Playing with Forever

Chapter 54: RIP or Whatever

Mina was the first one I saw that next morning. I had no plan of what to say to anyone, or what to do about my secret having been spilled, but I wasn't going to hide. Sam was striding over to me, mouth open to greet me, looking terribly concerned. I looked at Mina instead, but I had nothing to say to her, either.

"Did you hear?" she said breathlessly.

"Don't talk to me."

"Abby, Tristan—"

I turned to her and snapped, "Don't say a word about Tristan."

"But Abby, he died last night."

I skidded to a stop, shoes stumbling on the concrete beneath me. Warm air brushed against my cheeks and the chatter of students surrounded me, so I knew time hadn't stopped, only my mind. Mina had stunned me into silence. Died? "What?"

"It's true," she said, nodding with wide eyes.

I whipped around to Sam. He looked as shocked as I did. "Did you—?" I said.

"No."

Not on purpose, then, but had Sam hurt him so badly yesterday that he...? "How?" I demanded of Mina.

"He and Jake were driving home from a party last night. Jake was driving, and he was drunk—at least that's what people are saying—and they got in a wreck. Jake is in the hospital, but Tristan, he passed away."

"He is really dead?" Sam said from my side, eyes bugging out.

Mina nodded. "We're having an assembly about it first period."

I looked around me for the first time, taking in my surroundings. There was way more commotion than usual first thing on a Wednesday morning. People were running around, gossiping. People were crying.

Dead.

All I felt was relief.

What an awful person I must be.

"Abigail," Sam murmured, putting his hand gently on my arm. I pulled away, but not violently.

"Are you okay?" Mina asked. I nodded back numbly. "I know it's probably not good to think," she went on, "but you don't have to worry about him spreading any more lies about you."

Lies. I didn't know which would be worse, her thinking Tristan's words yesterday were lies, or thinking it was the truth.

It didn't matter anymore.

"I'll be okay," I said to Mina.

Sam and I watched her go, leaving to go find Dylan, probably. "It is okay to feel happy that Tristan is gone," Sam said.

"Don't tell me how to feel," I said. I had no idea what I felt. I didn't need Sam dictating it.

Knowing there was no winning, he didn't argue back. He stayed silent as the bell rang and I left for first period. He walked behind me, following, sliding wordlessly into a seat beside me once we got there. I said nothing about him following me in to a class that wasn't his own.

Mr. Fitzpatrick was already in the classroom, face turned down towards the papers on his desk to hide his uneasy expression. "Don't get comfortable," he said over the noise of us all settling in. "We're off to an assembly as soon as I take attendance."

Sam tried to take my hand as we filed out into the hall and made our way to the gym. I didn't let him, but I didn't stop him when he sat on the bleacher next to me. Mina, surprisingly, came and sat on my other side. She looked uncertain, but put on a brave smile. When she took my hand, I let her.