In His Bed (18+)

Chapter 65

The rest of that week was a trial by fire. I lost count of the number of times I almost started swinging, enraged by the leering idiots around me.

It didn't help anything that Jason's imminent departure had me looking for a fight.

By the time Thursday rolled around, I was more than ready to put high school in my past, along with most of the people in it.

Standing at my locker, I hastily examined a crumpled handful of papers before tossing them in the garbage. They joined a pile of beaten-up notebooks and a planner that I hadn't touched since November.

The hallway was filled with frantic shuffling sounds and the faint odor of putrefaction as long-lost lunches were unburied and opened.

A distant voice cried, "-oh my god! Dude, smell this!"

I shook my head, peeling the magnetic mirror off of the door and sliding it into my backpack.

"You know you're never going to use that again, right?"

For a moment, I didn't react, certain that the words had come from my own head.

"Hello? Earth to Hailey?"

Turning, I saw Faith behind me, annoyed amusement on her face.

"Oh, hey."

She watched me, eyebrows furrowing as she frowned, "Are you avoiding me?"

Yes.

"Hmm?" I managed to look confused, "No."

"No?"

I glanced down at my hands, picking at my thumb, "I mean, it's just that with everything, I haven't felt super social, you know?"

Faith wasn't buying it, "You've been hanging out with Sierra."

"Yeah, well, she's having a rough time right now too, and I want to make sure I'm supporting her."

"I guess," she mumbled, looking bored, "Anyway, we haven't talked about Graduation - what're your plans? We're throwing a party at Dad's place."

Jason's house?

Panic spiked through me, trying to envision partying in that house, this close to his departure, with those memories around every corner...

Jesus, we fucked in basically every room except Faith's.

I fought back a pained smile, wondering if I would have crossed that boundary if I'd known how we were going to end.

"Hailey?"

"Sorry, my brain's all over the place lately. Um," I bit my lip, looking away, "I don't know. I'm pretty sure that spending time around our classmates right now would only end with me getting assault charges."

"What?"

"The rumor? People have been giving me shit all week, and I'm this close to beating the hell out of these clowns."

Faith shrugged, "Well, at least it's almost over?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "Honestly, now that I'm thinking about it, I'm very sure that I'm not in the mood for partying."

"So, you're just going to stay home on graduation night?" Her tone dripped disgust.

"Well," I amended, "my grandfather is hosting a small get-together at his place."

"Your mom's dad?"

I shook my head, "No, the other one."

Faith's eyebrows raised, "The rich one?"