Settlement of scores at Halloween

Chapter 5

She felt her heart racing. Martin? How is it possible? He's alive...? But his funeral... She got up slowly, believing a mirage. Seeing that he didn't move, she began to walk to him. He turned around and walked toward the locker room. Jessy was quick to run, finding herself among the players. A boy hit her violently. She struck her head against the hard floor of the gym, her glasses flew a little further. Now, all the noises surrounding her sounded as if she was underwater. A black veil passed before her eyes. She seemed to lose consciousness for a short moment. Slowly, she sat up. She felt a little dizzy.

"Good God!" the professor cried. "What were you doing there?"

She threw a discreet glance. She no longer saw Martin. She opened her mouth without really knowing what she might answer. She couldn't admit to them having seen her ex-dead-boyfriend! She spluttered Something. She recovered her glasses that, fortunately, appeared in good condition.

"We will not stay here without doing anything!" the professor launched after whistling. "We have a match to play!"

He motioned to Jessy to get back on the bench. She went slowly. She wondered if her head would burst. She rubbed her face to take away what she had thought to see. You can't see him. He's dead. But why her brain - or whatever was managing - refused to see reality? When she looked up at the players, Pascal watched her in a strange way. Great. Now, I'm going to become the "new weird girl!" She gave a deep sigh before grimacing.

The rest of the match passed withount incident. In the locker room, girls were talking softly in her path. Thanks to her too vivid imagination, she came to ruin her reputation. She hurried to change to escape the gossip that would probably start. While she arrived at her locker, the bell rang. She opened the door, remembering what she had seen. Everything seemed so real... She took her books after reviewing her schedule. She repeated the same actions during her first class of the day. But this time, Julian wasn't there. Her head hurt a lot. She had difficulty concentrating. She barely managed to hold on until lunch time. As before, Anick came to join her. Jessy kept silence over the basketball incident and her short encounter with Julian. Sitting at a table in the cafeteria, Anick could make conversation by herself. Jessy merely listened with a distracted ear. Nelly suddenly swung her purse on the table, growling.

"What a bitch!"

Anick became silent, looking at her friend.

"If ever I get..."

"Who are you talking about?" Anick asked.

"The bitch who paces the corridor between classes!" Nelly launched, hitting the table with the flat of her hand. "She doesn't have the right to stick me with detention!"

"You got caught!" Anick said in a mocking tone.

Nelly glanced at her.

"Well yes! I don't have your talent of supervisors traking!"

"Who caught you?" Jessy faintly asked, worried.

"Drunken Margo!"

Why this stupid nickname? Jessy had an extra reason not to reveal who her aunt was!

"Why do you call her that?"

Her voice was still too low. Anick chuckled before telling her that a guy named Sam had already st foot into her office to dig her disciplinary files. He had found two small bottles of vodka and whiskey, half empty. Jessy frowned. She couldn't remember having seen Margo pouring herself a drink since her arrival. I don't spend much time with her either... Nelly, still angry, told them about her misadventure. They went to get something to eat. The boys didn't join them. Jessy was happy not seeing Pascal after what had happened at the gym... The hubbub of the cafeteria wasn't helping her headache.