The Tables Have Turned

Chapter 3

“How was your first day of school?” Clarissa asked, later that day, as I was helping her prepare dinner.

“It was good,” I said, shrugging “The people are really nice compared to those at my old school.”

“That’s good to hear,” she said, smiling at me. “I know it’s hard at first but you’ll fit in.”

“I hope so,” I muttered. I met both Chase and Emily’s closest friends and it wasn’t that bad but I kind of felt out of the loop and like an outsider.

Sure I met most of my classmates but I didn’t really feel comfortable sitting with them the whole time. I’m not usually that awkward around people but at the time, I’m not really myself these days. I’m still stuck on what happened around a week ago. It’s perfectly normal for me to still feel like that and it’ll probably last for a long time. I just wish I had someone to talk to. It takes a lot of time for me to trust someone and I’m not the type of person who would really discuss their problems with their friends.

“Can you give me that plate please?” Clarissa said, snapping me out of my thoughts. This has been happening a lot as well. I space out too much.

I handed her the plate she asked for and she thanked me before averting her attention back to the food she was cooking.

“Hailey!” Chase said as he came into the kitchen.                                                                                                             

“Chase!” I mimicked him.

“Do you want to play some video games?” He asked and I nodded happily.

My dad and I used to play video games the whole time! And if you’re wondering, no I didn’t play with my friends because I didn’t really have friends a lot of friends after I stopped being the ‘bitchy popular girl’. I stopped being that girl when I broke Alex’s heart and mine. I know, a little too late.

Chase and I played video games for the next hour and I beat him at everything and he just sulked. After that, it was dinner time.

 We prayed and then sat and started eating. It was less awkward today during dinner. I was able to get engaged with the conversation but of course there were some times when I felt like an outsider.

We talked about our first day and I smiled and said it was great even though it wasn’t that good. I didn’t tell them anything about Alex and I thought that Chase had probably forgotten about the little conversation all three of us had.

I was wrong though.

After dinner, I was sitting in my room drawing in my sketchbook when I heard a knock on my door.

“Come in,” I said and quickly closed my sketchbook, putting it under my bed cover. I didn’t really feel comfortable with showing people my drawings. I didn’t like it when people stare wide-eyed at my drawings and start complimenting me. I get awkward.

“Are you busy?” Chase asked, poking his head into my room.

“No,” I answered “What’s up?”

“Um I was just wondering,” he started as he sat next to me on the bed “How do you know Alex?”

I sighed heavily. I was really hoping he forgot about that.

“What do you know about Alex?” I asked. What if Alex had already told my whole class about the bitch that broke his heart?

“He moved here two years ago and he likes girls a lot,” Chase said, shrugging.

I was slightly relieved that Alex didn’t tell them although he had every right to. I forgot how much of a good person Alex was – and still is. Even if he’s trying to show otherwise, the good Alex is still there. He would’ve told everyone about who I was if he wasn’t a good person, right?

“Alex and I went to the same school before he came here,” I said, trying to sound casual while on the inside, my heart was breaking. I tried to hide the guilt and pain I was feeling as I remembered everything that has happened in the previous years.

“Why wasn’t he happy to see you again?” Chase asked and his eyebrows furrowed.

I groaned internally. He wasn’t going to let it go, was he?

“I was a different person back then,” I said cautiously. I didn’t want to say more. I’ve never told anyone about it except for my mom. I didn’t tell anyone what I really felt when I humiliated him and broke his heart.

“What do you mean?” Chase insisted and I sighed angrily.

“I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” I snapped and he looked taken aback slightly.

“Sorry,” I apologized with a sigh “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m just in a bad mood.”

“It’s okay,” Chase replied, giving me a warm smile “We’ll talk some other time.”

“Thanks,” I replied gratefully.

Without another word, Chase left my room and closed the door behind him. I sighed and took out my sketchbook again and continued my drawing. It was a drawing of my mom and dad, smiling. All their pictures were taken away from my house that day but I still remembered all the ones that were hung on the walls and I was drawing them in my sketchbook.

I slowly traced the few wrinkles on my dad’s face as he smiled. That was their most recent picture together. It was a few weeks before the incident. I came home late from school and found my parents slow-dancing and laughing. They looked so happy that day and I took a picture of them so that they can always remember their happy days.

I didn’t notice that I was crying till I saw a tear fall on my sketchbook. I wiped it away with my sleeve to not ruin the picture and continued the drawing.

I was shocked when I looked at my watch and saw that it was already 12:30a.m. I was so lost in my drawing and thoughts that I didn’t notice the time passing.

I closed my sketchbook and put it back in its drawer along with my pencils and drawing utensils. I opened my bedroom door and slowly went downstairs to get a glass of water.

The house was quiet and dark. It scared me. I knew why I was scared. I knew why I was afraid of the darkness. Halfway down the hallway, I decided to stop walking. As lame as it sounds, I was too scared to go on. I turned around and ran back into my room where the lights were still on. My heart was beating frantically and my head was pounding.

