Breaking "Bad"

E l e v e n

[Edited]

~Hailey~

Despite the mass amount of alcohol I'd consumed the night before, I'd still managed to get up way before the others, even putting on a dash of make-up which was borrowed from Layla. After I'd showered and dressed into one of Layla's outfits, I left her dorm room quietly, leaving them all a note telling them I'd be in the cafeteria.

The canteen had been calm when I'd first gotten there at half seven in the morning. I'd bought yoghurt at the counter and had checked Facebook on my phone using the University's Wi-Fi in relative peace. However, over an hour later when the girls came trudging in looking like death, the cafeteria was buzzing with people. I didn't notice the charged tension between them until they'd all sat down next to me. 

"What's going on?" I asked them, more so to Layla. She didn't answer me as she rubbed fiercely at her face so I turned to face the others, waiting for an explanation.

"I'm going to buy some toast," she muttered when none of them spoke, before abruptly pulling me with her.

"What's wrong with them?" I asked her once she'd successfully dragged me away and was handing the server her change. She yanked on my arm again, saying nothing and instead led me out into the corridor.

"I have something to tell you," she said. 

I swallowed, not liking the tone of her voice at all. It was as if I could sense what was about to come before she'd even opened her mouth. "Spit it out."

Sighing, she craned her neck to look both ways. When she was satisfied that no one was listening, she told me what was weighing on her mind. "It's about last night."

Last night? "Go on."

Her face looked tired. "Apparently Courtney confessed to Amanda that she was jealous of you and Scott. She said that you didn't deserve him, although we don't know for sure whether any of it was the drink talking or not. 

I blinked. "What the...?" Ok, wow. It was only then that I put the pieces together. "So that's why she isn't in there with the rest of them." Why had it taken me until now to realise that?

Layla nodded at me. "After she'd realised what she'd said, she tried to get Amanda not to tell anyone but it didn't work, obviously."

I felt a stab of pride that despite the bitchiness that went on around our group, there were at least a few girls I could count on. Pursing my lips, I flipped my hair back before straightening up my shoulders. "Well, unless she apologises she isn't coming anywhere near us." After everything I'd done for her, I fumed to myself. She knew how much I cared about Scott.

They all did.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

Layla cringed. "Amanda said she was waiting by the lecture theatre. Don't do anything stupid," she said when I made to leave.

I successfully pulled myself from her grasp and stormed away.

In my haste to get to where I needed to go, I barged past crowds of people -- not even stopping when I pushed a nerdy-looking student carrying a heavy book, over. My fists were clenched and I'm also certain my back was as straight as a rod as I marched towards my destination like I was a soldier going out to war.

How dare she talk shit behind my back? 

What gave her the right to say things about me and Scott?

I was barely focused on my surroundings, which explained the collision. Crashing into a Goth-girl, I barely even blinked when she stumbled backwards from the force. She looked to be vaguely familiar for some reason, although I brushed the thought away seeing as it was an inconvenience and by no means relevant.