Is this the final stop? (Toni Shalifoe)

Chapter 44

The dark clouds of betrayal and disappointment follow Toni into school. Hanging her head low. Grieving the loss of whatever she thought she had with Shelby. Barely recovering from the venom she spewed in the dressing room. But she makes it to school. Only minutes before the first class. She trudges into the hallway, shoulder checking any students in her path on the route to her locker. She leaves a wake of grumbling boys and popular girls. Eyes on the ground. She's not paying attention. She's dragging her feet. Her shoes scuff the white tile, leaving black marks behind.

Like how it feels with what Shelby did to her.

Toni drops her backpack to the ground and crouches down to the lock. She's got the bottom row of the two sets of lockers. She turns the padlock to her combination. She pulls on it. Hard. But it doesn't budge. She tries again. Spinning the numbers frantically. Her vision is getting blurry. All these emotions starting to overwhelm her. Distract her from her own memory. Toni pulls on the lock again. It stays closed. She slams it against the locker. Kicks it for good measure.

She won't need her books today, there won't be any studying happening. She seizes her backpack and puts an arm through. Holding the strap tightly.

"Toni?" Martha's voice breaks through the silence. Her tone is quiet and careful. The girl slowly approaches Toni.

Toni doesn't look at her, eyes down at the unopened locker. She's paler, dark circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep. She stands and swallows hard, trying to maintain some form of decency, "I forgot the number."

Martha looks at the girl longer, knows that she's avoiding eye contact. Knows that she's upset. Knows that Toni's fidgeting hands signal distress. Knows that there's more. A deeper issue. Something she's not telling her. Martha tries to relax, to show Toni that she can be open. Be comfortable with her. Be trusted.

Before Martha can ask anything else, Toni gets a whiff of the mint and coconut before she sees Shelby. Her eyes land on the girl rushing into the hallway. Phone in hand. Toni taps her back pocket, remembering she put hers on do not disturb last night. Her eyes land on Shelby.

"Toni!" Shelby yells down the hall. Only a section of lockers away. Shelby's eyes are wild, like she's trying to track too many things. How much space is in between the girls. Martha looking in between them. Toni looking at her different exits. And how many steps she has left to reach Toni.

But Toni storms away before Shelby can make it. She rushedly follows after her.

Martha steps in front of Shelby, blocking her path.

Shelby looks over Martha's shoulder to see if she can spot Toni, for her eyes to land on the pretty brunette just once more. But Martha comes back into view. Stepping in front of her. Again. One step closer.

"Shelby, what happened." She doesn't ask it as a question. She expects an answer. She expects an explanation.

Martha is not an intimidating person, more like a scolding mother. Arms crossed. Eyes narrowed. Martha repeats herself after not getting a response, "What happened." She even looks over her own shoulder, but knows Toni is long gone. "Everything was fine yesterday? Right?" Martha cocks her head at Shelby.

Shelby hesitates.

But then, Martha thinks back to the tension at the lunch line. The cold words said sitting at the lunch table.

"Did she do anything wrong? Is she in trouble or something?" Martha asks worriedly.

Shelby is still distracted, at finally having seen Toni, at Toni completely avoiding her, at breaking both of their own hearts. She stutters out, "N-No, she's not."