Find You in the Dark

saving. It's in the man code or something.” Daniel told me after school, four days after my disastrous run in with Clayton Reed. Four days and I was still venting about his attitude and lack of gratitude.
    Okay, to be honest, I wasn't really irritated by that anymore. I was more irritated by the fact that I hadn't crossed paths with him since. Clayton seemed to be making it his mission to stay out of mine and everyone else's way. So I was still talking about our exchange in a desperate attempt at keeping it all relevant, mostly because I couldn't stop talking about him. Or thinking about him.
    But Daniel's words were just completely asinine. I frowned at best friend number two. “That is so dumb. What was with the whole suffrage thing and the entire push for gender equality if we still have to bow down to gender stereotypes?” I asked in my best haughty tone. Rachel, who stood beside me rummaging through her purse for her car keys, lifted a hand to pat me on the back. “I know it's stupid, but guys are still just cavemen deep down.” She mused as the three of us made our way toward the parking lot.
    “Please don't tell me you buy into this macho BS, Rach. My inner feminist can't handle it.” I muttered, pulling my hair tie from my wrist and scrapping my hair into a tight pony tail. Rachel only smiled and pulled on the hair tie, loosening it. “You're going to cut off the blood flow to your brain if you keep wearing your hair that tight.” She said. Rachel had been after me to let her cut my hair for years. But I liked it long. It was like my security blanket.
    I grumbled under my breath, though I gave up on my irritation. It wasn't directed at my friends anyway and they didn't deserve my foul mood. Rachel, in her psychic friends network way, nudged my shoulder with hers. “I haven't seen much of him either, you know. He sits in the back of class and doesn't talk to a soul. So it's not just you he's rude to.”
    I wouldn't meet her eyes, couldn't let her know that her words comforted me in some strange way. I needed to let this go. It was painfully obvious Clayton Reed and I were not destined to be BFFs anytime soon. He was a social misfit, a pariah and apparently had no desire to interact with the world in general. And while I wasn't the most likable person out there, even I couldn't work my limited charm on someone who wanted nothing to do with me.
    Daniel jumped down the last three steps outside of the school, landing on his feet with a dramatic flourish. Rachel and I gave him an obligatory clap. He was such a show off sometimes. “Seriously though, Mags, that dude is super odd anyway. It's probably best you steer clear of him. Rumor has it he was shipped here because he had been expelled from his last school for calling in a bomb threat or something. Guy seems unhinged if you ask me.” Daniel remarked, walking backwards down the side walk.
    “You're going to fall on your ass, Danny.” I laughed as he came off the curb and stumbled into the street. Daniel straightened himself and gave a quick look around to see if anyone witnessed his moment of un-coolness.
    But my friend's words interested me. Bomb threat huh? Though I wasn't one to take much stock in rumors. Last year I had broken my arm after lamely falling down the stairs at home in the middle of the night when I wanted a snack. I never told anyone but Rachel and Daniel how it happened, but somehow the story started circulating that I had broken my arm after a confrontation with a mugger in the city. I had apparently fought back and slammed my arm into a parked car as the villain tried to take off with my purse. The story was so detailed, I almost believed it myself. Where do people come up with this stuff? Though I never corrected anyone because the made up story was way better than the truth.
    We reached Daniel's overly masculine diesel truck and he gave me a quick hug. “Like I said, don't worry about some dude ignoring you. You always have my full attention.” He gave me a sloppy kiss on the forehead, laughed and jumped into the driver's seat before I could smack him. He gave Rachel and I a wave and then pulled out of the parking lot. Rachel sighed as he pulled away. I gave her a gentle nudge. “He's a goob, Rach. Sure we love him, but he's Daniel and he won't ever change.” I tried to tell her supportively. Rachel gave me a shaky smile. Her unrequited crush was becoming harder and harder to watch. And she was having a harder and harder