Bleed me Dry

chapter eighteen

♡

When I visited Yaz next, she was awake. Her wonky smile beamed from one cheek to the next and she kept talking about how happy she was to see me.

Adele had told her that I saved her. Apparently Yaz couldn't remember anything about that day, but I wouldn't dare forget. Seeing someone in that way, so out of their mind, terrified me.

Could you imagine placing your trust into a collection of harmful chemicals, trusting that they would keep you physically alive in the few hours you weren't mentally living?

Though it was a stab in the chest every time I remembered all the times I'd gone to the bar and got so drunk I couldn't even remember getting home. I was just as bad.

But I told myself that it wasn't the same, even though it was.

On the day Yaz was discharged, she looked so... free. She no longer had those signature hazy eyes or that woeful look - she was herself. The person I had met in my first year of school seemed to be back and it was a shock. But I knew that she wasn't truly herself yet and so I wouldn't be able to see her for a while.

Adele had arranged for her to go into a rehabilitation centre, somewhere that she could detox, play her guitar and just relax away from television and social media which sounded pretty cool, not at all like the media portrayed it to be.

Regardless, it made me a little calmer knowing that she was safe now and that I could focus my attention onto finding whoever was responsible.

♡

"You can't break into someone's dorm, Mae!" yelled Lexi, chucking a shoe at me. I dodged it, before throwing myself down on her bed.

"But just- just imagine how cool it would be." I smirked, imagining a scenario heavily inspired by Charlie's Angels.

"No, because — well to be honest it would be pretty awesome — but that's not the point." she chuckled before folding her arms. "You're supposed to be cleaning your act, and it's not as if you can be given any detentions right now. Soon enough, Tristan will get tired of excusing your behaviour and just kick you out. I can't lose my best friend."

"Eh, you're right." I sighed, looking up at the ceiling.

I thought it was a good plan anyway.

I had drawn up a silly diagram, explaining everything with tabs and different coloured pens. It was titled 'Operation: Find Evidence', but Alexis had other ideas. Instead of wanting to break into Hanna's dorm room and look for clues, she decided to be a logical thinker. She pointed out the CCTV cameras. Cameras mean solid proof  and solid proof means that you're a fucking idiot, Mae she said. Those damn cameras were proving to be tiresome.

So I caved, deciding that doing something that was incredibly illegal and so risky that we'd be caught and expelled maybe wasn't such a good plan after all, and that screwing it into a ball and throwing it into the bin by the door was.

Though, I missed it by a mile, of course.

♡

"Come on, the bell has rung, get to class!" called Ms. Tristan, sending a number of students scurrying down the hall. The older years carried on sauntering, not a care in the world for punctuality.

"Quit running and make sure you tie those laces or you'll end up falling!" Ms. Tristan yelled again, signalling towards a short boy as his floppy head disappeared into a classroom. "Ah, Mae."