Drowning

Adoring-Chapter 6

Adoring

Chapter 6

After the incident, school became my own personal hell. I lived and breathed judgment and rumors. One day after I overheard a particularly harsh accusation against my family, I needed to get away from everyone. There was no way I was going to be able to get off school campus without being caught but the bathroom made me too obvious. That's when I decided to go exploring.

It was during my lunch period so it wasn’t like any teachers would come looking for me so I just started wandering the halls, looking for a secret place. Finally after like ten minutes of walking up and down halls that everyone uses, I had an epiphany. If there was a secret compartment hidden in the school, it would be somewhere that not a lot of people go.

I took the next hallway that led to the boiler room wing, where no one ever went because it smelled like stale bologna and cheese sandwiches and sweat. But I was so upset I was willing to brave the smell for somewhere alone. Pretty soon, I found exactly what I was looking for. I found a small alcove tucked in the side of a bunch of deserted locked off classrooms that no one ever used anymore. I sat in the alcove and curled my knees to my chest and cried. No one came, no one made fun of me, there was silence, I was completely alone and completely fine with that. Then my phone rang and Nate’s face popped up on my front screen. This was after I had regularly started eating lunch with him and the boys.

“String Bean where you at? JP wanted to show you a new magic trick he found online. Honestly though, its not very good.” he said, JP screeched in the background and I knew I was on speaker. I didn't say anything for fear that I would start crying on speaker phone with a bunch of high school boys and that just wasn't appropriate.

“Tess you there?” Nate said again, more serious this time. I let out a small squeak followed by a yeah. “Okay hang on. Ill be back guys.” I could hear him standing up from the picnic table in the outside quad and his shoes crunch on the leaves as he walked away. “Whats up Bean?”

“I can't take it anymore.” I knew I was safe to cry now and I couldn't stop.

“Where are you right now? I'm coming to you.” he didn't even try and ask me what was wrong. I gave him step by step instructions on how to get to my secret location.

The instant he stepped into the alcove his nose was wrinkled. “It smells like shit.” he slid down the wall and shifted his arm around my shoulders, pulling me towards him. I instantly felt better. From that day on we decided that whenever we needed to have a serious talk, we would come here.

*****

Nate pulls his hand through his hair for the millionth time in the past two minutes. He always does this when he knows we have to talk about emotional stuff and there’s potential I'll cry. Neither of us have said anything. Just sat in the alcove looking at each other. Finally he breaks the silence.

“Truth or dare” he winks like his winking will make me feel better. It doesn’t.

“Dare.” I say and he chokes on the sip of water he was taking.

“Jesus, you really don't want to talk about last night. I dare you to tell me what happened last night.” he smirks. Fuck I've been double crossed. I glare at him. “Stare at me all you want String Bean but you know you can't ruin your list of perfect no chickens.” man hes really thought this one through.

“Fine.” I cross my arms over my chest and wriggle a little from his hold. He waits. “Char is dropping out of school and staying home. Mom and I just got in a fight over that. No big deal.” I make my face as serious as I can, trying to stay mad at him, and hold back tears. My life has fallen apart because of my idiotic selfish father.