𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬 ✧ 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜

chapter thirteen.

while sitting in the principals office, awaiting judgement and punishment, julie filled me in on her own side of new walter drama.

jackie wasnt even sent here, she just came to keep me company. we were able to separate a little, and hushed whispers told me the following.

it was after thanksgiving, alex kissed her in the barn. and it created yet another rift between brothers.

soon after getting together with alex and coming back to school, she learned about alex's past. the past grace filled me in on yesterday, on how his ex had cheated on him with cole. and alex was prideful of getting jackie, and seemed desperate to prove something to his brother.

jackie confronted him about it, which he owned up to some immaturity, but loved jackie all the same.

i nodded along, taking deep huffs of breaths. this sounded like the walter boys.

of course alex getting with someone new would stir up the drama about his past relationship, bring up all the old wounds, and start rumors and breed miscommunications that reeked havoc on both the entire school, and his current relationship. i felt my old self groaning.

so, somehow, a rumor got spread around about alex's emotional reaction to the cole and paige mishap, and grace took it into her hands to get even, spreading news about cole's extracurricular activities late at night. grace must have not gotten to that part earlier in the cafe, with us getting interrupted by cole.

and now, i had landed here. it all started to make sense.

"do you think the rift could also be due to cole liking you?" i asked cautiously. i didnt forget about what i had felt and seen at the homecoming huddle.

she looked at me like i had five heads, "absolutely not. cole barely gives me the time of day."

i gave her the same look, "he freaking sold himself for you."

jackie shooed that off, "pff, that wasnt to impress me."

before she could finish her thought, mrs walter stalked into the office, heels on and thumping along. loudly. she was pissed.

"alex and cole, you have a three day suspension, and the rest of you are home until tomorrow." she scolded her boys, "i got you cleared, harper." she looked over at me, with a pitiful smile, "no reason you need to keep getting sucked into my boys drama."

the boys all took a breath in.

"guess we're going home." was all the woman said, before walking towards the door, demanding that they followed her.

both cole and danny sent me a wave before leaving, and i just sent a small smile.

walking out of the principals office, tara jacobs stopped me on my way out.

"hey," she spoke quickly, tapping a yellow envelope in her hands, "i heard what happened today. you ok?"

i took a quick inhale, she had seen that i was directly associated with the walter's fight this afternoon. she knew that was unlike me.

when i didnt say anything, she continued, "this just isnt like you. the walters. and the principal's office?" she looked concerned, not mad.

i softened up, and let out the breath i had been holding in, "tara, you would not believe my life right now."