Honey and spice

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 14

Brooke's POV

I didn't expect to go back to school so soon but staying inside was really getting to me. I was starting to get nightmares, hallucinations and suicidal thoughts. I have a history with depression and a series of other mental health problems from when I was younger but it has gotten better with the right therapy...at least that's what I thought. Recent events seem to have triggered my worst episodes yet. As much as I am an introvert, humans are social creatures and need other humans to interact with. Plus I need to move past this whole kidnapping thing, I can't let it control my life. As for Fayne...well, I have decided that she is really toxic and it's her fault I got into this whole mess in the first place. My life was perfectly peaceful before she came along and I'd like to go back to that.

So for now my only entertainment is sitting in class and listening to my teachers go on about a topic that really could have been summed up in a quarter of the time. Gotta love the education system.

"Why is our English teacher an ancient crone?" Callie whispers from the seat to my left, "Like she really shouldn't be working at her age. What happened to retirement?"

I used to scold Callie for talking like that about teachers but I seem to have stooped down to her level because the statement made me giggle a little too loud.

"What are you doing girls?" Mrs Smith, the English teacher in question, says as she looks up from the book she had just read an excerpt from just a few seconds earlier.

"Nothing," I reply and sit a little straighter. It's a teacher's pet habit, ok?

"They called you an old crone," A voice interrupts. Stacey, the notorious bitch, has decided to share.

"Shut up you cunt," Callie shouts as she stands and walks over to Stacy who is two seats to my right.

"Callie don't," I walk after her and hold her back.

"That's enough all of you," Mrs Smith says as she slowly walks over to us. "Callie and Brook, go to the principal's office now."

What? I have never gotten in trouble in all of my time as a student. And now Stacey doesn't get any consequences while I have to pay for what Callie said. High school is so unfair.

The whole class is silent as Callie and I walk the walk of shame. I've seen Callie get in trouble before but I never imagined I'd be one small step away from a full blown panic attack. I knew I was overdue for a major one.

"You know what, this is bullshit," Callie says as we walk down the hallway towards the principal's office. It really is. For someone who has never gotten in trouble, the concept is quite terrifying.

"Let's ditch." Before I could fully process what I had just thought of, the words already left my mouth.

"Whoa there big shot, what the hell happened to you? What happened to the Brooke I know and love?"

"I guess she's gone."

Ditching school was considerably a bad idea but for a while it felt like I was finally in control. I have always been pushed to be the dutiful daughter who never gets to fuck up while my brother gets to do whatever the fuck he wants. I was sick of it, so damn sick of my parents sexist style of parenting. I never really got to know myself because I was molded into exactly what they wanted since a very young age. So yes, it felt good to finally break the rules. 

When Callie and I made our jailbreak I really didn't expect to come face to face with no other than Fayne Blackwood but here she was, in her leather jacket and battered blue jeans.

"Well would you look at that," Callie says, waggling her eyebrows. While I haven't told her what Fayne does to me, I think she suspects I have a little crush on her. Best friend senses or whatever.

Seeing Fayne standing there with her arms crossed,  all smirky again makes my heart skip a beat but a part of me wants to cry because as much as I'd deny it, her ignoring me like that hurt.

"What are you doing here?" I blurt out as we approach her.

"Well I was just passing by but then I saw you two jailbirds and I must admit I had to find out what Callie said to convince you to ditch." Her attitude...god that attitude makes me feel some kind of way.

"Actually, it was my idea."

The look on her face turns from smug to straight out surprised as soon as she hears the words leave my mouth. I guess after what happened at the party the night we met, I actually thought she saw more than a good girl. The way she talked to me indicated she saw past that and saw something different in my nature. But I guess I was wrong.

"Who would have thought you had it in you," Callie chimes in from next to me.

I stare right into Fayne's eyes, those beautiful dark eyes. Why does she play games with me like this? The name calling, suddenly being flirty and disappearing for weeks...I don't know what to think of her anymore. I thought she was just a bad person who wanted to fuck with me but she actually risked so much to save me from my kidnapper. At times I see a softer side to her for just a few seconds. Surely she's not just a bad person? There's got to be more to her. I just wish she'd stop acting all tough and proud.

"I gotta say, I was not expecting that," She says, staring right back at me with an intensity that would make most people swoon.

"Well if you won't mind, I don't have time to stand around. I'd rather make the most of my day off," I say and grab Callie's hand, dragging her along past Fayne.

"And you're not going to invite me?" I hear her call after us.

"Don't you have classes you'd better get to? I bet they'd be surprised if you actually showed up." If I have to stoop down to her level, I will. Anything to get her to show the side I miss.

"I was just going home since I finished my last class of the day," She says as she power walks to catch up to us, "It's nice to have so much free time since I completed two of my courses last year."  She what? Only really brainy people get to complete courses a year early. She'd have to have been ahead of everyone by a whole year. And Fayne...well she doesn't seem like the type that would study for hours daily outside of class.

"You accelerated?" I stop and look at her, trying my best not to let the shock show.

"Yup...now get in my car, you can get more done with a fast driver," She winks.

This was definitely not how I expected my day to go but guess what, I'm learning to roll with the punches.

And it feels oh so good to finally be me.

~

This chapter was actually really fun to write. I know this story isn't good, trust me I know that. This is the first book that I have gotten up to Chapter 14 and just wow it feels amazing. Some of it doesn't even make sense and the dialogue is off and it's straight up cringe.

But...first drafts are supposed to suck and I'm glad it sucks because it means that I improved so much since I started in November of 2019. I'm proud of myself that I stuck it out despite being so embarrassed of this mess. It will get better because I will stop at nothing to get this draft done and then make it a million times better by the final draft. It will look like a semi decent book in the end.