Your cock is beautiful – 13

I tried to force myself to relax as he left. Looking around, I realized no one else at any surrounding tables had even noticed the exchange. They’d been talking at a normal volume, but for some reason it had felt like they were shouting at each other. Two strong wills rising up and locking horns. Why did I feel so threatened, so afraid of their exchange? I guess I liked the idea of being superior to Mike, but seeing him in person had really put me on edge.

Mia watched him leave, then turned to me and shot me an almost apologetic look before looking away again. The silence stretched.

“What day is it?” said Becky suddenly.

“Thursday.” answered Stella in a monotone, without looking up.

“Shit! That History thing is for tomorrow, isn’t it?”she asked me, looking panicked.

“Uh, yeah.” I said.

“Fuck! I was going to go out tonight!” she moaned.

“Oh yeah, with who? Or did you forget to ask for his name?” asked Lissie, smiling.

“Shut up, you bitch.” Becky moaned, slumping down in her chair.

The conversation quickly moved on, Derek and Stella joining in. I was so confused by what had happened. Had I just imagined that entire exchange between Mia and Mike? Was it not worthy of some small comment? Everyone seemed just as relaxed as they had before, and the only difference I noticed was Stella shooting Mia a small, reassuring smile, which was returned.

Pretty soon lunch ended, and we all headed out to our lockers. Becky stopped by mine as she passed.

“So did you get that report done?” she asked, sighing.

“No.” I answered, “But then I was always planning to do it tonight anyway.”

“Oh yeah.” she said, laughing. “Well, later.”

She turned to leave.

“Wait.” I said quickly. “What was up with Mia and Mike today?”

“Oh right, I guess you don’t know what happened between them?” she asked, smiling.

“Well, I know a little bit. I mean, I know she broke up with him a while ago, but just…I don’t know, wasn’t it weird how…hostile they were being?” I asked.

She looked confused.

“Not really.” she said, as if it was obvious, “I mean, haven’t you known Mia for like, years? She’s always like that. Or she’s just quiet.”

“Well, I know she was always like that when we were younger, but…I don’t know, it just seems weird. And why didn’t anyone even mention what happened?” I asked.

She shrugged.

“Because it happens.” she said, “Seriously, all of Mia’s conversation is like…forty percent silence, forty percent being a bitch, and like…” she trailed off.

“Twenty?” I prompted, smiling.

“Shut up.” she said, returning my smile, “Twenty percent being, like, normal. We didn’t say anything about it because we’re used to it. It’s not usually Mike, but sometimes just some guy who won’t stop asking her out, or some girl that hates her, or even one of us. She’s cool and all, but she’s just kind of a bitch. You just get used to it.”

She shrugged again.

I wasn’t really surprised by this news. I’d learned a while ago that her apparent hatred of me growing up wasn’t special, but rather just how she acted around everyone who she wasn’t very close with.

“How did you not know this already?” Becky asked.

“I kind of did…” I said, “I guess I just assumed she’d be different around her friends.”

She shrugged again. She did that a lot. Her eyes flashed with sudden challenge as she looked at me again.

“Wait, do you know why they broke up?” she asked.

“Do you not?” I asked.

“No! She just keeps saying that she got tired of him, but we all think it’s something else. Stella said something last Thursday at the party at Josh’s, after she’d had a few drinks. They’re both being really secretive about it all though.” she said.

I hadn’t been aware of Stella or Mia going to any parties, I didn’t even know who “Josh” was. As I thought about it, I remembered that Stella did actually spend most Thursdays out late. Our parents didn’t mind. We didn’t even have a curfew, but if we stayed out too late and couldn’t get up for school, they wouldn’t cover for us or write us any notes or anything, it was on us.

They occasionally gave us little lectures about responsibility and their expectations of us, and stuff like that. But the most important thing to them had always been developing our independence. Our lack of curfew never mattered to me, and I guess Stella never got home at a crazy late hour so it hadn’t been an issue.

I hadn’t realized she’d been drinking though.

“So?” Becky said eventually, pulling me from my thoughts.

“So…what?” I said.

“So, why did they really break up?” she asked, excited.

I didn’t know why they’d decided to keep the information of Mike’s…shortcomings…to themselves, but it wasn’t really my place to say, even if I didn’t like the guy.

“Oh, she just got sick of him being an asshole. I thought that was obvious.” I said.

She narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously.

“You know something.” she accused.

I raised one eyebrow.

“But,” she said lightly, “We’re going to be late for class, probably. Later.”

She gave a little wave, and walked away. It was strange to think there was more to Mia’s social life than I’d learned about before. And I hadn’t realized that Mike was still a factor in her life at all. Going along with my sister’s plans was already starting to yield some benefits.

==

The next day I sat with them again. The mood was normal, and I noted that I was already comfortable enough to notice what “normal” was for this group. Lissie and Becky exchanged some somewhat catty and sarcastic remarks, Frank didn’t talk much, occasionally making some small comment, Derek was cheerful and funny, and Stella was…well, Stella.

Out of the three of us; Stella, Mia, and I, she seemed to be the only one that acted the same no matter who she was with. She was pretty much the same when we were alone as she was when Mia was with us, and it was the same at school. It was cool to notice that. She was just comfortable being herself wherever she was.

I’d stayed up until 3 am the night before rushing through the History report, and we all discussed what we’d put in and what we hadn’t. Mia actually contributed a little to this part of the conversation too, which again, no one but me thought was strange. It seemed that no matter what point any of us made, Mia claimed to have made some reference to it in her work. She then brought up some points that none of us had discussed yet, or thought about. And then she told us that she’d handed it in a week ago, which was met with eye rolls and sighs, which she didn’t even react to.