A Million Shattered Pieces

Chapter Twenty-Four

~ "It is both a blessing and a curse to feel everything so deeply."

"I've decided that I'm going to spend this fall upgrading so I can go to university." Brock looked up from his chemistry homework to look at Zoe, who sat across from us. She scoffed at the look he gave her. "What? Believe it or not, I do want to have a successful future."

He grinned, shaking his head. "I never said anything. That's great."

Two weeks had passed since his birthday. The words of his mother found their way into my mind occasionally, never failing to reignite the worry. I found myself observing his every move.

Zoe had started to spend more time around us, the effort she put into it enough to make me feel a bit better. Before Brock, I had always felt like the odd one out, like I just didn't belong with the group. I no longer felt that way.

Brock tried his best to keep up the happy, confident act, but it failed to convince me. I still sensed that, somewhere beneath the surface, a violent storm brewed. I saw it every time I met his stare. I sensed it in the moments where neither of us spoke.

In a few days, it would be March. The school year was more than halfway over, and he still never mentioned university to me. It was as if he forgot all about it after that day, so many weeks ago, that he told me about his plans. I was too scared to ask him about it, in fear that it would spark more unpleasant thoughts.

"How about you, Claire?"

I glanced up from the table. My eyes were wide, the huge betrayal that I hadn't been paying attention to the conversation.

Zoe sighed. "Have you heard anything yet? About school?"

"Uh, yeah." I fidgeted with the cover of my book. The same one I'd been reading for three weeks. "I was accepted."

"And? Come on, you need to give us more detail than 'I was accepted.'"

I glanced at Brock. He shrugged and remained silent.

So much for helping out.

"What else is there to say?" The past two weeks had started to take a toll on my health. I had trouble sleeping most nights, laying awake until in the unholy hours of early morning, unable to silence the thoughts that screamed in my mind. All of them worried about Brock.

She groaned, reaching across the table to take my hands. "I want to know more. You always keep secrets from people. Even me! I've realized that I hardly know you. Why is that?"

"She does have a point. You are very secretive."

I shot Brock a glare. Panic began to build up, the threat that it would burst any minute.

I pulled my hands away from Zoe, and shrank away when Brock tried to wrap his arm around me. The hurt that flashed across his face did not go unnoticed. By me, or Zoe.

"I've just been tired, is all." My lie wasn't even the least bit convincing. Zoe gave me an unamused look. I sighed. "Okay, fine. I got invited to attend this sort of 'Welcome Night' at the university, but I declined."

"What? Why would you say no?" It was Brock's turn to be surprised. "I would've gone with you."

The two pairs of disappointment eyes bored into me. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, wishing now more than ever I could run to the girl's bathroom. "It didn't seem important. The past month has been stressful."