Me and the Gretchen Boys

Chapter 31: Shattered Bonds

"DANG IT! I'm late!" I shout to myself. How in the world am I late?

We'll probably because you spent a good 30 minutes trying to figure out what to do to make it up to the boys. Yet, you came up with nothing.

Ok, ok I get it.

"And now you're talking to yourself, Carmen. You have officially lost it. Besides how much could've happened in," I pause to check the time on my phone, "15 minutes?"

I sprint the rest of the way to school and I burst through the doors. The hallways are relatively clear, with a few people here and there. The hallways that were once filled to the bring with those awful papers are now cleaned to the brim. Almost making it seem like nothing happened yesterday.

I walk into my class and apologize for being late...again. My teacher gave me a warning and I make my way to my seat. As soon as I sit I began to hear everyone whispering.

What's going on? What's everyone whispering about? Maybe they still haven't gotten over yesterday's events. I look over at Laura and Denise but they don't meet my eyes.

Something has happened. Laura gently grabs my hand yet she still doesn't look me in the eyes.

"Alright class, let's continue the lesson."

In the middle of the lecture, I felt a light tap on the back of my head. I look back and find a paper ball on the floor. I pick it up and open it. It reads,

'We know your secret.'

   I drop it as soon as the words register in my mind. A cold sweat breaks through my body and I get chills. My heart practically stops at that moment.

   Secret, what secret? Paranoid I look behind me expecting the secret to reveal itself right in front of me. Instead, I found a group of girls, whom I've never talked to before, quietly giggling at me.

   Ring.

   That's when the bell rings, signifying class is over. I gather my belongings and make my way out of the classroom.

   I can't focus on anything around me because I'm terrified. My heart beats so loudly I can't hear anything else. My breath is so uneven I use most of my energy to try to have it steady. My eyes dart from place to place in paranoia that something bad is about to happen.

   That's when Jackie cuts me off by stopping right in front of me. She laughs loudly, in my face and that's when my eyes meet hers. There's this malicious look to them. Almost like she's out for blood, my blood. Her spine-shivering laugh catches everyone's attention.

   "The jig is up, Carmen." Jackie sings, with so much amusement on her face. She has never smiled at me before, so whatever she has in sort for me is bound to be something horrifying.

   Even though I'm scared out of my wits, I firmly ask, "What are you talking about?" If I show her fear, she'll only bite back harder.

   "Oh, Carmen, oh Carmen," Jackie shakes her head as a smirk forms on her face. "When will you learn? Do I have to spell it out for you? In front of everyone?" She adds, "Well, it's not like they all don't already know anyway."

   "Jackie, if I knew what you were talking about, I wouldn't be asking you, now would I?"

   Jackie doesn't like my answer and it shows as her face twists into a disgusted look. "That's your problem, Carmen. You just don't know when you've lost. That's the same thing you and your deadbeat mother have in common."