Stuck in the Middle

Chapter 29

Until the emergency assembly the headmaster called during last period, I didn't hear anything else about the rooms getting fixed. At first, I thought Marc was wrong. I prayed that he was so that we wouldn't have to switch rooms. Then he told me Taylor's mom works in administration for the school and that's how he found out. Which meant it had to be true.

And it was only confirmed when Headmaster Redmond stood on stage in front of the entire student body, excitedly saying they figured out how to get us all in the rooms we were orignially supposed to be placed in.

I wasn't nearly as excited.

"This fucking sucks," Marc muttered. He was sitting in the seat next to me, with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I know," I agreed, just as quietly, not wanting to draw attention to us for talking during the assembly.

I didn't know who I was supposed to room with originally. The only time I ever saw my roommates' names were when they were Marc and John. But they definitely didn't want to be put together. I knew that for a fact. So all three of us were going to end up in different rooms. How was that going to affect this relationship?

"We'll be sending each of you an email tonight with your correct room assignemts," Headmaster Redmond was saying, "And, to give you time to pack up your things and move, there will be no classes for the rest of the week. Attached to that email will be a detailed moving schedule so that this process is done as quickly and efficiently as possible so that we can rectify our mistake and get everyone where they were meant to be."

Cheers erupted around us, but I couldn't bring myself to even smile at the thought of not having classes for the week. I leaned my head on Marc's shoulder. I really was going to miss seeing him all the time. And John.

I snapped my head up, looking around the auditorium. I only just realized that I hadn't seen John since breakfast. Where was he?

"What's wrong?" Marc asked me, just as Headmaster Redmond started talking again.

"Have you see John?"

He shook his head, not saying anything else. I never did find out why Marc was angry at John this morning, but I had a feeling that that anger hadn't faded. I desperately wanted to know, but I was afraid to ask. I didn't want it to be a really good reason, which would then make me have to be mad at him again, too.

I wasn't mad at John anymore for what happened at breakfast. I understood that I was just being a bit dramatic. I knew what kind of person he was before, and it's clear that he never cared about anyone he hooked up with in the past. But he was different now. He cared about me. And Marc, I think. More than anyone else, I was sure of that, at least.

Eventually, the assembly ended. I felt bad that I barely paid attention to what was being said, but at the same time, I didn't. I didn't want to change rooms. Maybe a month ago, I would have been all for it, but now? I didn't want to move. I didn't want to leave Marc and John.

But we'd still be together, no matter where our rooms were. At least, I hoped we would be. Why wouldn't we be?

I followed Marc down the sidewalk, lost in my own thoughts. I didn't know where we were going, but I didn't really care. I just wanted things to work out and I had a bad feeling this was going to ruin everything. If we weren't rooming together, Marc and John probably wouldn't want to date each other any more. Then what? I'd finally have to choose between them? Who would I even pick?

"You doing okay, Spence?"

Marc's question snapped me out of my thoughts. "Yeah, I'm good. Everything's fine." It wasn't, but maybe if I said it enough times, I'd believe it.

"Are you sure? Because you just followed me into the locker room. And I don't think you want to join in on practice."

My eyes widened as I looked around the room, not even remembering walking inside. How out of it was I? "Sorry," I muttered. "Guess I was just worried about the room switch and everything."

He put his hand on my cheek and I leaned into the touch. "It's not like we'll never see each other. They might be moving our rooms, but they can't break us up."

I smiled slightly. "And John? He'd still be with us, too?"

Marc dropped his hand and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "We'll talk about it tonight, okay? But I really need to get to practice before I'm late."

I nodded and, wishing him good luck with his practice, I turned and made my way out of the locker room that smelled like a hundred dirty socks covered in a ton of cheap colognes. I was actually pretty glad I was leaving there, promising myself I wouldn't go back in there unless it was absolutely necessary.

When I opened the door, it immediately bounced off someone. I didn't even look up, apologizing profusely for just hitting someone with the door.

"I didn't think you were that mad at me, Spence."

I jumped, looking up to see that it was John I had hit. My face got incredibly warm, probably becoming bright red, as I apologized again.

"It's fine," he said, laughing. "It didn't even hurt. But, question. What were you doing in there?"

"I was with Marc."

He nodded slowly, a look I didn't recognize on his face. "Were you with him all of last period? Like, if Peterson canceled class, then fine. But are you two really that mad at me that you couldn't tell me she canceled? I don't even know what I did!"

"What?" I shook my head, ignoring the comment about why we were mad at him for a moment. "You didn't go to a single class all day, so why go to history? And we had an assembly during last period. Didn't you hear about it?"

"Assembly? No."

Instead of answering him, I threw my arms around him in a tight hug. I pressed my face against his chest, breathing in his scent.

He didn't know yet. For a few more seconds, I could pretend everything was fine. That everything wasn't about to be completely different.

He hugged me back, his strong hands rubbing gentle circles on my back. I wish I never had to tell him. That not saying it out loud would make it not come true.

But I knew that wasn't how this worked.

"They're fixing the rooms," I said softly, not lifting my head off his chest. "By the end of the week, we'll be in the rooms we were supposed to be in from the beginning."

John took a step back, dropping his hands to his side. "Well that's bullshit. Come with me."

He didn't wait for my reply before turning and walking away from the athletic building. I hurried after him, very confused.

"Where are we going?" I asked when I caught up to him, slightly out of breath.

He glanced at me and slowed his pace a little. "We're going to complain. They can't make us move if we don't want to."