Yesterday was one of the worst days in my entire existence.

    Only shortly followed by today. And at this rate, I can predict the rest of the week is going to be shit too.

    At least if I was at home I could be making my way through it in the comfort of my bed. Honestly, the only reason I'm here is because my grandma forced me.

    "Nia, you have to get up," she said as I laid face down in my pillow. My eyes were puffy and sore from crying on and off all night.

    "But why?" I croaked my voice muffled by the pillows.

    "Because you can't put off your responsibilities because of a boy, if we all did that we would never get anything done," she explained. "And you'll only feel worse if you lay here crying all day."

    "No, I won't." I'll feel worse if I have to go to school and see Marcus and his stupid gorgeous face.

    "Yes, you will. All you're going to do is feel bad for yourself, and fall behind in class, and that's  going to make you feel even worse." I don't think it's possible for me to feel worse than I do right now.

    She gave me a sharp slap on the butt, encouraging me to get ready. "Now get up and get ready for school. I'll make you a smoothie before you go."

    I did what she said, but I wasn't the least bit happy about it. I got into Maya's car with a frown and a fruit smoothie in my hand, that I gave to Tasha because I didn't have any sort of appetite.

    "Just act like he isn't there," Tasha advised slurping from her straw. "If he tries to talk to you, don't respond."

    "She can't do that, Tasha," Maya said.

    "Why not? That's what I do after I've broken up with a guy," she said proudly. "I ghost them completely. Block their numbers, social media accounts, everything... It's helpful."

    "I can't just ignore him," I said. Even if I wanted to, it's hard to ignore a six foot something boy when he's trying to get your attention. But blocking his number sounded awesome right now, he kept texting me but I didn't want to hear anything he had to say. He promised that they were over. And how stupid am I for believing that bullshit?

    "Well, you don't want to talk to him so what are you going to do?"

    I'll tell you what I did I hid in the nurse's office with a "stomach ache."

    It wasn't a flawless plan, but she let me lay on the small cot they kept in her office until third period. And I made sure not to leave until the halls were completely clear, so I wouldn't have any run ins with Marcus. I'm avoiding that disaster for as long as I can. Having to talk to Sam was bad enough.

    "Hey," he said awkwardly next to me in Trig.

    "Hey," I replied not wanting to talk, and especially not to one of Marcus' friends.

    "Uh, I know you probably don't want to talk about what happened but--"

    "If you know then why are you talking to me about it?" I know it was harsh, and it's not his fault but I was still extremely irritated.

    "I--I--I," he stammered trying to find the right words before giving up. "I'm sorry."

    "Thank you," I replied sarcastically before turning back to the board. I felt him still looking at me, but I tried my best to ignore him.

    I went into gym and handed Coach my nurses slip.

    "You don't look sick," he said gruffly.

    "My heavy menstrual bleeding says otherwise," I replied catching him off guard. He almost choked on his own spit. Granted, I'm not on my period, but he doesn't know that.

    "Okay, go sit on the bleachers," he said turning away from me quickly. Men are so stupid.

    I sat on the bleachers alone until Lavender came up to me with her arms folded. "Are you telling me I dressed out for nothing? I can't believe you're sitting out without me."

    I looked up at her, "Sorry."

    "What the hell happened to you?" she grimaced. "You look horrible."

    "Thank you."

She sat next to me. "Oh my God, sarcasm. Now I'm truly concerned. Tell me what happened?"

    "Lavender, I don't really want to talk about this right now."

    Thankfully, Coach called her before she could pursue it more. "This isn't over," she warned me. But it's over for now, which is good enough for me.

    She shot uneasy glances at me all through gym class, and if I wasn't already such a mess I would be nervous. I felt drained and even though no one knew what was going on I felt like if someone said anything to me about him I would just break down and cry.

    But also the more I think about it the more angry I get. At Marcus, at Whitney, and at myself for feeling anything towards either of them. They don't deserve the time I'm wasting on them, but I can't help but feel terrible.

    Ugh, I'm pissed!

    "I'm back and now you have to talk to me," Lavender said coming up to me after class. I leaned against the wall waiting for her to come out of the locker room. 

    I closed my eyes, "Do I have to?"

    "Yes!" she responded. She linked her arm through mine dragging me along as we walked towards the cafeteria. "I want to hear what's fucked you over so bad that you came to school looking like someone told you that you could never read again."

    I groaned. The closer we got to the cafeteria the more anxious I began to feel. He's in there. They're both in there.

    I stopped abruptly as Lavender reached for the door handle.

    "What's wrong," she asked confused.

    "Let's eat lunch somewhere else today," I said quickly.

    "Like the library?"

    "No!" That place is tainted. Thanks a lot, Marcus. "Somewhere else."

    "But why?"

    "I just don't want to eat in there today. I don't feel like being around all the noise." She didn't look convinced in the slightest. Regarding me through squinted eyes.

    "If you find somewhere else for us to eat I'll tell you what's wrong with me," I offered her. I'd do almost anything not to go in there.

    "Bet." She steered us in the opposite direction and to an exit off a side hallway. Stealthily we walked around the building. It wasn't until we reached the school parking lot that I realised we were going to her car.

    She unlocked the doors. "Get in."

    "You brought us to your car?" I asked slipping into her Mini Cooper which was surprisingly spacious inside.

    "Of course," she said opening the center console. "I have snacks. Did you have somewhere else in mind?"

    "No," I replied.

    "Good," she threw a bag of chips at me. "Now spill it."

    "Marcus and Whitney are back together," I told her cringing. "Well at least I guess they are, I saw them kissing in the library yesterday."

