The Final Wait

Chapter 13

Song: Cherry Hill

Artist: Russ

Chapter 13

The hallways buzzed with excitement on Friday morning. It seemed busier than usual with the sun's rays casting through the windows and stuffing every corner. Frederic sat against his locker and continually ran his fingers through his curly hair. The thought of summer irked him. His hair was always the worst this time around. Sweat glistened his forehead and the back of his neck was damp.

'I'd get you a hair tie but...' Wahid pointed at his wavy undercut and shrugged. 'You could ask Octavia. She has long hair and ties it up during gym class. I'm sure she'll have extras.'

'Ugh, I don't wanna talk to her.'

'Please?' Wahid nudged his shoulder, but that almost sent Frederic to the floor. Wahid ignored his friend's complaints and continued, 'You guys haven't spoken since Tuesday. Do you know how awkward it is for me? I'm running out of shit to say to fill the silence.

'Also, I enjoy sitting alone on the one side at lunch. It's weird having her next to me just to avoid you.' He groaned. 'Another thing, we can't go to the gym without her. It's the only way we'll get a private session. You're going to ignore her this entire summer? Talk about getting fit...'

'She spoke shit about Cressida, I'll never forgive her for that.' Frederic crossed his arms. 'Not my problem, she's jealous.'

'Okay, I don't think she's jealous,' Wahid laughed.

'Yeah, I'm not jealous.' Octavia towered over them.

 They let out a scream at the tall unrecognizable girl in front of them. They would've known it was her if she wasn't wearing a black and burgundy floral stitched blouse that tucked into a black pleated skirt. Her burgundy boots stretched her legs more.

 Octavia rested her hands on her hips and huffed, 'There are many things I am, Freddo, but jealous isn't one of them.'

'Then what's your problem? Why do you hate her?' Frederic pushed himself up and blinked to see that he and Octavia weren't the same height anymore. When Wahid stood up, he was even shorter.

'I don't hate her,' Octavia sighed because she knew she'd never get her word across with Frederic who's to love-struck to understand. 'I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have said all of that. It was a bad example, and you're right. I don't know her. I'll continue to help you in any way that I can.'

Frederic continued to stare at Octavia while she attempted a smile. The longer he stared, the harder it was for her to open her mouth. Wahid looked at the two and clapped his hands to get their attention. 'Well, now that that's out of the way. What are you wearing?'

'Ugh, I know, right? I thought you guys wouldn't notice.' She flicked her curled hair over her shoulder that Eirene spent forty minutes on this morning. Eirene wouldn't be impressed. 'I have lunch with my stepmom. She asked me to come along since there'll be someone our age there too.'

'And you said yes?'

'I had no choice! I owed her. Especially after she helped me concoct that entire thing with Bechett and supplied her connections.'

'Oh, yeah, Nina published the article yesterday afternoon.' Frederic pulled out his phone and went to the school website. They loomed over his phone and nervously skimmed through the article. 'She said her parents are putting it in Sunday's issue.'

'Whoa, what a way to end the school year, huh?' Octavia looked around the many students who either read on their phone or a physical copy of the magazine. The article even made it to the front page with a bold title: