Going Nowhere Fast

3. Huh

I didn't know what to make of that encounter as I was walking inside. I was sort of intrigued as to who tree girl was but it'd probably just end up being a one-time thing. I found it funny that she went to that extreme to figure out Earl. Sometimes, the crazy shit people here have done made me feel like the sanest person in town.

The whole encounter made me feel sort of better though. I left school early by pretending to be sick, which was partially true. I was just having a super depressive day and I couldn't go for too long without having to hold back panicked fits of crying. Trish's constant glares were too much for me to handle. It's hard to focus on class when you just want cry and pass out. Squirrel girl made me feel much better actually. It was classic of me to open up and just shed all my personal issues onto her though, just a random stranger, that was so typical of me.

I chuckled at my own thought, then the numbness hit again. I hated that smack of reality. I hated how sad it made me feel. I couldn't be the reason my mom lost everything she loved, at least not again.

I laid in my bed for a while, tears just freely rolling down my face. My eyes were focused on nothing in particular and I was just staring off into the distance not feeling anything but intense pain in my chest. Karen must've heard my sniffles because next thing I knew my mattress tilted a bit and there was a giant, slobbering, bear-dog with a huge smile standing over top of me. Karen was really one of my best friends. I was her whole life, her whole happiness and that thought brought me so much joy.

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Elijah had texted me that Saturday morning saying that a whole group of friends were going to have a picnic at the park. I said I would come, but immediately regretted my decision. I couldn't justify a reason to cancel in my head either so I ended up going. I wore my regular black clothes but I decided to put a Hawaiian shirt over my band tee in the spirit of summer coming soon. I liked summer because I could go outside and still be easily secluded by all the leaves and it was never too cold and I could chill in a bush for like two hours.

That wouldn't be what I was doing that day though. That day was purely social interactions. I brushed my dark hair into a baseball cap. I liked wearing those because I could hide my face more in a less emo way.

I picked up lunch along the way to the park. I liked the drive, it was rather scenic. I allowed myself to relax as turned to volume up on the radio.

"WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO AND MAKE THINGS SO COMPLICATED," I screeched along to the iconic Avril Lavigne song.

I pulled up to where my friends were and I noticed Trisha glaring at me. I was happy she was able to get out of the house, but I wasn't happy she was out of the house and here.

I got out of the car and was greeted by Riley who was ever so eager to tell me about all the things that were going on. She went on about how Morgan dropped the pie when she got there and how Brandon ate it off the ground. I started to get this dreadful feeling as I realized Trisha was walking over to me. That's when I noticed everyone glaring at me.

"Hey Riles, can I talk to Bill in private please?"

Riley wasn't easily intimidated but Trisha was something else.

"What's up," I tried to ask coolly.

"I was just wondering why you came to this," she asked.

"Elijah invited me," I started.

"Elijah just feels bad for you, and Riley is so stupid she'd be anybody's friend. No one else here really likes you. You have a really bad problem of just bumming people out, and I'd like it if you left my picnic," she said in a voice low enough for no one else to hear.