The Heartbroke Club

19

TW: self-harm

I was back at the bandwagon's table, doing so to avoid Marcellus just a little bit more.

I'd gotten a couple of "hey strangers" and weird looks as I decided to take my tray and sit down with the gang, but I was accepted in nonetheless.

I expected the vibe with Quentin to be awkward, but he seemed entrapped in his own thoughts. I left him alone and focused on everyone else at the table.

Marcellus sat at our usual spot, looking visually lonely. My heart ached a little bit, seeing him, but I didn't have the wits to do anything about it.

I really should have sat alone that day. However, I couldn't fathom not belonging somewhere, and that made me uneasy.

Aside from Quentin, the table seemed in high spirits, especially Jamie.

"What's got you in a good mood?" I asked her.

"Miss Jamie Low got accepted into Yale, early action," Perry spoke for her.

My eyebrows raised and my eyes grew wide. "Are you fucking serious?" I reached across the table to dap her up as a congratulations.

Jamie gave a shy smile as she poked at her food. "It's not a big deal really."

This time, Maxwell was the one to speak for her. "Yo, chill with that. Yale is a huge deal. One of the top seven hugest deals, actually."

He sat next to her with his arm around her shoulder, in his typical Maxwell way. "Now that Jamie's out of the slumps, she can help me get through my shit."

"Right. Max and Mark both said they needed my help with apps," she explained.

"I don't know anybody better for the job," I chided as my heart twisted at the sound of Marcellus' name. 

Jamie wasted no time celebrating as she pulled her computer back out and flipped it open to, knowing her, continue her college pursuit. "Yeah, I told my parents, they didn't react much. They said they expected me to get in," she slightly frowned. "But I have some things due today that I have to get done for other schools so that's what I'm going to do before I get to y'all," she finished, looking at Maxwell.

"Fine by me," Maxwell picked up his large water bottle and screwed the cap off of it. Maxwell spoke with his hands, and him having that bottle, waving it around, was an accident waiting to happen. "Just know, if I don't get into college, it's your fault-" and just like that. Jamie's computer was covered in orange juice.

"What the fuck, Maxwell?" she jumped up, trying to avoid getting orange juice on herself. "If I don't go to college, it's your dumbass fault!"

She was enraged, standing over her short-circuiting laptop. "Chill, I'll pay to replace it."

"My applications are due today, Maxwell!"

"Use another computer," he shrugged, still holding the water bottle with a "duh" expression on his face.

The computer was getting no attention as Jamie and Max went at it, and I attempted to doctor it with cafeteria napkins as they yelled at each other.

"Max, my shit was in my computer." 

Maxwell was lost for words as Jamie grabbed her things, leaving her computer and storming out of the cafeteria.

"You play too much," Perry inserted.

"Not the time," I raised a hand to Perry, telling her to stop.

"He does! You're acting like I'm the one that--"

"Cara cuts herself," Quentin spoke for the first time the whole lunch.

Everyone's necks snapped to Quentin.

"Cara does what?" I asked, incredulous.

The bell rang, ending lunch. Quentin began to get up and gather his bag, and the rest of the table looked at him in worried wonder. I decided I was going to follow him wherever he was going. 

"You don't just drop a bomb like that and leave, Q," I hustled behind him as he exited the cafeteria.

Quentin didn't seem like he wanted to stop walking, so, in an attempt to get some answers, I found the nearest door leading to the courtyard and dragged Quentin by the arm into it.

"Are you good?" I crossed my arms and looked at him, concerned.

"Not really."

"How'd you find out?"

"Well after you..." there was an awkward pause. "After you dissed me, I realized that I really fuck with Cara. In a real way. She's really soft under that tough exterior she's got. Kind of like you," he went on. "And her dad let me in one day without telling her and I walked in on it happening. She does it on her legs so no one can see."

I gasped. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

My eyes blurred with guilty tears as I thought to the only person I felt could help in this situation, other than Quentin. Marcellus. "I'm such an asshole," I muttered to myself.

"She's been avoiding me all day. She's here, though, thankfully. I think she's been doing it and coming here like nothing's happened for a while now."

"Please go check on her. I'm going to get Marcellus."

He nodded.

Any awkwardness between Quentin and me was squashed, and I anticipated the same applying to Marcellus and me. This girl who irritated everyone was massively suffering and she had hardly anyone to account for it.

Quentin left me in the courtyard and I pulled my phone out to call Marcellus. I blew his phone until he aggressively answered. "What, Bree, I'm in class."

"We have an emergency."

"It can't wait?"

"No." I bit my lip, awaiting more rejection. He sighed and hung up, and I knew to drop my pin.

A few minutes later, he came through the doors of the courtyard and joined me at the wall I stood at. "What's up?"

The swiftness of his movement blew his air in my direction, and I swallowed, adamant about staying focused on the emergency at hand. "It's about Cara. I feel so bad."

"What about her?"

"She... she... self harms. Quentin walked in on her cutting herself."

Marcellus' eyebrows rose. "What?"

"I feel so bad. I don't even know why, but I feel like I'm somewhat responsible for some reason."

"Cara's lonely. She has no friends. She has no family, with the exception of her absent dad. She's in that big ass house by herself most of the time. I thought her and Quentin hanging would make it better, but I guess it's not enough."

"And folks like me act irritated by her whenever she tries to come around," I cringed. 

Marcellus stayed quiet.

"Can we check on her?"

"We?"

"Yes."

And, just like that, we had another road trip.