High School Rumours of Undying Love

I flirted with everyone in Grade 9, but was looking for someone with the same kind of heart as me, that wanted the same kinds of things, and was calm. I met Luis.

She kept stating she wanted everything this romantic boy had to offer, and she was intelligent and had a gorgeous smile. She wasn't popular, but seemed like she was trying to be. I was ostracized for nearly everything so I became picky in who I'd date.

I don't remember how exactly we met, but our friendship seemed natural, I was able to be myself. She kept going for the Brad Pitt types while wondering why they always broke her heart. Guru J-Roc would tell her she was looking in the wrong places, for the right things.

Like most people, I wasn't exactly sure how to help her if she wouldn't heed my words. One time she asked if I thought she was stupid or something. No, just confused me like most girls. I tried playing this one differently, wondering if my eccentricism was hindering my relationships.

Things were going smoothly in the first semester, but revved up in the second as soon as I thought about it. People started to notice we hung around a lot when I wasn't in the Jr art room catching up on month old homework. I was eating when Jesse and JB walked in.

"Hey, what's up?" I said noticing but continuing to do my homework.

"So..." JB said smirking wildly, getting my attention, "I hear you're in love with Luis..." he said almost unable to contain himself.

I'd figured we'd come off as flirty with one another, "I don't know about that..." I said leaning back in the plastic school chair, contemplating, "I think I like her, she seems pretty cool,"

They burst out laughing at a naive boy, "Well... everyone's talking about how you confessed your undying love to her!"

While I went from homework and lunch to absolute terror and fear, they went from containment to a laughing fit. I'd never mentioned the 4 letter word in regards to Luis. Only crazy boys did those sorts of things. I hadn't invested that part of me. I got up from my seat going 0 to 60.

"What?!" The late homework was just going to be even later now, "Who told you that?!"

They evaded the question and after calming down said, "Man... Literally everyone in the halls are talking about it. It's the schools new big thing!"

Yeah. At my expense. "Well $#%#... I have to get to the bottom of this and lunch is almost over!" I quickly packed up my homework, threw my backpack over a shoulder, and left the art room.

I got all of 3 steps out before I was greeted with mockery from the lockers across. I didn't know where to start, so the best place seemed to be with the other part involved. Luis often ate in the same lunch room each day with her friends. I shuffled through the halls of embarrassment, and she was where I hoped she'd be.

"What's going on out there?" I calmly and casually asked.

She quickly turned around, "What did you do?!"

"Me? I've just been doing homework that's a month overdue. I never have a clue about what goes on around here..." I peered at the clock and the only fact I knew was sinking in. I wasn't getting answers this lunch period. Like any high school investigation, those first 48 minutes were crucial!

I guess she didn't believe that I was catching up on month old homework, even if she'd often laugh about the month old homework, "I can't believe you'd go around telling people that we're in love and shit!" she angrily said, now grabbing her possessions and pushing me aside as she passed.

I yelled out, "I didn't say anything to anyone!" but she was already out the door.

I stood there contemplating as her best friend inquired with a genuine smirk, "So... You love Luis?"

"No, I really don't..." I frustratingly said walking out. And that sucked for me, because she seemed to actually like me. I'd never date a girl whose friends actually liked me.

It would take a couple weeks for the next controversy to control the spotlight. It was a fight that had some 30 kids standing around. Until then, I'd don a fake private eye license and try to get to the bottom of this. Detective Jory was on the case.

I created a telephone map in my brain and asked anyone and everyone where they'd heard the rumour from. The problem became that my webs always came back to the same three people having started it.

Jesse and JB were obvious suspects, since I first heard it from them, and a couple times either one would suggest they'd first heard it from the other. JB also didn't like the other group. I agreed on one girl, but didn't think they should all be chalked up to her demeanor. They were nerds and I wondered what he considered of his own group.

"They wouldn't even do my homework if we dated, so what's the point of dating them?"

And I'd replied, "If your girlfriends aren't doing your homework, you just aren't making them happy enough,"

While it made more sense my own group started the false rumour, there was also a fibre that eluded to Luis having started the rumour herself. Maybe by accident through miscommunication, maybe in an attempt to elevate her status at the expense of mine. It bothered me enough that I confronted her one more time in hopes of shedding any light.

I approached her in the lunchroom she ate, and it was quite like the first encounter. I walked up, and went straight for the punch, "Was it you that started those rumours about me being in love with you?"

A scowl formed on her face, "I don't want to talk to you about this!" which didn't make sense. We were both at the center of the narrative, why wouldn't she want to clear the air? It only made for an unsolved cold case. In a fit of déjà vu, she stormed off again, leaving me with her best friend. This time we both stood in silence. After a few moments, I sighed and walked away, never to find a conclusion, just another event of humiliation.

I'd briefly dust off the cold case file a year later in Grade 10 cooking class. It had become Luis friend I was interested in. Since I dealt in concrete and not quicksand, I could never tell if she was actually flirting with me. I was losing my voice and Milli, my best friend, stepped in and told her that, "Jory could never be interested in someone as ugly as you,"

She was shocked by the statement. She seemed real, I sensed a big heart, and she was far from ugly. I'd later beat myself up for not having defended her honour either way.

But it was that act from another friend that re-opened the case. I added the note that friends, could indeed, insert their opinions and screw up your affairs. I casually asked around again about the Grade 9 event hoping to find any more information only to come up empty handed.

The cold case would become frozen in time. Maybe I should have started to assume I had a good memory.