Not Just Another Cliché

•picture of Seth•^^^

"You ready to ace this test?" Jamie asks coming up beside me at my locker.

"I honestly don't know. I was up all last night studying but none of it stuck because I was hyped up on painkillers for my foot." I put my back against my locker holding my books close to my chest and closing my eyes.

"You'll do fine Emily. It will all be worth it when Mr. Benson is breathing down your neck asking what z is." He jokes and I chuckle.

"It's too early in the morning for algebra." I whine.

"At least you studied." Holly says coming in the main door and opening her locker.

"You don't need to study because your dad is an algebra professor in Brown. It is automatically implanted in your brain." I joke.

"Ha ha ha very funny Em. Tyra is in Yale studying art but both of my parents are crap at art. Yes it adds to the long list of reasons that Tyra is adopted, but it doesn't mean talents pass down."

"Tyra isn't adopted." I laugh.

"She has to be. There are so many ways that she isn't part of the Collins family."

"Oh really? Like what?" I smirk.

"She is good at art." She says in duh tone making everyone chuckle.

"How's the foot Em?" Seth asks me.

"Honestly, I can't feel it anymore. So many aspirins in my system, my body is totally numb." I say and they laugh.

"As long as your brain is working you'll be fine. You do know this test is 12% of our finals." Seth explains as he knocks me gently on the forehead.

"What?" Holly exclaims.

"Betcha wish you studied now." I say looking around but feel her sending daggers my way.

"Give me your algebra textbook, quickly." She says to Seth who quickly takes it out of his bag and hands it to her immediately.

Don't wanna get on the wrong side of Holly when she has a mission on her hands.

"Where's St. Cloud?" Jamie asks me.

"Um I don't know. I haven't talked to him since last night." I say.

After the almost kiss, we played a few board games with Liv but about an hour later, Casey went home so we really didn't have time alone to actually talk about what happened. Which was probably nothing and I'm just over thinking as always.

"Really? You didn't get a ride to school with him?" Seth asks me.

"No, my mom was going to work and I just grabbed a lift with her. Doubt Case was awake so I just left." I say.

"Well he has 5 minutes to get in or else he's missing this test. He does knows he's gonna have to retake it if he misses it." Jamie explains.

"He knows and he probably just overslept because he was up so late studying."

We all look at each other then break out into laughter.

"Casey? Studying? Funny." Seth says through fits of laughter.

"Yeah maybe he just overslept." I say.

"Sounds more like Casey alright." Jamie says.

The bell rings and most of the students begin to head to class.

"Oh, 5 minute warning." Seth says.

"Shit." Holly says.

"QB better get his ass in now. Won't be playing Friday if he misses this test." Seth says.

"But if he retakes it before Friday he can play." I say.

"Benson isn't letting anyone retake the test until next Monday." Jamie says.

"Why not during lunch or something?"

"It's Mr Benson, who knows."

I look at the door one more time before we all make our way to algebra.

Luckily, we are all in the same algebra class.

I sit down in the middle isle with Holly in the seat beside me, Jamie on the other side but a seat down because he knows that seat beside me is for Casey, and Seth beside Holly.

I keep looking at the door and then back to the clock and I did that repeatedly until the second bell rang making me jump.

I turn my head back to the door and I suddenly feel nervous.

Casey has practice after school and he knows if he misses it he won't be playing Friday's game. And the coach made it clear to all players that you have to show up to all your classes to be able to come to practice.

"He wouldn't risk it." I mutter to myself .

I stare impatiently at the door until I see Mr. Benson appear outside the classroom, holding the test in his arms while he talked to another teacher.

You have about 2 minutes Case.

The clock ticks through the silence filling the air while everyone crams within their last few seconds.

Benson waves goodbye to the teacher and walks into the class. He closes the door and I close my eyes tightly and sigh. Looks like both of us will be sitting in the bleachers on Friday.

"Right class. I have your tests here but," he begins patting his shirt pocket and then his jeans, "I seem to have left my glasses in the teachers lounge. I'll be right back." He says leaving the classroom.

Most of the students jump out of their seat and run to the desk and look through the test. I'm pretty sure I seen somebody cry. I guess I would too if I didn't study.

I give up on all hope of Casey coming in but then quickly, from the corner of my eye, I see him running down the corridor frantically and then he runs into the class.

When he notices Benson isn't here yet, he leans over and starts puffing and panting.

I smile at his presence and start to laugh, "football player, hey?"

He looks up and smiles then sits beside me.

"Well I wouldn't be late if a certain best friend woke me up before 8:30."

"I was gone at 8:10. My mom gave me a ride on the way to the station. You were asleep when I left so I thought I'd let you sleep in. Plus, your parents leave the house at 8:30 every morning. Why couldn't you ride with them?" I ask.

