Chapter Three

I'm watching the minutes tick by on my alarm clock. My eyes burn, but if I close them I just see the memories flashing behind my eyelids. Memories I don't want to think about.

"Why after all these years? Why is he moving back now?"

The red numbers flick to 4:45. I was in for a long night.

***

I drag myself out of my bed, after maybe an hour of sleep. Thankfully, today will be easy. I make my way across the hall Jenny's room to wake her like I do every morning.

This time though I don't knock, I swing the door open catching the handle before it slams into the wall.

Jenny fell asleep reading, her cheek resting on a page, her yellow lamp still running. I smile at the sight and reach over flipping off her light. I grab a hold of Jen's shoulder and shake her awake.

She sits up with a jolt, kicking her ankle against the wall in the process. She hisses in pain, grabbing a hold of her foot.

"Why can't you wake me up once that doesn't involve me hurting myself?" Her voice is laced with annoyance.

"You're the one who wakes up like you've been brought back to life. You drooled all over your book by the way." I answer, my voice matching hers.

"What?" She looks at her book, and grimaces "Ew, gross. That's just wonderful." I leave the room and prepare for the final day of school.

***

After eating breakfast, complete with Jenny complaining about my waking up on the wrong side of the bed and getting permission to attending an end of the year party tomorrow with Nick and Isabelle, we left for school.

I parked my Impala in the parking lot and climb out. Jenny had already run off to join Nick and Isabelle.

I sling my backpack over my shoulders and lock up the car. I noticed a few people glance my way and start whispering to their friends.

"Hey Brittney, wait up!" I hear Justin's voice holler behind me. I turn and wait for him to catch up.

"Hey, um... did, uh... Have you heard from Eric?" he stumbles out, carefully choosing his words.

"Did he also text you?" I ask him my eyebrow furrows.

"Yeah, he also... he might of... he did something you'll hate..." He shuffles his feet.

"Justin... What did he do?" I take a small step towards him.

"He sent a text to Samantha." He says quickly.

My jaw drops. I know Eric is an idiot, but I didn't think he was that dumb. Either that or he is more narcissistic than I originally thought. Samantha was the person you went to if you wanted the whole school to know something. She isn't the one you tell secrets too, poor Sally found that out the hard way. She is responsible for 98% of the rumors that went around school for the past 3 years.

"If I could get away with it, I would murder him the second I see him." I growl. "That explains the whispering." I nod at a small cluster of students not even trying to hide their staring and talking. I show them my pretty finger and continue my walk into the school.

"Brittney are you okay?" Justin asks his words and eyes full of concern.

"I don't know." I whisper. Justin nods softly and drapes an arm across my shoulders and walks me to class.

***

As I leave the classroom and head for my locker to gather my things, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull my phone out and open the text. My stomach drops at the typed words.

"Hey, now I know I am the last person on earth you want to talk to and see, and I completely understand why. If I were you I wouldn't want to see me either, but even though I miss that old city I have no control over the fact we are moving back. Long story short, I wanted to tell you we arrive Sunday."

Two days. I have two days to prepare myself. That's just fucking wonderful.