The Drama Club

Chapter Eight

 Thank goodness I have Beth's number from work, otherwise I would have had no idea where I was supposed to meet her. I text her as soon as I'm far enough away from the auditorium to start breathing normally again, and she replies within less than a minute.

Morgan: Hey, where can I meet you?

Bethany: Behind the science building. There's a bench, you'll spot it.

Morgan: You're not going to murder me, are you?

Bethany: Maybe, maybe not.

Suffice to say, it's not very comforting. Still, I find myself making my way to the science building, and indeed there is a flimsy-looking plastic bench seat upon which Bethany sits, her braids untied so that her curly hair is wild around her face. She's bouncing her leg, hasn't seen me yet, and some sick part of me finds solace in that... like she's just as scared as I am.

'Hey,' I call out.

Beth looks up at me, a flicker of emotion passing across her face before she frowns. 'I've been waiting here for, like, half an hour.'

'I'm sorry,' I explain, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear as I sit down beside her, 'I got held up. I was talking with Ryan Reid.'

'Ugh,' Beth groans. She taps her foot on the concrete and folds her arms. 'Did he say anything weird about me? He's always saying super embarrassing shit about me, I hate it.'

I shake my head, insistent. 'No, no. He was actually super nice.' I look down at my hands, trying to find the right words. Talking to Beth again feels like relearning how to ride a bike. 'He obviously cares about you a lot. He's also probably the only person who dislikes Hugo more than you do.'

Bethany snorts. 'Yeah, that's true. He knows more about the shit Hugo's done than anyone.'

God, she should have told me about this stuff earlier. If I had known maybe I could have helped her or... or talked some sense into Hugo. I don't know. Not that I would have been able to; I can barely talk to Beth now and she's not even mad at me. I don't know how I'd go if I wanted to confront an angry Hugo Priestley.

I don't know what comes over me. Suddenly I put my hand on Bethany's arm, and to my complete surprise, she doesn't shrug me off. 'What happened with Hugo and the club? Why were you kicked out? And why did you stop talking to me?'

Now Beth really does shrug me off. She seems pretty pissed, actually, and I find myself wincing. 'Jesus, Morgan, one question at a time,' she snaps. 'Why do you care so much all of a sudden?'

'I — I don't know. We used to be friends.'

'Yeah, used to be. So leave it alone, okay?'

'Hey!' I say, standing up. I plant my feet shoulder-width apart, trying to get centred. It's what Ms Brown always told me to do, anyway. 'You're the one who asked me to come here, remember?'

Beth looks at the ground. For a moment, she's silent, but after a while I hear her disappointed sigh. 'Yeah, I know, I'm sorry.'

I don't answer her. I'm just fucking angry. It's cold out at this time of day and my bare legs are feeling the chill. The wind is whipping my hair in all sorts of crazy directions and it's just another thing that I can't get control of. I couldn't get control of Beth, I couldn't get control of my feelings... none of it. I suck in a breath that tears at me, as though even with it I'm still suffocating.

Beth can tell something's wrong. I can see the concern in her face as she watches me, her hands in fists, like she's the one that's about to go ballistic. 'Look, I didn't ask for any of this, alright? I didn't ask for Hugo to be a dick to me and Ryan. It just happened... and I'd really rather not talk about it.'