Just What I Needed (Revisited)

Chapter Two

The first day of our senior year rolled around, and while I was dreading walking into the school, Haley was positively buzzing. She was determined it would be 'the best' – the last things always were.

I was on the other end of the spectrum, dreading stepping foot into the building. I really only cared to see two people from school - three if I counted Sadie who I really should, but it was hard to see and talk to her these days. There was one person I really didn't want to see. But all those same people we'd been going to school with for the past three years would be shoved into the same tight, contained school. It didn't sound too fun.

Actually it sounded dreadful.

And then there was Joe who was somewhere in the middle of us two girls. He'd never liked school, but it meant lacrosse practice would start back up and he was all for that.

Usually we'd just meet at school since Haley didn't have the patience to wait for me when I was forever running five minutes behind. However this year was different. I didn't think it had anything to do with it being our senior, but with them afraid to leave me on my own in case I ran into Tony.

Besides the fact that I found Haley and Joe sitting on my front steps when I tumbled out the door, the morning started off pretty typical. Meaning I was in a rush and almost fell down the stairs head first as I yanked my cardigan over my shoulders.

So the day started well to be honest.

"I would say I could pick you out something to wear, but I don't want to be any later for school," Haley observed sadly. Her eyes were skimming over my sneakers and slightly baggy jeans with the hole in the knee that didn't exactly match the cardigan on top. At the very least the cardigan had been something she had picked out with me, but obviously I hadn't paired it correctly. She looked physically pained as she stood up.

It was enough to get a laugh out of me as I flung my arms around her, almost sending the two of us toppling into the yard in my momentum.

Joe leapt up, always ready to catch us, saying, "Woah, there."

While I was always teetering on the edge of clumsiness, Haley was far too balanced to let me throw her for a curve. She only wrapped her arms back around me. "Not everyone can look as good as you at all times," I said teasingly. I was only half joking.

"But I could have you looking that good too." There was a hint of complaint to her voice but I could tell she was teasing as well. Still I suspected she was half serious as well.

With a roll of my eyes, I pulled back so I could fix the straps of my canvas bag over my shoulders so they weren't digging in painfully anymore. "You'll have the rest of your life to dress people up, Hales."

The three of us walked to school together, and though I knew that the forceful light conversation was made to distract me from any thoughts of running into Tony, it did the job. I'd told them about him coming to see me the day after the party and Joe had turned an alarming shade of red to say the least. At least Haley had seemed pleased with me, telling me that I'd done the right thing as Joe muttered away about what an asshole my ex was. A part of me had still wanted to tell him to lay off but I restrained the urge.

I was quite aware that I had the best friends in the world. They were being guard dogs in a sense – one at either elbow – and I'd never been so comforted while squashed. Although it was done with varying degrees of weariness about them.

Haley would stick it out with me no matter what when it came to Tony, I just knew it, but I could tell by the sidelong glances and bit back sighs that she didn't believe this time was any different from the others. I couldn't really blame her. She probably felt as if she'd lived through this same scenario a hundred times before. The definition of insanity and all that. I couldn't say that my own mind was too dissimilar.