The Academy--Chapter Three--Continued (again)

This is a break from the normal mysteriousness, suspicious, unknowing-ness that usually occupies this story. :)


“Poppy!” came an excited squeal from behind me. Avery grabbed my shoulders and spun me toward her. The sudden motion made the pain from the bruises beneath her hands double. “Guess what? Jasper said that he liked me!”
Too bummed from the previous incident with Alastair, I didn’t even smile at her ostentatiousness.
“Did he actually say it like that?”
“Well, not exactly. But pretty much! Oh, I’m so excited!”
Other girls joined us and hugged Avery like she was getting married to the boy. I finally managed a fake grin and then congratulated my best friend.
After the bells rang for free time, the other girls scattered about to talk to other friends, laugh with the boys, or do homework. I glanced around, looking for Alastair. Spotting his black leather jacket, I quickened my stride. Avery caught me mid-step.
“Hey, Poppy.”
“Hey.”
“Where’re you going?”
“To talk to Alastair.”
“Him?” She looked disappointed, and almost hurt. “You always talk to him.”
“Hey, don’t judge!” I scolded lightly. “You don’t even know him.”
“I know, but he’s just weird.”
I finally cracked an authentic smile and laughed.
“What?” she asked innocently. “Am I wrong?”
“Yes. He’s not weird. He’s really nice. He’s a good person.”
“Then why are you always so sad after you’re around him?”
I frowned.
“Yeah. I’ve noticed,”she said.
“He’s just... I don’t know how to explain it. Radical. But not in a bad way. He’s so smart, and he’s just got some ideas that I don’t agree with.” I paused, feeling guilty about putting him down. “But he’s so great, I mean...he’s really great.”
Suddenly, Avery broke a smile. She laughed so hard that she started to snort.
“What is it?” I asked, catching her contagious laugh.
“You like him!” she cried, randomly hugging me and spinning me around until we both fell onto the leaf-littered concrete. We lay in the crunchy red and orange leaves and laughed for a bit longer. She took a few breaths and then said, quieter, “You like him. Don’t you?”
I hesitated. I hadn’t been thinking of Alastair in that way; I’d been too busy trying to figure him out. I wasn’t even sure if I knew him enough to say that I liked him