Kiley walks in to the classroom and the moment she plops down on her seat, the wave comes. The wave of complains, whining. She rattles on and on, her hand moving up and down exaggerating her comments, her head bobs up and down and her hair sways along, "School is so intense! So annoying! This is so unfair, I need the whole day to prepare for this. I mean I don't have a date but still... it's once in a lifetime that you'll get to have some fun in school! And school still ruins it, why can't we have a holiday to—"
Our teacher rockets into the classroom, empty handed. Several students frown and many look at their friends and a series of mumbling starts. A voice silences them, "Students listen up! Kiley do you have more to add to your shopping list to the principal's office?" I silently laugh to myself as Kiley turns bright red and shakes her head in protest. As our teacher opens her mouth to speak, someone, I already know whom, slams open the door, interrupting her. Guess our paths will meet in school... sigh. "Sit down, now. Mason Niall you are late!" My teacher scolds a completely shameless Mason.
"Damn." I hear Kiley breathe into my hair, "She's not in a good mood." I ignore her and wait for our teacher to resume her speech.
"As I was saying, today is Valentines and we have arranged for all students to be using the halls. Unfortunately, the head master, who is unfortunately the arranger of this event, will not be here due to a certain casualty. Hence, you students will need to help out with the arrangements. Now!" The moment our teacher claps her hands together three times, the class stands and the dragging of chairs can be heard across the hallways.
The hours passed and we have been decorating the hall for our own celebration and I find it somewhat weird but cool. Heart shaped balloons are floating all over the place, the DJ's platform seem to be taller than usual but the DJ, who is a girl named Samantha, Sam for short, is loving it. I scan the room and notice that only the Juniors, us, are here. The seniors are apparently studying for a test that's due next month, as far as I'm concerned, so we should take this time to chill while we still can. You only live once so... best make the best out of everything. Maybe not everything.
"There's my Valentines!" A familiar voice rings in my ears. I swirl around to find a bunch of girls clinging to the side of Alex. He gently pulls their hands away from his arms and I hear one of the girls ask in a surprised but jealous voice, "Her?"
"Yes. Her. Do you have a problem?" He frowns at the girls who start to cower in fear, or is it just my imagination?
"No, not at all. Just warning you not to waste your time on her. However, with me, you would have had a kid by now." She wrinkles her nose and furrows her eyebrows at me, then she walks right past me hitting me on the shoulder. "Just saying," She stops to whisper in my ear from behind my back, "he's mine. Also, you should really get a makeover, you remind me of psychos who have no idea how to... move on." Her last two words hisses longer in my ears and I feel like I'm hallucinating a lot.
Alex stares at the girls as they follow after that bitch. Gemma taught me that word when I was four, I still remember what she said, "This world has many bitches, but if you find one in the future, don't hesitate to call her a bitch, straight in the face. The first person to be called a bitch always is the bitch, provided they call you one." She winked at me.
But I am a bitch, for making everyone think of Gemma as a girl who committed suicide at the age of ten. Tears roll down my cheek and it's too late to hide them from Alex. "Hey, baby. No don't cry, I'll make sure she never treats you like that ever again. Please." Alex hands wraps around my back but I push him away. He instead, cups them over my cheeks and I can see he's starting to panic.
"No, it's not that." My voice begins to tremble and threatens to break.
"Come on, let's go someplace else." He takes my hand and guides me away from the crowd who is oblivious of my presence.
"Skyla?" I hear Riley calling after me, or was it Ivy or Tanya? I don't turn around to see who it is, neither do I reply. Gratefully, Alex doesn't either. He places a hand up and I think she understood that as a 'give her some time' expression.
"Thanks." I tell Alex. I walk past Alex and head to the bathroom to wash up. I stare at myself in the mirror and cry. I recall the time I was ten and asked Henryk how Gemma died. Even though I know the whole true story.
