Free Almost Alive by Christina Barr

done it, I didn’t and hadn’t tried since.  I had what it took to beat the demon and I didn’t need Julian breathing down my neck. 
                  I spotted Michael from across the cafeteria and bolted toward him as soon as I paid for my lunch.  Julian didn’t say anything, but he followed me.  I wanted him to for once, because he needed to see what I was going to do.  Before Michael was able to greet me at his table, I sat my tray down and kissed him with everything I had. 
                  I knew it wasn’t school appropriate and that I was making quite a scene, especially when the onlookers started cheering us on.  I had to take the risk of getting in trouble to show Julian that he didn’t control me and that he couldn’t.  It wasn’t the demon either and I knew that to be a fact.  I was kissing someone I found to be incredibly sexy and it had nothing to do with good and evil.
                  I was hoping Julian might go into a rage and reveal exactly how hypocritical and out of control he actually was, but the scream I heard was the shrill of a jealous female.  “What are you doing?”
                  Michael pulled away from me and I saw the brunette from gym class, pissed and teary eyed.  “She kissed me and—”
                  “What?” I yelled.
                  “Didn’t you?”  It was like Michael was daring me to go against his word.
                  I looked at the brunette looking at me like she wanted to shoot us and Michael looked like I was supposed to take the bullet.  “I guess I did and it happened really fast, but…”  I was so confused!  The brunette didn’t have any right to be so mad at me.  “He’s single.  What does it matter?”
                  “Is that what you told her?” she asked Michael, completely heartbroken and horrified.
                  “Liz, I never said I was single!”
                  I played back our conversations in my mind.  I suppose I didn’t have a file downloaded in my brain of him saying those exact words, but he never gave me any reason to assume that he wasn’t mine for the taking.  “Why didn’t you tell me you had a girlfriend?”
                  “I didn’t come onto you.  You came onto me.”
                  I couldn’t believe he was throwing me under the bus.  Maybe I should have dragged him down with me, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.  I was filled with too much guilt when I looked into the Liz’s eyes.  I was so distraught over my best friend hooking up with my ex-boyfriend.  I couldn’t imagine what she probably felt since they were actually together.  I didn’t want to be the other woman.  I just couldn’t be!
                  I ran away with my tail in between my legs, but not before catching Julian’s horrified and disappointed expression.  I was expecting him to be smug and satisfied.  Surprised was worse for some reason.
                  As I was rushing out of the cafeteria, blinded by my oncoming tears, I bumped right into Maria.  “Sorry!”
                  “Hey!”  She pulled on me before I could run past her.  “What’s the matter?”
                  I wanted to break down and tell her.  She would understand what had happened and would see me as the innocent bystander.  She knew what it was like to be judged, embarrassed, and betrayed.  I wanted her to know so I could have one friend on my side, but I knew Julian was probably trailing behind and I didn’t want him to say anything.  Besides, he was right about how I needed to stay away from Michael.  Maybe he would be right about how I needed to stay away from Maria.  “Excuse me.”
                  I felt terrible for doing it, but I ran away from her.  I should have been a big girl and tried to clear my name, but I