- P A S T -

“I really like your top,” Isabelle commented as we walked through along the path to the quadrangle, the trees surrounding us on either side.

I looked down at my jumper. It was a dark grey sweater with white Christmas-like patterns  around the hem. The drawstrings that came out of the hood fell to my waist and a pocket covered the lower middle of it. I’d had it for a couple of years; I didn’t see what was so nice about it.

“Uh, thanks?” I said as a question, looking at her with a doubting expression.

Her laugh rang into the cool air as we entered the quadrangle. There was a big oak tree in the centre with benches all around. It was deserted except for three boys laughing at the table closest to the trunk of the tree.

“No, really. It looks really comfy,” she nodded in confirmation which made me smile. Isabelle seemed like the type of girl who was really into fashion, but I knew she wasn’t. Even from that comment it was obvious. Fahsionistas would always comment on the cut, colour or style, but Izzy just said that it looks comfortable. I was glad. I struggled to deal with those types of girls. 

Isabelle led me across the grass to the table where the boys were still laughing. Dave and Leo sat on one side of the table, their looks completely contrasting; Dave with his black hair and grey eyes and Leo with his blonde, surfer hair and blue eyes. Opposite them was Isaiah, who was looking at me with a welcoming grin.

“Hey, Lena!” He greeted, patting the seat beside him. I slid onto the bench while Izzy sat opposite me, next to Dave. No one seemed surprised by my arrival and their conversation flowed, not stopping for me which I was grateful for. Although both boys opposite me smiled in greeting.

“Oh, I forgot to ask,” Isabelle said, turning her attention to Dave beside her. “How did Elise do with her piano recital? She hasn’t answered my texts yet.” A pout covered her face while a smile lit up Dave’s. Not that I had any idea what they were talking about.

Isaiah must have noted my confusion as he leaned in so that his lips were close to my ear. “Their families are real close and Elise is Dave’s sister,” he explained. I nodded in thanks.

“She did really well,” Dave responded, fiddling with a leaf he picked up off the table. “And she lost her phone so that’s why she hasn’t responded. But I’ll tell her you asked.”

“You won’t need to,” she said, tilting her head to the side. “I’m coming over tonight for tea. Remember?”

“How could I forget?” Dave asked, pinching her cheek playfully. If there was one thing that was obvious, it was that they were super close. They could have easily been mistaken as a couple.

The wind picked up and sent a burst through the barren quad, sending leaves floating through the air.

“Hey Iz,” Dave said, brushing his black hair out of his eyes. “Didn’t you want to ask everyone something?”

“Oh yeah!” She exclaimed, with a bright smile. “I was wondering if you guys wanna hang out on Saturday? It’s meant to be nice weather so I was thinking about going to the café on the river and just chill along the beach.”

I didn’t think I was really invited so I kept my mouth closed, as always. My attention turned to Isaiah who had started to speak beside me.

“I’m definitely in. Are we gonna swim as well?” He asked, his green eyes dancing with excitement.

“Well you guys can but I’m not going to,” Isabelle responded, even though it sounded like she wanted to swim. Maybe she couldn’t.

“Yeah I’m coming too, of course,” Dave added, thrumming his fingers on the wooden table.

“Me too,” Leo said, nodding his head in confirmation. I had no doubt that he’d go swimming, being the surfer guy that he was.

“What about you Lena?” Izzy turned her attention to me, her hazel eyes hopeful. I didn’t think I was a part of this and as much as it scared me to do something new, I nodded. I couldn’t disappoint such a hopeful face.

“Great,” she grinned. “This is going to be fun.”

I sure hoped so.

We spent the rest of lunch sitting at the table talking; well, they talked while I listened. The topic was universities, which everyone was starting to think about. We only had a month until our exams and then we would apply.

Leo was the first one to talk, saying that he wasn’t interested in university and would much rather get a job locally so that he could focus on his surfing.

Dave and Izzy both wanted to go to the same university in Melbourne, meaning that they would probably stay here and catch the train up every day.

Isaiah was going to the local university because he wanted to hang around his brother, which only raised more questions for me. The way he talked about his brother made them sound very close and the fact that he never mentioned parents made me curious. But I didn’t ask.

The bell rang which saved me from answering. I knew exactly where I wanted to go but I hadn’t told my mum yet. I wasn’t about to tell anyone else.

Isaiah walked me back to my locker and we talked all the way back. As every day progressed I found myself starting to trust him, which isn’t something I did very often. I don’t know what it was about him, but I was comfortable around him.

I was grinning at him until we got to my locker. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Anna at her locker. At least I thought it was Anna, but this girl looked nothing like my best friend. Her orange hair fell in artificial curls down her back that was covered in a short halter top. Just. Below that she wore a skirt that hardly covered anything; and on her feet she wore killer heels that were unsuitable for anything, especially school. It seemed like she’d transformed overnight.

