Chapter 8
The last couple of classes went by in a blur. The few times my mind actually seemed to regain concentration, It would solely focus on Wes. Mr. Bryce even scolded me in the middle of Economics. "I'd ask you to answer number seven, but know for a fact it'd be wrong. Pay attention, Flora." In his defense, I hadn't been listening to him at all. But nonetheless his tone was strict and curt. It would have bothered me more if I actually cared.
And I would've cared if Wes wasn't all that seemed to occupy my mind. I thought maybe the emotions would fade overtime. I've never been more wrong.
When the bell rang, I left almost as quickly as I had left English. I could feel the stares from the other students as I speed-walked out the door.
Elena was talking to Janet and saw me as I walked out. "Ready to go to the bus?" Elena said. I nodded and began walking beside Elena, with Janet to her left. I zoned out for a little while. It wasn't like they were putting in any effort to involve me into their conversation, anyway.
"Flora!" I looked up, finding Dylan walking toward me, moving through the passing students. "Are you ready for tomorrow? You're sitting next to me in the car." Dylan said, his complete focus on me. "Sure." I mumbled. I wasn't really in the mood to talk to Dylan.
He must've either dismissed my response or chose to ignore it completely because he didn't hesitate to continue. "We should go to the movies after the food court. Wait- that might be a bad idea. What do you think, Flora?" I shrugged. "Whatever works for everyone else."
Dylan tilted his head slightly. "You okay?" I nodded. "Just tired." It wasn't a total lie. I truly was exhausted. Mostly my energy was going towards thinking about Wes. When I'd see him again, what he was going to do next. I zoned out far more in class than I'd care to admit, and I'm usually always paying attention to when the teacher is teaching, as boring as that sounds.
"I get what you mean. Get some sleep, though. You've gotta be prepared for the mall tomorrow," Dylan said happily. He then began walking ahead of us to go talk to some other people, most likely another friend group of his which didn't surprise me. He's pretty outgoing from what I've seen.
As we finally got to the main doors, I immediately began looking around for Wes. Unexpectedly, Elena let out an almost annoyed sigh from beside me.
"Okay, Flora. I get it. You're new here, and you like Wesley. About every girl here has liked him at some point. But he's not good for you. I've tried getting you to start to like Dylan. It's working, too. Spend more time with him at the mall. Get to know Dylan better."
I looked at her, slightly shocked she knew my thoughts immediately when I looked around. When I didn't say anything, she continued.
"At first, it was kind of sweet. Like a small crush. I'm warning you beforehand, stay away from Wesley. Stay away from his little group. They only seem harmless on the outside. Please, just try to forget about him. Before this whole thing escalates."
I felt a mix of anger and shock go through me. Though it would be a lie to say I didn't feel at least a slight bit upset. Elena was just being honest. Plus Wesley was causing me trouble. But he'd occupy my mind no matter what. I don't know if there's anything that can change that.
"Yeah... thanks, Elena," I muttered. Elena shrugged. "Just trying to help, friend. You'll get over him eventually," she said a bit more cheerfully.
"I hope so," I said softly. Elena smiled and began jogging ahead of me toward our bus. I purposely stayed behind. Against my better judgement, I began looking around for him. My heart sank when I realized just how crowded it was, and how Wes was probably already on the bus.