Long-Distance Calls

16

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't tell mom what happened at school.

If I were to tell her, she would blame me for starting a fight. Then she would tell my father, and he'd start yelling at me, about how I'd always waste his precious time and put problems over problems, how they could fine him for my actions and make him waste even more money. I didn't need that. Normal parents would probably ask if I was okay, but mine weren't normal parents.

I couldn't even tell Evelyn, or everything I did to look cool to her would be for nothing. The only person I could talk to, in that moment, was Belle. And I did.

I called Belle and told her everything that happened, from the beatdown to holding hands with Amber.

"It's ridiculous," I head her saying over the phone, "You should tell someone about this. You can't let them go on untouched."

"Tell someone?" I asked rhetorically, "I can't do that. My parents would only blame me. And telling teachers is never a good idea."

I heard a sound like wind coming through the speakers, so I supposed she sighed. "So what're you going to do? Just stand there and let them pick on you? At least try to react!"

"I tried that," I felt my breath starting to get nervous, "With Andrew. And it backfired. The fact that I reacted is what made Josh and his crew interfere in the first place."

"I honestly don't know what to tell you..." she explained after a few seconds of silence.

I nervously ran a hand through my hair. "I just can't believe Andrew would turn on me like that. We've been friends for over ten years. Basically our whole lives."

"You don't need to tell me that, I know it," she commented.

"I'm pretty sure that I was his only friend for a long time of his life. And it was the same for me," I kept moaning.

"Well," she chuckled, "I told you from the start to never trust a guy named Hook."

I couldn't help but laugh, even if I was nervous. "Thanks, Belle..." I said softly, "You're always there when I need you."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

– So, how was your day?

That afternoon was cold. I was already under the sheets with the laptop on my legs. I didn't even want to open a window, let alone go out.

People around me always felt the urge to go out at least once a day. Like, they couldn't stand the idea of staying home. They'd get bored. They wouldn't know what to do. I never understood this. Even if I had a social life, I wouldn't go out every day. I liked being alone. And, maybe, a day at home alone was even better than a day out with other people.

– it was a great day. they voted for me to represent the school and talk about all the problems we had you know.

I couldn't say the same as Evelyn. Mine was the furthest thing from a 'great day'. And I was rather scared by how popular this girl possibly was. She was a class rep, and she wasn't scared of talking to people. Evelyn Tiger was the exact opposite of me.

– Wow, that's cool.

– what about u

Yeah. What about me?