A PLUS /h.s./

Chapter 34

I was too scared to leave the bathroom, but by the time 10:30 rolled around, I was bored out of my mind. 

The tears had stopped, but I’m sure I still looked like a mess. I just wanted to go home for the rest of the day, as I was definitely not in the mood for any of this. But I’m not sure what Hunter would do if I did. 

So I sat on top of the toilet in the girls’ bathroom,  replaying the look on Harry’s face. Anger. Disbelief. Hurt. I never wanted to be the one behind that look, but I was. And it hurt. A lot.

At least Scottie knew something was up. I need to talk to him, and I don’t know where the best place to do that is. If I invite him over, or go to his house, Hunter might find that fishy. But if I talk to him at school, maybe he won’t think anything of it? Especially since he probably wouldn’t expect me to talk about it in such a public place. I’ll tell him at lunch, which is at 11:05. I just need to stay in here a little bit longer.

I thought about everything that’s happened. So, Cassidy must have been the one to tell the principal on us first, as Hunter said he found out about us through the school camera. He couldn’t have told the principal two weeks ago if he only found out on Wednesday. But why would Cassidy tell on us? It doesn’t make any sense.

I’m assuming that Cassidy knew for a while, since Scottie and I have always talked about him at lunch, and she’s in first hour with me so she probably noticed the subtle looks we gave each other. So she must have been working alone at the time, since she couldn’t find any proof to give to the principal. But why would Cassidy want to get us in trouble? What does she gain from Harry losing his job and me possibly getting expelled?

Unless her goal was never to get him fired. Maybe she just wanted to cause problems with Harry and I. If that was her goal, she succeeded, since he didn’t even look at me for two weeks. But why would she do that? Does she like him? Probably, I mean, who doesn’t?

So she was working alone in the beginning, spurred on by her own jealousy. She succeeded in her plan, and separated Harry and I. But then she must have noticed that it didn’t work, when he helped me with my worksheet in the hallway. Which is why she asked me what we were doing, and why she seemed so suspicious. Because she thought we were done talking to each other.

Wednesday comes around, and that’s when Harry had kissed me in the hallway. Hunter had saw it, and since Cassidy and him are neighbors, they’re probably good friends, right? So she was the first one he told about it. She took this as a chance to form an alliance, as they both had the same goal. To separate Harry and I.

But who left me the notes? Hunter was with Scottie after school, and Cassidy was with me when the last note showed up. So there has to be a third person in on it, also helping them. Who would that be? I didn’t know Hunter much at all, so I don’t know who he’s good friends with, other than Scottie. And Cassidy has been sitting with Scottie, Chelsea, and I at lunch everyday, so I don’t know any of her other friends either. But someone else is helping them, I know it. 

I had a headache again, partly from crying, partly from stress, and partly from thinking too much. The lunch bell rang, and I reluctantly stood up from the toilet seat. Even though I was bored, I never wanted to leave this stall or bathroom. 

I opened the door, and walked out into the main part of the bathroom, looking at my reflection. I looked a proper mess. The green eyeliner I had used from Hunter’s mom was smudged all down my face, and there were dry tear streaks down my cheeks. My eyes were bloodshot and puffy and my nose was red.

I wiped underneath my eyes, trying to clean up the makeup, but it was to no avail. It only slid further down my face. By the time I finally got it all the way off, my eyes and cheeks were even redder than they were before, from scrubbing so hard.