Fandom: Popular

Series: Three Times Table

Title: The Status of Quo - April

Author: Carla

Email: cmfloresfd@yahoo.com

**** The rest can be found in the first part ****

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Enjoy.

"What are you listening to?" May snatches my headphones and slips them on. "Is that Brooke?"

"Uh-huh" I go back to the book I’m reading, The Once and Future King, if I ignore her maybe she’ll go away. The last thing I need is May teasing me about you reading Dr. Suess for me. You made the tape for me last weekend and slipped it into my locker on Monday. I’ve been listening to it ever since.

" What’s she reading…it sounds vaguely familiar. The Lorax?"

"Yeah, now give it back, May." I grab my Walkman from her perpetually dirt-covered fingers and stuff the whole thing into my backpack.

"Doesn’t it bother you that she ignores you at school?"

"Shut up May. It’s not like we have classes together or anything."

"Oh please you two have been friends for more than a year. More than friends for almost three months and not once has she ever even acknowledged your existence. "

"That’s not true." It isn’t really. Sure you don’t go out of your way to say hello but on the rare occasion when our social paths cross you always acknowledge me. You address me by name. You say hello. Unless Nicole is around but then you’ve always been cowed by her on some level. Nicole unfortunately is around a lot. "Not really."

The next stop’s ours so I grab my bag and head for the exit leaving May with her annoying questions and insinuations to catch up with me. I’m about half a block away from school when I get the feeling that someone is watching me whereupon I promptly trip ass over teakettle much to the amusement of a group of guys standing by the gates to the parking lot. May helps me up and we walk the rest of the way into school together. Off to the side I see you heading my way and my heart begins to race, then Nicole drags you off to talk with some Neanderthal and I’m forced to realize the truth of what May has said. Forced to admit to myself that it hurts because now I really can feel your eyes on me, I know you saw me fall. You must know how much it hurts to have those boys tease me and surely you must know how much better I would feel if you just came over to me and asked me if I was okay. Don’t you know me well enough to know that?

When I go to my locker between second and third periods I find a note there from you asking me to come get you during fifth period chemlab. Briefly I consider ignoring your request but I know I won’t; after all it must be something big for you to even ask.

Fifth period is in session. The empty hallway seems to magnify the scuffling sound of my shoes as I walk past the chemlab, making sure to catch your eye through the window as I do so. Moments later you join me in the hall and grabbing my hand head for the Novack. You check all the stalls to make sure they are empty then drag one of the garbage cans to the door for use as a barricade.

"Brooke? B what’s going on?"

"I don’t have a lot of time, you know how Claw gets but I wanted to talk to you. Need to talk to you. How’s your hand, I saw you fall this morning." You take my hand in yours’ gently turning it over so you can look at my palm, all scraped up and red, and kiss it. "All better?"

"It’s nothing."

"When I saw…I wanted to…"

"I know, Nicole."

"I’m sorry. I…"

"I understand. Anyway it’s nothing." Your still holding my hand so I pull you towards me, into my arms and kiss you. A quick peck on the lips nothing more, I don’t really relish the thought of making out with you in a bathroom even one as well appointed as the Novack, but you have other ideas. You kiss me back, slip your arms around my waist drawing me even closer to you as you deepen the kiss.

"I love you April." You’ve said you love me before but never like this. Never like you’d do anything for me. Move mountains for me, call down the rains or hand me the moon and the stars, anything.

"Show me."

You have a slightly mischievous look in your eye as you bring your lips down on mine for another kiss. "I will later." You shove the garbage can back to where it was originally before washing your hands while I stand somewhat dumbfounded in the middle of the room.

"What do you mean you’ll show me later?"

"You’ll see. I had a good talk with Sam this morning. She showed me something about myself, about you and what you mean to me."

"And."

"And I’ll show you later." With that you’re out the door and headed down the hall to your lab.

By later I assume you mean at the library, where we’re supposed to meet after school like we have been for months. To say that I am surprised when you stop at my table in the cafeteria and talk to me for a few minutes is an understatement worthy of a Zen master. When you leave I turn to see May and the others, Freddie, Emory and that new freshman who just joined the chess club, staring at me. So is half the cafeteria actually and then from across the room I see Sam leaning back in her chair a self satisfied smirk on her face and I think I understand. When she winks and gives me a thumb up I know. This is what you talked about, this is what you wanted to show me this is how I know you love me.

"Guess I was wrong, huh?" May whispers as she nudges me with her shoulder.

"No you were right. But things change." I look at back at Sam and wink. "Remind me to thank Sam okay?"

"Umm sure. Thank her for what?"

"Just remind me, okay?"