Two Faces

Chapter 12

   At lunch, Scarlet came and sat with me, and Jetta sat beside her too. While we were eating, Jetta kept looking at Scarlet, as if trying to read her. Now I really could see that something else was going on. Jetta also kept exchanging questioning glances with me.

   Jetta and I didn't really talk that much, but I had a feeling we were about to. On the way to recess, Jetta got on the other side of me. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked quietly. "That there's a piece of the puzzle missing? Yeah. Scarlet's hiding something from everyone. She asked me if she could tell me something earlier, but when I asked her what it was, she wouldn't tell me," Jetta replied.

   "Has she said anything else to you after that?"

   "Well, she was unusually..." Jetta trailed off.

   "Jumpy?" I guessed.

   "Yes, in Science. I asked her again what was wrong, and she said that she'd tell me later," Jetta answered.

   Seconds later, a car went down the road. When it did, Scarlet pressed herself up against the brick wall of the high school building. Jetta and I looked at each other, and then looked at Scarlet.

   I decided to speak first. "Scarlet, why does every little thing startle you now?" I asked. "It doesn't," Scarlet said, breathing heavily. "Scarlet, quit lying. You were not acting this way at home. Tori and I both know that something else is wrong," Jetta said.

   "I told you Jet. I can't tell you here!" Scarlet yelled, turning and walking away from us, to recess. I started to walk after Scarlet, but Jetta stopped me. "You heard her. She wants to tell, but for whatever reason, she can't tell us here." Jetta now looked very worried. I couldn't blame her, I was too.

   At recess, there was a small group of us that hung out in the corner of the recess field. The people in the group were me, Jetta, Louise, Addison, and Natalie. This group had never been anything until now. I could see Scarlet from across the field.

    She was hanging out with one of her other friends, Jade.It was very quiet in our group. Nobody really wanted to talk. But again with the dead silence, I thought. They all either looked sad, worried, or nothing at all. I, myself, was starting to put things together. Scarlet hadn't been acting so strange when she was at Jetta and Addison's house, so why here, and why now?

   "She seems to be doing okay. Looks like she's talking to Maddie now too," Jetta said. I knew Scarlet was just trying to hide what she really felt because she wanted us off her back. But sure enough, Scarlet looked calm.

   Happy, even. When the bell rang, Jetta left us and walked over to Scarlet. I looked away, but when I took another look, Scarlet was crying. Oh gosh, I thought. I hope she was alright.