chance monroe james;

“Sure…” Giselle said hesitantly. She wasn’t exactly sure of what she was going to ask but she was an open book to her students (for the most part, at least). 

“I’m, um... When you were in high school, did you ever not know how to handle some of your friendships?” Chance asked, assuming it wasn’t as personal as she originally believed it was going to be. 

“Okay then.” She nodded, she wasn’t sure they’d be good friends anymore because she doubted she had anything in common with her anynmore, same with Mona, most of her time was being spent with Ryann, Liam and Vincent. Or at work with Makayla or her hiding somewhere or at Gregs. 

Chance had changed so much in the last three years. She was still sticking true to who she was, but she had changed. And she didn’t know if Meaghan was going to be able to adjust to how she was. How focused on school she was. How much time she spent dancing and tutoring and how little room there was for a social life around all of that. Chance wanted a social life. She wanted friends, and she wanted a cute, nerdy boy to sweep her off her feet like Meaghan had found. And to be honest, she was a little jealous. Chance took a sip of her drink. “I um...then... do you wanna eat lunch together at school sometime this week?” Chance asked, hoping it didn’t actually sound as awkward as it did in her head.

“No I’m not sure either…but we’re going to be in the same town for the next two years….so we might not be tight at the hip anymore but we can still be…friends?”

“Well yeah, of course I want to be friends,” Chance said, getting frustrated with herself. It had been a strange night and she didn’t want to be having this conversation. 

“I may or may not have heard about a party.”

A what? ---Oh! A party? Should I go? Am I giving up good grades this week for this party?

“Believe me I know about dealing with shit.” She said shaking her head. Her whole life was a bunch of shit, and now because of it she was losing Mona, and possibly Rylie as well. “It’s not just you, I’m pretty bad myself. Kinda have been going through things and dealing with others.”

“I just, I feel like things have been weird between us in these last few years. Like, I don’t even know if we’re friends anymore or not,” Chance admitted, “And I’m convinced the only reason we see each other is because we go to school together.”

I’m sure I did, but I don’t remember it.

Why are you so tired? I mean, I stay up ‘til all the late hours of the night, but I don’t fall asleep in class.

… Thanks anyway.

Did you dream about anything?

“I fell asleep-… What did I miss?”

Hm? Oh, I dunno. I’ve been doodling for the last half hour.

Giselle nodded understandingly. “Ah I see. Well you’re welcome to study here as long as you like.” She said gently. “If there is anything I can do to help please let me know.” 

“Could... Could I ask you something kinda personal?” Chance asked, looking up from her desk and her books. 

“A great one,” She said with a mall smile before it dropped. “You would like him. Well younger you would have, not sure about you now.”

Chance knew it wasn’t intended to be a dig at her, but that’s what it felt like. The girls hadn’t talked to hung out in a really long time, so while Chance was enjoying the time that she was getting to talk to Meaghan again, it was still a little awkward. Though Chance was trying to pick up where they had left off. She sighed and looked down at her chipped finger nails. “Yeah, I bet.” After a moment passed, Chance looked up and said, “Listen, Meaghan, I know I’ve been super distant in the last year but there’s just a lot of stuff that I’m dealing with.”

“That’s what they invented headphones for.” he responded coldly, not bothering to look up from his pre-Calc homework at her. Lane was no stranger to noise and ruckus; he lived in a bustling homeless shelter after all.

“Okay, well it’s too late for that now,” Chance snipped back at the older boy. “I’ve already left and I’m already here.”

“He’s more adorable in the face then anything, in the nerdy way, but his body…for a nerdy guy you won’t believe how much he works out, it’s literally packs.” She said smiling at the thought of him. “He’s smart, nice, sweet, funny, totally into me….He’s into comics and superhero’s but that’s fine, it’s endearing, he’s really fun….granted I met him in a party closet during seven minutes in heaven which ended up as thirty minutes.”

Chance grinned, hearing her friend talk about a boy that she liked. “He a good kisser?” Chance questioned, raising an eyebrow after Meaghan mentioned Seven Minutes in Heaven. 

“Hey. That’s not a problem. You’re fine here. If anyone asks, you’re helping me layout some art ideas, yeah?”

"Do you actually need any help?” Chance questioned. If she was going to be hiding out, the best she could do was help. 

“You’re fine here Miss James.” Giselle said reassuringly. “Did you want to talk about it? I didn’t realize you were having a hard time at home.”

“Oh, I’m not,” Chance shook her head at her teacher. “It’s not really a problem, but just rather something that happens. I just have a lot to study for this week and I’m a bit overwhelmed and hearing them bicker wasn’t on my schedule.”