Operation Beautiful

Chapter 25: please tell me you didn't break up

Chapter 25: please tell me you didn't break up

“Hey, are you not coming?” I ask Haley. Instead of heading to lunch with me, she turns back towards one of the buildings.

“I have an art project to finish,” she says. “You go ahead.”

I consider asking her if I can tag along. I really don’t feel like seeing Trevor right now. But at the same time, I have no intentions of adding fuel to the fire. By the time I open my mouth, Haley’s already too far gone. So instead I head to my locker, unsure of my next move. On my way I see Emmaleigh propped up against the cafeteria door, texting.

“What are you up to?” I ask.

She jumps slightly. “Well, I figured you wouldn’t want to eat in there and Jess and I still aren’t talking, so...”

I smile. “You were waiting for me?”

She runs a hand through her curly blonde-brown hair nervously. “Um...kind of?”

“Where do you want to eat?”

She just shrugs. Instead of going into the cafeteria, we sit down in the grass between a couple of the school buildings. A few minutes in, I get a call.

“Hey, Du Pont!” comes Janice’s dry voice. She seems slightly irritated, her voice louder than usual. “Is Haley with you?”

“No,” I say. “Why? Is she not picking up her phone?”

“Oh, you’re not?” Janice says, just as loud. It’s almost as though she’s speaking to someone across the table. Before she hangs up I hear her say. “See? I told you--”

“I didn’t say they were together,” Trevor snaps angrily. “I didn’t even ask where she was!”

Then she hangs up. I let out a deep sigh.

“What’s up?” Emmaleigh asks.

“I think Trevor and Haley fought because of yesterday,” I say with a groan. “Which is the last thing I wanted.”

Emmaleigh frowns thoughtfully. “I was afraid they might. We should go talk to her.”

I’m about to agree, but being around Haley if Trevor shows up is the last thing I want to do right now. “Maybe we should just call her?” I say hesitantly.

Emmaleigh nods and reaches for her phone. Her head tilts to the side, her curly hair moving slightly in the wind as she waits for Haley to pick up. “Hey, Haley?” She motions for me to move my head closer.

“Hey, Emma. What’s up?”

“Um...well...” Emmaleigh looks at me for help.

“Emma, I’m really not in the mood for beating around the bush.”

“I don’t want you to get upset.”

“Then spit it out!”

“Did you and Trevor fight?”

There’s a long pause.

“This is one of those face-to-face conversations, don’t you think?” Haley asks finally, her voice careful.

“Okay. I’ll come find you then. Mind if I bring Corey?”

“No, go ahead. I’m in the art room.”

Emmaleigh looks at me. “Let’s go.”

Haley's sitting quietly in one of the corners of the room, hidden inside an office cubicle. A portrait of two really small girls shoving cake into each others' faces is lying unfinished before her.