25 An awkward performance (1/2)

Pulled by her arm stumbled Sophie behind her agitated friend, while the harsh grip around her wrist pulled tighter. Even though the wind was missing today, the cold weather still slowed her down, and the way Monica had gripped her right hand with her own right demanded from Sophie to run sideways, just to keep up.

An awkward march through the schoolyard that drew more than a few eyes on them, and eventually caused Sophie to pull the brake.

"Could you slow down for a moment and tell me what's actually wrong?"

Her sudden resistance brought Monica out of balance, who replied her question with a condemning gaze.

"You mean, besides what you two were doing back there?"

Sophie's eyes darted off for a moment, already bored by the topic.

"Duh…"

Frustrated by the apathetic reaction to her accusation, let Monica go of Sophie's hand before crossing her arms.

"Fine!"

She could see how her friend struggled to swallow the extensive lecture she knew would come later, anyway.

Class representative or not, sometimes she just wouldn't get down from her high horse.

"Izzy might have caused… a slight commotion when she confronted Markus about… well… your supposed relationship with him."

Of all the things that could catch up to her, it had to be that.

Tired of this day, Sophie closed her eyes, supporting her head with both hands. A sight that Monica seemed to confuse with frustration.

"Hey! I tried my best to keep it from escalating, but it might be better to clear things up quickly, not that this rumor keeps spreading."

"So… where are they?"

The exhaustion in her voice did quick work with the defensive girl, who bit her lip as she noticed her misinterpretation.

"I've asked Max to get her away from the crowd and the teachers. They should be somewhere behind the kiosk."

Following the direction went much smoother without the handholding, and the curious students around the area helped to find the group in question in no time.

Albeit Monica's words had painted a different picture, Izzy's clutch around the poor boy was still anything but friendly, and Max tried his best to pull her away from him.

"… will appreciate what you are trying to do, Izzy… let it be."

That conversation snippet begged the question of what she even wanted to do, but certainly not for who.

'Whatever she does, it's only for herself anyway…'

With her victim in a headlock, made the girl seemingly no effort to refute that thought.

"Why that? I'm just asking some question. Not like you have something to hide, right, Markus?"

The boy had his light brown hair disheveled by the constant assault, yet didn't show any signs of resistance against it either, though. Not really a surprise for anyone knowing him.

"I don't know what you want to hear. It just didn't work out, okay? I did nothing to her."

The performance was actually quite entertaining to watch. Not like Sophie had an idea what to do about it, anyway. As school rules went, if she were to protect Markus, it would just give credit to the rumors, and if she did not, they would see it as overcompensation.

A tough nut to crack…

'…'

Well, that thought was certainly helpful…

It was Markus who spotted her first of the three, showing with his wide-open eyes just how awkward the situation was for him.

"Oh, hey Sophie…"

Brought to a sudden hold, the performers put their attention towards her in unison, which left Sophie with no other choice but to go along with it.

There she stood, like an actor who didn't rehearse her text. Should she get loud, angry, or pretend like nothing happened?

In the end, there was only one emotion she really felt right now.

Ignoring Markus' greeting for the moment, she turned her tired and paining eyes at the perpetrator.

"And what exactly are you doing there?"

"I was just asking questions. I mean, you didn't want to tell me why you broke up, so…"

"So what? So you could make me forget that you all dumped me yesterday for no good reason and get on my good side with one fell swoop by bringing us two back together?"

Any other day, the look of Izzy, who was unaware of what she did supposedly wrong, would have brought her blood to the boiling point, yet today was different.

Bare of the strength to get angry, Sophie awaited an answer, using the following silence to take a few breaths.

'Only Monica missing, who defends her for having good intentions…'

Called by the keyword in her thoughts, interjected her friend, yet other than expected.

"Wait, what? You were together?"

A moment baffled by Monica's choice to pick that point out of her question, Sophie stared at her in disapproval before turning back to Izzy.

"Don't you change the topic now... Is that it, Izzy?"

Despite her current position managed the girl to shrug her shoulders, with Markus still in her grip, just as perplexed and misplaced as before.

She would not get any answers here…

"Were you all just gonna pretend like that didn't happen?"

The reaction that followed answered at least that question, with Max and Monica looking away, and Izzy finally letting go of Markus.

It was no wonder that the boy seemed dizzy after getting pulled into this nonsense on her behalf.

She had definitively enough of this as well.

"Well, that's not how to improve a friendship."

