"Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to."

― Lao Tzu

   If I couldn't save Zoey so easily like Lawrie made it seem, then maybe her douche boyfriend could. So, today, I didn't have pancakes again, and I told my mother, "Yeah, yeah. Pick Todd up after school, I know!" before getting out the house quickly.

   I felt like I was forgetting something at that moment. What could it have possibly been? Yeah, my homework was finished with little effort, and I think I remembered to put on deodorant. But I had this nagging feeling like I was forgetting my car keys even though they were in my hand. Oh, well, only time would tell.

   Pulling into the parking lot of Warner High, I could only think of two places Lawson went to before the bell rang.

   There was the Band Room, and then there was that place under the bleachers at the track.

:: :: ::

   After humiliating myself in the Band Room, I was a little angered when seeing Lawson under the bleachers talking to his friends, smoking a couple cigarettes, listening to some rock songs. One of his friends was playing a harmonica solo. It sounded like the theme to M.A.S.H.

   When I approached the group of slackers and punks, I pointed at Lawson and immediately said with an edge to my voice. "I need to talk to you."

   Everyone, which was a big percentage of his cronies, looked at me dumbfounded.

   Yes, I knew this probably looked stupid and weird. But my mind was focused on saving Zoey. He needed to stop acting like an a-hole to her. It wasn't fair.

   Lawson put his hands in his pockets and tilted his head. "No offense, Isaac. But I don't want to talk to you."

   Everyone reacted to that by snickering, and saying "Ooh!", and I felt my face heat up. "It's about Zoey." Mentally I was pinching myself, because I was totally feeling humiliated and inferior.

   I never felt extremely humiliated and inferior before. I was Isaac Stints, in a good position in football, a hot girlfriend, and a bunch of friends. What the hell was some weirdo doing, messing up my mojo?

   No, no! I couldn't blame him. Suicidal Zoey Graves was the one who brought me into the time loop...I didn't want to blame her for everything though.

   "You know Zoey?" He asked in disbelief, smoking what I believed to be some Mary Jane, but maybe it was a legitimate cigarette (no matter how oxymoronic that may have sounded). "Isaac Stints knows who, the girl I'm going out with, is?" He took a hit of the roll up and started cackling like a crazy person very briefly. All his cronies laughed along with him. "Unfucking believable."

   It felt like everyone was laughing at me. The weirdos' heads were tilted back and they we're pointing at me laughing as loud as hell. It felt like I was surrounded by another evil; my crowd was the first effing evil (if you believe me).

   So, out of pressure and anxiety I blurted out, "I LIKE HER!"

   The laughter stopped abruptly, and Lawson wasn't smiling anymore. "Who do you like?" He asked in a grave tenor.

   My breathing quickened, and my hands were becoming sweaty. I could back out of all of this, right now. My life would exactly go back to normal, but I'm sure Lawrie Odin could choose someone else to save Zoey. Positive.

   But like any other bizarre person, I continued on anyway. "I LIKE YOUR GIRLFRIEND, ZOEY GRAVES! I need for you to break up with her, 'cause you treat her like shit anyway."

   Lawson gave me a blatant frown, and looked at the guy who stood beside him. "What did this fuck just say?"

   "He said he liked your girlfriend, Cloë." The dude's tone was rather dry, and annoyed.

   Everyone continued to stare at me, whispering things into each other's ears, pointing.

   After Lawson let out his cigarette he threw away the butt, and looked at me, clearly puzzled. "Was this some dare you and your peanut sized brained fellas came up with? Trying to make me, the goth boy in the band, feel intimidated, or stupid?"

   He smiled, even when I noticed that he tightened his fist. "Because to tell you the truth, I'm not even that intimidated. You're just really fucked up for even trying to intimidate me."

   He shrugged, and was about to light up again, when I gave him a monstrous shove. "You're such a little shit!"

   I wasn't even going to fight him. I will, I might; one of these days. But right now wasn't a good time. I just knew.

   No one tried coming to Lawson's aid, nor said anything.

   No one did anything. It was just really tense, and awkward.

