The Eye Of The Ankh #Wattys2016

Chapter Thirty

I took out my set of oil pastels and a piece of paper. I drew a picture of standing water with a tree in the center on an island. I turned the paper over and wrote:

Dear Hugo,

Without you coming into my room the other day, I don't think I would have ever really woken up. Thanks

I looked at my thin letters and made a face. I went over the letters in Sharpie, blacking out my short letter. I wrote Hugo on the bottom of the page and told myself to give it to him tomorrow. At school.

School.

I felt like a very, very small bug surrounded by many, many large bug-ivors. I parked my car in the far back of the parking lot. I held Hugo's drawing tight in my fingers as I walked up to the school. Funny how just a month ago it wasn't this intimidating.

The air inside the school, the whole atmosphere, was so much lighter. All the heaviness gone with the winter.

I found Hugo quicker than I thought. I took a deep breath and made my way over to him.

"Hugo, I uh, I've got this for you." I handed him the drawing. "I made it with the supplies you got me." I smiled. "I hope you like it."

Hugo looked at it. "I love it. I didn't know you were coming back to school so soon."

I rolled my eyes. "Hugo, it's been a month. It was about time. Besides, I would've never left the house without you."

Hugo smiled and looked at the group of people surrounded him. "Oh, uh, Alice, do you know anyone?"

I looked at the faces. "Nope."

Hugo introduced me to them all. Halle, Jean, and Marco. "It's nice to meet you all. I'm Alice." I sat down beside Hugo.

Halle smiled. "Oh, we know who you are. Hugo never stops talking about you."

Hugo's face lit up red. "Shut up, Halle. I talk about other things."

Marco rolled his eyes. "Yeah, about how much you hate that Ethan guy." Marco looked at me, horror striking his strong features. "Oh, God, I'm sorry. I didn't realize..."

I smiled. "It's fine. Bound to happen sooner or later." I looked at Hugo. "So, what all does he say about me?"

Jean smiled. "Only good things, promise." He laughed. "But God, after a while, you get seriously sick of hearing Oh she's so pretty, She's so great, I just love her."

Hugo bumped his elbow into Jean's side. "Dude."

Jean shrugged. "I'm only telling the truth."

Halle smiled. "I think it's just adorable. So, are you guys a thing now, or?" The three of them all leaned forward.

Hugo looked like he was ready to die. He put his head onto the table and groaned. I smiled. "I think at this point we're still just friends. But, hey, fingers crossed." I smiled at Halle and she squealed.

"You guys would be so cute together."

The first bell for first class rang and Hugo shot his head up. "Finally!" Hugo grabbed his bag. "See you during lunch." Hugo waved to the rest of us and practically ran to his first class.

"Have any of you talked to Jude Adams lately?" I asked.

Marco shook his head. "All I know is that she's been hanging around with the stoners." Jean and Halle nodded in agreement.

"I have first hour with her, but I never talk to her." Jean said.

"I don't even know her," Halle said. "Might recognize her. Why?"

"She was a friend of mine. Just curious of how she's doing."

"Maybe you'll see her around." Halle said.

"Yeah, maybe."

Sitting in English III I wanted to stab a fork in my eye. I hate my English teacher, and want nothing more than for her to topple over and die. She's pretty old anyway.

I was thankful for when the bell rang and I could head to lunch.

I sat my stuff where Hugo and his friends sit and sat down. Halle was second to sit, followed by Marco, Jean, and then Hugo himself. He leaned over and whispered to me, "I'll need the Eota phone back."

I swallowed hard. "Right. Tomorrow."

Halle was going on about some story when Marco stopped her. "Uh, Alice, I found Jude."

"Really?"

"She's uh, coming over here."

I turned around. The girl walking over to our table was not who I'd recognize as Jude. Her amazing red hair had been died black on the bangs and underneath. It looked like someone took scissors to her head and went crazy. Almost like Punk Kristen Stewart. She had a tattoo crawling up her neck and snake bites.

She wore heals and ripped tights. Probably against uniform.

I stood up, holding my head high. "Jude. You've changed."

"I didn't expect to see your face around here. I thought you might've offed yourself. How could anyone live without pretty little Ethan?"

"Jude, I'm not going to fight you, but damn do I want to."

"Do it, bitch." Jude took a step closer. "I'm only a few points away from being expelled. Wait, isn't that how you got expelled from your last school? Beat the shit out of some chick."

Hugo stood up behind me. "Don't do it, Alice, it's not worth it."

"I thought we were friends, really. I thought we were going to be besties. Then when my brother died, you were nowhere to be found. Was Ethan really more important to you than me? Your grieving best friend?"

I balled my fists, clenched my teeth.

"Alice it's not worth it, just sit back down."

"Go ahead, honey, listen to Hugo. See what will happen."

Oh I wanted to do it. Punch Jude so hard. I knew I could. I knew how to. Lead with your first knuckle, there's less chance for breaking your hand that way. I wanted to do it do badly.

But I didn't. I sat back down and listened to her scream insults over my shoulder. She wasn't going to do anything to me unless I did something first. She'd call whatever damage she deals from self-defense. She was smarter than that. Even in her state.

When the she was finally told to sit back down from a teacher, they leaned over my shoulder and asked if I was okay.

"I'm fine." I said, giving a small smile.

"Are you sure?" the teacher asked.

"I'm fine!" I yelled. Hugo mouthed something to him.

When the teacher was gone, I stood up and walked straight to the bathroom. Hugo was following me up until I walked inside. Then Halle was behind me.

"Are you okay?"

I shook my head, tears already falling. "No." It was broken, and barely audible, but still a no.