Cloud 69

28:

"So, he's okay?" Luna asked hesitantly. 

"He will be," I responded with a shrug of my shoulders. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. "He'll never repeat last week's events, that's certain."

"Well, that's good to hear," Zach said, a small smile on his face. It did nothing when lines of worry were so prominent on his forehead.

"What was it all about, anyway?" Jason asked. It was the first time he had spoken all of the lunch period, which was highly unusual for him. But Jason had been off-put by the whole thing, in a different way than the rest of us. He just really wasn't good with blood or injuries... or drunk friends beating themselves up in alleyways.

Dylan hadn't wanted to stress me out more, so he hadn't told me until recently that he ended up staying with Jason that entire night. He wouldn't speak at all and was shaking the entire car ride back. His mom was working a night shift, and Dylan didn't want him to be alone like that, so he brought Jason back to his place. He got Jason to bed and said that, for the most part, he snapped back to himself when he woke up the next morning.

I looked over to Dylan for his approval. After Carson had opened up to me, I asked if he would be willing to talk to someone else, either my mother, a therapist, or Dylan. Carson revealed that Dylan knew about Katie, just not that her case had turned terminal. So eventually, I didn't rush him, he agreed to sit down and talk with both Dylan and my mom. Dylan also convinced Carson it would be a good idea to reach out to his old therapist.

Dylan shook his head, and I nodded.

"It's not really my place to share, I don't think. When he's ready he'll tell you all about it, I'm sure."

No one seemed curious as to why Carson chose to confide in me. From the outside looking in, I feel like I would be the last choice. But they didn't question it. They all just nodded, slightly unsatisfied with my answer.

We were sitting in the bleachers of the football field so that we were far enough away that no one else would hear. We had all made it a point to keep Carson's current status as quiet as possible.

"Do we know when he's coming back to school?"

I shrugged, "I still think he needs another day or two, but he's pretty set on coming back tomorrow. It's not like he's missing anything big with the end of the semester approaching."

Jason sighed, "Well, in the meantime, his fandom has passed around some pretty interesting rumors about his mysterious disappearance."

The amount of people who have asked me – and as far as everyone in the school knows, Carson and I are still sworn enemies – where Carson is, and why he's not at school, is alarming. I can't so much as use the bathroom without one of his ex-hookups popping out of the stall next to mine to ask about him. Someone else tried to seduce Dylan into giving them an answer. We may have our problems, but we all look out for each other.

And since the five of us have said absolutely nothing and have failed to provide any answer whatsoever, everyone has unleashed their own bright ideas.

"What's the latest?" I asked, mentally prepared to hear some of the most deranged ideas from the most delusional of his fan club. 

"The L-Squad said something about him being discovered by a model agency," Luna said. "And they believe he's been flown to Paris for some runway show for like, Gucci or whatever, I was half-listening."

Dylan clicked his tongue, "That one doesn't work. His passport expired and he hasn't renewed it yet."

"The hockey team is convinced that he got convicted for selling drugs," Jason added. "Some were generous enough to suggest he got out on bail."