Chapter 35- Nia

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"Are you going to get your prom dress today?" Marcus asked as he walked me to gym.

"Yeah, hopefully I find something." We weaved through the other students keeping our hands locked together. I had looked at some dresses online last night but I couldn't find anything that would ship in time. So Maya, Tasha, and I are going to look for one after school.

"I'm sorry I asked you so last minute," he apologized.

"I transferred at the end of a semester, Marcus. No matter when you would have asked me it still would have been last minute." We approached the gym and I saw Lavender talking to a girl with a light blue pixie cut. I've never seen this girl before maybe she's new like me.

Wait, is that Stacy?

"Stacy?" I said walking up to them. "Your hair!"

She blushed instinctively touching it. "I know, I may have cut too much."

"No, I love it!" Her once waist length hair was cut into a short pixie hair style and she stayed true to her word and dyed it a pastel blue. She looked like the tooth fairy, all she needed was a pair of wings.

"I'm so jealous," said Lavender. "That's it, I'm chopping my hair off."

"No,you're not," Stacy and I said in unison.

"Fine, I'm not," she huffed, folding her arms against her chest. "But I'm going to think about it."

"I like your hair," Marcus complimented Stacy. "It looks nice."

"Thanks, Marcus."

Lavender sighed, staring at her hair dreamily. "So short, so rebellious."

Like her black lipstick and excessive collection of black platform boots and chains isn't rebellious enough.

"It looks like you guys are going to be boxing again," Marcus pointed out. We all looked through the glass doors at Coach as he brought out the box of boxing gloves and sparring mitts.

"Yes!" Lavender said excited. "You know I think I've finally found my favorite gym activity."

"It's too bad you only have a few weeks left in the class," said Stacy. "Maybe you can take it again next semester."

Lavender laughed. "Yeah, right. After this semester I'm never taking another gym class again."

"Me either," I agreed. The bell rang and it was time for Stacy and Marcus to go to class. Marcus gave me a kiss on my forehead, before leaving to go to class.

"Bleck!" said Lavender. "You two make my stomach hurt." I smiled at her not letting her comment ruin my mood. "I thought you were happy for me."

She sighed. "It's hard being a supportive friend."

I put my arm around her. "Oh, bless you, Lavender. You're the sweetest."

"Would you keep your voice down," she shrugged off my arm. "You're going to ruin my rep as a hard ass."

I laughed hysterically. "Oh, I don't think anyone is going to think you're anything but a hard ass."

She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "They better not."

****

    "Crystal, can you stop touching my hair please," Stacy asked Crystal who was currently running her fingers through her hair.

"I'm sorry, I just can't help it. It's so soft and pretty," she said still touching it. "I wish I could dye my hair as much as you and it still be this healthy."

Stacy leaned away from her. "I think I'm going to keep it this way for awhile. I like it this color."

"Ugh, I wish you would have cut it this short sooner," said Crystal. "I'm so glad you did it when Whitney wasn't around. She totally would have tried to talk you out of it." A sudden dread came over the table when she brought up Whitney's name. It was easy for me to forget that she even existed these last few days, you know out of sight out of mind. But it's only a matter of time before I  have to see her again.

I cleared my throat. "Is Whitney back at school?" I'd heard that she had flown to Paris to get a prom dress on her family's private jet. If going to Paris to get a prom dress wasn't boujee enough the private jet really threw it over the top.

"Oh, I heard that she was, but I haven't seen her," Crystal responded, fidgeting with the gold necklace that hung from her neck. "She hasn't called or texted me. She's probably mad at me for sitting with you guys, not that there's anything wrong with you guys," she added quickly, "It's just she..."

"She keeps her on a short leash," Nick said granting him a smack in the chest from Crystal. "Ow!" he said rubbing his chest.

"Haha!" Sam laughed. "You got in trouble."

"But how would she know you were sitting with us?" I asked.  "She's not here."

"Oh, she probably has one of her minions from junior varsity watching us," Stacy said taking a sip from her water. "They're so far up Whitney's ass, they'll do anything to get in her good graces. Even if that means stalking people they don't know for her."

Stalking.

"She would be the person to have minions," Lavender said. I find it hard to believe that she's here and none of us have seen her, but East Chapel is also a gigantic school with hundreds of kids. And so many of the girls try to imitate Whitney's look,maybe we have seen her and we just didn't know it was her. A part of me was hoping that she wasn't here, and that she had flown to Paris on her big stupid private jet and loved it so much that she decided to stay there.

No such luck, I guess.

Marcus walked me to my class after lunch. "I'll meet you after practice," I said to him.

"In the library?" he asked knowingly.

"Of course." One of his dark curls fell on his forehead. I brushed it away with my finger tips.

"I should probably get a haircut before friday," he said. "It's getting out of control."

    "Maybe if you let it get long enough E.J will let you borrow his scrunchie."

    He laughed. "Yeah, right. He'd rip my hand off."

    "Ah, I'll just have to give you one too," I said sweetly. "I can't have you two fighting."

    "I could take him."

