Cat & Drew's Whirlwind Adventure

20. Taylor Swift as a Courtship Device

Excitement buzzes throughout school now that the talent show is finally here, and while I suspect half my class is only planning to go so they can make fun of everybody, it's still a big day—especially for those brave enough to face the scrutiny of our peers. It's a risk they take, but today I'm only concerned about one of those people in particular, even if it doesn't bode well that Troy hadn't been on his wall this morning when my mom dropped me off, same as yesterday. That worries me more than anything, I can deal with the reignited whispers I hear around me, truly cementing my bad boy status, but how all of this has affected Troy is probably my biggest regret.

I may have been afforded the kind of mercy that someone like Cat surely would not have—as is the way of the world—but my problems are far from over. Mom and dad haven't spoken a single word to one another in days, ever since we met with the principal. I suspect that my agreeing to therapy is the sole reason they haven't picked back up on their argument, but I know that reprieve is hanging by the barest of threads. Even if that thread breaks though, I'm still locked in, if not by my parents, then by the fact that therapy is now a requirement to stay in school.

While I haven't figured out how it's going to work yet, I absolutely refuse to tell them anything, even if in a lot of ways it might be a relief to not keep having this fight over and over. Weird how it's scary to be at this point of no return on so many fronts, and while I do worry about what'll happen, I'm not so scared about how I'm changing. Because I am, and I don't exactly know how to describe it, but looking at myself now versus when I first got back from Resthaven, I can see how I'm different. How I'm more capable. That's an immense relief, to realize I may just survive this after all.

I can't help but think Troy would be relieved to hear that too. The boy in the backwards hat still weighs heavy on my mind, as he has all day, and when my last class ends I head to my locker only to learn that I must've been on his mind too, because he's waiting for me there. I'm torn, something in me lights up at the sight of him, but then reality sets in as a reminder that the only thing I've done is let him down, time and again. Yet that reality, maybe foolishly, doesn't stop me from approaching him anyway.

"Troy." I begin.

"Drew," he speaks in unison. We both stop and scoff awkwardly at the coincidence, him pulling on the strap of his backpack and leaning into the locker. "You go first."

"I was just going to tell you I'm glad you're here, I looked for you yesterday." I mess with my books. "Stupid, I know, but I thought maybe you were mad at me."

"Why would you think that?" Another scoff. "No sense in being mad, I stayed home and spent the day practicing, I figure if I'm going to get up there and make a fool out of myself then I at least want to be able to say I did everything I could. Suppose I needed to clear my head too, I was glad when my dad told me you weren't getting booted out or anything."

"Can't account for miracles, right? I'm pretty sure they took pity on me because of, well, you know, but I still have to pay for damages, and I have detention for a month." Given that I had to work out a new schedule with Coach to account for the days I'll be coming in late, I'd wager Troy already knows. I tell him anyway, but what I don't tell him, is that I'm starting therapy too. "It sucks, but it could've been so much worse. Hey, maybe you can commit a petty crime too, and then we can be stuck in detention together—I wouldn't mind the company."

"That's a tempting offer, but I doubt it'd go our way, the whole administration is probably sick of me by now. They're still not over the last time when I dared my buddy to rush the office during morning announcements. Remember? Nobody could catch him, and the entire school ended up hearing how they kept swearing at him! That was hilarious, I got in so much trouble but it was so worth it." Troy revels in his masterful mischief skills, a hearty laugh escaping. Hearing that thaws me out, and it seems to do the same for him, because he relaxes. "Anyway, I thought I should apologize, that's why I'm here, I realize that I may have, by chance, slightly overreacted the other day."