Chapter 5 5

THE LONELY ONES 5

Norman's POV

" So, who's this new hot boy that everyone's talking about?" Melissa asks on Friday during recess.

We're at the cafeteria having lunch and Melissa is the reason why we're sitting here. She knows I hate the ruckus and noise, but sometimes she doesn't understand I hate being here. She's trying to be friends with this set of popular girls at school and she's been trying hard to impress them. I've tried to talk to her about trying to impress anyone just to be friends with them isn't really true friendship. She waved me off and told me to stop telling her what to do. That was last week. And since that day, I've stopped talking about it and I noticed she's always acting weird lately. I don't understand women, and Melissa is a complex case.

After her absence on Monday, she's just resuming today. And when I asked her what happened, she told me she was sick. I might be bad at reading people, but I know when someone's lying. I don't bother to press her. She hates that.

" What new kid?" I ask absentmindedly as I sketch in my book.

" Phoenix. Rumor says he's hot, and girls are trying really hard to hook up with him. I even heard he likes older girls and girls who are in college."

That seems to pique my interest and I look up from what I'm doing.

" I don't know, Mel, we're not really friends. We've only been in the same class and not all of my classes."

" Damn. I wonder what he looks like. Everyone's just talking about him."

" And how did you know he's interested in older girls?"

" Oh, look at you being all super interested in someone's biography." Melissa teases me.

" I'm not interested." I lie.

" Yeah, well, whatever. I think I heard it from one of the girls. They saw him with this girl and she's in college. I don't know."

I roll my eyes and continue sketching.

" What exactly are you sketching?" Melissa asks.

" I don't know." I answer absentmindedly.

Melissa just hums and starts to go through her phone. A few minutes later, I hear gasps from around me and murmuring.

" Holy shit! Is that him?" Melissa's loud voice snaps my head up.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Phoenix is with three other guys whom I know are the popular and attractive guys in the school's basketball team. They're all wearing the varsity jacket as they approach the popular table. Phoenix turns his head, as if he knows I'm staring at him. He gives me a wink and I just quickly look away.

What the hell was that?

" Oh, my fucking God. He's so fucking hot."

Okay? Like, when did Melissa start using the F word constantly in less than a few hours?

I shake my head and put my head down, seemingly, because I have a feeling Phoenix is staring at me. Ignoring Melissa's girly shrieks and constant 'Wow's and Damn's', I think about why he would wink at me? What's he trying to do? And then, I just assume it's not me, he's probably winking at the girls behind me.

But there are no girls behind me if I'm being sincere.

" Um..." Melissa says, making me look up. She's looking at the popular girls's table and one of the girls is waving her over.

" I'm sorry, Norman, I really got to go over there..." She says as she stands up and gathers her things into her bag.

Wow. Am I surprised? Yeah, a little.

Melissa has been my only friend for a long time and we are pretty close in and outside school. She literally tells me everything even if I don't tell her everything, but we're still close friends.

Since Monday, she's been acting strange. I even called her when she wasn't at school throughout this week, she ignored my calls. And today, my suspicions were becoming clear. I can't believe she'd ditch me for a bunch of popular girls with nasty attitudes.

" I don't think you can join me. Jackie won't like that and there's only one seat left, so... I'm really sorry Norman, I'm going to call and we can hang out tomorrow."

" It's fine." I say to her, flashing her a small smile.

" Thanks, Norman." She's all giddy as she struts towards Phoenix's table where Jackie and the others are sitting.

My eyes meet Phoenix's and I look away. I hate pity, and I don't want to think Phoenix pities me. It's not the first time I've been without a friend, I always survived. I stand up with my backpack and my things stuffed inside as I walk out of the cafeteria, with Phoenix's eyes on me.

***

God, I've always hated PE. I've never been the most athletic kid out there and I don't ever enjoy PE. I feel like it's an endless way to torture kids. I sit on the bleachers as the athletic boys and those who are trying to fit in warm up. I watch Phoenix, for some reason he's the most interesting thing to watch and I'm glad I didn't try to skip PE today.

