Striking Lies

Chapter Thirty one- Another reason to hate the rain.

Chapter Thirty-one:

“Owie!” I squirmed under the pressure of the needle piercing my skin.

“Charlie if you stop squirming then it wouldn’t hurt as bad.” Ivy teased, watching the nurse stick the needle in farther. I gave her a stern look, grimaced and then went back to noticing the torturous pain shooting up my arm.

She dismissed my glare, projecting her sight to the nurse taking my blood.

“I’m sorry for her.” Ivy said to the nurse, wearing an old fashioned nurse’s cap.

Even though it was 2011.

“First time getting it done.” Ivy finished, leaning over my sitting body to mumble this in the nurse’s direction.

I rolled my eyes, mumbling words of disagreement under my breath and went back to watch the nurse put a cotton swab on my once needled arm. She tapped my arm, pulling away from the cot and grabbing a bag with a cookie in it.

I love free things.

“Thanks.” I said remarkably quickly, slipping out from the white cot of the school and grabbing Ivy by the arm; forcing her to her feet and out the door.

I hate the blood drive.

“Jeeze, it was just a needle.” Ivy stammered, practically losing her balance along the way of my pulling.

“Just a needle! Did you see the size of that thing?” I exclaimed, walking in stride to my last period class. The halls were filled to the brink, once word got out of the blood drive and you know that free cookie that come with it.

“Oh yeah by the way do you want to go to some Valentine’s Day party my mother is throwing?” I asked her, a bit of tiresome hinting at my voice; while we were walking down the narrow floors of the school. I never realized how artificial this school looks, with its white columns in the front and the white lining brick going down the sides of the school.

“You sound so dragged about this.” She noted.

“Well when you get screamed at for not wanting to tutor some twit from your younger years then you can obtain this tone.”

“Goodness, your family is like, better than cable. You’re like that family from Modern Family; you know the ones that always fights.”

Dearly noted. Defiantly resembles my home life. Dang.

“Oh there you are Charlotte!” Taylor yelled, enthusiastic and very appropriate, causing me to flinch at the easy fact that Taylor was screaming at me.

It should be the other way around.

I rolled my eyes, figuring if I keep doing this action then I’m going to have a severe headache by the end of the day.

“Taylor. What do you want?” I said snidely, wanting to get any form of commutation with her over. She rounded behind me and Ivy, sporting a slouching oversized tee, along with skinny jeans and moccasins.

Hum, I’d think that she would throw that outfit out; it doesn’t show enough skin.

“I was just wondering if you had told Tanner about your dirty little secret?”  She wondered, finally emerging from her crowd of friends and sadly merging into my crowd of two. My eyes went narrow, following her expressions forming on her face; her snide make-up covered face.

I’m so mean!

“Depends on how many dirty little secrets you told the world about.” I said, taken back by how loud my tone set out to be. Taylor’s eyes narrowed in on me, watching me sternly and apparently trying to create a snide remark to put waft on mine.

Notice my sarcasm.

“A lot more than you have.” She settled on, focusing her attention on Ivy now.

“Has Charlotte told you about her and Tanner yet? They’ve been dating for quite some time now. And I would think that since y’all are so close as y’all let on to be that she would tell you. Then again, this is Charlotte Manson, classic liar and cheater.”

Ivy’s features studied Taylors for a bit, watching to figure out whether or not she was lying; and from past experience with Taylor and by just plainly looking at her like Ivy was told the truth. I took the deepest breath yet, and turned to Ivy to attempt to explain, an attempt that is.

“I don’t believe you Taylor. Charlotte is my best friend, she wouldn’t lie to me. But then again you do live in a world full of lies and betrayal; just ask every guy here at Tomas River. They’ll give you a positive report card.” Ivy said before I could explain her the truth hence making the situation a lot worse.  

Taylor’s eyes went wide, a snide remark inching on her lips but she didn’t say anything.

“Your choice Ivy, I’m just trying to help you. Don’t want to see you get hurt again. You remember him? ‘Cause everyone else here sure as heck does.” Taylor commented, patting Ivy on the back as she passed her and glaring at me.

“Ivy-“I said, but was cut off with Ivy’s long stare. It was cold, unpersuasive at all angles and let on to be quite stern; and to be truthful, scared me to death.

“Don’t Charlotte, I got rid of her for you; I just can’t believe you could cheat on him.” She sighed, rolled her innocent eyes and headed to her blue metal locker. She quickly opened it up, sliding out her own math books out of it and slamming the door to it behind her.

I knew Andrew should have gotten a bunch more points deducted.

“Okay first off Ivy, I didn’t set out to have an attention to cheat on Tanner. Trust me. Andrew was upset, he had nothing at that point and I just happened to be standing in his way at the point of rock bottom. And it’s not like I didn’t push him away.” Ivy’s eyes grew bigger as she attempted to cut me off from my rant; she even hit my shoulder effortlessly.

“So don’t even start- ouch!”

How many times am I going to get hurt today?

Ivy pointed her finger over my shoulder, her eyes getting larger by the second and then finally hitting the full extent.

“What is it Ivy?” I asked through gritted teeth, scared that my estimate was true.

I slowly turned on my heels, watching as the broad shoulders in front of me came into view. His green tee shirt lay flatly across his chest, his expressions effortless and misunderstood.

“Tanner,” I mumbled, catching his glimpse as cynical and defensive. He glanced down at me, muttering something under his breath and then turning and walking into the streaming rain from the outdoors.

Chase after him!

“Go you creep.” Ivy muttered, pushing my back towards the door and making me love her vocabulary even more now.  

I dropped my book bag on the floor, intending Ivy to pick it up for me, and ran outside. I was instantly drenched in water from head to toe, water being dripped from my orange hair and my eyes searching for a tall figure in the blaze of rain.

“Tanner!” I screamed, trudging a bit farther outside.

No answer.

And right as I was about to give up, I see his black Jeep wheel around the parking lot. I run in my wetted down clothes, being careful not to go off the sidewalk and into the street.

“Tanner come on!” I yelled past the sound of the furious rain pattering along the sidewalk.

He rolled right past me, heading to a stop sign at the end of the street.

Great, another reason to hate the rain.