You'd Better Hide the Bullets

As I walked into school, beginning the first day of my second last semester at high school something felt different. It felt like everything was light, no tensions or anyone staring at me. Maybe people were finally getting used to me and accepting me here. I walked to my locker and put my stuff in it, I noticed Patrick walk past me and up to his locker. I slammed mines shut and then walked over to him. "Hey Patrick, what's up?" I said cheerily.

"Hey." He said dryly. He quickly put stuff into his locker then shut it.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He just shrugged and began walking. "Are you sure?" I felt kinda strange, he was being extremely cold.

"I said I'm fine." He snapped at me.

"Hey, you've basically ignored me for a week, what's the deal?" I stopped him. He turned around and looked at me.

"Maybe it's not that I've ignored you for the past week but actually it's the fact you're too busy with your new friends to understand the fact I'm upset with you." He said quickly. I stared down at him with confusion written all over my face.

"I'm sorry I've been busy." I sighed, feeling super uncomfortable arguing with my best friend.

"Well you go and be busy somewhere else, thanks." He mumbled and walked away. I'm having the worst luck with friends right now.

I decided to go out to the bleachers where I usually sat with Pete but he wasn't there today, so then I walked around to the back of the school to where Mike and Vic would sit before school starts. When I turned the corner I noticed only Mike sitting himself. "Mike, what are you doing here alone?" I asked as I approached him.

He looked up at me and smiled softly. "Just enjoying the calm before the storm." He told me. I sat down next to him. I watched him pull out a pack of cigarettes.

"Since when do you smoke Mike?" I raised any eyebrow at him.

"I've always smoked, just kept it more of a secret." He shrugged, putting a cigarette into his mouth.

"Can I have one?" I asked him nicely. He passed one and the lighter after he used it. "Thanks." I mumbled as I took the first draw. "I've missed this." I laughed as I held the cigarette out in front of me to look at.

"So why are you round here?" Mike questioned.

"Patrick is angry at me and I can't find Pete. Not that you're my last resort I just thought maybe you could cheer me up." I laughed, feeling kinda sorry for myself.

"You're always welcome here man." He said blowing smoke out of his mouth. I nodded in understanding. "So how are you? I haven't spoken to you since New Years." Mike looked at me.

"Oh, yeah I'm okay. Things have been alright." I sighed. That's a huge lie but what can I do, I'm not here to dwell on it.

"Are you not like, really mad at Vic?" Mike questioned. I took another draw and blew the smoke out.

"Nah, he made his choice. Regardless of what I feel, he clearly wanted to be with Ali more than me so it's whatever. He's moving on and I'm happy for him." I lied. Mike gave me a look that said he knew I was lying but dropped it.

"As long as you're okay." He smiled, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and side hugging me.

"It is what it is." I smiled at him. "Anyway, it's been nice this past week. Since Ali doesn't trust me around Vic she's been hanging at your house for the last few days." I grinned at him.

"Yes and I have to deal with their shit. Honestly all they do is argue now. Honey phase is definitely over." He shook his head and finished his cigarette.

"That's unfortunate." I shrugged. He nudged me playfully and I began laughing.

"Speaking of the devil himself." Mike nodded into the distance. I looked towards where he nodded and noticed Vic stomping his way over to us. I finished my cigarette and threw the butt away.

Vic sat down in front of us, a total look of sadness on his face. "What's up with your face?" Mike asked his brother.

"I got detention already." Vic huffed. I couldn't help but giggle a little at his reaction, which gained me a glare from Vic.

"What did you do?" Mike laughed a little. Vic groaned and put his head in his hands.

"I kinda called the principle fat." He mumbled into his hands. Me and mike both looked at each other and grinned.

"Well that was a bit dumb." I couldn't help but laugh at his reaction to all of this. It isn't the way he usually reacts to getting into trouble.

"Well duh, I didn't do it deliberately." He said with a lot f sarcasm present in his voice.

"What happened then?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I honestly don't know. I accidental bumped into his car when driving into the parking lot and he got super pissed, told me I was gonna get in so much trouble and to go to his office then I kinda called him a fat asshole." Vic explained. Me and Mike both began laughing extremely loud. "Yeah thanks guys, laugh it up." Vic groaned.

"It's okay, you've been to detention a million times." Mike patted Vic's knee. Vic rolled his eyes and got up.

"You guys are useless." He walked off. Me and mike shrugged and then wen to class.

-

I walked into history and noticed Patrick was sitting in our usual seats. I sat down and got my books out of my bag, he didn't say a word to me. "Look what's your issue here?" I turned to look at him. He didn't say a word to me.

Jaime walked into the classroom and sat up at the back on his own as usual. "Nothing." Patrick said sharply. I just looked at him and shook my head.