Phoenix excuses himself and approaches the bleachers where I'm sitting. I look away, pretending to read from the romance book I've been reading all week. I raise my head to sneak a glance at Phoenix for a minute. He runs his fingers through his hair as he sighs. He's wearing long sleeves underneath his PE jersey. Why he's wearing long sleeves is what I don't understand. Aside from smiling at me when he first entered gym class, Phoenix hasn't really said anything to me.

I watch Phoenix just takes slow and deep breaths as he fidgets his fingers while sitting next to me.

" God, I need a fucking smoke." He mutters to himself.

" Hey, Norm Norm. You got a minute?" Phoenix speaks to me, calling me his weird choice of nickname.

It's been one week and two days since Phoenix started highschool here. And since that day at the abandoned side of the school, Phoenix would smile and even greet me when he sees me. It was strange, and I liked the attention he was giving me. Also, he's taken it on himself to nickname me a weird choice of nickname like 'Norm Norm' when he managed to strike a conversation with me.

I'm confused as I ask. " What?"

" You wanna go somewhere with me for a minute?"

What? Why would he even ask me that?

I open my mouth to decline, but Phoenix beats me to it. He stands up and pulls me to my feet as he drags me out of PE like we're best friends or siblings.

I stand in the boys locker room, outside Phoenix's stall as I 'keep watch' according to Phoenix, as he smokes a cigarette. I can't believe he dragged me out here because he wanted someone to keep watch while he smokes just so he doesn't get caught.

What is he? An addict that can't go an hour without smoking or getting high?

" Does it help?" I wonder out loud, cursing myself for even caring to ask.

I don't know this boy. We barely know each other and I shouldn't be comfortable around him. When I don't get a response from Phoenix, I thank my stars he didn't hear what I said.

" Does it help what?" Phoenix asks at once, making me shake my head.

" Nevermind." I mutter.

" Norm Norm, don't start."

Norm Norm? God, I can't get used to this weird nickname.

I sigh, crossing my arms across my chest and shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

" Does smoking help with whatever reason you do it?"

There's a long silence from Phoenix and I am starting to overthink again, thinking I might have touched a hot topic for him.

" Nevermind. Sorry I asked."

" It does." Phoenix replies at once, surprising me with his genuine answer.

" I'm sorry if..."

" You apologize a lot, you need to stop." He says. It sounds as if he just snapped at me, but at the same time it feels like he's just joking.

" I'm serious, Norm. You need to stop apologizing for things that aren't really worth it. Things that aren't really your fault." There's a long beat. " Also, you're allowed to be judgmental towards me, just don't do it all the time." He says.

I find myself smiling a little at his words, biting my lip as I think carefully of his words. I don't know the path I'm treading, but I know one thing for sure, Is that I need to stay away from him. He seems nice, and friendly, and I agree it's slowly rubbing off on me, but he's still dangerous. He's trouble, obviously the type of bad boy your parents don't want you to be friends with.

Why am I out here with him? I really don't know. I could have easily said no, or even walked away and maybe reported his smoking in school's premises to the principal, but I didn't. Instead, I'm out here with this strange new boy like we're best friends, and weirdly enough, I'm enjoying every bit of it.

What has happened to me?

" What's with the long sleeves?" I mutter, nibbling on my bottom lip as I chew on it. It's a habit I'm trying to get over. I always do that when I'm nervous or anxious. There's a little cut on my lips and it's slowly tearing up.

Phoenix doesn't say a word to me for what feels, like, forever. I notice he stays silent when asked about things he hates or things he doesn't want to talk about.

" You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

" I don't want to talk about it." He says, voice surprisingly calm.

So, it's a hot topic, then. A sensitive one. I don't see him as the kid who's being abused by his parents or guardians at home. And he can't be suicidal right? He seems alright, energetic, too. I've thought about countless ways to just end my life, but I couldn't come to terms to do it. I was afraid I would regret ending it all. And maybe I was a coward, too.

