Someone Will Remember Us

Shut Off

Chapter Eighteen

Estella's not speaking to me. She said I embarrassed her in front of the whole school.

She's been embarrassing me for months by meeting up with Scott behind my back, we've got a long way to go before we can be even.

Charlie waited for me by my locker this morning, I walked past him without as much as a glance.

But Charlie doesn't give up easily, especially not when he feels bad.

He's been trying to talk to me at lunch and then during football and after in the locker room. I didn't even shower, I got changed and I was out of there before anyone could stop me.

English now.

I don't really wanna brag but I feel like I really am Miss Lawrence's favourite. She's been trying her best to help me with my English grade and she's certain that I am going to graduate if I keep this up. I can only hope.

The hallways are empty because most people are still in class, I've never been early to a lesson.

I stop by the door because Miss Lawrence is not alone.

"Yes, Scott, I understand but I can-"

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

I've tried avoiding him and he just made it easier by avoiding me too all day. But now here we are, in the same classroom.

Miss Lawrence is sat on her desk and Scott is standing in front of her and they turn their heads to look at me.

"Well?" I ask and I raise my eyebrows at him.

I thought that seeing him would be a bit easier now. Just like seeing Charlie got easier. But Charlie didn't sleep with my sister, he just kept it a secret from me.

Miss Lawrence obviously heard about the fight, pretty sure everyone has. "Boys. Why don't we just-"

"'You stalking me now?" I ask Scott and he scoffs. Okay, yes, we have similar schedules and we're both in this lesson but he doesn't need to be here right now.

"Not everything's about you," he says with a slight raise of his eyebrows.

I really should have beaten the shit out of him yesterday.

I take a few steps towards him but he's not as disorientated or as dazed as he was yesterday and he stands his ground.

"You're practically begging me to hit you right now," I say and it's easy to intimidate him because of his height.

And what's the worst that could happen if I did hit him right now? Lawrence wouldn't be able to separate us and by the time she went to get a teacher, I would already be done with Scott.

But I don't have time to even think about hitting him because there's a loud ringing noise.

At first, I think it's the bell signalling for lessons to be over. But then the alarms start blaring and I see the panic on Miss Lawrence's face.

I know what that means.

We're under lockdown.

***

Lawrence has us sitting in opposite corners of the room. I'm pretty sure that everyone is supposed to stay huddle in one place when a lockdown is in place, but she probably thinks we're more dangerous to each other than any school shooter at the moment.

I'm sat facing the wall and so is he, eye contact is dangerous.

"It's a drill Scotty, don't piss your pants," I shout across the room. I know how panicky Scott can get about stuff like this.