Annoyed by the absurd display, grabbed Sophie the stolen chocolate bar back from Monica and left the group standing.

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Few onlookers read the room well enough to turn around before Sophie noticed them on her way out. It wasn't even that interesting of a situation, by any means, yet there were still some wags filming the show.

Just a testimony about how boring the events here usually were.

Sophie made her way past the isolated groups and around the kiosk, to lean against the fence with a view at the offered goods, before scarfing down the last of her food.

The entire ordeal put strain on her stomach, but before she could consider getting more sweets, arrived Markus in front of her.

His hair was still a little all over the place, and he seemed a scant more timid when he spoke up.

"I must say, your friends are… really, something else."

"Says the guy who's friend with Felix."

"Touchè."

Awkward silence followed the brief exchange, leading Sophie to wish she had answered differently.

Why was it sometimes so difficult to find a topic to talk about?

Her half-closed eye fell back on his disheveled hair, while searching for an escape to the silence.

Standing now together like this, she couldn't else but wonder if Izzy was gawking from somewhere, congratulating her own success.

'And it's your fault she even knew about it…'

Sophie grimaced at the thought, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Sorry that Izzy pestered you like that. That's exactly why I didn't want anyone to know."

Before she could consider admitting her slip up regarding the topic, interjected Markus.

"It's not your fault. Actually, I could have just done what you suggested and stand in for myself… for once. Instead of… you know."

"Getting owned by Izzy?"

"Yeah, that."

He chuckled a bit, only to stop when she didn't join in. Not that she didn't think it was funny, but simply because she didn't know if she should.

Sophie couldn't even blame him when he rubbed his arm nervously. She was feeling just as awkward

'Was really a great idea to ruin a chance for friendship by dating…'

That made it all the more surprising when he finally spoke up.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask if you have time on Saturday? There's still a boss waiting to get his ass kicked."

The invitation actually managed to turn her frown into a smile, even if only for a moment. As much fun as it would be, she couldn't, not while things were at home like they were.

"Not this weekend. Bad timing."

Markus stared at her black eye with a concern that took her aback, only for him to break eye contact a moment after.

"Why that? Are you… in trouble? Or do you think it's too early?"

Seeing his reaction, it might as well be the second. Unable to decide where to put her own eyes, inspected Sophie the schoolyard, turning her injured eye away from him.

"No. It's just bad timing. Maybe next weekend, okay?"

"Sure. I'd like that."

His awry smile didn't break during eye contact this time, which sparked some hope within her they could just move on as friends.

She felt herself relax a little and turned her stinging side back towards him. A sight that made him recoil a bit.

"Does it hurt?"

The question felt like a callback, especially when she noticed another familiar head navigate through the marginally smaller students.

"Not more than yours did after Felix kicked your ass during kickboxing."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I still can't believe he chose that moment to introduce us."

Markus' own amusement about the unpleasant memory hid the real purpose of her smile well, while Felix sneaked up on the boy. Albeit her eye motion must have made him suspicious ahead of time, since he turned around in time to catch the prankster.

Unimpressed by the discovery, gave him Felix a rather friendly slap on the back, before joining the group.

"I thought it would give you some pity points with Sophie. But that didn't turn out quite as planned, obviously."

His tease landed at the right spot with Markus, whose cheeks turned red like a tomato. A fact he tried to hide with his hands and by changing the topic.

"Speaking of the devil. I haven't seen you at training in weeks. What's up with that?"

Felix shrugged the question off, barely giving him any attention.

"Been busy. Anyway, Sophie, can you come to my place after school? Still want to tell you something."

That reminded her of their strange conversation earlier. What had been up with that?

"What's with Izzy's place? When we meet up later. Can't you just tell me there?"

"Well, about that…"

His mumbled answer drowned in the signal that ended the lunch break, but it could as well have not. What he wanted to say was as obvious as infuriating.

"Don't tell me… canceled?"

Markus, who noticed the hint of sarcasm in her voice, backed away as subtle as possible, while Sophie clenched her fists.

Only to open them a moment later.

"Then again, I can't even complain! At least my friends tell me this time before forgetting about me."

She went to leave when Felix opened his mouth, determined not to let him defend the others, who didn't even bother to show up themselves.

"Don't. I'm not stupid enough to let half-assed lies slide twice. Whatever you want to tell me later is better about what's actually going on…"

Wouldn't even surprise her if they pulled straws to decide who had to tell her.