    Her jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"

    "Sadly," I turned the chip bag over in my hands. "She was talking about how excited she was for him to see her prom dress." I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about it. We were supposed to go to prom together.

    "I can't believe this, and out of all of them I thought he was the smart one," she shook her head. She shrugged, "I guess I'll just have to poison him. And it's too bad because I really like Ellen and E.J."

    "You're not going to do that, Lavender," I sighed leaning my head against the leather seat.

    "Why not? I have all the stuff for poison at my house, with all the herbs and shit we have at my house he'll be dead before you know it."

    I just shook my head. I'm mad, but I'm not that mad.

    A tear rolled down my cheek.

    "Ah!" Lavender yelled. "You're doing the thing! Don't do that, not here, this is a cry free zone!"

    "I'm sorry," I said while still crying. "I'm just so sad...and angry...and confused." There's too many emotions to process and the only thing I can do is cry.

    She looked like she was going to be sick. "Okay...but I don't know how to comfort you."

    "It's okay, maybe we can just sit here."

    She nodded in agreement.

    "Has he talked to you?" she asked after allowing me to cry in silence for a few minutes.

    I shook my head. "I lied and told the nurse I had a stomach ache so I wouldn't have to go to chemistry second period."

    "Is that why you sat out in gym?"

    "No," I laughed wiping my eyes on the sleeve of my blazer. "I told Coach I was having a heavy flow day."

    "And how did he respond?"

    "He looked like he was going to choke," I laughed. "You should have seen it."

    "I wish I would have," Lavender laughed. "Are you sure you don't want me to poison him?"

    "I don't know ask me later."

    "You don't think Stacy or Crystal knew anything about this do you?"

    "I don't know." I hadn't thought about it honestly. Crystal helped him decorate the library for me, that'd be messed up for her to know something like that and not say anything. And Stacy's been eating lunch with us since before Whitney went to Paris. But they were all best friends and Crystal did say Whitney had minions, who's to say they're not one of them.

    "This is so fucked up," I said putting my hands to my forehead.

    "You're telling me," Lavender said. "I can't wait to write about this in my journal."

    I pushed her playfully, "Oh, shut up."

    She put her hands up defensively, "I'm just being honest." She looked at the time on the clock on her dashboard before producing a small bottle of eye drops from her bag. "Here use these you look like you've been crying."

    "You keep eye drops in your bag?" I blinked away the liquid that suddenly filled my eyes. But it felt cooling in my sore red eyes.

    "It's for my parents. When they aren't being super vegans and skincare gurus, they're mega stoners," she explained.

    "No way," I said in disbelief.

    "Oh, yeah. 4/20 is their second favorite holiday. Earth Day is the first."

    I laughed even though my chest still hurt and I still felt like crying my eyes out. I want this day to end.

    "We should go."

    "Do you want to?"

    "No, but we should anyway."

    "You're right," she gave me a small smile. "Don't forget about my poison offer."

    "Trust me I won't." It was only becoming more enticing as the minutes passed. We snuck back inside just in time for class. With everything going on it was hard for me to focus on anything except getting home and laying by myself in misery. But I guess I need to get through these last few classes first.

    When I went to history, I had to stop myself from audibly groaning at the sight of Crystal. She looked at me with sad eyes, and I knew that she knew about Marcus and me. Maybe there was still time for me to escape to the nurse again.

    "Everyone take their seats so we can get started," our teacher said from the front of the classroom. Damn.

    I took my seat, praying she wouldn't say anything.

    "Nia," she whispered to me. "Hey, Nia."

    I closed my eyes. God, why do you hate me? 

    I looked over at her. Her blonde hair was swept to the side in loose waves and she had pinned an expensive looking broach to the lapel of her blazer. As I looked at her pretty face and blue eyes, I couldn't help but think about what Lavender said.

    "Yes, Crystal." Could she have been apart of it?

    "Nick told me what happened with you and Marcus, and I'm so sorry that happened to you."

    "Are you sorry, Crystal?" I asked her. "How sorry are you?"

    Her perfectly sculpted brows knit together in confusion. "You can't think I knew about Whitney and Marcus? Because I didn't, I swear."

    "And why should I believe you," I said keeping my voice low. "You're Whitney's best friend, and I don't know what secret she's keeping for you to make you so scared of her, but I know you're much more loyal to her than you could ever be to me. If it wouldn't have been for Whitney being away you would have never sat with Lavender and me, and you know it. So why should I believe that you knew nothing about them?"

    "Because it's not true." She said,"You have to believe me."

    "Sorry, but I'm having a hard time believing anything right now." 

    "Nia, I swear," she said. "She hasn't talked to me in days."

    I rolled my eyes. Maya and Tasha are my best friends in the entire world, and even when they're wrong I always have their back. Even if that means keeping secrets that may hurt others,I would be stupid to think Crystal wouldn't do the same for Whitney, and quite frankly, I'm not trying to make a fool out myself again. "Save it."

    I've never been such a bitch to anyone a day in my life, I'm so exhausted I can't bring myself to care. She didn't try to speak to me for the rest of class, and I just hope she wasn't crying. The last thing I need is to be the mean black girl who made the blonde white girl cry, that would just bring on a whole new level of problems.

    I stood at my locker trying to get my things as quickly as possible, so I could escape to the safety of the computer lab. Maybe Mr. Hobbs will have something for me to do. I desperately need something to get my mind off of Marcus.

    I shut my locker and was immediately stopped by the boy that leaned next to it.

    "Hi," Marcus said.

    "Hi."

Check out my other stories: Cole & Jamie and Camp Greenwood