Dear Journal,
So, I guess I have a tutor now. To be honest, I expected to just try and lie my way out of this. Not saying it was possible thanks to June. But, let a man dream. I have a feeling Thomas is going to do something insane. Well, I guess I'll see when we schedule something.
On a side note, I talked to Starla, and I guess she's coming to the party after the soccer game this week. I think everyone's coming, so I expected Starla and Katie to come. I don't know about JJ though; would it be mean to say I didn't want her to come. I know she's going to do something stupid, or worse, I will. I wouldn't be surprised if she did something humiliating, but is that something I want to go through? Nope.
Oh, I saw June last night. I didn't talk to her, but I did see her. Her and all her snake-like beauty. You know, sometimes I think she is a-
I stop writing when I notice a thin slip of paper between two pages in my journal. How did someone get inside my locker! I pull the piece out and read it.
Hey, you left this in Calculus yesterday. Oh, btw, meet me after school in the lab.
Thomas
I sigh, knowing at least it was one of my faithful friends. I hope he didn't read it. Oh god, if he read it. I shut my journal, not feeling like writing anymore. I slip it back into my locker, before walking over to Starla and Katie.
"Hey girls," I say, getting their attention. Katie smiles at me, while Starla just nods. "Where's Grey-Man?" Katie asks, peaking out of her book, just to glance at me. Katie looks at me with a worried look. "I saw his Instagram post, I heard he was in the hospital." She says, looking between me and Starla.
I looked at her, shocked. He would have texted me. "Wait, Katie. You're being serious?" I question, only for her to nod her head. I sigh in frustration, leaning against a random person's locker. "Dammit!" I yell as Starla and Katie looks at me, confused.
"What's wrong with you?" Starla asks, closing her book to give me her undivided attention. "Nothing, just nothing." Maybe he has an STD. I wouldn't be shocked. "Just worried." Or maybe something crazy, like cancer or something.
Katie walks over to me, giving me a side hug. "You know, you can talk to us about anything, right?" She says, looking up at me. I sigh, patting her head. "I know, I know." She lets go but doesn't leave my side. "Come on, Popcorn. Let's get to English." Starla says, waving at Katie, who waves back.
"She's probably right. Bye." I say, waving over at her. "Bye, Park." She says, smiling. I don't smile back this time.
"Don't even try me with that bullshit," Sara says from across the table. She took the spot that Grey-Man always sat in, which feels kind of weird, but we don't say anything. "Come on, just believe, it will happen." Thomas tries to persuade, which he is failing very badly.
"That's some wishing on a star shit, and not going to hate on your good boy shtick, I'm hating on it," I say, only for him to laugh. "Oh, come on, just give it a try." He says, before taking a sip of his chocolate milk. Strawberry is way better.
"So, wait. If I believe in something, it will happen?" Jonathan says skeptically from his side of the table. "Well, basically, yeah," Thomas says. Starla sniffs for a second, before cupping her hands to her mouth to yell, "I smell bullshit!" We all laugh.
"Is this what they teach you at the Youth's Center for Dumb Children." Sara mocks, as Thomas rolls his eyes. "That's not what it's called." He says, before leaning his elbow on the table. "It sounds about right too-" I stop in my tracks, as all six of us hear buzzing coming from my phone.
I hold my finger up to silence them, as I grab my phone, looking at the caller I.D. I gasp. Thomas, curious, looks over my shoulder to see read the caller I.D for himself. "Grey-Man," Thomas says in shock as everyone's eyes go wide. "Answer it!" Starla yell and everyone glares at her, as I answer the call, stepping out of the cafeteria in the process.
"Hello?" I say, wearily, hoping to even get an answer. I get a soft, "Hey, Popcorn." In return, and I smile. "Hey, Man. What the hell happened to you?" I ask as I hear shuffling from the other side of the call. "Uh, you know normal stuff. My parents found out." He says simply, and I kick a small pebble from the outside of the cafeteria.
"Found out about what?" Silence. "Grey-Man, what's wrong? What's up with you?" I ask, half curious, half worried. He never asks like this. "I uh, they found about the uh," He stops- more shuffling. "They found out about the vape, Popcorn." I groan, leaning my head on the white brick walls. "I told you this would happen." I softly scolded.
"But you just had to be the fucking cool kid who vaped, didn't you?" I said, rubbing my free hand over my face. "Do you want me to come see your dumbass," I said as I heard a sigh on the other end. "No man, my pops probably wouldn't let you in." He said, chuckling a little. "You sure man?" I ask as I heard the bell ring, signaling the next period. "Naw man, I know you have school. I'll see you when I see you, ok?" He asks as I start to see people walk out.
"Yeah, ok."