Campus

Chapter 23 - Care Basket

James POV:

It's been five days, five long fucking days since I found out about Alyssa's photo. Daniel is still working on figuring out how the photo got uploaded.

"I thought you were a fucking Hacker! GODDAMIT." I know it's not his fault but I am so frustrated. I didn't send that picture to anyone so how the fuck did it get out. The only way would be if someone used my phone, but I have a code that no one knows. It's my mom's birthday, it's the only part of her I carry with me, and the only person who would even have a chance at guessing it would be Reece and I haven't seen the dude for weeks.

"I know you're frustrated, but don't yell at me dude, I'm doing everything I can." Daniel scolds me, and I deserve it. I'm being extremely unreasonable and I know it.

Luke's been feeding me bits about how Alyssa is feeling, only what he hears from Mera which I am sure she filters knowing full well I would be asking Luke to tell me. He said she hasn't left the room since she found out about the picture, only to use the bathroom, Mera brings her food because she refuses to leave to go to the dining hall.

Fucking hell.

"She needs to eat Luke!"

"Why are you yelling at me, I can't make her eat dude. You need to sort your shit out and stop taking it out on us." He's pointing between himself and Daniel with half a burrito hanging out his mouth.

I sigh, I feel so defeated, I've tried everyday to call Aly, I text her every morning apologising, I'm not sure what I am apologising for though, I mean of course I'm sorry that all this has happened to her, and I am sorry I haven't figured out who did it sooner, but I will, I mean Daniel will.

"Fuck!" I go to punch a hole in the wall but then remember this is my brothers house. "I'm sorry.." I apologise in a whisper to both of my friends, they don't deserve me yelling at them. "I just don't know what to do. I feel so helpless, I don't want to sit around here and just wait, I need to do something."

They both shrug their shoulders, then Daniel muffles the best idea he has ever had. "Don't girls give each others basket filled with their favourite shit when they're sad?" I don't think he meant for it to be the best fucking idea when he said it, but it is, it's all I can do while I wait to prove to her I didn't upload the picture and find out who did.

I run up behind his hunched figure as he's keying in a code on the computer, I slap my hands on his shoulders shaking him "You're a genius!"

In my haste to drive to Walmart I didn't think about how I know absolutely nothing about what to put in a 'feel better basket'. I start with a bunch of face masks, I have no idea if they are good but I do know she likes them because we did them together a few days ago. I select a few based on their colours only, I have no clue what they do. I move to the confectionary isle next, I pile in a selection of sweets ranging from sour patch kids to snickers bars. It dawns on me that I actually don't know if she has a favourite chocolate. It's getting closer to winter so next I'm thinking maybe some fluffy socks, again, I feel like a caveman...

How do people do this?

I'm staring at all the different socks, some fluffy, some not, some with patterns some plain.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" A middle-aged lady with greying hair asks as she breaks me from my staring match with the avocado patterned socks. I catch her spying into my basket that is filled with face masks and chocolate.

"Girlfriend?" She questions and it's a dagger in my chest, I wince at her choice of words but I don't correct her because then I'd have to explain how much of an ass I am, even though I didn't do anything.