Growing Pains

Chapter 39 - I needed the validation

K Y L I E

Someone was crying in the toilet. I hadn't heard it at first, because I had come in just as the bell rang, courtesy of Mr. Hernandez letting us out early, but I could hear it now, loud and clear. Someone was crying in one of the stalls. I looked in the mirror. A girl in leather pants and red lipstick looked back me. To speak or not to speak? That was the question.

"Are you okay?"

No one answered. Instead, whoever was crying stopped. I didn't think anyone could make themselves stop crying that fast. They had definitely just put their hand over their mouth. I turned around and walked over to the stall the crying had been coming from before.

"I know someone's in there," I said.

Nothing.

"Fine, let's see how long you can hold your breath for."

Nothing again.

"I'm not giving you mouth-to-mouth if you pass out."

Nothing still.

"Fine, kill yourself, bitch," I said, turning around and going back to the mirror. I grabbed my lipstick from my bag. Then I heard her breathe again. "There you go!"

"I'm fine," she said.

"Skylar?" That was definitely Skylar Clark's voice. "Is that you?"

"No."

"You're a shit liar. I know it's you." I was back in front of her stall, arms crossed over my chest, a frown on my face. Why was Skylar crying in the toilet?

"I'm fine," she said again.

"You don't sound fine." She sounded like she had been crying for a while.

"Well, I am," she insisted.

We'd just had class together, so it had to be something that happened during it.

"Is this because Mr. Hernandez forced you to pair up with Jacob for the presentation next week?" I asked because I, Kylie Green, had been right. Jacob and Edward did have a fight, a fight so big, they had refused to keep being each other's partners in Spanish. For some reason, Mr. Hernandez had let them switch. Jacob got paired with Skylar, and Edward with Skylar's old partner, Liam Chan.

"How do you know that?" Skylar asked.

"Can you come out, so I don't have to keep talking a door?"

She came out. She had definitely been crying. Her face was all red and puffy.

"You didn't see me in class?" I asked her.

"I did," she said.

"Well, there you go," I said. "If you saw me, don't you think I saw you too?"

Skylar shrugged, "I guess."

"So what is it? Most girls would die to pair up with Jacob for literally anything."

She frowned, "Why?"

"Have you met him?"

"I have."

"And...?"

"And what?"

"Are you gay?"

"No."

"Are you blind?"

"No." She was more and more confused.

"He's really hot, Skylar, like, it's offensive how hot he is."

"Oh," Skylar said. "Well, why does that matter? This is Spanish, not American's Next Top Model."

I smiled, "Right, but still."