Poison Ivy

5.

Badge was MIA today in our World Cultures class. Figured the day we were assigned to work with our partners on a project, is the day he decided he didn't want to show up. I thought maybe he would at least show for lunch, but when I looked at the table he and his crew of misfits usually sat at, he was nowhere to be seen. I didn't see him in the hallways, or the courtyard, or the parking lot. I was so used to him sneaking up on me, that I anticipated it all day long. But he never did.

I can't say I was entirely surprised. Especially after what happened last night. I was so close to getting him to open up. Of course he wouldn't come to school today after that. I almost had him. I wanted-needed-to speak to him again. Urgently. I don't even know how to contact him or where to begin looking. There's no telling when I'll see him again. I feel like the giant step forward I just took only led me three steps further back.

What if something bad happened to Badge? He said he knew someone was following me? What if he found her last night and got hurt? If that's the case, then it would be all my fault. She wasn't after Badge, she was after me. Badge was only trying to help me-supposedly. If he's hurt...this is not my fault. I told-warned-Badge to stay out of it. He chose not to listen. I was going to call the cops and have them deal with it, but because Badge insisted on being the Dark Knight, I listened to him and didn't call them. What am I going to do?

The final bell rang and I couldn't have been any happier to leave the school. Leslie still failed to find a fill in for Zabrina, so she was holding yet again another open audition. Evidently, most of the girls in school do not live up to Leslie's standards of being "cheerleader material." Fortunately for me, that meant no practice. Thinking about Zabrina made me want to go back to the hospital and ask her more questions, but I was still shaken up over the last visit. I know eventually I'm going to have to go back and see her and find out more about who's after me, but today is not the day.

I stood by the bike rack next to Hannah's turquoise and white bike, waiting for her to exit the building. I hadn't spoken to her since our argument in the courtyard the other day, and I wanted nothing more than to be able to speak with my best friend again. I waited patiently until I saw her curly, black hair bouncing through the front doors of the school. She was walking with Lindsay, and if I had to guess, they were probably discussing their AP Trig homework. The moment Hannah's eyes laid on me, they hardened. I felt my body go stiff. She was obviously still very mad at me.

"What do you want, Tatum?" She asked, not looking directly at me.

"To talk." I answered, stepping out of her way so she could get to her bike. "Hi, Lindsay." I added after a moment.

"I'll talk to you later, Han, okay?" Lindsay departed, completely ignoring me.

"I'm not interested in talking, Tatum. So you can save your breath." She mounted her bike.

"Hannah, please!" I begged, getting in her way again so she couldn't ride off. "I'm sorry I blew up at you the other day. I shouldn't have. But you have to admit that I'm not the only one at fault here."

"Is this your way of an apology?" She asked incredulously. "Tatum, I only told you what you needed to hear. It just may not have been what you wanted to hear. If you get mad at me for telling you the truth, then I don't know why we are friends. Now please move. I have a lot of homework I have to do."

I stood there a moment longer, before blowing out a sigh and stepping aside. I watched as she pedaled away, never looking back. I know this couldn't just be from that small fight we had in the courtyard. There was something else bothering Hannah. I know her too well to know that she doesn't get mad at little things like this, and stay mad for long. It wasn't like her. She's too forgiving of a person to hold grudges, and through all the arguments we've had throughout the years, she was always there whenever I needed her to be.