Everything in Between

Chapter 59

Chester

You know when it feels like time seems to slow down. Hours feels like days. Days feel like years. That's how I felt. For others this may have gone quick. Its already the end of May and two months felt like forever.

I stared at myself in the mirror. I didn't like what I saw. I dug around my bathroom drawer and found what I was looking for. I held my breath and plugged it in. I turned it in and dragged it along my scalp. Chunks of blonde hair fluttered to the floor and sink.

I looked up. My hair was gone. Now all that was left was very very short dark brown hair. I ran my hand along my head, feeling the soft fuzz. I sighed and cleaned up the hair. I looked decent now. I needed a change.

I heard the door bell ring. Groaning I walked to the front to answer. Opening the door, I almost groaned. "Dave it's Saturday and I want to rest."

"No, I know. I just-" He stopped and starred at me. "Ches, your hair...Did you cut it?"

"No shit I cut it," I snapped. He frowned.

"Um, I just wanted you to meet me in the E hallway bathrooms on Monday."

"Why."

"There's...there's some things you should hear."

"Okay," I slammed the door and went back into the bathroom to finish cleaning. I moved dirty clothes into the hamper. I picked up a pair of jeans. Something clattered to the floor. I turn and see it's the bracelet the guys made me. I picked it up and threw it into my room.

***

"I don't know, but I heard that he might not graduate if he doesn't fix his act."

"Is he really doing them again? I heard his mom has him locked in the house to make sure he doesn't get any more."

"I don't know for sure but he does look high as fuck when I talk to him."

The conversation was going back in forth in hushed voices. I stayed quiet in the stall. Tears were streaming down my face. All they were saying was crap. Just making me remember how much of a nobody I am.

"Dammit, Mike is just not letting us explain!" Dave whined. His voice was quiet and shaky, signaling that he was close to tears.

"Sh, just...maybe he needs to cool down?"

"What?! We're like two weeks away from graduation!" Brad seethed, "He's had two months to 'cool down'!" I let out a long, but quiet, shaky breath. "How does he even have a job still. His boss has probably found out that he's such a stoner. He's always like, you can see it in his face!"

"Brad shut up," Rob said, "We need to be there for Chaz. It's like before. We just need to-"

"Sorry to break it to you, but this is worse than before," Joe scoffed. "What ever, we just need to go to class now."

I heard their feet shuffle against the tile. "Phi, you coming?"

"Yeah...I'll catch up in a while," Dave said quietly.

"Alright." A couple seconds past, then Dave burst out sobbing. I opened the stall and peeked out. He was hunched over the sink, sobbing. I bit my lip and slowly opened the stall a little more.

"Dave...?" He looked up then looked away, "Y-you should be in class."

"So should you."

I placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. "I-I'm so s-sorry you had to hear all th-that."

"I know. I don't mind." I wrapped him in my arms and held him close. "Don't worry about me," I whispered. "Just go to class. I'll be fine." He nodded against my shoulder and then head headed out of the bathroom.