Page 20 of This is Me

“I think it’s just called a coffee machine, Pete,” Blaire stated with a wink before getting into the front passenger seat of my car.

Leroy let out a soft chuckle.

“What?” I questioned, moving toward the driver’s side of the car.

“Nothing,” he responded with a smile plastered on his face. A beautiful, bright smile that reached his eyes and illuminated his whole face, and it seemed Sam no longer existed.

God damn it.

“Nothing,” I mocked, tearing my eyes away from Leroy and shook the feelings away.

Though the feelings didn’t go away as I jumped in the car, and for the entire drive to school, I found myself looking in the rear-view mirror continually, just trying to get a glimpse of Leroy. The thought that it was starting to become an obsession crossed my mind on more than one occasion while I was driving, and I couldn’t find any way to counter it.

An obsession? It hadn’t even been a week since I’d started feeling something for Leroy, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about him and wanting to see him. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could continue to act normal around him and pretend like there wasn’t something going on. At the rate that I seemed to be developing feelings for him, it didn’t look like it would be for very long.

“Wait!” Blaire yelled after I had parked the car in the school’s parking lot, and she reached over me to lock the car doors.

“Blaire, what the hell?” I asked her and caught a glimpse of Andy and Leroy smiling sheepishly in the back seat.

“You haven’t said anything about yesterday,” Blaire said slowly, and I rolled my eyes.

“I was hoping guilt would eat away at you all.”

“Oh, it did,” Andy chimed in, giving Leroy a nudge. “This one almost had a stroke playing along with the prank.”

“You all suck,” I muttered, unlocking the doors and slipping out of the car.

“Do you want your presents now or at the party?” Blaire called out to me as she got out of the car, and I opened the boot.

“That depends. Did everyone stick to the gift card rule?” I asked, grabbing my bag out of the boot of my car and moving back so the others could get to theirs.

“Sure did,” Leroy said with a smile, slinging his bag over his shoulders, and I looked around to see Andy and Blaire nod.

Our group had a simple rule when it came to birthdays. The only gift we are allowed to get each other is gift cards. Unless the recipient is with you when you’re purchasing the gifts. It stops many unwanted presents from being bought.

“You can just leave them in my room at the party. You’ve soiled the receiving ceremony.”

Tagging along with our gift card rule, was a small ritual we held on each other’s birthdays. The receiving ceremony—which is where the gifters get to throw their purchased gift card at the receiver. Like ninja stars.

“What? Pete!” They whined as I closed the boot of my car and began walking toward the school.

“Nope. You all ruined it.”

A few more mumbles and groans later, we stepped inside the school.

“Alright, losers, let’s do this!” Leroy yelled as we slowly walked down the school's hall toward the large staircase at the other end, causing a few people to stare at our group.

“I’d rather not,” Blaire mumbled, and I gave her a slight nudge and smile.

“I’ll see you all at lunch, except you, Pete, I’ll see you in maths!” Leroy stated cheerfully, giving everyone in our group a smile, which we all returned.

“Oh, yay,” I drooled sarcastically, and Leroy’s smile became brighter, before he turned off from the main hallway, toward his homeroom.

I continued to look after him until a wall obstructed my view, and I turned my attention back in front of me to watch where I was walking.

“See you soon, Blaire.” Andy gave her a slight wave as Blaire veered off and into her homeroom, leaving just myself and Andy walking to our shared homeroom.

“So, the party tonight…” Andy trailed off as we both walked into our homeroom and sat down in one of the back corners of the class.