Gone

Chapter 4

September 1st 10:20

It was lunch time, my favourite time of the day where you can eat food and enjoy being with your friends for an hour without a teacher always watching your every move. Katy and I were seated at the back of the room far away from the entrance. It was pretty big with rounded tables and red chairs filling up the spaces, the walls painted in red and white and large windows overlooking a forest with flowers such as roses and lilies.

Katy and I were chatting about different subjects but it was mostly about me like I was some unknown creature who decided to live in a town that nobody knows about.

"I mean it's just that nobody knows about this town. It's so small that everyone knows who you are." Katy said, chewing on a piece of chicken. "I was excited when I found out that there were newcomers moving here that I couldn't help but ask why here? You know?"

"Yeah, I know. It's just that my mom was born and raised here and when she started dating my dad, she moved to Arizona with him and got married over there."

"Ooh makes sense. But what happened to your dad?"

"You were not kidding about this town being small." I said, smiling. "They got divorced..."

"Oh.. I'm so sorry to hear that." She said, pity showing all over her face.

"It's alright. I mean, he wasn't always there. Too busy going out to drink and coming home really drunk."

There was a long pause. Katy was quiet, stabbing the chicken with her fork and looking at her plate.

"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have asked." She said, out of the blue, her hazel eyes staring right through me.

"It's fine don't worry about it." I smiled, trying to comfort her but felt like it didn't help at all. She was still staring at me with those sad eyes.

Luckily someone interrupted us before it got even more awkward.

The guy from this morning, Damien, sat next to Katy with his trey of food. A bowl of Mac and cheese, a Pepsi can and an apple.

"Hey guys! What's going on?" He said, looking at Katy and me.

"Hey Damien." She said, a fake smile spreading on her face.

"Hi." I replied after her.

"What's wrong with her?" He said, pointing at Katy while shoving a spoon full of Mac and cheese in his mouth.

"Long story short, told her a sad story about my parents and now she's sad about it."

"Don't worry. She's always like that. You tell her something sad, she'll become like that." He chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.

"You're not helping." She whined, hitting him in the back of the head.

"Ow!" He yelped, spilling his drink on his pants. "Great! Now everyone will think I peed my pants."

I started laughing along with Katy. Damien was smiling at me while drying his pants with napkins that he took from the napkin holder that was on the middle of the round table next to a pepper and salt shaker.

The tension between Katy and I slowly began to fade when Damien sat with us which I was thankful for. We talked and talked what almost felt like hours until the bell rang, telling us to throw our stuff away and to head to our next class.

///

September 1st 2:10 Pm

School finished. I was outside with my backpack, waiting for my brother to come pick me up after his shift at work. Students were leaving the premises with their friends or heading towards their transport alone with headphones in, jamming to their favourite songs. Katy left to her mom's car after waving at me and Damien and I talked for a while before his dad came to pick him up. And now, I was sitting on a bench with my backpack on my lap, waiting for my brother to come pick me up.

"Why are you still here?" I looked up to find Mr Berry looking straight at me with a smirk on his face.

"Waiting for my brother." I replied.

"Doesn't look like he's coming. Do you want me to drive you there?"

"Is that appropriate for a teacher to do that?" I said, a little bit weirded out.

"I'm not your teacher anymore. Schools done for the day."

"Uh fine but let me text him first."

"Go right ahead."

I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and started typing.

You don't need to pick me up.
Someone is driving me home.

Wasn't even planning to.

I rolled my eyes putting my phone in my pocket and getting up from the bench with my backpack, hanging on my left shoulder.

"This way."

///

"Thank you for giving me a ride today, Mr Berry."

"Call me Jonathan and you're welcome, sweetheart." He smiled.

I nodded awkwardly, unbuckling my seatbelt and opening the door of his Mercedes Benz.

"See you tomorrow." He said before I shut the door.

I waved goodbye as he left and walked towards my door but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was still there watching.

Because he was there watching her getting inside her house.