"Okay then Patrick, you be that way. Get back to me when you decide to be a grown up about it." I mumbled to him, grabbed my books and bag and then went up to the back. I threw my stuff onto the desk and Jaime looked up at me as I sat down next to him.

"Do I even wanna know?" He asked raising an eyebrow. I just looked at him as if to say 'Don't ask.'

"Honestly so don with all of the bullshit I seem to be getting." I groaned as quietly as I could to stop Patrick from hearing me.

Ironic thing is that me and Jaime began hanging out everyday for the past week at the swing park. It just sorta kept happening. In the end I told him everything about my life in New York, why we moved and the whole deal about me going to private school. He was totally understanding and kinda shocked me with how nice he was suddenly being. "It's okay cherub, everything will be fine." He said playfully to me.

"I'm just so angry for some reason." I shook my head and opened my books. I began doing my work to distract myself from the anger I felt. What's his problem? Is this because of what happened with me and Alex? I'm sorry Patrick but that gives you no right to take it out on me. It's between me and Alex and everything is over. Finito. He needs to grow up.

"Do you know this answer?" Jaime asked me. I showed him my answer and he quickly wrote it down and mumbled a thanks.

Lunch rolled around pretty quickly, despite the constant reminder that my best friend is pissed off at me. I walked into the cafeteria as usual but was shocked to find Vic, Tony and Jaime sitting at my table. What the fuck? I walked over to the table and sat down in the seat between Mike and Vic. Patrick was across from me and he just gave me a funny look. "Okay did I miss something?" I raised an eyebrow looking around the completely full table.

"We decided that we are better off together." Jaime grinned at me from next to Patrick.

"How sweet." I smiled back at him.

Patrick looked at me and then at his sandwiches again. "Look Patrick can you stop being so angry at me, what the Hell did I do?" I scoffed at him. He looked up at me and then sighed.

"You cheated on Alex. He's one of my good friends and I just feel like you haven't really felt any remorse for it. You're better than that." Patrick said softly. I couldn't help but feel bad now.

"Look, it was between me and Alex. I spoke to him and apologised for everything. We aren't friends anymore but he accepted he apology. I felt awful for what happened, truly do but it can't spend my life feeling terrible for something that I can't change." I explained to him. He nodded and took another bite of his sandwich.

"Okay I'm over it, sorry for being an asshole." He said with a mouthful of ham sandwich. I couldn't help but laugh at his cuteness.

"It's okay." I rolled my eyes and got a can of Mountain Dew out of my bag and opened it.

"Oh I have a band I think you should listen to." Patrick said excitedly.

"What are they called!" I asked as I took a sip of my drink.

"Neck Deep. They're British." Patrick said kinda proudly. He knows I like British bands at the moment.

"Okay I'll check them out." I smiled.

"They're playing next week in the city, hence why I'm telling you. I wanted to see if you'd like to go since no one else likes them." He took another bite of his sandwich.

"How much are tickets?" I questioned.

"$15." He said casually.

"If I like at least two or their songs then I'll come." I told him, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and earphones. I went into Spotify and then searched Neck Deep. "Any suggestions of songs?" I asked.

"What did you expect and a part of me." Patrick informed me. I nodded and then clicked onto the first one. I put one earphone in and the song began playing. Suddenly Vic picked up the other earphone and then put it in his ear, listening to the song too. The lyrics sounded really good, the guitars and vocals were exactly how I like them to be. I'm very into pop punk at the moment.

I looked at Vic and noticed him bobbing his head along to the song, it made me smile a little at the sight. I then noticed Jaime watching us, an amused look on his face and then he winked at me. I felt my cheeks flush red and then I tried to hide my face a little. The second song came on and it was like an acoustic love song. It was amazingly beautiful. The only ironic thing about it was listening to it with Vic, whom seemed to completely tense up listening to the lyrics. Every single lyrics was just so fitting to the situation that was going on between me and Vic.

When the song ended Vic handed me the earphone back. "What did you think?" I asked him with a small smile on my face.

"Well, they're actually really good." Vic told me. I nodded in agreement.

"I'll join you Patrick." I smile at him, which made him smile even more.

"Would it be okay if I came too?" Vic asked, we both looked at him in shock.

"Umm sure?" Patrick said looking at me strangely.

"It's just, I like going to shows but these guys don't like going to some of the same bands as I do." He told us. I felt kinda bad for him.

"You're always welcome with us then." I wrapped my arm around his shoulder playfully and spoke to him like a mother would speak to her child. He swatted me away and we all laughed it off. For once it actually felt nice being in Vic's presence.

Notes

Sorry I didn't update last night, the ap awards were on and I was too busy crying over it. BUT TONY WON BEST GUITARIST!!!