But Phoenix is nothing like me. Why wear long sleeves? What's he hiding? There's so much I don't know about him and I'm willing to know more. To dig out all his secrets and whatever thing he's scared of.

" What are you afraid of?" Phoenix asks from inside his stall.

I sigh, staring at my feet and playing with the loose thread at the hem of my PE shorts.

" Dying?" I shrug.

Phoenix scoffs from inside.

" What about you? What are you afraid of?" I whisper. I'm not even sure he heard it, but he responds anyway.

" Not dying." He says. I smile a little at his words.

We stay silent for a couple of minutes, with none of us saying anything to each other.

The stall door opens and I step back a little, turning around to look at Phoenix. His eyes are a little red, obviously from too many cigarettes and he smells like one.

" They're gonna..."

" They won't." Phoenix smiles at me as he walks past me to open his locker. He brings out a bottle of cologne or body spray, I really can't tell.

He walks towards his stall again and spritzes the air with his expensive cologne. When he's done, the entire locker room smells of his cologne. Phoenix wears some of his cologne on himself so it covers the cigarette smell and myself too.

I can't believe I'm going to walk around school today and smell like Phoenix all day. The thought alone overwhelms me and I'm over thinking again.

" Good as new." Phoenix says as he walks past me to drop his bottle of deodorant in his locker.

He shuts it.

" Thanks for coming out here with me and keeping guard. I really appreciate it."

" Can I go now?" I mutter, hands beside me as I toy with my PE shorts.

" In a hurry to abandon me now, huh, Norm?" Phoenix smirks my way.

" I was gonna take a shower and then advise you to take yours before we leave. Well, there's no need for that. Come on, let's get you out here before you kill me in my sleep."

" That isn't funny." I say, avoiding his complete gaze on me.

" What part, both of us taking a shower?"

I roll my eyes and walk past him as I step out of the locker room. He follows me.

" Always a hot shot, huh?" Phoenix whispers close to my ears. The feeling that jolts down my back is something I can't explain.

I turn to look at him for a second, and then, I look away. I don't know what to say to him. I have nothing to say to him.

" You know you can't continue to do that, right?" I speak up, after a long uncomfortable silence.

" What? Sneaking to take a drag in the locker room and having you as my watch?"

" I'm definitely not gonna be your next watch." I stop walking to tell him. " And yes, that. You could get caught."

" Am I hallucinating, or are you really worried about me, Norm Norm?" He asks, smirking.

" I'm a person and there's nothing wrong with being worried about you. And why nickname me Norm Norm?"

" You don't like it?" He whispers. We're standing in the middle of the empty hallway with most students at PE.

I definitely don't want to answer his questions and he takes my blushing as my response.

" We're not friends, Phoenix. It's weird to nickname someone you're not friends with." I say.

Phoenix chuckles.

" You're sweet, that's why." Phoenix says.

" Norman." Someone calls my name.

Phoenix and I turn around and I see Melissa with a girl. One of the girls from the popular table. She's surprised to see me with Phoenix, including her new friend.

" See you around, Norm Norm." Phoenix whispers for my ears only, as he winks at me discreetly, before walking away.

Did he just winked at me again? And why would he do that for the second time?

I turn to look at Melissa and her new friend. Since the day she left me alone to sit with the popular people, I barely see her around. She's never around. Sometimes I call her cell about studying together, but she always finds one excuse or the other just so we won't meet.

I am not a kid, I know she's avoiding me. Why, is what I don't understand.

" Um..., okay, what was that? You two friends now? You and the hot new boy?" Melissa asks.

" I don't want to talk about it." I walk past her towards gym class. " And we're not friends." I call out to her.

" Weird." I hear Melissa's new friend say.

" Strangely, he smelled like Phoenix." Melissa adds.

I roll my eyes, ignoring their talks as I head to gym class myself. I don't know what this is with Phoenix, but I have a feeling this is the beginning of something new.