Page 45 of Searching for Beautiful
m to fight for me.
“Yeah, I guess,” he says. “Just be careful, okay?”
“We’re just friends, Dad,” I reiterate.
“Okay. I’ll see you after school. ” With that, he turns and walks away. Setting my brush down, I look in the mirror one more time. Take a couple deep breaths and then head for the living room. Dad is walking out the door, leaving Christian standing right beside it.
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those girls who takes three hours to get ready every day? If so, I might have to rethink this whole carpool to save the universe thing. ”
His words break the tension I didn’t even know I felt. “We’re saving the universe?”
“Carpooling. You know, decrease the amount of smog and all that. ”
“What I meant is this is news to me. ” I walk farther into the room. This friendship thing is easier than I thought it would be. I wish I’d tried it earlier.
He actually rolls his eyes at me. “I’m ashamed of you, Bryntastic. Here I thought you cared about the environment. ”
“Whatever. You hardly seem like an environmentalist, but I’ll play along. You know, for the universe and all. ”
“For the universe,” he says and tosses a gummy bear at me. “We’ll eat on it. ” I catch it and plop it into my mouth. “Oh, and you drive tomorrow. ”
I think I can handle that. I might even like it.
…
I feel like I’m in Twilight. Yes, the movie, the sparkling vampire. When Christian and I pull up at school together and get out of the car, people watch us. I admit it’s not everyone. Christian isn’t putting his arm around me and telling me we’re going to hell, but it’s still too similar for comfort. What was just an easy ride to school is now a million eyes on me. Looking…wondering.
Or maybe I’m just being paranoid.
“People are—” I cut myself off because I almost just became Bella. “Are we interesting or something?”
“What are you talking about?” Christian swings his backpack on his shoulder.
“People are looking at us. ”
“Maybe it’s because we’re hot. ” I whip my head toward him. “What?” he asks all innocently. “We are. But I think you’re trippin’ out. No one gives a shit what we’re doing, which is just walking into the school, by the way. ”
It sounds so simple when he says it. Everything is so easy for him. He doesn’t get it, but then I remember what he said—what his mom said—and I remind myself things aren’t always easier for him. He just deals with it differently.
We separate when we get inside the building. The morning goes by just the same as every morning does.
I’m at my locker at lunchtime when something pushes into the back of my knees, making them buckle slightly. “Wha’cha doing, Bryntastic?” Christian asks.
Butterflies dance in my belly, making me wonder how and when I can get him back. “Since it’s lunchtime, I’m thinking about eating. I don’t know, it’s a tough call. ”
“Wow. She has a sense of humor? I never would have known. ” He winks. “Where are you eating?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. ”
The halls are starting to clear out by now, people either flooding the cafeteria or the quad for the forty-five minutes of freedom. Christian slides down the lockers and sits on the floor by my feet. For the first time, I notice he has his guitar with him. “I feel like playing. Let’s eat here. ”
He crosses his legs, his fingers lost on the strings in no time, leaving me feeling silly just standing there, so I grab my lunch bag, close my locker, and sit next to him.
He plays more.
And I eat.
Another song.
