Secrets And Lies

Chapter 12: Redemption?

Ryan

A week had passed since I skipped school. After a couple of days of not being able to walk down the hallway without hearing people bringing up Axel's video, their interest finally died down. I still got the occasional sideways glance or question regarding it, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. I think it was due to Quade and Sam telling people to back off. Bre was the only person that couldn't take the hint.

       I spent last week avoiding Axel as much as possible, which proved to be easier than I thought. At Lunch, he stayed at his usual table and made no move to talk to us. He cut P.E.,  studied during study hall, and last Tuesday, I was relieved to find that Mrs. Pack didn't assign us to the same group.

I sat at the lunch table next to Sam. Foster and Taylor were lost in their own world. She giggled when he whispered something in her ear. They have been inseparable since the party.

Sam made fake gagging noises at their public display of affection. Foster seemed to be steering clear of his best friend as well, opting to sit with us when the opportunity presented itself. Quade was M.I.A. every other day during lunch and always had an excuse. I was starting to smell the bull shit.

"Where's my brother this time?" I asked Sam.

       "He said he had somewhere to be."

       "Hope he didn't get himself in trouble again..." I said under my breath when I noticed Axel was missing from his usual table.

       "You guys official yet?" I asked, gaining Taylor's attention.

She blushed, and that told me that if they weren't yet, they would be by the end of the week.

       "It's official for me..." Foster said with an ear-to-ear grin. Taylor mirrored his words and smile.

       "They grow up so fast," Sam commented like a proud dad.

       "Hun, where does the time go?" I agreed, playing the part of the emotional mother.

       "Haha, guys, knock it off." Taylor chuckled.

        "Are you avoiding Ass-Hat?" I asked Foster, changing the subject.

He nodded, his mood souring. I wasn't a fan of Mathew's, but I didn't want Foster to lose his best friend.

       "Why?"

       "We're friends, right?" He asked.

       "Of course.."

       "Axel pissed me off when he hurt another friend of mine, plain and simple. He needs to see he was wrong and make things right."

       "You are a good friend Foster."  I smiled softly.

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I usually loved fourth period, but not today. Several volleyball nets occupied the basketball court. Unlike Taylor, I'm terrible at this sport. Coach Grant put Taylor and me on a team and Sam, Foster, and Quade on another. He then had the bright idea of having our teams play against each other. There was no way we had a chance in hell against them.

Taylor decided I needed all the practice I could get, so we passed the ball back and forth, trying to keep it up as long as possible, while the rest of the class split into four other teams aside from our two teams.

"Where's Mathews?" Coach Grant shouted, asking everyone in attendance.

"Here." Axel's voice echoed as he jogged across the court.