    I patted him on the shoulder, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

***

"Hi," Thomas said awkwardly standing next to my desk.

"Hi," I replied not looking up from my computer screen. We hadn't talked since what he said about Marcus, and even though I'm not as mad as I was before it was still a shady thing to say.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked. I looked at him for the first time since he got here. He had his school blazer draped over his arm and a worn Pac Man t-shirt on. His large frames sat low on his nose.

"Why would I be mad?" I said knowing exactly why I should be mad.

"Because I'm a pretentious jerk who constantly puts his foot in his mouth."

"I'm not going to disagree with that," I told him. "Is this your way of apologizing?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I am sorry, Nia. I didn't mean to offend you or," he cleared his throat, "Marcus. I was just being a dick for no reason."

Well, who wouldn't be able to forgive him after that amazing apology. "Fine, I'll forgive you."

"Thank you," he smiled. "But I'm not finished."

    "Oh, really?"

    "Yes, really," he responded, pulling two new issues of the newspaper from under his blazer. "One for you, and one for Marcus. Everyone should have a copy of their first by line."

    "Wow, thanks, Thomas." I was just going to pick up my copies tomorrow, but now I don't have to.

    "The photos look good," he complimented.

    "Even for a football player?" I asked jokingly.

    He threw his hands up defensively. "You said it not me." I rolled my eyes at him. "But he's talented," Thomas went on. "He should take photos for us more often."

    "I'll let him know you said so." I can't wait to give him a copy after school.

    I was unapologetically looking at prom inspo on pinterest, but I didn't feel bad because the whole next issue was going to be about prom so I had nothing else to do. Thomas looked down at my computer screen seeing my level of productivity for the day.

    "So you're going to prom?" he asked.

    "Yes," I responded. "Are you?"

    He shrugged. "I haven't made any permanent plans yet."

    "Do you not have a date?"

    He chuckled, "No, I don't, but that doesn't matter." I find that hard to believe. Thomas is cute, and he's nice. At least when he doesn't have his foot in his mouth. I can't believe he doesn't have a date. "I might stop by anyway. It is my senior prom."

    "I think you should go. It'll be fun."

    "If you say so."

    "Thomas, can you come take a look at this?" Mr. Hobbs said from his desk. "I can't seem to get this stupid computer to work."

    Thomas sighed pushing his glasses up. "Silly old man can never get his computer to work," he said under his breath. "I'll be right there, Mr. Hobbs! Good luck with your, uh, work."

    "Thanks." I went back to pinning my heart away.

    I climbed the steps to the second floor of the library, to Marcus and I's "place" as we were calling it now. The rest of class was boring, I just spent it on the computer and texting the girls about our after school plans.

    I reached our place and I saw Marcus standing in front of the window seat, but he wasn't alone.

    Whitney was there.

    She had her arms around him, and his hands were on her hips.

    It was like I was paralyzed I couldn't speak or move; all I could do was stand there and listen to them.

    "I can't wait until you see my prom dress," she said to him. "You're going to love it."

    "Whitney," Marcus started to say but she placed her finger to his lips.

    "I've missed you," she said getting closer to him. I felt the bile rising in my throat. Oh my God, please don't.

    She leaned forward, and kissed him. I wanted him to push her away so bad, but he didn't.

    I gasped and it was only then that he knew I was even there.

    "Nia," he stepped towards me, but I couldn't stand there any longer. I rushed down the steps and ran into the hallway.

    My heart was racing, I can't believe he would do this. I trusted him.

    I stopped in front of the front doors taking a second to catch my breath.

    "Nia!" Marcus called from behind me.

    I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand before turning to face him. "Please just leave me alone."

    "I didn't kiss her," he insisted.

    "But you didn't pull away," I said. "And you literally had your arms around each other, and you can't say you didn't because I saw you. Was this just some weekend fling for you? Was I just someone for you to be with while Whitney was a way?"

    "No,no, of course not," he stammered. "You're my girlfriend."

    "You weren't saying that when Whitney had her tongue shoved down your throat."

    He ran his hand over his face. "I don't know what's going on."

    "Well, don't call me when you figure it out." He called after me as I walked outside but he didn't follow after me. Thank God, because I was one look at his face away from breaking down into tears.

    I slammed the door as I got into Maya's car.

    "Great, you're here! I've already made a list of boutiques we can go to to find your prom dress. Now I'm going to warn you they may be picked over," Tasha sighed. "Since we're getting things a little last minute considering prom is this weekend."

    "We don't have to go anymore," I sniffled.

    "What?" Maya asked confused.

    "Nia, what's wrong?" asked Tasha.

    "I saw Marcus kissing his ex-girlfriend," I choked out. The image of them kissing played on repeat in my head, and it just made me cry even more.

    "Fuck," Maya said under her breath.

    "Oh, I'm sorry babe," Tasha said putting a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Men are trash."

    I sniffled, "Can we just leave?" I wiped at my tears, but they just kept coming faster and faster.

    "Of course." Tasha reached forward and laced her fingers through mine as I cried on our way home. I felt a heart shattering pain in my chest, I feel so stupid.

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