:: :: ::

   When I entered the hallway at school I felt someone grab my arm. I hoped it wasn't Simon. He'd been pissing me off a lot lately.

   Even if he wasn't aware of the fact, or didn't seem to care. I was going to avoid him too.

   "Where the hell were you this morning?" Justice had been the one who grabbed my arm. We were by a locker. "I was nearly late, but thank God--"

   "Peyton picked you up, I know."

   She gave me look as if she were smelling rotten cabbage. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked in an accusatory way. "Anyway, you're right Peyton picked me up, and he told me some horrible New--"

   "Gwen and him are done. She's now with that Canadian guy who's most-likely cooler than Peyton. And Justice, you know why he might be cooler than Peyton?"

   She didn't say anything.

   "Because he doesn't, or didn't sleep with his best friend's girl."

   Simon Moore who'd been passing by at the moment, gave me a horrified look like I just told him he's the fucked up one, despite the fact that he really was.

   I walked off before getting an unwanted reaction from both Simon and Justice. Yet, I swear she'd been close to tears.

   Soon enough, the hour that Geometry was in came, and that meant talking to Zoey.

   I ran out of ideas. I couldn't think of any at the moment.

   Buy I did say hi to her once I sat down in the desk next to hers.

  After five minutes Mr Johnson walked in and began to teach.

   Once everybody was handed worksheets, I asked Zoey if I could maybe copy off of her, and like always she didn't seem to mind at all.

   "So, someone told me you pushed my boyfriend angrily," she whispered with a humored expression on her face.

   I stopped writing, looking at her I said, "Um, yeah...about that..."

   She waved her hand away. "It's cool. Besides, I think he's cheating with me on this one girl. He deserves to get roughed up a little."

   I nodded. "Yeah. My best friend and my, I think, now ex-girlfriend are sleeping together behind my back. Don't ask me how I know."

   She giggled, and I just noticed she had freckles. That made her even more pretty to me.

   "So, what class do you have next?" I messed with my Pencil on my desk. "I have Chem."

   "Physics. I took Chem last year." She shook her head. "I barely made it in Chem.¨

   ¨I'm probably not going to make it at all, I can't believe you need a credit from that subject," I said, "You're smart and probably don't need much of people's help."

   Zoey smiled shyly and went back to doing her work.

:: :: ::

   When I was putting my stuff in my locker, I couldn't believe what I saw. Lawson was finally being seen with Zoey. He had his arm around her shoulder, and her face was very red from, I guessed, the attention she was getting from him. He was whispering things in her ear, and making her laugh. When they passed by my locker Zoey waved at me, and Lawson glared at me.

   So I guess he really didn't like my pseudo proclamation of a liking for his girlfriend.

   I didn't know how to feel about that. Oh, well. At least he was going to act like she existed now, instead of using her.

   Watching the pair until they rounded the corner, dissapearing. I heard Peyton call my name, he sounded annoyed. I rolled my eyes, what did he want?

   ¨So, you're a stranger now?¨ He asked, approaching me. He had his gym bag slung over his shoulder. ¨Justice says you've been ignoring her text, and someone else said you were asking around for some guy. What were you doing in the band room?¨

   I looked at my phone and saw that I've ignored about fifty text from Justice. ¨Man, I would like to tell you all about it, but that'll have to be another time. Besides, I think me and Justice are done, like you and Gwen are. It really was that Liam guy was it?¨

   Peyton had looked pissed, but he looked extra pissed now that I was mentioning Gwen.

   ¨Who the hell did you hear that from?¨ His mouth was tight. ¨Cuz I wanted to tell you before anyone else did. Oh, but you forgot to pick up Justice, and um, you decided to act like you're better than everybody fucking else, and not show up at the entrance of the school.¨

   ¨I don't think I'm better than everyone else...but I'm trying to better myself. Besides, I know what you and Justice have been doing behind my back. We're through anyway.¨

   He looked surprised again, and shook his head furiously. ¨You're such a dick!¨ he shouted. ¨You don't deserve Justice. You don't deserve the position you're in in football either.¨

   I punched him.