"Connie?"

I blinked, my head snapping in the direction of the voice. Vivi's eyebrows knit with concern, her brother's expression an exact replica.

"Are you okay?" Vivi queried, tugging at the strap of her bag. "You keep zoning out."

My shoulders rose before drooping in defeat. I quickened my pace, faces and lockers passing by in an unsorted blur. Something pulled and tugged at my heart, a constant niggling feeling. It felt like I sprouted horns and began stabbing people in the back with a bloody pitchfork. That's how Josh interpreted me when he texted me the night before, anyways. Now, my eyes stung from lack of sleep and my heart sunk like the Titanic.

A hand grabbed my shoulder, causing me to skid to an abrupt halt. The tardy bell echoed off the walls, mocking me with its shrill laughter. My heart thudded in my chest, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. Not even the coat of mascara on my eyelashes could grant me confidence.

"Connie, we asked you a question," Joel whispered, gently squeezing my shoulder.

Vivi appeared in front of me, hands on her hips and her lips tugged into a fine line. Bold red lips contrasted pale pink eyeshadow. "You've been acting weird all morning. Why won't you trust us?"

I shrugged Joel's hand off my shoulder and shoved past Vivi. Then, I paused, my back facing them. "Just leave me alone," I muttered. "I don't need your pity."

"It's not-"

"Hey, guys."

I spun on my heel, heart pounding even faster. "Meatbag? Cheyenne?"

Luca ran a hand through his light hair, eyes shining while his girlfriend stood stiff beside him. Her eyes clouded, dark hair shielding half of her face from my view. Joel and his sister turned to face them, Vivi's hands instantly balling into fists.

"What do you want?" Vivi hissed, taking a menacing step forward.

Luca's hands flew in front of his face, remorse forced into his expression and lips tugged down. "Hey, I don't want any trouble. I think this whole feud thing is stupid."

Joel cocked his head to the side, his shoulders squared. "I'm not sure I believe you."

The meatbag emitted a soft sigh, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Hey, come on bro, we're best friends." His gaze slowly shifted to the feisty blonde. "Vivi, I shouldn't have gotten so upset with you. You're Cheyenne's best friend. I'm so sorry. You can dislike me if you want, but I don't want to be separated from my friends over a stupid fight. Can you guys ever forgive me."

Vivi's head cocked to the side. "What's your angle."

"No angle," Cheyennes voice rang out. "Vivi, can you guys start over? For me, please?"

Joel tentatively held out his hand. "Okay, Luc. To be honest, I've missed your shenanigans."

Laughter pierced the tension-filled air.

Luca shook his friend's hand, his grip tight and firm. "Well, I've missed your constant nagging."

Chey offered a tilt of her lips to Vivi, who she slowly pulled the girl into her arms. I awkwardly stood there, my heart on fire and my instincts begging me to flee. Yet, I stood rooted to the spot. I felt like a tree who'd grown roots to these people, flourished, and refused to be chopped down and forgotten.

As if my thoughts became voiced aloud, all eyes and bodies shifted towards me. I rocked back and forth on my heels. Silence wrapped around me like a thick blanket, slowly suffocating me instead of keeping me warm. My gaze darted about, fingers fidgeting with my delicate bracelet. A single charm hung from the silver chain; half of a heart. Cheyenne gifted it to me before she moved. Obviously, she held the other half.

"Well?" Vivi snapped, breaking the heavy silence, "Are you gonna apologize to her or not?"

Luca's shoulders rose and fell, his teeth tugging at his bottom lip. Finally, he took a step towards me. My first instant was to take a step backwards, but I forced myself to stand my ground. My eyes searched his for malicious intent, yet I came up short. He kept his gaze soft and downcast.

"I'm sorry, Connie. None of this was your fault. I get that you've been having a rough time, and I hope I can help you." When his eyes finally meet mine, they had an evil glint to them. Maybe my imagination decided to deceive me. Or, maybe this guy deserved a slap in the face.

I gulped in a deep breath, deciding to play the better person. "I accept your apology."

He stuck out his hand, his lips twitching. With slight hesitation, I shook his hand, keeping my grip loose. His sweaty palm nearly caused me to cringe. As he retracted it, I resisted the urge to wipe my own palm on my pants.

Without another word, we all split to head towards our separate classes. Vivi and Joel flanked my sides, their arms bushing against my own. Joel held a small smile on his lips while Vivi hummed the tune to her 'feel better' song. Her eyebrows furrowed together and her fingers drummed against her leg. She probably wondered the same thing as me; why did he apologize? What was his angle?

«

At lunch, Vivi and I plopped down beside each other. The others would soon join us after they received their lunch, as Vivi and I both brought our own lunches. The school's pizza might have seemed appetizing, but it made you want to puke. How could they eat that stuff?

"So," Vivi murmured, extracting a sandwich from her bag, "What was bothering you this morning?"

I froze, my body turning rigid. My blood turned to ice. "Nothing."

She shot me a side glance, unwrapping her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Quit lying. I know you were upset. So, spill."

My fingers ran through my hair, catching on a large knot. She wouldn't understand. She didn't know what I'd done, and I never planned to spill the beans. "Oh, um, some person from my hometown texted me."

She paused, her mouth hanging open and her sandwich placed in front of it. "Who? What did they say?"

My eyes squeezed shut. Maybe I could just leave some information out. I was't lying, I was simply omitting information. "My ex. He's just going on and on about our break up." Technically, that information could be deemed true. He kept pestering me about Tasha's suicide, insisting I murdered her. He reiterated that I had become a horrid monster and he'd make sure I paid for my actions. Was I really a monster? Did everyone really hate me? Did I not deserve friends or an enjoyable lifestyle?

I brought a hand up to my cheek and felt moisture. Vivi's gaze turned cold. The others all stared at me from their seats, just setting their food in front of them. When had they arrived? Why couldn't I halt the salty moisture from rushing down my cheeks?

"Give me your phone, Connie," Vivi muttered, holding out her hand. Her voice held a dangerous edge.

My head rocked back and forth as my hand swiped across my eyes. "No, it's fine. See, I'm fine."

Joel and Luca simultaneously shook their heads.

Chey motioned to Vivi. "Give her your phone, Connie."

There was no escaping it anymore. It had become inevitable. I knew they'd find out eventually. Sooner or later, the repercussions would catch up with me. I couldn't avoid them any longer, I couldn't flee or plead for them to drop it.

Slowly, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and settled it in Vivi's palm. I closed her fingers across the device after pressing my thumb against the finger print scanner. "You won't like what you see. You'll hate me after this." A sob escaped my lips and I pulled my arms around myself.

Vivi slowly shook her head. "Why would I hate you? The only person I'm gonna hate is the jerk causing you pain."

As she tapped the screen, my eyes examined the bland tabletop. With every gasp my heart sank lower and lower, the tears pouring down my face by the bucketful.

____

Thoughts? This wasn't the best, but I tried. I really wanted to update. Speaking of updates, they won't be as frequent. Schools has started. Ugh. I have practice after school one Mondays and Wednesdays for Volleyball. I also have homework. And I've been hanging with my friends as well. So, I'm pretty busy. But I'll update when I can. Sorry if this is kinda short, but I wanted to end it there.

Fun fact: They played Vivi's feel better song 'Oceans' by Hillsong United at church today. Everyone was singing and it was beautiful. <3

AHH TYSM FOR 400 READS!!!

Also, I started a new short story called Uncovering Callie. Would you guys like to check it out?

QOTD: Do you think Luca is being sincere? What do you think the others reactions will be to the texts?

Dedicated to @Fallingpearl for reading and commenting!

Peace,

-Sarah.