Chapter 25
I stood in front of my closet staring at my clothes arrangement. Everything felt wrong. I sighed tiredly. It was Monday again.
I settled on a white skirt and blue tank top. The simplest and most normal outfit I could put together..
Downstairs, Ava was already eating breakfast. She looked up when I entered.
“Ready for school?”
Her tone was casual. Almost as if nothing happened.
“Yeah.”
Mom didn’t look at me. She was too busy packing Ava’s lunch with extra snacks.
“Here’s yours,” she said, sliding a plain brown bag across the counter to me.
I grabbed it without checking inside. Probably just a sandwich and an apple.
The car ride was silent. Dad dropped us off at the entrance.
“Have a good day, girls,” he said.
Ava waved and headed toward her group of friends. I walked slower, dreading what was coming.
The whispers started before I even reached my locker.
“That’s her.”
“The pool girl.”
“So gross.”
my locker
to grab my books for the first period.
I kept my head down. I opened my
“Hey, Avery!”
I turned. It was Tyler from my math class. He
“Heard you had a rough weekend.”
as grinning.
“It’s fine.” I said, trying to stick to my resolution from yesterday.
I had told myself “be invisible. Even at home“. That way I can avoid any jabs coming my way.
“Must have been embarrassing though. In front of everyone.” He continued, not taking the hint. Or rather, simply ignoring it.
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Chapter 25
I didn’t answer. I just closed my locker and walked away.
But he followed.
“My sister was at that party. She said Sarah’s mom had to drain the whole pool.”
“Good for her.”
“That’s like, hundreds of gallons of water wasted.”
I stopped walking. I turned to face him.
“What do you want, Tyler?” I asked, trying to be as calm as I can be.
“Nothing. Just making conversation.”
“Well, make it elsewhere.”
I walked faster. I made it to the first period on time and slid into my seat near the back.
More whispers. More stares.
Mrs. Myra started the lesson but I couldn’t focus. Could only hear the voices around me.
“Did you see what she wore today?”
“A white skirt. Is she serious?”
“Maybe she wants another accident.”
“She must love the attention she’s getting from all that”
I gripped my pencil tighter and tried to ignore them. I don’t know if it was the way Ava twisted it or the period itself or just me getting tired of this bs but I find myself unable to tolerate today like I have been for the past two months since I woke back up.
The second period was worse.
I walked into English class and someone had written “POOL GIRL” on my desk in red marker.
I sat down anyway and tried using my sleeve to rub it off but the marker just smeared.
“Nice look,” Jessica said as she walked past. “Very artistic.”
Madison giggled behind her.
I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood.
Ms Rachna came in almost immediately, cutting the scene off.
At lunch, I grabbed my tray and looked for somewhere to sit, away from Ava and her friends. I don’t know if I
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Chapter 25
34
could tolerate anymore snide comments and surprisingly she let me be but I know it was another issue to be faced at home.
About how I “abandoned” her at lunch.
After lunch was gym class. My least favorite.
We were playing dodgeball. I stayed in the back, trying to avoid getting hit.
“Hey, Avery!” One of the boys from the other team called out. “Better be careful! Don’t want any accidents in gym class too!”
The other boys laughed.
“Yeah! Maybe you should sit this one out!”
“We don’t want blood all over the gym floor!”
My face burned. I wanted to scream at them. Wanted to throw the ball right at their stupid faces.
But I didn’t. I simply smiled, giving them the ‘I don’t care‘ look
Because Ava was watching from across the gym. And if I made a scene, if I said anything back, she’d tell Mom and Dad I was causing trouble.
So I stood there. Letting them laugh their hearts out.
The ball hit me in the leg and I walked to the sidelines.
I sat on the bench for the rest of the
game.
After gym, I had fifteen minutes before the next period. I headed to the bathroom on the second floor. The one that was always empty.
I pushed open the door and checked under all the stalls. Empty.
I went into the last stall and locked the door. Sat on the closed toilet lid and put my
life
This was going to be my now. Jokes and whispers and stares.
All because of something I couldn’t control.
All because Ava had made me go to a party I didn’t want to go to.
head in my hands.
I sat there for a few minutes, shading on a piece of paper. Before I suddenly heard the bathroom door open. I strained my ears as I heard them inch closer. Footsteps.
I held my breath.
The footsteps stopped right outside my stall.
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Chapter 25
Then something slid under the door. It was a piece of paper.
I picked it up and unfolded it.
*Hey. It’s Lily. Are you okay? I heard what happened at Sarah’s party. That sucks.*
My heart jumped. Lily.
I grabbed a pen from my backpack and wrote back.
How did you know I was in here?
I slid the note under the door.
A moment later, it came back.
*I saw you come in and I followed*
I almost smiled, almost for the first time since my computer got taken away.
*Thanks for checking on me.*
I sent the note back under.
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*So what really happened? The rumors are all over the place. Some people are saying you did it on purpose for attention.*
My stomach twisted. How sick is that? Humiliate myself publicly for attention?
*It was an accident. My period started at the pool. I didn’t know it was coming.*
I clarified.
*That’s what I figured. People are being jerks about it.*
*Tell me about it.* I wrote back rolling my eyes as if she could see.
*Also, where have you been? You haven’t been online in forever. We’ve been messaging you. The others are so worried about you too.*
My memory flashed back to me. I remembered I was about to hit send on my explanation when my mom took my computer.
As I put the pen down to scribble the explanation…. the speakers crackled to life.
The sound echoed through the bathroom. Loud, clear and sharp.
“Avery Flynn, please report to the principal’s office immediately. Avery Flynn to the principal’s office.”
My blood went cold.
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Chapter 25
The note slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor.
“What’s that about?” Lily’s worried voice came from outside the stall. Real voice, not written.
I couldn’t answer. Couldn’t move. My mind was racing through all the possibilities.
“Avery? You okay?”
I stood up slowly and unlocked the stall door.
Lily was standing there. She had a worried look on her face.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
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I really didn’t know. ”
What could it be this time?” I thought as I dragged my heavy feet through the hallway.
田
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
