After our little meeting in the cafe, we headed to our respective classes and decided to meet up at Lunch.

So like decided all of us were sitting in the cafeteria at the lunch break, but Tyler was missing. I tried not to think about where he might be, because who cares where he is? I certainly don't.

"Hey guys, " Sam chirped when she walked towards our table and gave Neil a little peck on his cheek before settling down beside him. Zoe, one of her good friends and Courtney's loyal follower came in with her and sat with us too.

I shot a questioning look at Ashley at this intrusion, who simply jerked her head towards Jace. And then it made sense, the only time Zoe decides to come with Sam and have lunch with us is when all the boys, but especially Jace is sitting with us too.

Zoe has a major crush on Jace, but he is just oblivious to it all. Or maybe he just refuses to acknowledge it. Hard to know.

"Right, V?" Sam said pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what?" I blinked.

"I was saying that Ashley should try out for the cheerleading squad with me, this year. "

"Yeah. If she is interested in it, " I said looking at Ash.

"Will you come with me?" Ash asked, looking at me.

"Hell no, " I shook my head.

"We are only in need of one member. And I think either  Sam or Ashley might be better suited for this. No offense Veronica, " Zoe said.

Rude. But true.

In our school, I was mostly known for two things, my grades and my ability to get in trouble. I had zero amount of grace or balance. Hell, I sometimes trip on my own feet, even while I am just wearing a pair of converse. So yeah, I wasn't really the cheerleading type.

"Why? You cheerleaders could use a hot badass like her on your side, " Jace said and bumped my shoulder. I gave him a small smile and looked at Zoe who was staring pointedly at us.

"Oh no, I didn't mean..." Zoe started speaking but I held my hand up to stop her.

"It's fine, I get it, " I said.

"Why is there a vacant spot anyway? I thought you had a complete team, " Avi asked.

"We did. But at the last cheer practice for the upcoming game, one of the girls had a nasty fall, and broke her ankle, " Zoe said casually, "So we are looking for a replacement."

"Yikes, " I murmured.

"By the way, when is the next game?" Avi asked Neil.

"In a week. It's an important one, if we win this we are into the semi-finals for this year's inter-school championship, " Neil said.

"Besides, we will have a lot of college recruiters coming in for the finals. If we want a scholarship to get into good colleges, we need to make it to the finals," Jace added.

"And hopefully win it. Coach is kicking our asses and Tyler isn't making it any easier for us too. It's like they both have teamed up to make our lives miserable, " Neil groaned. Jace chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Hey! Where's Tyler?" Neil suddenly asked looking around, as if he had just noticed his absence. 

"Courtney, " Ryan simply said. 

And there it was, that bitter feeling. That sting in my chest, at the thought of Tyler and Courtney together. It never mattered before, then why now?

"They have been hanging out a lot from a few days. I even saw them together this morning, looking pretty cozy. Wink wink, " Zoe smirked

I gave her a puzzled look. "Why did you just say 'wink wink'? Why didn't you just wink?"

Some of us started chuckling and that seemed to have hit a nerve because she crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance. "It's an expression."

"Oh...okay, " I shrugged.

"It's her birthday tomorrow and she wants to throw a party. So Tyler is helping her with it. They do it every year, being childhood family friends and all. They are pretty close, but that's it, " Jace said more to me than anyone else and I nodded.

But I knew better than to believe him, anyone who sees them together, anyone who hears Courtney talk about Tyler knows they are not just 'close friends', but something more than that.

And I didn't know since when exactly I had begun to care about it, about him, but I did. Maybe more than I cared to admit.

And it has to stop.

Suddenly my phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts. I take it out and frown at my screen when I see it's a text from my dad. He never texts me, unless it's something urgent.

*Take care of yourself little one. I'll be back with you before you know it -Dad*

What the hell did it mean? Where was he going?

I try calling him but he had his cellphone switched off. Next, I tried calling mom but she doesn't answer my call either.

Then it suddenly dawned on me, and I realised that this wasn't the first time he left without saying a word to me. He always did when things got worse with mom or when they had a big fight. When it all got too overwhelming for him.

It hadn't happened for a while now, and I was hoping it would never happen again.

But here I am. In a crowded cafeteria with my friends, clutching my phone, and reading my dad's text for what seemed like a hundredth time, desperately trying to keep my shit together.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Ash asked studying my face.

"Nothing, " I said and shook my head, giving her a small smile.

I look over and saw that Neil and Avi were now eyeing me curiously too. I was beginning to fumble around with an explanation when the bell went out and I let out a relieved sigh.

Saved by the bell.

"You've been looking at your phone for the last few minutes. Is everything okay?" Ash asked as we all started walking out of the cafeteria.

"I told you, it is, " I said sternly.

I had never told my friends about my parents and their rocky relationship. Not that they wouldn't understand, because I know they would. It's just that I didn't like talking about my problems or even acknowledging them in any way.

It's just how I am, I pretend everything is fine, even if it isn't. It's like my coping mechanism.

Besides its not something they can help me with, and I hate to see them fumble around for words to make me feel better when they actually can't.

The same was the case with everything that happened with Paul and Max and it's the same now. It's fucked up and shitty. But I can't help it, I just have to deal with it.

When Ash didn't reply, I turned to look at her and she was giving me that look. You know the one that says – you are full of bullshit. Which Iam. Clearly.

"Can we talk about something else? Homecoming? What dress are you going to wear? So many things to talk about, " I smiled in an attempt to change the topic to something I know she is excited about.

"You do realize that I know you are trying to change the topic and distract me, right?"

"Is it working? "

She sighed and shot me an annoyed look, "I am starting to get pissed at you, for always shutting me out."

"Shutting all of us out, " Avi said as he and Neil caught up with us, making me groan.

"I am not!" I shook my head.

"You denying it, doesn't make it any less true, " Ash said and now I was the one starting to get pissed. Pissed because I knew they were right.

"Drop it, " I said.

"We have been doing that for almost a year now, " Neil said and I glared at him.

"What is going on? Are you holding an intervention for me, in the middle of our school hallway?" I snapped.

I didn't want to go and attend any of the classes anymore, I needed to get home. But I couldn't seem to find any way out, without my friends asking another half a million of their questions.

"Aren't you attending History?" Ash said.

"Huh? How did you know?" I asked.

"Because we crossed our class, and you just confirmed my doubt. You are skipping aren't you?"

"Yeah, " I mumbled.

"Alright what's going on?" Ash grabbed my hand and made me stop.

"Nothing. I told you. Will you guys stop!" I said slightly louder than I intended to.

All of a sudden Neil grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the end of the hallway and into an empty class, with Avi and Ashley following behind us. 

"What fuck is wrong with you?" I yelled and yanked my hand out of his grip.

"Me? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Neil glared at me, and I took a step back from him.

"Look. Please, we just want you to talk to us. We have given you a lot of time, hoping you would get better on your own, but all you are doing is getting further away from us. You are hiding things from us V! We don't even know what's going on in your life anymore," Avi said his voice pleading and I felt my eyes well up.

"I am sorry, " I said my voice cracking and I turned away from them.