I closed my bedroom door and crawled into my bed. I kept the lights on – like I have been doing in the past month – and soon I fell asleep.

I heard a knock on my door the next morning. I opened the door and found Emily standing there, dressed and ready to go.

“Hey,” she started “I just wanted to give you this. We have sports today so we have to change at school.”

I took the white plastic bag from her and looked at the blue sweatpants and white polo with the school’s logo on it.

“Okay,” I said, nodding “Thanks. And do we have sports together?”

“No, each class alone but the sports teacher comes only once a week and he gives all the classes their weekly sports period on Tuesday.”

“Oh okay,” I replied.

She flashed me a smile and walked downstairs. I quickly brushed my hair and slipped on my shoes before following her downstairs.

I noted how they were all in the kitchen just like the previous morning and thought that it was nice how they meet for breakfast and dinner every day. That’s what keeps a family closer. They always manage to see each other and spend time with each other as much as possible.

We had breakfast and then we went to school. I was not nervous today. I was just worried about seeing Alex again. I’m not sure I can handle seeing him every day but I’m going to go step by step.

Chase and I walked together to class, chatting on the way there.

“The second day is always better than the first,” he said as he pushed the blue painted door of our classroom open.

“I hope so,” I said, walking in and he followed me.

“Hi Hailey!” I heard at least five students say. I was taken aback by this but when I recovered, I grinned.

“Hi guys,” I greeted my classmates.

“See? I told you,” Chase said, smiling smugly and I just rolled my eyes. I put my bag next to my desk and sat with the rest of my classmates as they talked and joked around.

I honestly didn’t expect them to be that friendly. Emily did say that their school was different and the people here loved each other but I didn’t think they would accept me that fast. I‘m glad they did, though. They are making this so much easier for me.

“So yesterday, at around 11:00 at night,” Kyle, a guy with brown hair, also known as the class clown, started saying in a dramatic voice “I heard a shuffling noise from the other room. My parents were already asleep so I was the only one up. I jumped out of my chair and slowly tiptoed to the guest room next to my room. I opened the door and turned on the lights. And guess what I found? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The sound stopped too. How creepy is that?!” 

I had to laugh at the way he was saying it. He was not exactly what you call a good-looking guy, but the way he looked, helped him with his role as the funny guy. I swear you can laugh just by looking at his face.

“What would you do if that happened to you Hailey?” he asked in mock-seriousness, pointing a finger at my face.

“Hmmm,” I started, putting a thoughtful look on my face “I’ll probably scream. And scream. And scream again.”

“Till you wake Chase up,” Mariah, the girl who gave me the medicine yesterday, said jokingly and we all chuckled.

“And then I’ll come running into your room and save you!” Chase said arrogantly.

“Don’t forget to put on your superman pajamas first,” I said, smirking at him and everyone laughed at Chase’s embarrassed face. I honestly didn’t know if he had superman pajamas. I just thought it’d be funny. And apparently, he does have them since he didn’t deny it.

“Hey,” I heard a familiar voice call out to everyone.

“Hey, man, come here,” Paul said to Alex who had just arrived “This girl is hilarious! You’ll love her.”

I felt my cheeks turn slightly red when Paul pointed at me. I smiled briefly before looking away from Alex.

“What other embarrassing secrets do you know about Chase?” Lilly, a petite girl with black hair asked.

“Well,” I started, smirking at Chase’s panicked face “I only moved in a couple of days ago so I don’t know much.”

I saw their smiles drop and Chase let out a relieved sigh.

“But,” I watched in amusement as Chase’s eye widened “I did beat him at every single video game yesterday.”

“Ooh!” the whole class chanted.

“Including Call of Duty?” Paul asked and I nodded proudly.

“Yep,” I said and Chase shot me a glare.

“Beaten by a girl?” Paul said, sounding sorry.

“She’ll probably kick your ass as well,” Chase defended, crossing his arms over his chest “She’s like the Master of video games.”

I laughed at that. “Of course I am,” I said arrogantly, but they knew I was just joking.

“You can never beat me,” Paul said.

“Is that a challenge I hear?” I asked in a sing-song voice.

“Yes, yes, it is,” he said, shooting me a challenging look.

“Challenge accepted,” I said giving him my most confident look. 

 “Go Hailey!” Carson, a really tall girl, said “Show him that girls can play video games!”

“Oh trust me girls, I’ll show him,” I said, smirking at Paul who looked a bit uncertain now as the thirteen girls in class cheered. The other eleven guys stayed quiet, watching the exchange with both amusement and doubt.

 This is definitely going to be fun.

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Hey! :)

I wanted to upload this yesterday but I was studying for my exams D: It was horrible. (The studying part, not the exam itself.) I'm so tired! I don't know why but I can't sleep well :( My eyes hurt and my brain barely functions :P

Anywho! I'll stop nagging :P We all have to do exams at some point.

On a much better note, I'M GOING TO FRANCE! :) Yeah, be jealous ;) Haha I'm so excited because I'm going with my friends at school xD But it's not until May :P Have you ever been to France?

Thank you BlowMeAKiss for the banner on the side :)

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