I collected all of my classwork and left school before the bell rang. Jon was already outside, leaning against his car with a frown on his face.

"You look upset," Jonathan said as I approached him.

"Tell me about it," I sighed. "What about you? Why do you look like someone smashed your camera?"

Jonathan held out a flier to me.

I read it and laughed. "Come and get sheet faced? You're going to a party?"

"Nancy said I should go." Jonathan responded.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Her and Steve are gonna be Sandy and Danny from Grease. She said I had to get out more, live a little, in her words."

"She's not wrong," I stated, sliding into the passenger seat.

Jonathan hopped in and we waited in the car for Will.

"I met the new student today," I began.

"Oh yeah? How'd it go?"

I let out a long sigh, I could feel my eyes shoot daggers.

"He's such a dick. He literally took up the whole day because he kept on flirting with me and then saying stuff about me. Then Rachel was all over him, and he thought I was jealous of her. Overall, not a good time. But, hey at least I got out of class."

"You left me all alone at lunch though," Jonathan chuckled.

My eyes widened. "Why didn't you say anything? You could have totally stopped me from having to look after the hot jackass."

"It's fine. I stayed with Jacob from my journalism class. We have a research essay due in a few days," Jonathan shrugged. Then he turned to me and smirked. "So the new guy was hot, huh?"

I felt my face go tomato red.

"He was nice to look at, that's all. A talker and a looker but no brains I fear," I told him.

Jonathan just smirked, "Sure he is."

We drove home listening to a mellow song. I let the calm wash over me and relaxed, watching the autumn trees pass by.

Neither Dustin or my mom was home when Jonathan pulled into the driveway.

"That's odd," I muttered.

"Well, it is a lab day. Usually they hang out at the arcade until it's late," Jon says.

We walked into the house and I turned on the lights.

"Do you want to finish your papers and then watch a movie?" I asked just as Jonathan spoke up.

"Do you think Nancy and Steve are actually happy together?" He questioned a bit louder than me.

I paused. "Why do you ask that? They seem happy."

Jon sighed, "I don't know. I just always feel like they're becoming faker by the day. Nancy has this look in her eyes like, well, I don't know how to describe it."

"Like she's tired of pretending?" I offer.

"Yes! When they're together, she shuts up and doesn't talk. It reminds me of my brother sometimes. Will has this look in his eyes, like the thousand yard stare. Like he's remembering things, and then he snaps back to reality."

"We've been through a lot. Can you blame her? We lost Barb, and now Nancy has to live with what she knows. It doesn't help that she insists on having dinner with her parents every so often."

I felt tears in my eyes but quickly blinked them away.

"I think I will go to that party. You should come too, we do need a break," Jon said suddenly.

"Yeah, a party sounds nice," I agree.

We went back to our homework in silence after that.

No more tears fell.