Ghost of a Girl

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

After successfully pretending to sleep for an hour so Ms. Hart would leave me alone, I snuck out of the office and crept down the now empty hallway. I hoped I could escape the school without being seen. I really didn't want to face anyone after how I'd behaved. I didn't want to have to explain myself. Because honestly I couldn't.

I hoped I could get to my locker without anyone noticing. I walked as quickly as I could down the main hallway, stopped, peered around the corner, didn't see anyone, and then made my way down the east corridor. A door creaked open and a student stepped out into the hall, so I dashed into the nearest opening. Unfortunately it was to the boy's washroom.

And worse, Dylan was in there writing on the wall with a fat black sharpie.

Daisy Wendell is a fucking b...

"Hey," I blurted, startling him.

He turned around the sharpie lid in his mouth.

"I thought we were friends."

He capped the marker, but I suspected he was going to finish his masterpiece once I was gone. "You threw pastry at me."

"I'm having a bad day, okay?"

"And you haven't answered any of my texts, and you've ignored me for the past few weeks."

"I'm in mourning."

"Really stupid way to mourn."

I shrugged.

"I heard you got stupid drunk at that party and broke shit."

"I don't remember that."

"And you slept with Luke?" He gave her a look of revulsion.

"What?! No I didn't. That's a load of bullshit."

He shook his head. "I know you don't swing that way but what gives?"

I turned away from his gaze. It was too penetrating. "It's not your business."

"Why Daisy? The clothes, the hair, the cheerleading, the parties. Can you tell me that much?"

I sighed, and turned back to him. I rubbed hard at my face, but what I really wanted to do was rip out my hair and flush it down the toilet. "I can't let go or she'll disappear forever."

"But she is gone forever, Daisy."

I didn't know why but anger filled me so quickly, I had to grit my teeth to stop from lashing out. "No she's not. You don't understand."

I turned on my heel and stormed out of the washroom. I stomped down the hallway to my locker, grabbed my bag and then fled the building. On the way out, I passed Ashley who called after me, but I didn't stop. If I had, I might've exploded into a thousand Daisy pieces and I would never be able to glue myself back together.

The walk home was quick. When I neared my house, I looked up from my feet. Good thing too, because I spied Mrs. Mayberry pulling up into her driveway. I turned up the walk to the house as quick as I could just as Mrs. Mayberry got out of her car and looked toward my house. I opened the front door and ducked in before I could be seen. Although I was pretty sure that Mrs. Mayberry had seen me anyway.

Kicking off my shoes, I ran up the stairs to my room. After tossing my bag onto the floor, I lay on the bed and hugged the pillow. I felt like crying, but didn't. I'd been doing enough of that. Besides, it almost felt like I was all dried up inside. Maybe my tear ducts were impotent.