Paper Cuts

Chapter 11

"Good morning, sunshine," Seth shot from the rolled-down passenger window.

"Are you really a morning person? It's unnatural to be our age and be a morning person?" I griped.

"What person are you? I've seen you at all times of the day and..."

"Too early, Seth," I cut him off.

"What has you so grumpy this morning?"

"I got a delayed start on my homework, so I was up late. Did you know it's super hard to make those paper things?" I looked up at him.

"Origami; it's called origami. And yes, I knew that it's an art form that requires practice. Also, I know you're not in an active art class," he teased.

"Why do you think I got a late start?" I moaned.

"Any guesses on who your Mert is?" He prodded.

"No, I have enough to deal with without thinking about it."

"Oh, come on. Where's the fun in that? It's a mystery, Scooby-Doo." Seth smiled.

"Really? I'm the dog? I'm a total Velma, not a dog. You can be Scooby," I shot.

"Wow, read way further into that reference than I expected." A silence fell between us before Seth broke it again. "Did you talk to Ivy last night?"

"No, I don't think she wants to talk to me," I sighed.

"Or maybe she thinks you don't want her to talk to you," he offered.

"No, she got all snippy when I told her I was getting a ride with you yesterday. It's like she's jealous or something." She wasn't jealous. I wished she had been jealous. I knew she was just pissed that the same person I had argued was so annoying was now giving me a ride.

"I think you should talk to her. Break the ice; otherwise, you both will stay all frosty, and I, for one, don't care for the moody outcome of you two being so frozen."

"If you sing Let it Go, I swear I'll jump out of the car," I threatened.

"You haven't lived until you have heard my version of Let it Go, but I can't do it while driving. Like any good show-stopping musical number, my version requires jazz hands. However, I'm not against busting it out in the middle of the hallway. I have no shame."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Do you want to tempt me? What do I have to lose? Instead of being the new kids, I'll just be that kid that busted into song in the hallway."

"Do not sing," I warned.

"Only you can prevent this forest fire," he smiled.

"Seriously, now you bust out with an 80s fire safety slogan?"

"If anything is like an 80s forest fire, it's the tension between two teenage girls fighting over how annoying I am."

"So, you admit this is all your fault?"

"I admit nothing. This is your fault for thinking I'm annoying," Seth argued.

"But you are annoying. It's like your go-to move... annoying."

"It's not my go-to move... and rude!"

"Mmhmm, start singing Let It Go in the hallway and then take a poll," I teased as the car lurched to a stop in a parking spot. "I'm heading straight to class. I have a math test to cram for every minute I can steal."

"Sure, sure, sure. You just don't want to risk hallway Broadway," Seth shot out to me as I pulled myself from the car.

"Have a jazz-hands-filled day, Seth," I called over my shoulder as I slipped into the masses entering the school.

The mix of my math cram and sleep deprivation made the morning pass in a confusing whirl. Before I knew it, I was checking over my test answers as the last few minutes of the morning counted down on the clock above me. I didn't feel great, but I felt okay as the bell rang for lunch. If nothing else, I could finally unload the five textbooks in my bag at my locker, or so I thought.

Seth and Ivy were in a tense exchange in front of my locker. I stopped dead in my track, causing someone to walk right into me.

"Sorry," I mumbled without lifting my gaze from the scene before me.

Frustration poured between them; it was easy to read even halfway down the hall. It was self-centered, but I knew they were talking about me. Seth was probably trying to convince Ivy to talk to me, and based on her response; she wasn't interested. An odd mix of anger, sadness, and embarrassment swirled in me. There was only one answer: run. I turned on my heel and darted away, slipping back into the safety of the student-filled hallway.

I ducked into the library and slumped to an empty table as the loud thoughts pounded in my head. Ivy was clearly still mad at me and had no desire to mend what had once seemed like a promising friendship. The idea crushed my chest, stealing my breath and forcing my head to fall limply to my arms as I focused all my energy on breathing. How had everything gotten so confusing so quickly?

I pulled out my phone and went to my catch-all solution.

"Help!" I texted V.

The return text bubbles immediately popped up, soothing me even before her reply.

"What's wrong?"

"I've ruined my life," I texted back.

"Okay, couple of questions. Are you hurt? Have you hurt anyone?"

"Not physically, and I don't think so..." I typed back, but my mind flipped to my fight with Ivy, my teasing of Seth, my dad, and my mom. "Am I a terrible person?" I added.

"No, why would you even think that?"

"I'm horrible to everyone I care about." Tears welled in my eyes as I typed.

"What classes do you have this afternoon?"

"English and history. Why?"

"Do you have any tests or things?" V prodded.

"No, why?"

"I'm sending your dad to pick you up."

"No, I can't see him. I was so terrible yesterday!"

"Non-negotiable. I'll see you soon."

I knew not to argue more with V. I didn't need to lose her too, but the last thing I wanted was to see my dad. He'd give me that concerned look and tell me he loved me, even though I didn't deserve either. I regretted every action I had taken over the last forty-eight hours.