Filling The Void | ✔️

Filling The Void | Chapter Twenty - Two | She's Changed

Scribbling down the notes messily in my notebook I try to keep this morning's events out of my mind.

Fidgeting is something I've always done, even as a small child. My dad tried to get me to stop but eventually, he realized that this was who I was. He was accepting like that.

Groaning at my mind for so easily allowing me to see the good that used to be I push my hair back angrily.

This morning had sucked and not just the part at home, first, second and third were all aggravating.

All my teachers chose today of all days to give tests and it didn't help that I hadn't remembered to read the last four chapters for my English assignment.

I was stuck in a class where I knew no one and had no safety to run to. I felt trapped and I hated it.

"Ms. Helpherd," I say, raising my hand.

She turns, a smile on her face when she says, "What's up Aspen?"

She had let her hair loose today, making her look more like a pre-school teacher than anything else.

"Can I go to the office I need to-"

"Absolutely! Take a pass."

Without questioning me she returns to her lesson, leaving me to grab my bag and the notebook -not wasting any time to put it inside.

When I get about halfway down the hall I begin to space out and in the feeling of silence and bliss it's giving me I tie myself down into it.

That's until my shoulder gets bumped, sending my notebook to the floor.

"I'm so sorry Aspen! I didn't see you."

Looking up I find Natalee and for the first time in my life, I don't want to throw up.

"It's okay. I wasn't looking where I was going either."

Reaching down I grab the spiral and put it inside my bag this time.

"So, how've you been?"

Glancing at her as we turn to go down the stairs, her aborting her mission to wherever she'd been going, I wonder what Kaitlyn would think if she saw me.

"I'm good." I say.

My mom always told me to steer away from saying the word 'fine' apparently everyone sees that as a call for help and right now I wasn't calling. For anyone.

"That's good." She nods, trying to keep our conversation going.

I look around the empty hall, the first floor coming into view as we step onto it.

Natalee is nice and I know that's crazy to say but I'm looking at her right now and she's being so nice.

"Listen," I start, turning to face her as we stop near a set of lockers, "You need to talk to Kaitlyn. I know what you did and it was horrible Natalee. You can't expect her to just accept you into the group with one apology."

With the change in topic, she doesn't seem to surprised, almost as if she'd been aware of the underlying tension following us downstairs.

"She's changed so much, how am I supposed to apologize when there's nothing to say for it. I was awful to her, and her brother."

This gets my attention and I wet my lips before saying, "Maybe this apology should be directed at both of them then."

She looks up at me, "What?"

"You say you were awful to both of them, so admit that. I've never had my friend sleep with my brother but I can only imagine how that'd tear us apart. Not just my friend and I but also for my brother."