“Are you okay?” Isaiah asked, his voice a whisper in my ear. I didn’t know the answer to that so I didn’t respond. All I could think about was what the hell she was doing. She hadn’t responded to any of my texts, making me think she was sick. I had even contemplated going to her house after school to check on her.

What’s worse was that beside her was her new boyfriend, Jason. His hair was perfectly gelled into place and he wore those awful, mustard coloured pants and a white singlet, showing off his non-existent biceps.

“Wait, is that Anna?” Isaiah asked further in the same hushed voice, but it had turned to incredulity.

“I don’t know,” I told him honestly, shaking my head. I figured I had to get to my locker one way or another so I took a deep breath and walked forward, with a confused boy following close behind me.

“Oh my God, did you see what she was wearing?” My best friend’s voice sounded from only a few feet away, but it was clear she wasn’t talking to me. I had never heard her sound so… Fake.

“I know, babe,” Jason’s painfully high-pitched-for-a-guy voice replied, making me wince. “You looked so much hotter than she did.”

“Awh thanks bae,” Anna responded. The sound of her locker closing made me jump but I had to focus on getting out the one book that wasn’t already in my Japanese classroom. I couldn’t though, I had to see what the hell was going on.

I turned to face her, still standing by her locker even though she was done. She must have felt my eyes on her as she turned away from her boyfriend, her icy blue eyes narrowing at me.

“What are you looking at?” She asked, her voice sharp. Surely this was not the same girl I had known and been best friends with for two years. But it looked like her, sounded like her. It was her.

I couldn’t respond, I just stood there completely dumbfounded.

“Don’t worry, babe,” Jason said, snaking his arm around her waist with a smirk. “She’s just some loser, jealous of what you have and she so clearly doesn’t.”

Anna flinched slightly, giving me hope; hope that my friend was still in there somewhere. That hope evaporated as quickly as it materialised as her features turned sharp again, lips turning up into an unattractive grimace.

“I know,” she said, a cloud of arrogance surrounding her. With that, she turned and pranced off, her stupid boy toy attached to her like a leech.

What. The. Hell.

That was not the girl I had become friends with. She wasn’t the girl that I had sat with through her breakups, eating icecream and watching sad movies. She wasn’t the girl who had sat on the couch with me every time I got sick. She wasn’t the girl who I confided in. And she most certainly wasn’t the girl I’d had coffee with a mere two days ago.

I felt sick.

“Lena?” A voice snapped me back to reality. The hallways were empty except for me and Isaiah. I looked up into his eyes, filled with concern.

There was no way I could get through the rest of the day. I had to get out of here. Knowing Anna was here too made me feel even worse.

“I’m going home,” I managed to choke out, ripping my bag from my locker and slamming it shut. The sound echoed through the hallway, making me jump. I made a break for the double doors that led to the parking lot at the back of the school. I figured if I went there the teachers wouldn’t be able to see me leave and I could sneak away quickly.

Footsteps came running behind me after a moment and then Isaiah was at my side again. I wished he would just leave, so that I could deal with this the only way I knew how. Alone.

“Let me take you.” It wasn’t a question as it should have been, with no room left for arguments. I nodded.

With no further words he led me to his car and drove off. I directed him the short path back to my house in the silence. The radio wasn’t even on.

He pulled up into my brick driveway and turned the car off.

“Thanks,” I told him, keeping my eyes on my lap.

“Do you want me to keep you company?” He asked, his voice quiet.

Did I want his company? I wasn’t sure, but he shouldn’t have had to miss out on any school for me. So that’s what I told him.

“I don’t care about missing school. Do you want me to stay?” I looked up then. His face was filled with concern as he peered down at me. Did I want him to stay?

“Yes.”

“Good. Because I would have anyway.”

We got out of the car, the wind blowing goosebumps onto my skin. I used my key and unlocked the door, letting Isaiah walk ahead of me. I locked the door behind us and led him to the lounge room.

I would have curled up in a ball in bed and cried but I figured that wasn’t the best idea, so instead we went to the lounge room.

“Movie?” I asked, motioning to the huge chest beside the television, filled with movies. I closed the blinds and shut the door as Isaiah picked a movie. In the darkness I saw him lift one up and open the case, putting the disc in the DVD player. We both moved to the couch and I grabbed the remote controls, turning it on.

Music started to play as the title came onto the screen; 10 Things I Hate About You. Fitting, I thought.

I was grateful that Isaiah didn’t try to start up a conversation, he just sat with me like the good friend I was finding out he was.

After a few minutes the thoughts that were rushing through my head were starting to show on the outside, so I pulled the quilt from the end of the couch, curled into a ball – with my head on the arm of the couch and my feet near Isaiah – and let the tears flow freely.

I cried myself to sleep.