Chapter 8

    Chapter Eight: The Not Happening List

    Lyric POV

    On my way out of Pizza n' Stuff, I turned on my phone so the messages could rush in using the restaurant WiFi. Employees only got to use it during breaks and after hours.

    I did not expect a lot of people to contact me since my circle was limited to Wren and J, but we don't talk anymore. I wondered how he was doing.

    J was my pen pal from back when I was living at a group home. We separated, and he gave me an email to contact him. It was his grandmother's, while I used my father's.

    We used to talk every day until college when he stopped replying to my messages, and I stopped texting. Adulting was awful.

    My eyes widened at the sight of a familiar figure leaning against a green truck owned by one of the workers at my restaurant. Half of her face was hidden from my view, but I could tell from the hoop earrings and short skirt that it was Janice.

    What was she doing here?

    For some reason, it piqued my interest. I walked silently toward the parking lot, hiding behind a car next to the truck. I heard her giggle; it was loud and infuriating.

    "Ben, when will you help me out?" she pleaded, her voice sounding sexy.

    What were they talking about?

    He laughed. "What, aren't you with Gavin now?"

    "Uh-huh," her voice sounded as if she was out of breath. She croaked, "But I want you right now, in my pants."

    My cheeks burned at what I heard. Janice was dating Gavin, and she wanted to hook up with Ben?

    It made no sense.

    "I don't know." Ben was hesitant at first until he pulled her into his lap, a smile enchanting her lips. "Okay, fine. I will f*ck you senseless."

    She giggled loudly. "I want that so bad."

    The next second, my ears were disturbed by their loud kisses. They groaned at each other as if they were beasts. I could not hear anymore.

    I ran away, and they were too busy to see me. I hoped so, though. The last thing I wanted was to be pulled into this drama.

    I could not believe what I heard yesterday. Poor Gavin being cheated on. He was not actually poor... just an expression. I wouldn't want his life anyway; it was better than mine.

    That night, I could not sleep. I kept tossing in my bed, recalling what I saw: Janice Chester on Gavin. He had the right to know that the girl he chose begged another to sleep with her.

    In the middle of the night, my eyes flew open, my chest heaving. I felt goosebumps all over my arms; it was happening again. I reached out to my broken lamp by the bedpost to switch it on; it gave off a faint light that barely illuminated half of my room. The room echoed with my heavy breathing. I took a swig of water from the bottle I kept by my bed.

    There was something about waking up in darkness that scared the shit out of me. The irony was I couldn't sleep with the light on. Raising my arm, I pinched it hard to prove that I wasn't still in that nightmare; I was alive and breathing. Tears welled in my eyes. Every day I had the same nightmare, which I forgot the moment I got up.

    Heaving a sigh of relief, I looked down at my snowflake necklace, my mom's favorite piece of jewelry. I toyed with it in my bed until I fell asleep; it was my only comfort.

    ---

    "Aunty Lyric, Hannah is hugging the TV again! I want to watch Bluey, not SpongeBob!" It was Lana again.

    With that loud shriek, I knew my nap was over. The bus had brought the triplets home today. I got up from my bed and changed into my soiled kitchen clothes. We could not afford a microwave, so I had to use the traditional method to heat the lasagna I made earlier.

    Quickly, I made them sit on their chairs and serve their food. Catherine lifted her head, and I knew what was next. "Aunt Lyric, I don't like my lasagna. Can I eat cereal?"

    *Cereal is finished.*

    Moving to the aisle, I took out the empty cereal box that I had forgotten to throw out.

    "Okay," she nodded.

    "Aunt Lyric, will you help me with my mathematics homework? I don't understand the times table," Hannah asked after eating and cleaning up her plate.

    I nodded in acceptance.

    A huge grin spread on her lips. "Thank you, auntie."

    "There is no need to thank her. It's her job," Catherine shot back. I plugged in my earplugs and listened to Gracie Abrams.

    The next day.

    I avoided Gavin and his girlfriend as much as I could. I didn't want any attention on me, but for as long as I could, I wished I was invisible.

    Feeling a palm on my back, my entire body went numb. I craned my head, feeling my heart beat restlessly against my ribcage. My fingers stilled on my fork.

    "Lyric, chill, it's me."

    My heart calmed down at my friend's soft voice; she took a seat next to me, her eyes pinned to mine. "You are fine, okay?"

    I nodded, barely feeling my fingers anymore.

    "I wouldn't do that again." Her voice was filled with remorse. She stole a chip from my plate and ate it like it was poison. I had never understood Wren's obsession with dieting, but I knew it was far from healthy.

    Eating that chip was a punishment she gave herself, using Pavlov's conditioning theory.

    I shrugged to show that it was okay. I was fine and alive. I was fine.

    Wren's shoulders sagged at my words; she managed a smile. Rummaging through her Dior backpack, she brought out two cards. "I got invitation cards to Dean's party."

    The confusion on my face must have said it all, because she rolled her eyes and went on, "Dean, the brother of the forward hockey player. You need to start living, Lyric."

    *I am not going.*

    "What do you mean you're not going? You've finally been invited to something—" I raised a brow at her; no one would invite me to a party.

    "I mean the whole school is invited, but that's not the point. You remember our list."

    Like that, I wasn't listening anymore. I got up to leave, but she pressed me back to the bench. I was stuck. She might be thin, but this girl was powerful. Must be all the Brussels sprouts she ate for breakfast.

    "No. I am not interested in your whining today. The party falls on a day you aren't working, and I am sure you wouldn't have any assignments pending either. You are out of excuses, sweetie. This is an opportunity to strike at least one thing off the list."

    *That list? We should forget about it. I can't—*

    "No. Baby sweetie, we have to do this. It's our sophomore year, for God's sake; we are supposed to be getting tattoos and using fake IDs."

    *I am busy.*

    "No, you aren't, sweetie boo. You will come to that party, we will go shopping, and we will have so much fun. Clear out your schedule, my love. It's time for your makeup montage."

    *Ahh, what is wrong with my clothes?*

    "It killed fashion, baby. Fashion died before you even sniffed it. This year, I am your Santa. Okay?"

    She called the naughty list what I called the not-happening list.

    I touched my thumb and index finger to form a circle, raising the other three fingers to sign "Okay."

    I was shocked by the kiss she pressed on my cheek. It was hot, and her minty breath wafted to my nose. Wren loved chewing mints instead of normal chewing gum. You should see her brush her teeth; sometimes I pity her gums. Everything Wren does is to the extreme.

    I love her for that. Anyone would be lucky to have her. However, there was one person Wren loved in secret for years: her stepbrother, Aaron Ryder.

    *And you will also complete your list too?* I signed and asked.

    Nodding vehemently, she went on, "Yes, Lyric. I won't let you do this alone. Shawn is going to help me."

    Shawn is the new transfer at our school; he had left when his parents divorced. Wren had a major crush on him when we were younger. Now she wanted that crush to grow into love so she would stop obsessing over her stepbrother who didn't want her.

    I wasn't scared about the first agenda on that list, but it was the sixth item on that list that worried me. It had something to do with the number 13 goalie of the Velmont Sharks, and he wouldn't like it.

    Author's Note

    The other chapters will start from Gavin's POV