The Trouble With Two Seasons

Chapter 26 : After effects

Crappy teenage boys are just not worth it! You matter!

                             Love,
                            Mhaya.

News spread like wildfire in Mont Crest High.

It took half of the seven days in the week for Winter to lose over thirty percent of her followers, rising from fame to infamy.

The weekend passed by like a breeze for The Baileys , they were battling with an impending court trial and their own mini demons.

Winter's schemes had come to bite her back. She swallowed a hiccup, remembering what had happened after Summer had attacked her at school a few days back.

She had stormed out to the parking lot and was slipping into her car, her heart heavy and face messed up when Grayer caught up with her.

He had stood quietly at a talking distance, his eyes were cold and void of any emotion toward her.

They had stared into each other's eyes in silence. Grayer had his hands shoved down his pockets.

His demeanor showed nothing but nonchalance. It should have informed Winter of how he felt for her, but she loved him too much to notice.

"I can explain..." She started, her eyes were cast down. She couldn't stand to see the disgust and disappointment on Grayer's face.

"No matter what you say Winter, it doesn't excuse the crap you put Summer through. It doesn't explain that you lied to get me in this situation and it doesn't explain why I still feel empathetic towards you." Grayer shrugged.

More tears ran down her face.

"I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. Just, don't leave me alone." She begged.

"I can't, with everything going on around me, please." She sobbed.

Grayer bit his lower lip, "I'll think about it. My relationship with Summer is fucked up already, thanks to you anyways." He groaned, backing away.

He strolled to his car and slid in, not sparing a backward glance Winter's way.

She sunk to the floor, her car tyres as support and balled her eyes out.

On a normal day, she wouldn't be caught dead with her pleated school skirt sat in the parking lot.

Drastic situations took drastic measures, she waved it off.

A notification popped up on her iPhone, pulling her back to present.

She eagerly scanned her eyes over the text, relief flooded across her features.

It was a text from Grayer, he was okay walking her to class today. She internally thanked her stars, grateful he hadn't bailed on her.

What could she say, she'd texted him incessantly till the day of the incident.
She needed support these few days, and she'd hang on to the only one she wanted, Grayer's.

This time,she didn't care about the consequences.

                                ***

"Let me help you with that." Asher offered, doubling up his steps and pulling the door open for Summer.

"Thank you." She smiled graciously, walking into the classroom.

She made her way to her shared desk with Grayer and slid  in.

Asher made it as if to move to his seat when Summer instructed, "Sit, Asher."

"Summer, I can't impose on Grayer... " He started.

"It's either you're beside me, preventing me from acting out of line or I hurt them." Summer cut him short, pulling out her airpods.

Then, she remembered it was her shared playlist with Grayer. She couldn't give him the satisfaction of thinking she was caving in first. So, she dumped the playlist in her archives.

Asher slid in beside her, slowly pulling his MacBook from its case to continue editing their project work.

The class slowly filed in. Winter walked in a few minutes before lessons started, Grayer beside her.

His eyes locked with Summer's and for a moment time stood still. Her gaze fell to their entwined hands.

Something in her died as she pulled her eyes away.

Grayer on noticing Asher on his seat let out a breath.

Winter held onto his bicep, steering him away to sit at the further back of the class with her.

There was a pair of Gucci glasses shading her eyes, with a ton of make-up layered on her face.

Summer smirked up at her, glad that she'd given Winter a black eye and bruises makeup couldn't properly cover.

"Rocking the new eye shadow Winter." Naya beamed from her window seat.

Winter wore a neutral expression, as their classmates sniggered. She flipped Naya the bird on her way to her seat.

"Might hit you up for swimming lessons Winter. Heard you're good at flailing." Chris teased as the class burst into soft giggles.

Courtney softly elbowed him to keep quiet and he shrugged.

Winter was not fair trying to turn them all against Summer. She had to deal with the consequences.

With her head high, Winter settled down, hanging onto Grayer's arm.

"Are you okay?" Grayer whispered into her ear.

"They don't matter if I'm with you." Winter shrugged subtly touching her shades.

Grayer nodded plucking in an airpod.
Then he handed the other one to Winter.

"It'll block out the sniggers." Grayer offered, pulling up a playlist from his collection.

He slowly looked up catching Summer's gaze. She immediately whipped it away. It was so fast he didn't get to catch the hurt expression she wore.

Summer averted her gaze to the board. Something unfamiliar welled up in her.

She snuggled close to Asher who had stopped working on their assignment to gauge her reaction.

"It's going to be okay." He consoled taking her hand in his.

Summer nodded resting her head on his shoulder, watching him as he continued typing away.

"That reminds me, what happened to the stalker dude,Martin?"Asher asked, not taking his eyes off the illuminated MacBook screen.

"He got off with a suspension when the school caught him in the control room. Apparently they caught on to his drug addiction and his dad  shipped him off to rehab.He's lucky everything was kept under wraps." Summer shrugged.

"How'd you get that?"Asher chuckled.

"Courtney nosed around in the guidance counselor's office. She volunteers there during her free period." Summer explained.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you that day. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything bad happened to you." Asher confessed.

Summer sighed, "I handled him. It's okay, Ash." Summer assured, leaning in to place a kiss on his lips.

Asher smiled kissing her back.

"Get a room!" St.Williams laughed dropping his books on his table. He had just got to class.

Asher flipped him the bird and St.Willians groaned, settling in his seat in front of theirs.

Grayer averted his gaze, Asher's proximity with Summer burned through his heart for some reason.