posted! It's so uninteresting!' Jane then grinned at Debby too. »Nevertheless, there are enough idiots here who believe this lying press! Any idiot can send in something via the site and the rumor doesn't even have to be true!« Debby nodded gratefully for the clarification and at that moment Kirsten and Steve looked at me with a very sad look.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Steve started to explain but couldn't get a word out. Dan snatched the cell phone from his hand and he quickly scanned what was there.

Jane read along and she too was flabbergasted at what she found. "Why do people do this? That's pure envy!« I typed around on my cell phone myself, finally knowing what was going on, and read it out loud:

»» Jayden Hanson was spotted with an unknown girl!

Until now it is not clear who the girl is.

They were spotted together at the fair. Afterwards in »Heaven«!

Someone must be changing the girls at his side like his underwear!«...«

Among them I found a totally badly photographed picture. Jayden and I on the ferris wheel. But they didn't recognize my face because his head was right in front of it. Yes, it was the exact moment we kissed.

Steven quickly told me that I shouldn't read any further. I was stunned. "It's still going on?" Then I was told that you could comment below it and a few had done so and they weren't really nice .

Before I could continue reading my shit, Dwayne snatched my phone out of my hand. He picked it up and said I would get it back on the way home, then it disappeared into his pocket. I was pissed off that he did that and totally appalled that people could deal with such topics on the internet. I would love to know who published such reports and, above all, who also made their nasty comments about them.

I got up, the break was almost over and I went on my way. I heard footsteps behind me. "Joey, wait..." Debby followed me. She walked silently next to me at first but I knew it wasn't going to stay that way. "My brother really was an idiot the other night, but what it says isn't true!" We went to our next classroom and were the first.

"I don't care!" That's all I could get out.

Debby sat next to me in the middle row by the window. “No, it's not Joey! ...I don't know what your problem is with me, but I'm trying to explain to you that Jayden has never dated women! ...before you existed!! There never was a woman. He was never interested in it and was always around such stupid bitches that Craig used to drag. But such women are not his thing and never have been. ...I don't know what's between you and Jayden that makes you so attracted to each other. Really... I really don't know... When I look at Mike and compare him to Jayden, I don't understand what you like about Jayden! ...Or I just don't get it because he's my brother! ...But what I understand is...he has a crush on you! It must be something like love at first sight for you! ...And that Joey, ....is really not often!« I turned to her to be able to look at her. Her gaze was familiarly directed at me.

"I have nothing against you! ...I just had a shitty day!« The other students came in and shortly afterwards our professor.

natural sciences. It used to be my favorite subject, but Mike had always been a contributing factor. Now he is sitting diagonally behind us in the last row and I could feel his gaze on me. It was unbearable. I wasn't allowed to tell Dwayne that. He's always had something against Mike.

Mike was and always is the most popular cutie in the whole school and it wasn't just me who was after him. He was aware of the confirmation of the women and that's how he acted, slightly conceited, which I only realized after the separation. If I said something against Mike in front of Dwayne, he wouldn't hesitate to hit him again.

So I endured what felt like the longest hour that day and was generally happy when the day was over.