Deadly Silence (complete) Chapter 49

Burnt casserole aside, Vivian had enjoyed her time at Miriam’s place that Saturday. It meant she would need to invite the latter to her own place eventually, which was a bit nerve wracking to think about, but that was something to worry about another day.

Monday morning practice was another hour and a half of pure hell as Vivian tried to keep up with her peers with middling success. Burning lungs, aching muscles… this would be her new normal and she wasn’t proud of that fact.

“Still hanging in there?”

Vivian looked up from where she was bent over, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. There was Theo, still looking fresh as he stopped by her side and gave her his usual beaming smile. “So it seems,” she managed to say as she pushed herself up straight again.

“First couple weeks will be the worst, but by the end of the year you’ll look back and laugh at how things started.”

She gave him a sideways look and shrugged her shoulders. “If I survive that long.”

This made him laugh as he gave her shoulder a playful shove. “You’re not doing that bad, Vivian. Cheer up!” He was gone before she could think of something to say in response, leaving Vivian frowning as she mulled over his words.

Miriam had said Theo was interested in her, but Vivian still didn’t see it. He was being friendly, checking in on the new girl. Throughout practice she’d noted he’d stopped and chatted with a number of different people, usually only long enough to exchange a few words but it meant him talking to her wasn’t anything special.

There was no way he was into her that way.

After practice, Vivian cleaned herself up in the locker room with the other girls before throwing on her school uniform and grabbing her school bag only to turn around and come face to face with Abby. Everyone else had already left, leaving Vivian to deal with the cheerleader alone.

The girl who was always with the blond was standing just behind and looked pleased about something. One day maybe Vivian would take the time to learn her name, but that wouldn’t be today.

“Can I help you?” she asked the two standing in the way of the door.

“What’s your deal?” Abby demanded, arms crossed as she looked Vivian up and down.

“You’ll have to be more specific,” Vivian sighed, shifting her school bag a bit, wondering where this was going and how to end it quick so she could make it to class before the bell rang.

“Do you think you’re something special? Coming in here, the ‘mysterious’ new girl, and think you can just grab whatever guy you want?”

“…what are you talking about? I haven’t grabbed anyone.” Was she talking about Theo? It was the only guy Vivian had dealt with to any extent that might aggravate the blond since they were part of the same peer group.

“Don’t play dumb,” Abby snapped, leaning forward a bit as a sneer crossed her face. “You’ve been making a play for Theo since day one. We all know it.”

Vivian stared at the girl, face blank. “You’re joking, right?”

“No one in our group will ever be interested in someone like you, Vivian. You’re too weird for any guy to want you.”

Was this supposed to bother me, Vivian wondered absently as she allowed to blond to continue insulting her personality (cold and distant), her looks (plain and forgettable), and how she had no business being at a school for the upper echelon (her public school education was no secret). “Are you done?” Vivian asked when it seemed like Abby had stopped her tirade.

“What is wrong with her?” The girl in the background demanded. “Are you too stupid to realize what she just said to you?”

“No, I understood it just fine,” Vivian assured the two with a small nod. “I’m absolute trash and shouldn’t be here. I get it. I just don’t care. Insult me all you want. I know I’m nothing special so you’re just pointing out the obvious.”

Abby stared at her for a long moment before finally turning and marching out of the locker room.

Finding herself alone once again, Vivian let out a breath and allowed her posture to relax. Dealing with some people just wasn’t fun. Hopefully the popular blond cheerleader would get the hint and not bother with the intimidation tactic again.

Besides, hadn’t Abby been the one who’d called Theo a fuck boy among other things? If the tone she’d used was any indication there was no love lost between the two of them so why was she being all territorial?

Deciding there had to be something she was missing, Vivian heading out to find Miriam, who might be able to explain.

Unfortunately there wasn’t time to find her friend before the bell rang. Waiting until lunch wouldn’t be easy, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

“Wait, you’re telling me Abby cornered you in the locker room and said all that?”

Miriam had been slack jawed as Vivian recounted the encounter from that morning. “Yes, that’s right. What am I missing? As far as I can tell it’s not like she has a high opinion of Theo so why did she do all that?”

“Vivian… you have so much to learn,” Miriam sighed, placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder and giving it a small squeeze. “It’s because she likes him that she did that.”

