Wicked Game || EN

Chapter 3

Stop the tape and rewind

[ Monday, September 12th / 7:16am]

I woke up feeling much better than the day before. In fact, I slept so well that I didn't hear my alarm go off, so I'm really late!

I get out of bed - my favorite place on this planet - and head for the bathroom to get ready quickly. I put on a simple sweater with jeans and my favorite converse. I quickly brush my teeth, and screw the make-up - I don't have time for that today. 

I go downstairs to the living room, pet my dog and leave the house for my bus stop.I really hope my bus won't be late, I don't want to die of hypothermia - even though it's 15°C (59 °F)- but I have to admit I'm extremely cold. Unlike the other students, I don't take my car because the journey is really quick and I don't think it's necessary. Besides, I don't need to be totally awake at least on the bus, I can just hang out on my phone. In fact, I take the opportunity to send a message to my mother, to let her know that everything's fine and to find out when they plan to come home.

In the meantime, all I can think about is the fight at the party again. I hope Harry doesn't remember it or doesn't give a shit. I don't feel like making a fuss, it's my last year in high school and I want everything to go well. I don't want to start the year off badly because of some ridiculous argument caused by alcohol abuse.

The bus stops and the door opens in front of me. I rush in and land in the middle of the bus, since people are either going all the way in front or all the way back, so no one's bothering me where I am. I take my headphones out of my bag and put them on. I open my music application and select random mode. I only have time to listen to a few songs before I get to school.

The closer we get to the school, the greater the stress. What if Harry was waiting for me to continue our conversation? What if he wants to beat the shit out of me? Stop being such a girl, Lola! He's only a lot more muscular than you and he's surrounded by a soccer team, what could happen to me? But could he take on a girl? Kind of sucks, doesn't it?

The bus pulls up and people start getting off. I wait, it's too cold outside - the excuse of the chick who's afraid of getting a beating - and on top of that, the school's still not open - that's a good excuse - so I stay in my seat.

Unfortunately, the doors eventually open, so I have to pluck up my courage and walk confidently down to the entrance of the building. To my delight, the hall is almost empty! No soccer players ready to murder me on the horizon! I walk towards the room where my first class is about to start and wait for Thomas. Throughout our schooling, we've been lucky enough to be in the same class. Honestly, I don't know what I'd have done without him. Should I have made other friends? What a horror.

The corridors fill up more and more as the start of class approaches, and Thomas finally appears in the distance. I finally take off my headphones and turn off the music on my phone so I can talk to him.

_ Hey Lola, how are you today? He says brightly, hugging me in greeting.

On Mondays, I hate everything and everyone. I don't know where he gets his energy from, I could hardly walk from the bus to here! Saturday night really wore me out - I feel like I've got a lifetime of sleep to catch up on, whereas I slept through the rest of the weekend.

_ Much better! How about you?

_ Great! He looks really happy and excited. I think he's got something to tell me.