"Everyday is pain and suffering."

"You're still avoiding him?"

"Well I'm here aren't I?" I paused. "No offense it's just I sit with him and Norman usually."

"None taken were not used to you being here either." Gilda looked past me. "But more importantly Norman's heading over."

I lifted my head. "He's what now-Heyyyy." My head whipped to Norman. "What's up?"

Norman, like the uninformed guy he is, smiled kindly. "Nothing much, just wondering why you're not sitting with us. I don't have a problem with you changing it up but you usually tell us why."

Cold sweat attacked me as I had to lie to his face. "Oh really, sorry I thought I sent you a text but I guess it didn't send. Well go have a good lunch with Ray. See you later." I waved him away.

"Oh, okay. See you."

Norman walked away rather slowly, probably confused on why I shoed him away so quickly. Another conversation I don't wanna have.

—-

"Emma, it's been a week don't you think you should've fixed this by now?" Gilda bit into her sandwich. "I love you but this is getting out of hand."

"What? Me sitting at your table and ignoring my problems? This happens every week, accidentally kissing Ray or not."

Gilda sighed and put down he sandwich, looking over at Don who shared her annoyed look. "Come on, go with them. Your actions are affecting Norman, he looks sad. Probably thinks you're avoiding him."

"No he doesn't." I looked over at him, slouched. "Oh crumbs, you might be right. He usually doesn't sit like that."

"Exactly, now can you pretend everything's okay for his sake at least."

I sighed. This day was going to happen anyway, whether I liked it or not. "Okay, see you guys later."

My food in my hand, I awkwardly walked over to them. A look of horror on Rays face and a look of over joy on Norman's, lovely.

"Hi, hello, sorry for not sitting with you for a while. I've been busy helping Don and Gilda with math, they've really been struggling for awhile." I set my things down. "Sorry for not explaining myself earlier.

"It's okay, to be honest I thought you were avoiding me." He smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I can promise that I am definitely not avoiding you." I cleared my throat. "Sorry for worrying you."

Norman tilted his head, seemly innocent.

—-

"Emma, you're hiding something from me." Norman cornered me by my locker.

My shoulders tensed. "Why do you think that?"

"Because you're acting weird. And I know why."

"Why?"

"Something happened with Ray."

My heart stopped. "Why would you think that? Ray and I are completely okay."

"Well, you haven't been walking or talking or been with each other since the other weekend, you and him didn't talk today at lunch unless I made you, and you guys are also acting incredibly awkward." He leaned in. "So since you're not hiding it I might as well ask what happened."

Honestly it felt like my soul left my body for a second. "You know I hate how perceptive you are sometimes, especially when it works against me." I grimaced. "Okay I'll tell but don't be weird out or anything."

"I'm me, I would never."

"Okay, so I accidentally kissed Ray." I breathed in. "The full story is that I've been flirting with him for like 2 weeks and I may have accidentally, subconsciously, developed some sort of romantic interest in him." I pressed my finger against his mouth. "Now, please understand that this means nothing and I'm just avoiding him like a coward."

I removed my finger and let him go, he seemed to be going through the 5 stages of grief like Gilda. Was the thought of us being like that really that weird.

"Okay... um, okay." He backed away slowly. "That's cool. Totally, um, can I borrow your locker?"

I stepped aside. He proceeded to scream into the void for around 1 second before taking his head out, a smile on his face.

"Alright, sounds great I support it. Word of advice, I think he might like you too. And an other word of advice, tell me when important things happen." He grabbed my shoulders. "I'm here to help. Unless it's today, I have club. See ya." Norman walked away, quickly.

"Well that was weird." I whispered to myself. "But it was helpful in deciding my next step."

—-

"Ray." I banged on his door. "It's me, and I need to speak with you. It's like kinda important."

I didn't get to yell out anything more because Isabella opened the door. A smile might have been on her face but if you knew her you knew she wasn't happy.

"Emma, nice to see you, don't break down my door please." She laughed it off. "So what do you want with Ray. I'm sure you don't have to damage the door to tell him."

Definitely not happy.

"Well I just need to speak to him. Can I borrow him for a second?" I paused. "Though this is either gonna take 5 minutes or I'll make him cry depends."

She smiled kindly. "At this point I don't ask why with you. Go on in, he's in his room."

"Thank you for understanding." I walked past her.

Ray's apartment was like a second home to me, I grew up coming over and annoying both Isabella and Ray like family. Feels weird that I'm gonna confess in a place that feels so not romantic. Oh well, I work with what I have.

Finally, I reached his door and opened the door slowly. He was at his desk facing away, oh boy the horror on his face when he noticed me.

"Oh hi, I was hoping my mom would lie and say I'm not here." He spun around. "Well, you're here now. And we're gonna have an awkward conversation."

I closed the door behind me, my heart racing a a million beats per second. "Yeah well if Norman was wrong it's gonna get a whole lot weirder."