You, Me & 'Charlie'

You, Me & 'Charlie' - chapter 10

Chapter 10

I didn’t fancy school today, mainly because of the way things had panned out Monday.

I hopped on the bus and sat down. I didn’t feel like music on this brighter Wednesday morning, and I was kind of expecting Bree to come crawling on her knees begging for forgiveness.

Or not, as I soon found out at her stop. She didn’t get on the bus at all. I sighed. Things seemed to be getting worse by the second.

Today wasn’t going to be the best of my life; I’d promised Jake and Paloma on the bus we’d tell all to Bree.

They were waiting outside the school gates for me. “Tabitha!” Jake seemed oh so generally pleased to see me.

I smiled; I only really allowed him and my parents to call me by my full name. Paloma tittered; she’d obviously caught on to my smile and thoughts. I coughed awkwardly.

“Hey, where’s Bree?” Paloma asked.

She was so calm about her. If Bree had asked where she was, it would have gone something like “Where’s that bitch then?” or “Where’s that gay skank?” Well that’s what she would have asked nowadays, being doped up and everything.

“Meh.” I shrugged.

“I take it she wasn’t on the bus then?” Jake asked as we walked.

“No. I didn’t think she would be anyway.” I replied.

“Hmmm.” Paloma was thinking.

“So what’s the plan? We need to meet up with her again.” I said

“Or we just corner her in the corridor and see where that takes us?” Paloma laughed wickedly.

“Or not. I’ll go to the hill again at lunch and you two follow?” I suggested.

“Sounds good. Have you got all your facts right? Are you sure you remember everything clearly enough Tabby?” Jake looked down at me.

I gulped. “I, um, yeah. Of course I remember, that day’s burnt into my mind forever. I’ll never forget what I saw anytime soon.”

I dropped my gaze away quickly, his eyes were making me feel giddy.

***

“Umm, you don’t have to sit with me.” Bree said, looking up at me.

“Well, if we’re still going to be friends, we need to get over all this crap like now.” I replied.

“Tabby, don’t lie.”

I looked at her. “How’d you know?” I asked.

“I can read you like a book. Only you know the real reason we’re here.”

I gulped. “We need to talk.”

“Talk away then.” She was offering this to me on a plate.

“I can’t. Not until they get here.”

“No Tabby, no, no, no. I will not be seen with Paloma again.”

“I’m surprised she’d even want to come today, but she is, with Jake.” I replied.

“Why? Can’t we just talk one to one? Why drag them into it?”

“’Cos we’re best friends. And I’m not the only liar here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean exactly?”

“It means, you’re not telling the whole truth Bree.”