Fitting In

Chapter 17 - The Note

Soon the weekend was over and it was back to the grind. I had the cleaning job after practice, so I worked really hard the whole day to limit my homework as much as possible.

I was also trying to focus on continuing to put faces together with names in my mind. When you're the new kid you don't know anybody. You can't learn every kid in the school's name in a week. It just isn't possible. The problem is, everyone else just has to learn one name. Right now it's in that awkward stage where I've already been introduced to people, but I cannot remember their names for the life of me.

When your busy time seems to fly by, so the morning was over quickly. Lunch was a much needed break, and I was more than happy to just sit and listen to the stockpile of rumors Hattie had gathered up.

"Sam was saying that he thought it could be Brandon."

"Brandon's too nice, and he couldn't have done it the first time anyways. He was at the party," Macey said.

"I haven't heard anything about anyone on our list. All of the rumors are about people who were at the party," Hattie said shaking her head, "Do you think we could be wrong about the two break ins being connected?"

"What are the chances that two different people know how to get into the school?" I added hoping that the connection to the party will keep my name and Connor's clear.

"Yeah," Bella said sliding into the seat across from me, "Plus, I asked around like you told me to. The principal seems to think it was done the same way both times. They also think it's the same person."

"Thanks Bells, did you find anything else?" Hattie asked.

"Nope, I think they have less of an idea than we do."

"It's probably going to be some we normally wouldn't suspect. It's going to be someone with a secret hatred for Tyler, and who definitely won't want to get caught," Macey said, "They'll probably be working really hard to keep from being suspicious."

"Also whatever happened to make them dislike Tyler must have happened after the party, or else they could have just done it then," I said.

"You guys are also missing the other piece," Bella said, "You're looking for who has a motive, but you also need to figure out who had the means of committing the crime. Tyler's made a lot of enemies, and a lot of people dislike him. We need to figure out who has access to a snake and his locker combination."

"Do any of the suspects have a locker near him?" I asked.

"I don't know. Tomorrow morning we should get here early and see," Hattie said.

"How's the mural?" Macey asked.

"Good. I just need to let it dry for a few hours before I continue. I'm getting down to the finer details."

"What's it of?" I asked.

"You'll see," Bella said.

"Come on, Bells, at least give us a hint!" Macey pleaded, giving Bella puppy-dog eyes.

"No. That will just spoil the effect of the grand reveal."

"I promise not to..." Macey was cut off by the bell signaling the end of lunch.

Me and Hattie were just chatting when Brandon ran up to us. He passed us a note.

"Look at this. Can you believe it?" He said.

Hattie read the note and passed it on to me. "You think Gabby wrote that?"

I started scanning the unfolded paper.

Brandon,
Look, I'm really sorry about everything. This whole thing wasn't supposed to happen. I know I'm probably the last person you want to speak to right now, but I need to talk to you. Just let me explain. Please.

There was no signature.

"It looks like her handwriting," Brandon said.

"What are you going to do?" Hattie asked.

"I don't know. I really don't want to talk to her, but maybe I should. Just to hear her side of the story."

"She cheated on you. What side of the story is going to change that? Oh, I'm sorry, Tyler was just too hot? I completely forgot I had a boyfriend? Brandon, wake up. She doesn't care about you. Whatever she says isn't going to change the fact that she was making out with Tyler. You don't owe her anything. You don't have to meet up with her or listen to her. She treated you like dirt. You don't deserve to be treated like that, so quit being so nice and get it through your thick skull that she's a terrible person."

"Hattie's right," I added, "You don't have to listen to her unless you want to. She had her chance."

"Yeah, I know. It just really sucks because I really liked her, and I thought she really liked me too."

"We thought so too. I guess we were all stupid enough to believe her."

"I just wish I understood, but I also never want to see her again."

"We should probably get to class," I interrupted, looking down at my phone. "We have less than two minutes before the bell rings."

Brandon just nodded and headed off to his classroom. All through the next hour I couldn't stop thinking about the note. Why didn't Gabby sign it? She should have known that Brandon would recognize the handwriting. Also, for all her talk of needing to meet with Brandon, she never actually specified a date or time. The last thing that bugged me was the fact that she even wrote the note. Why should she care? Why cheat if she still liked Brandon? It didn't make sense.