Rancorous

Chapter 19

PRESENT

Herlina

Many eyes stare at the brace on my foot as I limp throughout the day. I'm grateful it's a Friday, the end of the week. No prying eyes over the weekend to make me feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.

Opening the door to the library, I relax. I usually make sure to spend productive time during my study hall, but I'm so tired, I debate taking a nap instead.

I walk by some book shelves when I hear a sob on the other side. I frown, my heart aching in sympathy at wanting to console whoever it is that needed it. Just then, someone exits the aisle in angry footsteps.

Haley?

She usually wears pretty buttoned down blouses, slim and fitted khakis, ballet flats, her hair in shiny curls, and her makeup impeccable. She never fails to iron her clothes, appearance a special priority for her. It isn't something she outright said, but it's something everyone knew.

So, I'm beyond baffled to find her in baggy jeans, a faded bluish-grey jacket, dirty sneakers, and her hair messily pulled back into a pony tail.

Her faded eyeliner and smudged mascar create dark tear paths down her face. She furiously wipes at her blotched cheeks as she exits the library.

Immediately following her departure, the noise of sloppy kisses and sighs can be heard where once Haley's sobs were.

I scrunch my face in disgust and hurredly wobble as far away from whoever is on the other side.

Finding a nice solitary corner in the library, I drop my backpack on a chair and take a seat. I frown as I stare at the table and draw imaginary circles with my finger.

Haley looked incredibly distressed. Though we never talk outside of when we play volleyball together, I feel this inclination to talk to her. She may have given me some mild bone bruising on my foot, but I know it was an accident.

My eyes grow heavy and I quicky pull out my phone setting an alarm to wake me up before my next class.

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"Did you just wake up from a nap?" Presley's bright eyes crinkle with joyous amusement.

"Is it that noticeable?" I self-consciously bring a hand up to my face, as if I can instanty remove the puffiness from my eyes.

Presley's glossy lips twist to the side as she examines me. "No, not at all." As she turns her head to the side, I catch a glance at the dubious look on her face.

"Presley!"

She giggles, her infectious laugh making me grin. This happy feeling effervesces in my chest, popping, and spreading an air of radiance all around me.

"I'm just kidding hun, you look fine. I bet if you trimmed a centimeter off your hair, I would be able to tell. I'm just very observant." She shuts her locker and we walk over to English class together.

I smile, thinking back to my nap. Then, I frown as I recall the events before. "Presley, have you seen Haley today?"

Presley's face instantly turns sullen. Her curled lips straightening into almost a pout. "In the morning."

"Is everything alright with her? I saw her at the library and she was very," we enter our class and sit down. I turn around in my chair facing Presley, "Distressed."

Presley tugs her binder out of her bag, more harshly than I expect, before she drops it on her desk with a loud thud. The few students that are seated and the ones that are drifting in all glance at Presley in irritation. She slams her sparkly pink pencil case on top of her binder and I blink. She clears her throat. "I heard she lost her dog this morning when she was taking him out for his early walk."