"Because they had to drop Meg off at 8:15 so they left earlier and because my moms car is broken, she took my dads and because my mom had my dads car, guess who's car he took."

I was about to answer but instead he does, shouting "mine."

He throws his arms up and then rests his hand in them on the table.

Benson soon walks back in and hands out the tests. I sigh before getting down to work.

***

"I failed. I failed. I failed." Holly continuously mutters as she bangs her head against her locker.

"Stop being so hard on yourself Holl. I'm sure you did well." I say.

"Easy for you to say. I'm sure you got a 100."

"Hell no. I failed."

"You didn't fail Emily. Trust me, you did not fail."

"Well I guess we'll find out tomorrow when he hands them back won't we." I say leaning off the lockers.

"Guess so. We should go cafeteria before all the seats are taken." She says looking down at her cell.

We walk in and suddenly, all eyes are on us.

"Um, Holl." I say not taking my eyes off the entire student body looking at us.

"Yes." She says still looking at her cell.

"What did you do?"

"What? Nothing. What are you talking ab-" she says then looks up, "oh."

We walk over to the boys as everyone starts to whisper.

"What is everyone staring at?" I ask sitting down beside Casey.

They all exchange looks and then back at me.

"What? What is it?" I question.

"Amber posted a picture on Facebook and Instagram." Seth begins.

"Of?" I question nervously.

They all exchange looks again then drop their heads.

"Spit it out. What is it?"

"It's you Emily." Casey says not looking at me at all.

I feel my heart stop and I suddenly freeze, noticing my vision blur.

"How bad is it?"

"Pretty bad." Holly answers as she lifts her head up from her phone.

She shows it to me and I take a deep breath.

The picture was of me, naked. But I wasn't actually naked, it was a photoshopped picture of me in the locker rooms after phys ed, completely naked. No clothing at all.

I hear the door open and all eyes turned to it and when the person who walked in spotted me in my hurt and vulnerable condition, she smirked.

I jumped out of my seat, leaving my crutches behind because no matter how much pain I was in, nothing compared to how I felt when I seen that picture.

I ran into the bathroom and into a cubicle and slid down the door and just cried and cried and cried.

Seconds later, I hear someone come in and I pray that it isn't Amber.

"Emily, It's Holly. I know what they did is bad but it's pure jealousy."

"Please come out Emily."

"Please. The boys will kill me if I don't get you out. Seriously, Casey is in a sweat out there. I'd like to graduate, if you don't mind." She jokes and I laugh.

I wipe away tears that have fallen onto my cheeks and stand up and open the door.

"Why me?" I ask.

"Why do they chose me? Because I'm not like them? Because I'm not a cliché? Because I'm friends with Casey? Just why?" I question.

"Because your smarter than them. You know where your life is heading. You're not wasting your high school life like they are and they're jealous of that."

"I find that hard to believe." I choke out as I walk to the mirror and start wiping my tear stained eyes.

"Emily, don't stress over it. After all of this pettiness, after high school, we will have a whole new fresh start. Together." She says taking my hands in hers and smiling.

I smile at my best friend and take a deep breath as I rub under my hands again.

"Holly?" I say walking towards the door.

"Yes?"

I stop at the door and look back at her, "remind me never to run with a sprained ankle. Okay?" I say and she laughs.

"Let's go out to the boys before they come in here." She laughs.

"Now that, I'd like to see."

We walk out and I instantly see Jamie sitting against the wall on his laptop, Casey pacing up and down the hallways and Seth is nowhere to be seen.

"Look who I found." Holly says making Jamie and Casey turn their attention onto me.

Casey instantly runs over to me and envelops me in a hug.

"Oh Em. I'm so sorry about Amber. You don't deserve this! You are an amazing person. I love you so much."

"It's okay Case. Holly made me see the brighter side."

"Well both of us have successful friendships then because Jamie here is hacking into Ambers social accounts and he's deleting the picture."

"I appreciate that. I really do. But it's too late, everyone has seen it and shared it and I'm officially okay with that. I'm just not going to play their game." I explain.

"Well if you're sure." Jamie says.

"I guess it wouldn't do any harm if it was off the internet." I sigh.

"What happened to not playing their game?" Holly asks me.

"That's before I realised we have a Jamie on our team. What do they have?" I ask.

"Unless Casey wants to stick up for them again." I smirk turning my head in his direction.

"W-what? I thought you forgave me about that."

"Never." I gasp jokingly.

"Where's Seth?" Holly asks.

"He's gone to get Cooper." Casey says.

"Guys seriously. I know you are trying to help me, I appreciate it so much but this isn't the Big Bang theory. You aren't scientists and doctors, you can't fix everything. It's, the small thang theory." I say.

"The small thang theory?" They all ask in unison.

"The small thang theory." I confirm.

***
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~Madison Bay Noah