Life Within The Halls

Chapter 21: "Guess What? I'm Back!"

LIFE WITHIN THE HALLS

Jayden

Wednesday, 3rd March, 9:15 a.m.

The free period Principal Wilson had given us had come to an end. So, Gideon, Victoria, Sandra, and I were back with the rest of the class.

Unlike before, when we'd constantly butted heads, we had now become close friends. And it wasn't just the four of us — the entire class had come together. We were all a team now.

The timing of our bonding made it seem as if Chloe Wilson, may her soul rest in peace, had been the one holding us back. But to think that way would be insensitive, let alone say it out loud.

Two weeks had passed since she died. The Bel Air Times dedicated a week's worth of front pages to her story, with headlines like "Chloe Wilson: The Hill Academy student who fought cancer with a tragic end." The coverage sparked widespread discussions on national television and podcasts about the sadness of her death.

While the sadness was undeniable, it was clear that her death had a more positive impact than negative.

Chloe's death had a ripple effect, making the lives of many better. Daniel was free from her obsession, and Mr. Bennett was also cleared of all charges against him. The school authorities even gave him a month off to aid in his recovery from the ordeal.

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate my life after Chloe's incident an eight. My biggest problem, the intimate video of Ella and me, had died with her on that fateful Valentine's Day.

I gave myself an eight, not a ten, because my life couldn't be a perfect ten with Ms. Murphy still around. Her supposed favorites didn't even like her, how much more me?

And now that she was standing right in front of me, explaining molecular biology, I found myself checking my wristwatch every now and then to see how much time was left until her lesson ended. Her classes always felt like forever.

"Mr. Scott," she called me out. "Why do you keep looking at your watch? Do you have somewhere to go?"

"No, I don't," I shook my head, and she continued.

I stopped checking the time, realizing that's how she noticed me, and gave her my full attention instead. Besides, she didn't have the whole day to torment us.

I turned to the next page of my biology textbook to follow along, and the next minute, my phone beeped twice like a hyperactive bee under my desk.

Ms. Murphy's laser stare zeroed in on the disruption, her strict policy crystal clear: phones on DND, no excuses.

"Who's phone?" she snapped.

I was ready to own up, knowing the worst I'd get was detention. Nothing more than that. But before I could, Victoria's hand flew up, taking the fall.

She being Ms. Murphy's golden girl, she got a free pass, with the assumption it was her first offense. Or, more likely, she was indirectly considered above the rules. That's how Ms. Murphy had treated her since her first class with us. It used to annoy me, but now I was grateful to be on the receiving end of that favoritism.

"It seems Victoria is not just your friend now, but also your lifesaver," Henry whispered beside me, teasingly.

I nudged him and hastily switched off my phone to avoid another notification from... whoever was trying to get my attention as Ms. Murphy droned on.

I had put all notifications on silent, except for Instagram messages. Who was texting me? Everyone in my circle knew my schedule and wouldn't text me during class hours. So, who could it be? A fan, perhaps? It definitely had to be one of my fans who texted me daily, expressing their love for me.