Rarity by D. A. Roach

school?”
     
    “We think she might come back next week,” I told him.
     
    “Hmm, one more week to find out all about you during lunch - not sure that’s enough time.”  I rolled my eyes, there was not much to know about me and he’d be disappointed when he found that out.  He walked close enough to me that our upper arms occasionally brushed against each other.
     
    “Oh, you planning on eating with me again?  What about poor Soren?” I teased.
     
    “Soren’s a big boy and has enough friends to never be lonely.  And yes, I plan on eating with you again.  But... not today. My appointment is around lunch so I’ll miss the whole last half of today.”  I was disappointed hearing this, it was nice having someone to talk to at lunch and I looked forward to the easy banter that Jay and I had.  Seeing the disappointment in my face he turned toward me and added, “But the next day, I’m all yours.  I’ll even let you ask me whatever you want.  Maybe even my deepest darkest secret.” 
     
    “What, that you like to wear girl’s panties?”  I teased.
     
    Jay laughed but stopped quickly. His jaw dropped as he looked past me.  “What the…”  I followed his eyes and saw him staring at my locker.
     
    “I’m guessing Becca.  We mixed words in the bathroom yesterday and I think I pissed her off.”  This made him laugh.
     
    “You’re such a scraper!  Good for you!”  He scratched at the letters.” What is that?  Nail polish?” I just shrugged. “Let’s go, we’re already late.”  We got Jay’s first period books from his locker and walked to Algebra.
     
    “There’s the lovey dovey couple now.” Our teacher greeted us as we entered class .  I felt my face blush far worse than when I read my lovely SLUT message from Becca.  The kids in the class did Cat-calls and Jay fist punched a few of his guy friends and let the comment roll off him untouched as he walked to his desk.  I stared at the floor as I found my way to my desk.  During Algebra I glanced over at Jay a few times, he’d always look up and smile, like he sensed me looking his way.  I decided to be brave and not turn away. I was drinking him in because I wouldn’t see him later in the day.  I paid no attention to Becca but she probably tried to kill me with evil glares all period. 
     
    After class Jay actually waited for me outside of the class.  “Hey, good luck with the artwork,” he gave me a side hug.  I was enjoying being around Jay and knew the rest of the day would suck without him.
     
    “Good luck with your doc appointment. Is it a follow up?”
     
    “No, they wanted to tell me my test results and said they do it by appointment only,” he shrugged. 
     
    Just then, something changed inside of me, like someone had flipped a switch.  I felt my heart sink.  I felt like vomiting.  I felt like if I turned on the news there would be a report about a nation being wiped out by a nuclear bomb.  I had never felt like this in my life.  Death, destruction, devastation all around me.  A wave of sorrow washing over me, drowning me.  “Brogen, you ok?”  I nodded, but I wasn’t.  Truthfully, I didn’t know what the hell had happened..  It made no sense.  Maybe my defenses were down and I was picking up someone’s bad energy.  Maybe something was wrong with my mom, or Meg.  Maybe Jay was going to get in a car accident. 
     
    I didn’t know what to say.  I felt like I was going crazy.  There was so much negative emotion in me but anything I might say would sound crazy.  I settled on,  “Just be careful.”  I gave him a hug, a strong and full of emotion hug.  He looked at me puzzled and chuckled at my mercurial mood change.
     
    “I will.  See you tomorrow babe.”
     
    Normally I’d melt from him calling me “babe”, but my mind was racing - trying to figure out why I was experiencing this feeling.  Jay was off to his next class and I kicked myself for not getting his phone