Some Scars Don't Heal

Twenty - We All Have Crazy Friends

The minute Maths was over, Holly dragged me from my chair into the hallway. I was still feeling rubbish about the whole deal with Alex, and Maths hadn't really taken my mind off it. Mr Jones welcomed me back slightly awkwardly, and I'd taken my seat next to the radiator. I hadn't paid much attention, just twirled my pencil in my finger and tried to keep my mind off Alex. It hadn't worked.

"Okay, I know you said you didn't want to talk about this, but I am your best friend and therefore need to know what the heckity doo dah is going on with you and the new boy! Have you met before? Are you dating? Did you kiss? Did he break your heart?"

"Whoa! What's with all the questions?" I asked, avoiding her penetrating eyes. Holly shrugged, and fixed me with a steely glare.

"Okay, okay! First, yes we met. Mutual friend. Second, no we're not dating. Third, yes we did, but it was only a peck" - crossing my fingers - "because I was sad and he wanted to cheer me up. Fourth, no. Danny broke my heart when he took the only thing I had left." I crossed my arms over my chest and willed myself not to cry.

Holly looked uncomfortable and gazed at me for a moment. I bit my lip, not sure what was happening next. Then she suddenly beamed at me, took my hand and sprinted down the corridor, dragging me along with her.

"Oi, watch where you're going!" A prefect shouted at us.

"Sorry!" Holly and I chorused in unison, but we didn't stop running. I was beginning to hyperventilate, we were sprinting so fast I couldn't breathe.

"Holly, where are we going?" I gasped out.

"You'll see!" Holly called back. It was so unfair that Holly should be perfectly okay with running at this speed, but then again, she was the fastest girl in the year.

We rounded a corner, then another, until we reached the common room. Or as Rylan liked to call it, the "couples" room. He called it that because it was literally full to the brim of couples. Doin' their thing. You know what I mean.

"Holly, why are we in here?" I asked, breathing heavily.

"Because this is so totes obviously where Alex will be!" Holly told me. I raised my eyebrows at her as I concentrated on my breathing.

"Totes?"

"Shut up." Holly said, sourly. I looked around the common room again, and sure enough, Alex was there. Not with Lola though. She was watching him play on his phone across the room, her arms folded over her stomach, her eyebrows pressed together in a straight line.

"Go on!" Holly urged me.

"What??"

"Talk to him!" Holly hissed.

"Why?" I protested.

"Because you kissed! And you can't just leave it like that! You have to at least finish on a good note."

"I don't want to." I whined. 

"Rebecca Hill. If you don't go and talk to Alex, I will put those photos on the interenet."

I gasped. "You wouldn't."

"I would." Holly folded her arms.

By the way, those photos are pictures of me when I was about three. With spaghetti on my head. In a turtleneck. Not a good look.

"Fine." I inhaled deeply, telling myself that no one could ever hurt me again, then walked over to where Alex was slouching on the sofa.