LOVELORN

61|Mending & happiness

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ＺＯＲＡ'Ｓ ＰＯＶ

WHISPERS FOLLOWED us throughout school when Monday came. We tried to ignore them the best we could and dismiss anyone who was too meddlesome, but the gossip didn't cease. It felt egoistical to think, but I was used to people liking me. Having so many people who once would strike up a conversation with me without any qualms suddenly speak behind my back bothered me more than I wished it did. I didn't think I cared so much for people's opinions of me until I was bombarded with so many negative ones.

My comfort was that the people who mattered stuck by our sides and the people who didn't matter, I wouldn't see for much longer anyway. Graduation was only a few weeks away, after all.

During lunch, Zahir had sat with us, complaining about the treatment he'd recieved. Naya and I were able to relate, so we chimed in with our own complaints. A lot of the basketball guys were okay with it, but there was apparently a good number of them that had shunned him, along with many others at school. Avi and a couple of his friends had stood up for him, but it didn't stop the comments. It was so silly, I didn't understand why people cared.

To top it all off, gossip had gotten around about Gael pleading guilty. Knowing that I had a relation to the case, when people weren't questioning me about my 'newfound lesbianism'—I wasn't even a lesbian—they were trying to pry information out of me. For Lilac's sake, I hoped she'd skipped today, it was bothersome enough for me, I couldn't imagine how it was for Lilac. People could be insufferable.

By the time last period was over, I was exhausted. All my energy had been spent on ignoring the unfavorable reactions that had followed Naya and me all day along with the questions about Gael.

"God, I can't wait for summer," I groaned as Naya and I headed out of school. "I'm well and truly over all aspects of school now."

"Tell me about it." Naya heaved a sigh. "Can't wait to be out of this shithole."

We were about to cross the street when I suddenly got a feeling that I was forgetting something. Upon checking my bag, it hit me that I'd left my homework in my locker. After telling Naya to wait outside, I hurried to my locker and retrieved the fuckass paper sheets. It was tempting to just leave it there and not do my homework, but I wasn't prepared to get detention this late in the year.

The hallways were pretty much empty at this time, so when I rounded the corner I wasn't expecting to bump into someone. But I did, sending my homework flying. Immediately, I realized who it was—Avi. I scrambled to pick up the paper sheets. But before I could, Avi had reached for them, handing me them.

I smiled politely, the urge to flee strong. As much as I wanted to mend my relationship with Avi, I also feared talking to him after our failed relationship and him finding out I was dating his sister. The whole situation just turned me into a bundle of guilt—I'd fucked up, and badly. Facing Avi meant facing that.

"Thanks," I said and quickly turned to leave.

However, before I could, Avi seized my wrist. I fought to school my expression and met him eye to eye.

"Wait, Zora. Can we just talk for a second?"

I gripped the paper sheets tighter, taking a deep breath. I wanted to clear the air but god, I was shitting bricks at the prospect of another confrontation with Avi. It had been too tiring of a day for it.