Stay Courageous

Chapter 20

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Kat's POV
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The Thursday that Zoe and Stella came back to school, I was utterly confused about everything. It all started when I walked into school that morning to come face to face with Ian Crenshaw who seemed to be lingering at the school's front door. Why does it always seem like he's doing that?

"Hey, buddy!" Ian addressed me. I gave him a look to let him know I was creeped out but apparently it didn't come across that way because he continued talking to me. "How's Stella?" He was asking about Stella? As always, I must be missing something.

"She's fine. Fuck off," I practically ran away from him to get to my locker that was all the way on the other side of the school.
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At lunch, the only other one who seemed to be acting normal was Taylor.

"Hey, guys!" I was the last one to arrive at the table and I realized as I please rly greeted my friends that is was going to be another one of those weird gloomy days. There seemed to be a lot of those lately.

"Hey, Kat. Did you see that Calum cut his hair?" Taylor and I basically had a conversation about 5sos by ourselves. Usually Sam joined Taylor and I in trying to cheer those other two up but today she was oddly quiet. She just silently are her lunch, staring down the entire time.

"I like his hair any way he cuts it. Just because he's Calum," I concluded our conversation with Zoe and Stella yet to utter a word. They've sure been gloomy lately but today they were almost morose. I sighed when the bell rang to signal the end of lunch and Taylor and I had valiantly tried to engage with Stella, Zoe, and Sam much to our avail.
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In algebra, which Zoe, Stella and I have together, there were some strange things going on.

"Zoe, can I borrow a pencil?" Stella whispered.

"Sure," Zoe went to hand Stella the pencil but she bumped her hand on the desk. And Stella's eyes welled up with tears. Tears. I honestly didn't understand.

"Stell, are you okay?" Mrs. Kim, our algebra teacher, had just left the room so I went aged and asked Stella this at full volume. It was obviously a big deal. Stella and Zoe both gave me the death stare saying 'be quiet.'

"Well?" I almost mouthed. Zoe just nodded but I was seriously pissed. I felt like there was a lot lately that those two weren't telling me. And I guess Sam's in on it now from the way she acted at lunch.
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When I got home that afternoon, I immediately prepared to call Stella and Zoe. Something was wrong and this time I was going to do something about it.

One ring, two rings, three rings... "Hello?"

"Hey, Zoe. What's up?" She sounded numb. There was no emotion in her voice.

"Nothing. Why are you calling me? We have so much homework," she moaned into the phone.

"Dude, you've got to tell me what's going on. There's been a lot of times lately when you and Stella have been weirdly depressed and I've let it slide, but this is not one of those times. Am I missing something? Is there something you need to tell me?"

"Katherine..." She started in. I was not having having it.

"No Zoe. Something's up and you guys are leaving me out!"

"Well maybe you would know if you weren't so preoccupied with your stupid basketball! You know, Sam told me your going to a sleepover with Madison! What the hell is that all about?" Zoe was yelling at me through the phone now.

"WHAT? Is that what this is all about? You and Stella are mad because I'm too focused on basketball?" I've been in love with basketball since before I met Zoe and Stella. That's a part of who I am. If they don't like who I am, they can just forget it. This phone conversation was going nowhere fast so I might as well just speak my mind. "And Sam is in on all of this? Is that why she was moping around today like you and Stella always do? I AM SICK OF THIS DEPRESSION. IF 'NOTHING' IS WRONG, THEN THERES NO NEED TO ACT LIKE YOUR DAMN DOG JUST DIED EVERY DAY!"