The Thoughts Between Us // CHALEX

Six

Alex

So according to everyone around me, the first day after the winter break was, well, interesting.

First, there were the metal detectors and the policemen around the school at each and every corner. Seeing all this I first thought of Tyler, but when I checked up on him he was looking fine and all ready to present the yearbook committee at the Fair.

Then there were talks of a new student joining the school this term. Apparently, he was from Hillcrest and already joined the yearbook committee.

Then there were rumours about Estela de la Cruz joining HO, the committee Jessica had created against sexual assault. People were talking about it because Monty's sister joining a committee regarding a crime that her brother was arrested for was pretty big.

And then last but not the least, Clay's fight with the football team. That was the highlight of the day for the school.

During all this, I've managed to hide myself in the library for the whole day. My parents had told me to check out that Future Fair thing, but when I had entered the cafeteria in the morning and saw all the stalls for the local colleges and school committees, it became too much for me. So I just hightailed myself out of there.

And here I was now, cross-checking all the rumors I've heard throughout the day.

"Is it true he took on, like, a dozen guys?" I asked Zach, as we were leaving school and going home. Our walking style was very weird, because we both had been cripples at one time.

"He was just pissed off." Zach replied, as if that wasn't weird enough. I just looked at him in disbelief.

"He must have been mental."

Because it was Clay Jensen we were talking about, a guy who keeps a check on everything and doesn't loose his anger.

"Yeah, well, we're all dealing with our own shit."

This new attitude of Zach was bothering me. He had stopped caring, as if nothing in his life bothers him anymore. I love Zach, he was the one who helped me stand up again, after I tried to kill myself. He was the one who helped me with even small things then, like carrying my bag for me. I can say that he was my 2 AM person, even if he had stopped acting like it. I was seriously worried about him.

"Are you dealing with it?" I asked him, as a girl greeted him as she passed us. "'Cause you seem, like, not the slightest bit bothered by anything."

"Well, isn't that how we're supposed to be acting?" He asked, as we got to his car. Apparently, the Audi was his new love and even if I wasn't a car fanatic myself, I still liked his car. "Normal?"

"You said we should be the kind of friends that tell each other stuff."

I wanted him to tell me things he was going through. Even if he didn't care about me now, I still did care about him.

"Well, there's nothing to tell ya." Zach replied, as we both just stood in front of one another.

He knew I didn't believe him, because how can I? He wasn't really behaving like everything is normal. He wasn't normal, and neither was I.

Zach sighed at me as I didn't reply. "Look, it's either bullshit from the football team, or somebody actually might know something."

Now that was a high risk for everyone, especially me.

"Either way," He continued. "We can't do anything about it, right?"

Right, because we already did.