“Huh?” Vivian frowned, shooting Miriam a sideways glance. “But she basically insulted him that time and acted like he was gross.”

“Exactly.”

“…” Why was this so complicated? Why didn’t people just say things without subtlety and double meanings? How was anyone supposed to understand your feelings if you acted opposite of how you should?

“They went on a couple dates back in their freshman year,” Miriam explained. “Then he broke it off, like usual, or so I heard. Nearly all the girls who’ve shown interest in him, or dated him, have had a one on one with Abby. Not that it changed the fact Theo always broke things off in the end but that only happens if the girl keeps asking for more dates. If she doesn’t try for a second or third then he doesn’t have to do anything, y’know?”

Vivian couldn’t help but shake her head at the entire thing. “Let me get this straight; Abby wants Theo. Theo doesn’t want Abby. Theo goes on tons of dates and when Abby finds out she intimidates the girls into not going on second dates, but even if they do Theo breaks it off with them anyway.”

“Yes,” Miriam agreed after taking a moment to think over the summary provided. “That’s about it.”

“That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“What’s the stupidest thing?” Theo asked as he slid into the seat across from Vivian.

Miriam glanced at her friend, then smiled widely. “High school social hierarchy and the drama that ensues because of it.”

“I hear you there,” he nodded as he began to dig into his lunch.

Vivian exchanged a glance with her friend, who gave a look that said ‘go on, talk to him already!’ “Do boys have the same drama between them that girls do?”

“Eh,” he sounded out after swallowing his mouthful. “It’s different. We aren’t as dramatic, I guess, but we’re usually more competitive about everything.”

“What are you competitive about?” This time it was Miriam who spoke as she leaned forward.

Theo let out a sigh. “Everything. Grades, cars, sports, girls, money… Literally anything and everything can be made into a competition if the guy’s ego is fragile enough.”

“What about yourself?” She continued. “What do you get competitive over?”

He paused mid bite to stare at Miriam before slowly chewing and swallowing. “I’m not really competitive. I don’t particularly care where I stack up in the ranks, so to speak.”

“Really?” Miriam prodded, her smile widening. “What if you’re into the same girl as another guy? Would you try and win her over before him?”

Vivian shot a glare towards Miriam, who pointedly ignored it and continued to focus on Theo as he frowned.

“I haven’t had that problem before so who knows. Girls come to me, not the other way around.” As he spoke his gaze switched to Vivian, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “What about you? If you were interested in someone only to learn someone else was also going for them would you get competitive?”

It was now Vivian’s turn to frown, her mind turning over every word spoken while wondering if there was some hidden meaning she was missing. “I don’t know.”

“Really?” He cajoled before taking another bite of his food. “You’ve never had competition for a guy you liked?”

“I’ve never liked anyone that way before,” she informed him as she shrugged.

Theo stared at her for a second, then grinned. “Okay, what about having guys pursue you and needing to decide between them.”

Raising her eyebrows, Vivian replied, “what would that matter? If that ever happened it doesn’t mean I have to choose either of them. What if I dislike all of them?”

“You’ve never had guys pursue you before?”

“You may not have realized this yet, but I’m not exactly social,” Vivian reminded him with a huff. “I avoid people as a way of life.”

“You’re not avoiding Miriam or me.”

“I’m not avoiding Miriam, but you’re the one always coming to me, not the other way around,” she countered, arms crossing.

“Touché,” he agreed with a laugh. “But you’re still not avoiding either of us.”

Vivian shook her head at the boy but couldn’t argue. “You aren’t terrible to talk to, I guess,” she finally admitted. Beside her Miriam had reached over beneath the table and gave Vivian’s shirt a tug in excitement.

“Awe, that just made my day,” Theo told them, his smile somehow widening even further. “I wasn’t expecting to get a compliment but here we are!”

“That wasn’t meant to be a compliment.”

“Wasn’t it?”

Vivian finally turned her head, switching her focus to Miriam who was looking like she was having the time of her life. “Are you finished eating?”

“Nope,” she grinned. “Not even close.”

Both girls looked down at the empty plate. “You sure about that?”

“Yep. Still have some crumbs I need to clean up. You two keep talking.”