Growing Pains

Chapter 28 - You just need to calm down

J A S O N

Zoe was already sitting down with a bag of ice pressed against her bottom lip when I finally made it to the infirmary. It had taken me a while given that 1) I had only one full functioning leg and 2) the hallways were full of fucking idiots.

The nurse was nowhere to be seen. It was just Zoe, who was ignoring me, as usual.

"I'm really sorry," I started as I walked in. "I didn't mean–"

"I know," she stopped me, finally looking up at me.

"Then why are you mad at me?" She was obviously mad at me.

"Because," she said, looking at me like I was stupid. "You did mean to hurt someone, didn't you?"

"Yeah. Luke. Because he hurt Daisy." This made no sense. "I'm confused. You should wanna hurt him too."

"Well, I actually know what happened –"

"What happened?"

"It's not my place to tell you," she said. "You're just gonna have to trust me–"

"I don't."

She frowned, "Why not?"

"Because you get all hot and bothered with school shooters. You probably think it's so hot that Luke –"

"School shooters? What the fuck are you talking about?" Her whole face was a frown, both confused and furious.

"I'm talking about that show you and my sister watch all the time where the guy's a school shooter, but he's hot, so it's okay –"

"We just like the actor!" she stopped me.

"Sure –"

"And we've gone on a tangent," she said, shaking her head, which in turn, shook a few strands of hair down her face. I leaned against the nurse's desk.

"I don't know what that means."

"Didn't you get an A in Geometry?"

"Yeah, but I got a C in English."

"Well, it means we've gone off topic," she said.

"We haven't."

"We have," she insisted. "Look, why don't you just ask Daisy what happened?"

"I did ask. She said she got hurt playing volleyball."

"She's really shit at volleyball."

"She's also really shit at lying," I said. "I fucking know she didn't get hurt playing volleyball, but she won't tell me what really happened. She doesn't tell me anything anymore."

"I wonder why."

I frowned, "Why?"

"Because you're an asshole to her."

I frowned some more, "I'm not."

"You are," she said. "You don't even talk to her at school. Most people don't even know you're twins."

I laughed. I couldn't help myself, "That's true. Luke thinks we're dating. It's disgusting."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Hers!" She just looked at me, so I shrugged. "You're gay for her, so obviously you don't see it, but she's the one who's been ignoring me since freshman year. She never lets me sit next to her in class. She made our parents buy us textbooks each instead of just sharing with me –"

"Because you used to copy off her all the time in middle school and she knew –"

"So what?"

"So it's not –"