Chapter Two

  April

  I never expected walking with Charlie to be quite so….peaceful. We’ve barely said anything the entire way to the nurse’s office. We haven’t fought once. I might’ve teased her earlier by my locker, but it wasn’t a fight.

  As we walk, I keep my book pressed to my chest, walking confidently. I read in a book somewhere that you seem more attractive when you act confident. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Charlie stealing gnces at me. I brush it off, thinking she’s just trying to figure out the conversation from earlier and that special little line I put in my story. “Still trying to figure out that line?” I speak up as we walk into the office.

  She looks over at me surprised. “How do you know?”

  I roll my eyes. “Because you keep stealing gnces at me, Char. Why else would you be doing that?” I raise an eyebrow and sit in one of the office chairs, draping my leg over the armrest to get more comfortable. I smirk and pat the chair beside me, inviting her to sit.

  She chews her lip for a moment, hesitating. After a moment, she walks to the nurse’s office, peeking her head in. She comes back after a few seconds and drops into the chair, sighing and clutching her chest. I raise an eyebrow, turning around so my legs are dangling on the side away from her, my head resting on her chair armrest.

  One wrong move and this will all be over.

  She looks down at me with a gre. “What are you doing?”

  “Rexing. Miss Katie probably won’t be here for a bit, it’s almost lunch time and she always leaves an hour beforehand to eat, that way she’s here if any of the students

  suddenly develop an allergy to the cafeteria food.” I expin calmly.

  She rolls her eyes before pushing my head off her armrest. “Fine, but you don’t need to put your head on my chair.”

  I mock frown, sighing as I sit up. “What’s wrong, Char? You’re being more defensive than usual,” I tease her lightly, but I’m genuinely concerned.

  We have a specific dynamic, but she’s never been this defensive toward me…

  “I’m not defensive,” she snaps, sitting back in her seat, crossing her arms under her chest.

  I swallow for a moment before forcing myself to look at her face. I smirk as I notice her pouting face. “Poor baby…,” I murmur, my smirk softening to a smile. She looks over at me in surprise and I flush, clearing my throat and looking away.

  She gres at me, obviously thinking I was trying to be mean. “Not a baby. I’m smarter than you and you know it.” She sits up, keeping her arms crossed as she looks down at her feet.

  I don’t respond, my mind suddenly filled with different ways I could’ve reworded that, or why did I say that?

  We sit in silence for a bit before my mind starts to calm down. I sigh and curl my knees up to my chest, staring at the wall in front of me. Charlie looks over at me every now and then, but I pay her no heed as I get lost in my thoughts. At one point, right as I start to zone back in, I catch her looking at me again, with a confused expression. Not cold, angry, or annoyed like usual, just…confused. I don’t say anything, not wanting to bring attention to the fact I noticed it. After a few moments though, I speak up, “I meant that line, y’know…” I murmur.

  She looks at me in a mix of shock and confusion. I open my mouth to eborate, but as I’m about to, Miss Katie walks in. “Hello girls, what can I do for you?”

  I blink, shaking my head, and turn to Miss Katie. “Char here needed to come to your office because she wasn’t feeling well. Mrs. Spencer asked me to accompany her and as you were out, I decided to wait with her.”

  Miss Katie smiles sweetly. “Well now, aren’t you just a doll.” I smile ba

  ck, but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes. She turns toward Charlie, focusing her attention on her now. “What seems to be the issue dear?”

  I stand up to leave, but decide against it at the st second, sitting back down to wait for Charlie, just in case something is really wrong. I can’t seem to figure out why I feel the urge to make sure she’s alright, especially after all the things she did to me st year, but I brush it off.

  Charlie ignores the fact that I didn’t leave, but Miss Katie gives me a questioning look. Charlie starts outlining her symptoms, and I can’t help but listen in. “My palms keep getting sweaty, my face is flushed at the most random times, my throat keeps going dry for some reason, and my hands are shaky.” My eyebrows creased in concern as Miss Katie thought for a moment before pulling out a bottle of ibuprofen. I feel a sense of relief.

  That means she’s okay. I can leave.

  I stand up and walk out, walking back to css, I ignore the little voice saying I need to go back in there, walk back with her, or even just talk with her some more.

  (Sorry for not posting!! I completely forgot about this story!! Leave a review if you want me to post chapter 3!!)