Suicide Tree || ✓

10. The Proposal

a/n: yay finally no more writer's block! 

The next morning, I had to use every bit of my energy to just get up from my bed. The lack of sleep from the night before was definitely affecting me badly and I could just imagine how zombie-like I would be the entire day in school. With great difficulty I had managed to pull on some decent clothes and make my hair into a quick side braid. I popped into the bathroom to grab my house keys – I don't even know how they ended up there in the first place.

"Where did you and Jasper go yesterday night?" Adri asked, walking up behind me.

"Jesus Christ! You gave me a fucking heart attack!" I screeched at Adri's reflection on the mirror and placed a hand on my pounding heart. She began applying makeup and leaning over the large sink next to me.

Once Jasper had walked me home, I went straight to my bedroom and collapsed on my bed, paying no heed to Adri who was sleeping on the couch in my room. When I woke up, she was nowhere in sight, and I had completely forgotten that she had slept over in the first place. Now, I was rushing to get my things in order to reach school in time.

"'Do not use the Lord's name in vain'," she said mockingly before giving me a sharp look. "Now tell me why you went out with Jasper to work on a 'lab report' which isn't even in your bag?" she raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow, giving me a quick glance, and continued to apply her rouge.

"I left it there," I rolled my eyes, trying to calm my pacing heart. Adri threw me a disbelieving look.

"Seriously? You never trust anybody with your work," I gave a firm nod, looking straight in her reflection's eyes. Usually, Adri was pretty easy to convince but when it came to her brother, she wasn't quite as gullible. A fact I should've thought of beforehand.

"Right," she shook her head, closing her rouge with a snap before packing up her makeup and picking up her school tote bag. "Talk to me when you wanna tell me the truth," with that said, she stalked out of the bathroom. I faintly heard the screech of tires pulling out of the driveway before it faded away. I forgot how cranky she could be after waking up from her drug-induced high. I had also forgotten how inquisitive she could be in regards with her brother, something that was bound to get me in deep trouble if I didn't find an excuse for being around him so much.

Damn it, she still isn't old enough for a license.

*

The rest of the day passed by in a sleepy blur; the events from the previous night consumed my thoughts and my aching scalp was a constant reminder of what had happened. And during those times when yesterday wasn't on my mind, Jasper was. Him and the Suicide Horror. Something just didn't add up between the two. It was something that he said, something that just made me think...

"Hey, wait up!" Lily exclaimed, abruptly bringing me out of my train of thought. I sighed deeply, pausing in the hallway, and put on a tight smile. I felt slightly guilty, for ignoring her the past week, but that couldn't really be helped.

"You've been so busy the past week! We haven't had the time to hang out yet!" she said breathlessly. My smile softened as I began walking with her to our last class.

"I'm sorry, I've just had a shitload of stuff going on," I said truthfully. Lily gave me an understanding look that made me feel guilty for not telling her the whole truth.

"Oh I know, but in a way, it's such a relief that their closing the school for two weeks. We can use that time to study for finals," I stopped short, almost dropping my books.