Fake Smiles and Cut Wrists (a Chandler Riggs fan fiction)

Chapter 35

Chandler's POV
I was laying in bed, getting ready for my nightly routine of attempting and failing to sleep.

I looked over at the clock. 10:28 pm.

I sighed and rolled over to face the wall. I really don't wanna go to school tomorrow. I'm gonna have to go to gym again, and actually participate this time. And I don't wanna see that stupid pitiful look my friends give me.

Overall, schools gonna suck tomorrow. I'm just hoping Laura didn't see through my 'I'm sick' lie.

But I mean, this is Laura we're talking about. She probably did. Either that or Parker and Zay told her what really went down.

God, I hope not.

{At school} 3rd Person POV

Chandler got out of Andy's car and walked up to the front doors of his school. Andy decided to take both Chandler and Payton to school today, because Andy may or may not have woken them up a tad bit late and they may or may not have missed the bus.

Anyways, Chandler sighed deeply as he entered the school, knowing he was gonna have to put on his best "everything's fine!" attitude when everything was far from fine.

He got maybe two hours of sleep, yesterday was exhausting and today was gonna be the death of him.

He walked up to his locker, seeing his friends there, all wearing the same sympathetic expression.

"Y-you guys look like you just saw a puppy die." Chandler said bluntly and nervously as he opened his locker.

Parker broke the silence.

"Look, about yesterday..."

"Don't worry about it. Need to grow up anyways right?" Chandler cut him off, closing his locker and giving his friends a fake smile. Fake it til you make it.

"Chandler, we shouldn't have just— we shouldn't have asked that. And we're sorry." Zay apologized.

"Yeah, I know that must've been difficult for you." Laura added.

"Guys relax. Look on the bright side, at least I finally got the talk, right? I'm gonna go to class." Chandler said and walked off. Good. That was good. You didn't even stutter. He thought to himself.

{6th Period}

Chandler, Parker and Zay were on the way to gym class.

"I really don't wanna go to gym class. Hey Parker, you got anything else you wanna tell me that I don't know?" Chandler joked and smiled.

"Well actually...." Parker started.

"Do not say anything Parker." Zay said smiling. "Okay, fine." Parker said, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"I know you said it was fine, but I know it's not. I really am sorry, Chandler." Parker said apologetically.

"It's okay...I mean, I realized this morning that knowing what happened to me doesn't change what happened. The fear I have isn't from knowing what he did, it's what he did. And you had nothing to do with that." Chandler explained.

"Wow..." Zay said.

"What?" Chandler questioned. "I can't say it you'll get mad." Zay said, smiling slightly.

"Zay, just say it."

"I can't..."

"Spit it out dude."

"You didn't even stutter." Zay said, trying to hold back a laugh. There was a bit of an awkward silence before Chandler sighed and said, "Here we gooo."