Desperate

17

Arabella

I'm going back to school today, I had an amazing sleep last night, I look refreshed, I can be happy today.

It's getting a bit warmer so I decide to wear a long sleeve t-shirt dress and air forces, I slept in so I didn't have time to wash my hair so I tied it up in two long braids.

I go to school with one goal in mind. Find Lucas. I need a few more of those pills just to get me through the week, I have a feeling it's going to be a stressful week.

I walk through the hallway, getting my books out of my locker and go to Lucas' locker.

"Hey" I say as I approach.

"Hey" he replies.

"Thanks for the help last night, I slept through the night for the first time in a while, do you think I could get a few more, just for this week while I get used to being back?"

"I don't know. I mean I don't want anything bad happening."

I find his concern sweet, yet irritating, nothings gonna happen.

"Lucas, it's just to help me sleep for a few days, it's the first time I've been back here since that day."

He reluctantly tells me to meet him after school, it's Friday so I'm not working so I can go straight home after the game and take it.

Before I can thank him, Ethan comes up behind me, I haven't seen him since the shooting, his moms put him on lockdown. I turn around and hug him I'm so happy to see him. I say goodbye to Lucas and we start to walk to our first lesson, history. We catch up and check in on each other, we've texted but not properly or constantly, just checking up on each other.

After history Jamal catches up to me in the hallway.

"Hey, Bella, umm can I ask you something, in private?" He says nervously, looking at Ethan stood by my side.

"Umm, yeah sure, Ethan I'll catch up with you"

We walk to our next class that we have with each other, politics.

"So, I know you and Cole really don't like each other, but I've been getting D's in English lately and coach says I can't play on the team if my grades less than a C." I looks really nervous, "if your not too busy, could you tutor me? It'll only be until I get my grades up on the next few assignments."

I think over my schedule, I barely have any time for myself, I'm already tutoring two other people and basically working a full time job as well as school and my extra curriculars, but he looks so desperate and I can't say no.

"Sure, when's your free periods?" I say.

A look of relief washes over him. "Thank you so much, I have a free last period today and 5th period on Tuesdays."

"I have one last period today, if you wanna start then, then I'll figure out our schedule after that."

"Yh Yh that's fine Thank you." He looks nervous again. "Could we maybe keep this a secret I don't want people to know, especially Cole."

"Y-yeah, sure" I want to ask how Cole is but I know it'll sound weird, I haven't told anyone what happened the day of the shooting and I'm guessing he hasn't either.

The rest of the day goes by normally and I meet Jamal in the library and get started, we narrow down his weaknesses and what he does best. His main issue is he can't concentrate, he gets distracted by everything.

We've been studying for an hour when he's getting ready to leave, as he stands up the library doors open, I try not to flash back to that moment when the shooter rattled tho door handle and burst through the doors. Coke walks through the doors and looks between me and Jamal as he walks over.

His expression is cold, he doesn't look me in the eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asks Jamal.

"Oh I forgot to take notches in history so I was borrowing hers, what's your issue." Jamal lies.

Cole gives me a disgusted look.

"Fine just hurry up we've got to get ready for the match." Then he just turns around and walks away.

"Dick" I say under my breath.

What happened, I thought we were finally getting somewhere, I thought we understood each other.