Hiding Behind A Mask | ✔

C H A P T E R S I X

I arrive at school, walking through the halls with some students staring at me. I wave my hand in their direction, saying "Hi" with a smile on my face as they look at me, but all I get in reply is either them whispering to each other or turning their backs to me.

I look down with a small frown, wondering what I did wrong or what's happening. I lift my head high, deciding to forget about what just happened, and stop in front of my locker. As I move to open it, I spot a yellow sticky note that's stuck to it.

Meet me at our special hangout place during lunch. 

Ry xx

As I read the note, a big smile forms on my face, turning into a grin as I stare at it longer than I should. I then snap out of my gaze at the sticky note to take out the books that I need for class and walking away from my locker, not caring about the stares that I get while walking through the hall.

__

The bell rings, indicating that it's time to go to our next class or it's time for lunch. It's lunchtime for me, so I take up my bookbag and exit my class with a smile on my face, excited to go see my boyfriend at our spot.

While walking to the cafeteria, I think about Sandra, Lindsey, and Amy. Where could they be? I usually see them in the halls and they usually text me to see how I'm doing. I pull out my phone that was in my back pocket and click on the messaging app. Scrolling past some chats, I finally find our group chat and open it up to message them "Hey, guys. What's up?".

Most of the time when texting in a group chat, one of us reply back quickly, but now that I've texted them, none of them reply. I try texting them one by one, but still no reply from none of them.

I turn off my phone and push it back into my back pocket, walking to the cafeteria. After standing in the lunch line for almost a long time, I finally got my lunch and walk out to the sitting area. I walk past a group of students, who all look at me with sad frowns and in return for their expressions, I look at them confused.

I'm close to Ryan and I's spot when suddenly, I stop walking. As I stare in shock, my lunch tray falls to the ground and my heart shatters into small tiny pieces.

Sitting in our spot is Ryan and Sandra. My eyes take in everything movement as they suck each others' faces off. I hug my hands to my chest not finding the strength for my legs to move; to run away.

They sit at the table under the cool shade of the tree that's blocking them from the hot rays of the sun. Ryan's hand travels up and down Sandra's upper body as he cups some of her hair with his other hand. Sandra wraps her hands around his neck, making the kiss deeper and deeper. I physically cringe, imagining Ryan kissing me the way he's doing with Sandra now.

Finally, they stop and Sandra is the first to look at me. I haven't noticed everyone's eyes on me and them. Sandra smirks at me, and I can finally feel my legs move as I take a step back. Ryan was only looking at her when he finally followed her gaze to me, causing him to immediately stand up.

"Annie, what are you doing here?" he says, looking at me intensely as I take a step back, finally blinking for the tears to fall.

"Y-you... There was a sticky n-note on my l-locker, telling me to meet you h-here, " I say, stuttering as I move my gaze back to Sandra, who stands up and walks over to Ryan, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"Really, because there was a sticky note on my locker, too, saying that we're over," he says and I move my gaze back to him abruptly.