OMC #15

"And then I made myself these tickets, ya know, and I learned from them, it helped a lot ..." Michelle kept talking, talking, she didn't even notice I didn't hear what she said.

My thoughts were still in the woods, with Jake.
"Caro?" Someone - I guessed it was Michelle - waved a hand before my eyes. "Do you hear me at all?"

In fact, I listened to her talk with one ear. "Huh?" I said, accidentally.
"Yeah, that's what I thought ..." Michelle muttered to herself, "I hoped that at least after when you two started dating, you would be more normal. No, you're still thinking about him. Jesus Christ!"

"Micha, have you ever been in love?" Cassie said suddenly, preventing further mutters from Michelle, and my answer as well.
"No, and not going to be," said Micha too fast and too sharp.

"And we pretend there's no Craig, right?" Chan said, continuing the topic, so I was grateful to her.
At least Chantal knows how I feel =)

Michelle didn't like neither this topic nor that it was directed to her. "I didn't like him at all!"
"Mhm, mhm," we all muttered secretly.

Strangely, Michelle didn't even start to disprove this, she just sat there and stared the table.
I knew that she still liked Craig...

"Well, Micha, no offense now," I said comfortingly.
And this time she really melted. Forgetting her normal being and other things, she sank on my shoulder.

"Is it like this predictable?" she asked silently, but we knew that question was directed to all of us.
"Well, you are an easier form of Caro," explained Alasia.

I chuckled at this comparing. Because of course she was right.
"Judas! I am?"

"She wanted to say that you don't babble about Jason so much," I explained.
"Neither ..." Cassie's mouth opened, but I quickly shook my head. I knew that Michelle should not have to know about 'the another'.

Fortunately, she was too obsessed with her problem, so she didn't notice. Ultimately, we had 15 minutes to our math test.
I chose to change the subject. "Did you study math? Don't answer it, Chan." I smiled at my girl friend.

"Yes, of course," She muttered, pretending to be offended.
"Wait a minute." I told Alasia, who had already opened her mouth, "Actually, I wish you would have studied. Who will help me then?"

I wasn't disturbed with the fact that our math teacher, Mr. Cobe, was in the class. He knew perfectly that the ones that sit in the first seats don't crib. And to the ones that sit in the last seats, he always says: "You will need it, not me.", which was, after all, true.

It brought Chan back from pretended nettled-being to happiness (which was not pretended) that was always with her.
And why she should not be happy?

"But," I raised my finger up. "I broke in on your talk."
"Well, there's not much to say. I went over formulas and this it was." said Michelle.

Alasia and Cassie were more crammer - they even did some exercises. So I was confident that they will get fives.
Always got.

***

This test was really easy..
We left the class, discussing the answers and the solutions when someone pulled me aside at the door. At first, I thought it's Jason, but I lost my bet, because Jake was standing in front of me.

"Hey,"
"Hey," I said, arranging my blouse, which had risen because of sudden inversion.

"What are you doing Saturday?" he asked suddenly.
"I have no plans yet..." I narrowed my eyes. "Why?"

"I have a party at my place..." He gave me the time to digest. "Interested?"
I thought for a moment. "Who else is coming?"

"This is a class party, so the most,"
"You've told them?" I asked, pointing at my girl friends.

"I wanted to tell you first, so you could ask them..."
I had decided. "It looks exciting, will be there,"

"Great," Jake showed perhaps too much enthusiasm, but I decided not to notice.
I winked. 'We're coming, I promise! "

***

"What did he want?" Alasia examined immediately, when I reached English class.
They overthink again.

"Party on Saturday, at Jake's place," I said raggedly.
"And since when do you get a special invitation?" Michelle asked, suspiciously.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I have no idea ... Well, what do you think?" I wanted to know their opinion faster, because I started to like parties lately and wanted to attend as much as possible.

"I'm going," said Alasia immediately.
Smiled at her. Sure she does.

"Me, too," Cassie was also in.
"Chan?"

"I doubt..."
"Oh, c'mon. You can attend at least one party?"

"What the hell will I do there? Look, how people get drunk and begin to behave outrageously? Or do drugs and smoke water pipe? Nonsense."
I rolled my eyes. Normal Chantal. Of course. What was I thinking about?

"Michelle?" Cassie said.
Michelle was thinking of something very intensely. I haven't seen her like this.

"We have an exam after all," she said finally.
"Maybe you should study earlier?" I suggested, even though I had to remind myself, that we have an exam on Tuesday. Clearly, we have two days to study, why to panic? "That's on Tuesday. You have two days."

"I don't know ..."
"Where do Jake live at all?" Alasia said.

"Not far from me," I said quickly, only realizing later how it sounded.
"And whence do you know?" Cassie asked, starting laughs.

"Facebook?" I suggested randomly. I really hope they are not stalkers.
"Haven't noticed,"'

Was lucky
"Well, what do you think then?" I asked again, starting to bounce around them.

"Some are really hyperactive." Analeigh said, joining the convo, "What's up?"
"Talking about Jake party,"

"Nah, I just wanted to tell you. How do you already know?"
"Jake told,"

"Ookkaayy," dragged Analeigh.
"You're coming, right?" I demanded a response from her, too.

"Of course! Who else will make the food?" Analeigh said thoughtfully, and with her usual enthusiasm.
"Yeah, sure," I agreed with her.