Innocence Meet Jealousy...Isn't She Stunning?

Tristin came home the next day, clearly in adequate condition. I was positive the only reason they allowed him to stay the night at the hospital was because he was in desperate need of rest and it’d be the easiest way to deal with it.

My mother was buzzed for days, constantly making sure she knew exactly where both Tristin and I were at all times. She barely let us go to school unattended. It didn’t bother me at first, but soon enough I was ready to leave and never come back.

But no matter how much I hated being at home within my mother’s presence, I couldn’t say I enjoyed school anymore than usual.

“I think Tristin should dye his hair black.” My friend Grace suggested on our way to first period. I cocked an eyebrow and looked at her from the corner of my eye, questioning her mental stability.

Beside me, Ady burst out laughing. “Yes! He so should. Y’know, now that he’s all badass now.”

“No,” I cut in before they could convince themselves that it was happening, “I won’t allow it.

“Why not?” Grace shrieked, throwing her arms out to the side, “It’d be so cool!”

“You’re insane.” I told her in all seriousness, jerking my bangs away from my eyes.

The halls were unusually empty today, I noted, as I drowned out their pointless conversation. It seemed as if the whole junior class had gone missing, leaving this hallway—their hallway—nearly empty, save for a few lower classmen.

In all honesty, this was the very last place I wanted to be today. I’d gotten little sleep last night thanks to Tristin. He somehow had convinced my mother that he was in far too much pain to attend school so he’d been wasting the night away playing video games in his room. Every time something would blow up, expelling a painfully loud sound from the TV, my eyes would shot open and I’d have to start my attempt for sleep all over again. At this rate, that boy was going to be dead within a week and I had no problem being the cause of death.

“See ya later.” I barely heard Ady mumble to Grace once I realized we were already walking into our English classroom.

“Bye Gracey!” I added in before following Ady in and scurrying to my seat, noticing something odd sitting upon the top. As I glanced towards Ady on the other side of the room, I saw she was already eyeing the notebook upon my desk skeptically, most likely regarding the various phrases and tiny drawings decorating the cover from afar.

Gingerly, I picked up the spiral bound notepad to look for a name or something of the sort, but was quickly cut off by my teacher’s booming voice instructing us to put everything away and sit down. I quickly shoved the notebook into my backpack, careful not to rip or ruin any part of it and slid my white backpack under my desk.

“Did everyone like the reading last night?” Mrs. Allendale asked the class as a whole as she perched herself atop the desk in the corner and faced the class.

We all mumbled our approval in response and she continued to press us for our thoughts, something I’d rather not be shared with these people at such an ungodly hour of the morning.

C’mon clock…faster, faster!

//

I kinda just wanted to sleep. Really, that’s all I was asking for; to curl up into a ball on my bed and let sleep drag me into its depths. The rainier it got today , the more I longed for sweet slumber…

Plus sleep most definitely did not include sitting through this English class.

10 more minutes…

The boy next to me, Max, was tapping his pen obnoxiously against the desk. Although the movement only happened every so often, I wanted to slap him. His presence overall had a way of irritating me.

“Now this book shouldn’t be too hard to read,” my teacher announced, taking her spot on the corner desk yet again, “I want you all to be experts on your books so when you do your presentations, you can effectively teach it to the class.”

The boy scoffed beside me and mumbled something under his breath about ‘twenty-effing-minutes’, likely in regards to the required length of the presentation.

8 more minutes…

I glanced down at the tattered pages poking out above all the rest as I wondered what kinds of things laid between the sheets, what kind of soul could be revealed.

5 more minutes…

My teacher was still rambling on about our presentation, what needed to be included, props, and costumes. “Talk about it in your groups.” She instructed, hopping off the desk and leaving us, unaware, unlike myself, that we had such little time left.

“I think we should get a ukulele.” Max, the obnoxious boy beside me and the only other member of my awesome group announced.

3 more minutes…

Ady looked over at me and smiled at Max’s consistent references to the ukulele.

2 more minutes…

I ignored Max’s final words about the ukulele and began placing my books in my backpack, careful of the notebook that was not my own.

1 more minute…

Max finally shut up.

0 more minutes…

I shot up and nearly sprinted for the door, only pausing so Ady could put her stuff away and catch up for our walk to art class together.

My legs were anxious and restless as I stood near the doorway waiting for her. She glanced up as she slung her backpack over her shoulder and I gave her a rushed expression.

One foot out the door and—

“Oh, sorry.” I mumbled, sidestepping further into the hall to move out of the way for the boy heading right into my classroom, at a hurried pace, adorned in tight t-shirt, tighter jeans, and messy hair…

“Oh my god.” I mumbled as Ady met me in the hall.

“What?” she questioned.

I stared at her with wide eyes, “that was the kid I met at the concert the other night.”

Her jaw dropped slightly as she threw her head back, “God damn it, I miss everything!” she exclaimed, “I didn’t know he was in our school.”

“Neither did I!”

Her face suddenly turned calm and thoughtful, “Does this mean we have some serious stalking to do?”

I smiled as a small laugh bubbled up in my chest, “I believe it does.”