"Henryk, what happened to Gemma?" I asked Henryk as we were walking back from school. He was twelve then. Henryk waited for a while, then he realized that I really wanted to know his side of the story, so he tells it, "I remember Gemma knocking at my door at around ten, it was late at night so I was almost asleep. She called me, twice. Thrice. I went to the door at the fourth call... I think. I opened the door and I could see her face is pale, she's worried, about you. She said we never got to celebrate your birthday because mum and dad are not home, and you're with your babysitters."
"Then?"
"She said she was probably going to do something stupid, she said that if she doesn't arrive home in time for mum and dad, I'm going to have to make up an excuse for why Gemma is gone. I remembered how I waited on the couch for two hours, waiting for Gemma. I remembered how she used to complain about how the babysitters have changed you. I couldn't agree more, but I dare not tell mum and dad. They thought you were becoming more obedient, more disciplined. Gemma was disgusted of course, she said she could sense a bitch from kilometers away."
"Did she come home?" I asked even though I knew that she couldn't have.
"I heard the door click, I was almost asleep by then. I literally jumped out of the couch and fear coursed through my body because I dreaded that it would be mum and dad. Mum and dad was surprised to see me sleeping on the couch. They asked me where Gemma was and..." He started crying, "I couldn't make up an excuse. My mind went blank... and... and I just wanted her to come home... but... she never did." He paused for a long while and I let him. "Mum and dad were so worried, they asked our neighbors if they've seen Gemma, but no one saw her. I was probably the last person that she talked to, I could have helped her. I didn't even say goodbye to her." It was not Henryk's fault, he wasn't the last to see him and neither could he have helped. I was five, he was seven, Gemma was... almost eleven.
"How did you know she committed... suicide?" I frown, and each time I did so, my heart is pulling at me, rebuking me for the burden I carry.
"A search party was sent. They found her at a lake near your babysitters' home. We knew it was probably just an accident, we had no idea how she even got there im the first place, or why. Nobody saw her, nobody. Police suspected our babysitters but they said they had no idea she was gone from our house. Of course, we believe them, there was no evidence to say they killed her. She died because she drowned." His eyes were watery, glassy. Deep beneath it, he is pleading for some answer, some answer to assure himself that the cause of Gemma's death wasn't his fault, but I can't help. I didn't help, and the result of it is heart wrenching till now.
Alex calls for me, "Skyla, if you don't come out in three seconds I'm going in there to get you!"
One second... two second... three second. 'Bam', the door slams open and he yells, "I'm coming," but he got cut off mid sentence when he sees me. The tears, the emotions, my emotions rolling over him like a tidal wave. He seems like his breath got knocked out of him and he walks over and brings his hands to my cheeks again and says, "Did they really say something so mean to you? Tell me what is it."
I turn my head away from him and squat at the ground, sadness fills his eyes as he drops his hands to his side and squats after me. He doesn't like seeing me sad, he likes me happy. He likes me. "Alex..."
"Hm?" His forehead touches mine as I face him again.
"Do you like me?" The words come out faster than I expected and he stares at me for a far too long time and it gives me an unnerving feeling
"Yes, yes I do." His confession comes out smoothly and I smile up at him.
"Thank you." I tell him honestly.
"For what?"
"Trusting me, and liking me for who I am."
"Who doesn't?" He says too loud and it came out to be more of a joke. I smile at him and the door blasts open all of a sudden. Riley, Kiley, Tanya and Ivy gapes at the sight and I laugh into Alex's knees.
"What the hell are you doing in the female's toilet?" Kiley cries out and Tanya and Ivy puts their hands together and moves their hand to their cheeks and says, "Aww," together. Then they stare at each other and Tanya giggles, "We could totally be twins." They high five each other and my heart warms. I'm so glad to have such loving... friends?
I see June and Cleo appear behind them and Cleo apologizes for the two of them, "Sorry we disappeared for the whole week, dance auditions were up. So, may we know what the hell is going on in here?" I suddenly find it awkward and I start to stand up. Everyone crowds around us and I smile at them, "Thanks."
"Always here for you, no matter what. Remember that." Kiley winks at me and I afford a smile.
Guess life can get better... in it's own ways.