Star Bright

Twenty One: Zine

  Dani didn't sleep that night. For once it wasn't because of a boy (though she would pause occasionally to think about Ian's reaction to the kiss) but instead, it was because of a plan. With her new growing space for courage, Dani decided to do something memorable as well as fix things with Jeremy. But she couldn't do that with the bad guys still out there. She had to make Hawks High ready for the new relationship, a place where they wouldn't have to see the bad faces anymore, the remainders of her mistake.

   And she had just the plan.

  The next morning she was up before anyone, took her bath, fed Bob, and packed her lunch. She wrote a note for Jean. On her way out, she happened to glance back and caught the stare of Ian who was shirtless, wearing red trousers that hung low on his hips. If he didn't look dreamy enough, then the blush on his cheeks helped.

  Dani winked and headed out.

  She was a whole new person, a free girl. She felt like she could rule the world if she wanted to, and there was nothing that could stop her. Dani walked down the road merrily. Several parents stopped to wave with a smile on their face, no doubt thanks to her that their kids could no longer go to that dreadful place in the woods.

  Dani entered a cybercafé where she went straight to a photocopier, dropped her bag, opened it, and took out the little zine she had made overnight. Laying it down on the machine, she smiled to herself as the streaks of light came on.

  •••

 
  It was clear everyone hated her by now. Not just they kept whispering whenever she walked past, or that her locker had mean words written in red all over it, or that her face was drawn on the girl's bathroom stall, no, it was because she could feel the hate suffocating her.

  While it was a bit chilly that morning, Dani had beads of sweat on her neck and forehead. But it wasn't the same as before. The way everyone kept glancing at her was just straight-up annoying. She could still feel guilt but without the fear, the emotion was just like a pimple a teen desperately wanted to get rid of.

  At lunch, Dani decided to set her plan into motion. She placed her ear against the girls' bathroom door to check if anyone was in, and upon hearing nothing, she quickly went in, stopping at the sink. She pulled out the copies of the zine and sprayed them all into the partially wet hollow. Then she dashed out.

   It didn't take long before almost everyone was holding brown-themed papers in their hands. This time, the glances didn't contain any hate, just curiosity, and puzzlement. Dani put on her game face as she returned the stares, making her to her locker and trying to seem timid as possible. She found Gabe waiting.

  "Dani, how are you?" He hugged her. Dani breathed in his scent. He was wearing his favorite blue jacket today and jeans.

  "I'm okay. I haven't been seeing you lately." She commented as they pulled apart.

  "I've been busy..."

  She gave him a look and a sly grin.

  He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I've been busy with Hannah. We went on a date last night."

  "Oh." She should have been happy for him but she felt a bit hurt instead. "Is that why you weren't reachable?"

  His expression changed immediately; anger flashed in his eyes. "No, you can blame that on the football team. My phone fell out and one of them accidentally stepped on it. I know he did it on purpose but I backed down."

  "They're not taking you being captain too well, are they?"

  "No. They prefer Chris. He's the second in command. They listen to him than they do to me." Gabe sighed and rubbed the nape of his neck. "It would have been easier if Chris was a bad guy, but he's kinda nice. If it's just an act, he's one hell of an actor."