It All Started With A Fake Boob

Chapter 10

Florence's POV

I took Beam and Freddie’s hospitalisation hard. At first, I spent all my time there. We had a week from school off to study for upcoming exams, but I barely thought about it. I wanted to think about other exams, to worry about my grades and scores like other students, but instead I worried each day for the lives of two of my best friends.

I knew the same thoughts were plaguing Damon and Roy. Damon preferred to be alone heaps, and Roy was out hooking up with girls left and right. However, Damon told me that Roy would only get to fourth base before he would randomly push them off and get out of there, not even apologizing or saying goodbye.

This was a little weird for Roy. Smash and dash, that’s what he’d said for the last few years. But now… It seemed not even the lovely presence of the opposite sex could keep his mind off Freddie and Beam. I worried not only about Freddie and Beam, but Damon and Roy as well. The attack seemed to drain the two of their energy… And slowly it drained mine till all I could do was lie in bed, gazing at the ceiling.

Mum and Dad hated this behaviour, but there was nothing they could do about it. Dad tried to coax me out, with promises of cake and burritos, but I wouldn’t budge. Mum just tried talking to me, sitting beside me and stroking my hair while she named various reasons why I shouldn’t lock myself away.

She was right. The week was coming to an end and I couldn’t lie about anymore. So, bravely, I decided to finally get out and spend the day with Nate, who was strangely at home more often. Usually he was out with Rhonda, but I had heard he was with his friends more, practising for this weekend’s match.

When he took me home from the hospital one day, I saw him with Christie. Christie Freaking Roswell. He had been raving about his damn groove again, and I couldn’t figure out why the two were looking pretty cozy while they stood next to his bike, and Christie was laughing at his groove.

Rhonda was nowhere to be found. A false hope filled me, until I asked Nate about it. He shrugged, flicking the TV to TMZ as he lounged on the couch to watch the guys on TMZ following Kim Kardashian and Snookie around.

“I don’t know. I can’t remember much from the party; all I remember was the attack, and Butch holding you hostage.” I instantly noticed the hostility in Nate’s voice, but he didn’t bring up the fact he had discovered Rhonda had been cheating on him. He continued as though he hadn’t just witnessed the TMZ camera-men chasing Elton John into a club.

“I woke up the next day and I felt fine till Rhonda crossed my mind. I felt so angry, but I couldn’t figure out why, so I rang her and asked her if she wanted to hang out. We ended up going swimming, though I did want to check on Freddie and Beam first,” Nate explained, laughing as Elton John turned to face the paparazzi, and my eyes widened.

He didn’t remember. He didn’t remember that that Butch guy had announced that Rhonda cheated on Nate with him. Every fibre within me wanted to tell Nate the whole thing, to spill the beans and watch as he flew out of the house to demand answers from Rhonda…

Something stopped me. Something told me it wouldn’t be the nicest thing to say. I mean, sure, he had a right to know, but he loved her so much! He couldn’t bear to leave her… But I had seen him with Christie, his arm casually around her waist like he never had a girlfriend.

Questions swirled around in my head, but my mental self beat them all down with a cricket bat. I couldn’t be asking Nate questions like this; he’d get so mad, and snap at me to mind my own business like he always did. He hated it whenever anyone tried to get in his business, especially when it came to the girls he liked.

 I shook my head, deciding not to bother him about it as I joined him on the couch, ready to get my fill of TV that I had neglected for nearly the last week. If Mum and Dad were at home they’d be so happy that I was finally out of bed… but I wasn’t dressed. I hadn’t even showered; at one point Nate glared at me, wrinkling his nose.