where the time went- chloe price

faith.

the final bell of the day had rung and everyone was quick to grab their things from their lockers and leave the school in a sudden rush, the afternoon summer sun was beating down on my exposed arms and legs and i felt my body warm up greatly after being seated in a freezing cold classroom for the past four hours. i waited at the base of the first set of stairs with my hands in my pockets and earphones pressed into my ears with music playing through, leaning against the bannister of the staircase, 
"rosie," i heard distantly, "rosie," they repeated, i quickly pulled the buds from my ears and looked in the direction the voice was coming from,
"hey," i smiled as i looked at nathan, his hands deep inside his letterman jacket pockets, "you okay?" i asked as he shuffled awkwardly in place,
"yeah," he sighed lightly before speaking again with a small smile, "can chloe help me with the science assignment?"
"why don't you ask her yourself?" i replied with a soft laugh,
"yeah but," he huffed, "i don't want to," he frowned trying not to break it with a smile, "and besides, aren't you staying at hers tonight?" he asked me, i tried to fight the smile that was breaking onto my lips when i thought about her, i fixed the tote bag on my shoulder to distract myself,
"i was," i looked up at him and he furrowed his brows, "i might just stay home tonight, i'm not feeling too great,"
"you okay?" he asked and i nodded quickly,
"yeah, yeah,"
"i, uh-" he started to speak before his shoulders were shook by rachel sneaking up on him, causing him to jump in fright, she laughed loudly before he spat two words at her "fuck you," he said before storming away, his face heating up in anger and embarrassment, my heart ached gently as i felt sorry for him, wanting to make sure he was okay.
"jesus," she sighed rolling her eyes softly, "you can never tell with that kid," she huffed as the three of us stood on the staircase, chloe next to me, only a few inches away and rachel opposite me, her hair flowing in the soft warm breeze gracefully. "what's the plan for tonight? we celebrating rosie's birthday?"
"my birthday was two days ago, rach," i replied with a soft laugh. trying to divert the conversation away from any plans any of us had this evening, knowing that rachel would be unimpressed that chloe and i had plans for just us two tonight. keyword: had.
"we couldn't celebrate it on a wednesday, that's why we waited for today," she spoke with a tone as if i was stupid, i looked down at the floor before looking back up at her, "so, what are we doing?"
"i might just head home," i shrugged and immediately chloe's eyes landed on my face with a confused expression, "i'm tired, just wanna sleep," i spoke softly as i started to walk further down the stairs, they both quickly followed me, walking on either side. my right hand was by my side and chloe's left hand was by her side, our fingers brushed together a few times but i made it purposeful that we didn't hold hands, not again.
it was two weeks ago that we were walking to class and she tried to hold my hand, i ripped it away from her, not wanting anyone to know that we were together, only one person saw and i was now doing things i wouldn't have thought i would be doing, ever, to keep this a secret.

chloe and rachel both bombarded me with questions about why i wanted to go home so desperately and who else i had plans with but i just kept telling them that i wanted to go home, get high and then go to sleep. we walked past the gymnasium and victoria's cold eyes locked onto mine, emotions burst throughout my body as she eyed me up, her eyes skimming across my body and then glancing at chloe who i moved another inch away from, closer to rachel. careful not to spark any ideas in victoria's mind again, but she knew and i was now expecting another text on my phone, my plans for the evening now being dismantled by her six words.

< Messages (13)
Victoria C.
      i need help studying at 7pm.
3:24pm

i felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket and i hastily pulled it out, careful that chloe and rachel's eyes didn't land on my phone, they didn't and i started engaging in conversation with them both again.
"it's your 17th birthday, rosie. i don't understand how you'd just want to go to sleep," rachel pleaded with me, "please at least come over,"
"i'm sorry, rach," i shrugged, i was considering ditching my personal plans and hanging out with the two of them, but now victoria needed me and i definitely couldn't back out of this. "we can do something tomorrow, i just need to sleep,"
"ugh! boring," rachel groaned as she pulled out her car keys from her bag to her red honda that she got for her birthday last year. we piled into the car, i sat in the middle of the backseat, chloe in the passenger seat and rachel, obviously, driving. she pulled out of the carpark quickly and started to drive towards the suburbia of arcadia bay, "so i guess i'm dropping you off at home then rosie?"
"if you don't mind, please," i mumbled as i pulled out my phone again, replying to victoria's message,