Smile Again

Chapter 12

Soon it is Monday, a day I've been dreading. I decide to look nice today because that might make me feel good and less nervous about talking to them. I grab my white shirt with word 'love' written in cursive over the left breast; I grab my flannel and pair of ripped blue jeans. I head downstairs and show my dad my outfit and then head into the bathroom. I brush my hair out and put it into a high ponytail and then wrap that hair around the pass of the ponytail and tie another hair tie around that. I pull a few strands out to top off the look and add some clear lip gloss. There, I think, This looks like you haven't laid in bed for three days straight. Before I forget, I put some foundation and concealer on my wrist so nobody notices. 

"Well don't you look nice today? Feeling good?" My dad asks me.

"Well I'm trying," I admit, "Can I walk to school today?"

"Sure. But you better leave now." I wave good bye to my dad and head out the door with my stuff. "Delia, you are going to have a good day and settle everything between your friends and girlfriend."

The walk to school is exactly fifteen minutes if I continue walking at a steady pace.  I'm at the main avenue when the light turns green so I have to wait a couple minutes for it to turn red so I can go across. I notice that there is no cars so I decide to walk across, halfway across a car turning almost takes me out. They flip me off and I do the same but continue walking to the school. I make it to the school ten minutes earlier so I head into the bathroom for a minute. I'm in the stall when I hear two girls walk in. 

"I hope that pussy shows up to school today," Leslie says and applies some mascara.

"Yeah. 'You took the only happy thing in my life.' Oh go and cry about it." Becky smirks. They both laugh at their remarks and I don't leave until they do. I go find Nathan and his friends to use his locker.

"Well don't you look nice today, Delia." Tommy compliments me.

"Thank you, Tommy. I'm trying to feel good because I'm nervous as hell to talk to them." I admit.

"I think they really want to talk to you though, I heard them talk about it on Friday." Nathan says.  At this time they walk past where we're standing and stare at my outfit for a few seconds before realizing its me. I wave as a sign I'm somewhat okay and Amelia waves back at me. I hear the bell ring and I follow Nathan to his locker. 

"I'll leave it open for you, okay?" Nathan tells me and heads off to his class. I set my bag in and grab my first hour class and memorize his locker number. Even if I forget it, I'll just text him and ask. When I'm walking down the hall, I can't help but here people whispering about me. Most are good but the occasional bad thing. Becky walks behind me. 

"Well look here, the cheater is back." She cackles.

I turn around and start walking backwards. "Oh look here, a pathetic bitch is following me to try and ruin my life." I turn back forward, smiling at my remark and notice that shuts her up. I hurry off to my first hour and make it on time. Everyone is staring at me and me being the person I am, I wonder why. I make sure I don't have anything on me or on my back; I don't which reliefs me a bit. 

I start getting hot halfway through second hour so I take off my flannel and make sure my wrist looks alright and normal, which it does. I tie my flannel around my waist like how I would with a hoodie or sweatshirt. The guys I'm sitting with look at me weird, like I'm an alien or something.

"Why are you staring at me?" I ask them. 

"I have gone to school with you all my life and you've never dressed this girly, I guess." A boy named Jesse tells me. 

"Well, I thought I should just spice it up," I tell them and get back to work. 

When it's lunch I meet Nathan outside the cafeteria per usual and he tells me Josh is heading over to McDonald's and asks if I want anything. 

"Um, I'll take a strawberry smoothie please." I tell him and he whips out his phone to text Josh.  We go sit down at a lunch table and wait for Josh and his other buds. Becky and her friends are staring and pointing at me, presumably at my arms, which I am insecure about. I quickly throw on my flannel again and that's when Josh shows up.

He hands me my smoothie. "Thank you." I tell him and take a couple sips. 

"Delia, you okay? You look like you're gonna be sick," Nathan tells me. 

"That's probably because I am," I jump up and rush into the bathroom, covering my mouth so nothing comes out. Once I'm done I sit beside the toilet for a few minutes to calm down, this stuff always makes me nervous and it's not helping I'm already almost trembling. I get up and go rinse out my mouth and face. I notice Amelia walking out of the stall and she mouths 'Are you okay?' and I nod. I leave and find Nathan again to grab my stuff. 

School is soon over and I text my friends to meet me outside of the school to talk. At this time I'm visibly shaking when I see them walking over together. I decide I'm going to talk first. 

"I want to say I'm sorry for ignoring you guys for the past few days, I overreacted but that's just how I comprehend conflicts." 

"No need to apologize, Delia. It's us how should and will. We accused you before we even heard the whole story and we feel bad for that." Rose admits.

"Especially me," Amelia speaks up, "I was just in shock that it didn't click that someone like you wouldn't even do that. I'm so sorry, Delia." She starts crying. I walk up and rub my thumb under her eyes, catching the tears. "Hey, hey, hey. Don't cry, I forgive you. I forgive all of you." I turn around and gesture all of them. They smile and we all do a group hug and jump up and down, happy that we're friends again and that I got my girlfriend is back. 

"Hey, Delia do you want to spend the night at my house this weekend, just you?" She looks at me.

"Of course, I'll ask my dad." I turn and wave good bye to all of them. 

I jump into my dad's car and tell him the good news. He's happy for me and is allowing me to sleep over at Amelia's house this weekend.

I take a bath that night and stare at my wrist and then at my arms, then stomach and start crying. By the end of the bath, I have more things to cover but at least I have my girlfriend and friends back, right?