Learning to Fall (One Direction Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

I turned the key in the ignition, letting the motor slow into silence. I sat there, looking at the identical uniforms move towards the building, looking like robots, hardwired to walk the same direction, dress the same, think the same.

 Shaking my head from the fog, I unclipped my seatbelt and opened the driver's door of the small, black BMW. It was one of the many cars I did not even know existed until my uncle unearthed it from the depths of the seemingly infinite garage.

I started towards the main building, hurrying when I glanced at my phone and saw that I only had five minutes before the first bell rang.

Walking down the halls, putting in the combination for my locker, even finding the debris from November when I was last here, it all felt like everything, the past months, they almost hadn't happened.

Almost.

Going back to my busy schedule was hugely needed. Racking my brain to remember which staircase to go down, when my next free period was, how much homework I would have at the end of the day, all of it was a perfectly busying distraction. It was a necessary distraction, because of course, as I had experience in this matter, you can never leave high school unannounced for a prolonged amount of time and come back expecting everything to be the same.

No, there weren't hoards of people coming up to me demanding to know where I'd been. I was sure that word had gotten out about me by this point. But there were the unmistakably covert whispers that were shielded in vain by secretive hands, the subtle gestures pointing out the girl who almost died.

Although they weren't mean-spirited, I was nearly going insane by the time lunch break occurred. I hadn't had a single conversation with anyone, and all I wanted to do was get on with the day so I could go home. My plan had been to lay low and not draw any more attention to myself, but this was stopped short the minute someone yelled my name.

"Jax!"

I turned around tentatively, and was hit by a fury of a tall girl with short blonde hair.

It took me a split second to adjust before I hugged Lacey back just as tightly.

"Lacey, I'm so sorry," I said quietly.

I felt her shake her head. "Don't be. I love you. There's nothing for you to forgive."

We broke apart and Lacey was grinning like a madman. "I had heard people saying you came back, but I didn't want to believe it until I saw you."

"I missed you," I said back to her.

"We've all missed you more. Donovan is visiting his mum, but he wants to see you the minute he comes back."

"Good. I can't wait to see him," I smiled.

"So how have you been? Sorry, that was a stupid question. But really, how is it being back? I have so much to tell you. For one, Mick and I-"

"Look who's finally returned."

Lacey was cut off abruptly by a small pack of girls, headed by a brunette with stick straight hair and a menacing glint in her eyes.

"Maxwell," I said shortly.

"So, Jax, how was the psych ward? I'm sure you're loving all this attention you're getting now, aren't you. I mean, none of us really believed you, so I'm glad that the little charade is over."

The grin that traced her lips was sickeningly confident, and the two other girls with Maxwell were eating up every word she said.

"You bitch," Lacey said in an even tone.