Crossing Stars

Chapter Nineteen-Alice

Alice hated school.

She hated everything about it. She hated how loud the bells were. She hated the students. She hated her teachers. She hated the narrow halls. She hated homework.

She hated Joseline Smithers.

Joseline had a loud laugh and chipped nail polish and wore wire rimmed glasses. She was smart, but not exceptionally so. She was short and stocky, and had pretty lips and slim fingers that looked slightly off compared to the rest of her. She had a boyfriend who looked enough like her that he could have been her brother (Alice had a theory that he was). And she hated Alice, as well.

At least, she seemed to. She cackled behind Alice's back and made snide, passive-aggressive remarks every time she saw her.

When Alice walked into her school the day after dancing with her father, Joseline marched right up to her, a smile pulling at the corners of those pretty lips.

"Alice!" she said, grinning.

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Joseline," she returned flatly.

Joseline let out one of her loud laughs. "You're funny, Alice."

Alice stared at her.

"Anyway, it's great to see you!"

"Fuck you."

Joseline stared at her. "What?"

"Fuck you. Fuck your ugly boyfriend. Fuck your dumb friendly act. Just go fuck yourself. Go die. Go kill yourself."

Joseline's lip quivered.

Alice didn't care. She marched away. She kept her arms crossed and her head lowered, and as soon as she was out of Joseline's sight, she ducked into the girl's bathroom and into a stall. She locked the door with fumbling fingers and started to sob.

Then she kicked the door, mad at herself, mad at the hot tears running down her cheeks. This was stupid. She was being stupid.

She cried harder and kicked the door harder all the same.

Someone knocked on the stall door, and she stopped kicking it immediately.

"Are you alright?" a lady's voice called through the stall door.

Alice recognized the voice. It was the school's guidance counselor, Mrs. Farce.

Alice wiped tears from her eyes and opened the door, hoping Mrs. Farce wouldn't be able to tell that she had been crying.

Mrs. Farce's expression turned cold and firm as soon as she saw Alice.

"Allison Hatcher," she said.

Alice sniffed.

"Someone in the hallway told me that you cursed at Joseline Smithers. Is that true?"

Alice swallowed and sniffed again. "No."

"Can you come to my office with me, please, Allison?"

Alice bit her lip and followed her out of the bathroom. As they walked down the hall, Alice saw Joseline standing by a row of lockers, eyes red. Alice glared.

Mrs. Farce marched Alice into her office and pointed to a large, pink, fluffy chair. "Sit down."

Alice sat.

"Stay here," Mrs. Farce demanded, leaving the room.

Alice stared at her hands. She had a large bruise on one of her knuckles, and she wondered how it had gotten there. She poked it with her index finger, and it ached dully. She pressed it harder, and let a light trobbing resonate through her hand.

Mrs. Farce returned to the room with Joseline behind her. "Sit down, Joseline," she said with a softer tone of voice than she had used with Alice.

Joseline obeyed.

"Now, one of you is lying to me," Mrs. Farce said. "Did Allison curse or did she not?"

Joseline nodded.

"She did?"

"Yeah," Joseline said, voice raw.

"Allison?" Mrs. Farce asked.

"She was being rude," Alice snapped.

"How so?"

"She always comes up to me and acts all nice and friendly and I know she's lying, I can hear her laughing with her friends when I walk away."

"But did you curse at her?"

Alice stared at her feet.

"Alice?" Mrs. Farce prompted.

"Yes," Alice said.

"Okay." Mrs. Farce turned to Joseline. "Are you alright?"

Joseline nodded.

"Good. You can go to you first period class. Allison, you stay here."

Joseline stood slowly and left the room.

Mrs. Farce walked over to her desk and sat down. "Allison, what is your parents' number?"

"My mom's dead," Alice snapped.

"What is your father's number?"

Alice told her in a halting voice. Mrs. Farce dialed the number.

The phone rang three times, and then Mrs. Farce said "Hello, Mr. Hatcher," and Alice bit her lip.

"This is Mrs. Farce. I'm the school's guidance counselor. I'd like to talk to you about Allison," Mrs. Farce said, then paused for a few moments, listening. "No, she's fine. She swore at another student, and I was wondering if we could have a discussion about her...Yes...Just come down to the school as soon as you can...Yes, that's fine...Ask in the office...Thank you...Goodbye."

Mrs. Farce hung up and turned to Alice. "Your father will be down in about an hour to have a talk with you."

Alice started to cry again.