Then You Came Along

Chapter 15

The new week starts with Lana and me, not on speaking terms. She ignores me when she sees me and makes a turn going the other way. She refuses to talk to me and doesn't answer my text. I also start getting offended and stop trying. I get that I yelled at, her but I believe she should understand the situation more. Shawn is still with me, for Christ's sake. Why would I want to throw him out to the fire? She wouldn't have known if she didn't catch them doing their drugs, and everything would have continued as usual. Minding our business is the best approach. I have nothing to hide but being investigated alongside them does nothing good to my rapport.

Lana isn't with the gang either. She has somehow turned into a lone wolf and is just spending her time alone, sitting alone in the cafeteria and walking alone. She didn't even come to the store again.

I feel bad and the fact that I miss her can't be hidden. I miss her so much I lose my appetite and my strength. It's like joy was sucked out of my life, and I am not my bubbly self anymore. In the month I have known Lana, she has turned out to mean so much to me. I literally wake up thinking about her and go to bed thinking about her. It's like I can't control it anymore. I wonder if Lana misses me too? If she does, can she come over to talk to me first? I'm such a coward.

I gradually start losing concentration in class and everything, and somehow my best friends notice.

"Annie, are you okay?" Giddy asks, snapping his fingers in front of my eyes to take me out of my thoughts and back to reality.

I startle and look around, thinking that the class is still going on, but then the teacher isn't by the board anymore, the class isn't quiet anymore, and students are filing out or packing their bags. "Oh."

"You didn't even notice the class was over?" Pen says, sitting on the seat in front of me after turning it around, so she's facing me.

"I didn't," I sigh in defeat and start packing my books.

"What's wrong?" Giddy asks, and I force out a fake smile.

"Nothing?"

"Lair," he calls me out.

"Did you and Shawn fight? You look like you just got your heart broken." Pen states as the ever-observant mom she is.

I sigh deeply. "Shawn and I didn't, but Lana and I did."

"Lana?" She asks, adjusting her glasses on her nose. I nod in affirmation.

"Yeah, I wanted to ask what happened. You guys are no longer glued to each other anymore. I noticed," Giddy says, then adds. "In fact, the whole school did. It's like Lana has been ostracized or something."

I feel the tears fighting to come from the back of my eyes, and I push them back. "We fought."

"About what?" Pen asks.

"The main question is, why are you this affected?" Giddy cuts in.

I stare at him. "Lana is my friend."

"Just your friend?"

My eyes go wide, and I try and fail to control my expression. What does Giddy know? My heart starts beating like a deer in headlights.

"Giddy," Pen smacks him. "What are you saying?"

"Annie is behaving like there's more. Like she and Lana are more than friends, I found it suspicious even when you guys were still friends. You talk more about her, and just the other day, you were asking about gay people," Giddy says like he's a wizard or mind reader.

My tongue feels heavy like I'm going to confess. I want to...

"What are you implying?" Pen asks him. "Annie is still with Shawn, remember? She can't have anything with Lana, she's not like that, and she wouldn't cheat."