Suicide Blonde cont.

ix

"Veronica fucking Hunt you better get your ass on my living room couch in two hours or else your ass will be grass!" Zayn shouted, using such a loud volume that my eardrum was struck with a pang.

"Zayn, I can't, I literally walked into school five minutes ago," I said, locking up my locker and walking down the crowded hallways alone. I spotted Harry with a few football players to my left, making a split second of eye contact before I fastened my pace.

"Well then, I'll take care of that. I'll see you, Vee," Zayn quickly said, hanging up the call.

I placed my phone into my uniform's jumper pocket.

"Veronica, hey!" Someone behind me shouted, taking a place next to me. I glanced over to the blonde boy with a dazzling smile on his face.

"Niall, hi, how've you been?" I asked, clenching my French book close to my chest.

"Great, really. My family just finished unpacking the entire house and that Sadie girl came over a few nights ago," he said, using lots of hand gestures.

"Oh my God, that's great! How come you guys are always moving again?" I asked him.

"Dad chases oil, wherever it goes he goes. He did tell me that we should be staying here until I'm off to University, though," he told me. "Oh, where are you going? Do you know yet?" I asked.

"Yeah, UCD," he smiled, seemingly very happy with his choice in his Irish university. I congratulated him, reaching my classroom.

"Hey, I'll see you around Niall," I told him before leaving.

I took my seat in the classroom, glancing down at the desk with a few words etched onto it.

"Veronica Hunt," my teacher called from the front desk, causing my head to snap up. "Can I see you in the hallway?"

By the time we got out there, the hall was pretty much cleared out with a few stragglers running to their classrooms before the bell rang.

"Veronica, there is really no easy way to say this," she said, probably confused about my blank expression. I felt no nervousness nor confusion due to this conversation purely because I really didn't care what she was about to tell me.

"Your father just called and your grandmother has passed," she said, a consulting look on her face. My lips dropped into a frown before remembering that both of my grandmothers died when I was very young.

"But–"

"Veronica, this is a pretty hard time for you. The school is letting you go for today and the rest of the week. You don't even have to bring in an excuse."

My eyes widened at the offer. I put on a sad expression.

"Thanks, Ms. Withers. It really means a lot. Really, thank you. I'll see you next week," I said dismally. I drug my feet across the tile, staring down at my beat-up Mary Janes. As I turned the corner, I was met with a familiar face.

Roger stood there, leaned up against his locker. I tried to not make eye contact and quickly paced myself on the other side of the hallway.

"Hey Veronica," he slyly said, causing me to stop in my tracks. "Roger, hi," I quietly said.

"Fuckin' Harry Styles now, huh?" he bluntly said, rolling his eyes. I slowly turned my head towards him.

"What are you talking about," I said.

"You know, I recall, like, five months ago, you saying that Harry Styles was a complete asshole. So, you tell me, Veronica, are you lying to us or him, huh? Don't know what I expected from you, either way."

"And what do you mean by that?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. He laughed, shaking his head. "You're just a sketchy ass person, Veronica. Never opening up to people, never saying your real thoughts. You know, you're just like all of the other fake bitches here," he said, pushing past me and walking away. I stood there, eyes dead set on the tile below me and my mouth agape.

I stormed out of the high school, wiping tears as they involuntarily fell from my eyes. I hopped into my car, turned it on and zoomed the fuck out of there.

"I'll be over in two hours." I said through clenched teeth on the speaker phone hooked up through my car. Zayn laughed, emitting a "Booyah!".

I hung up the call before I could say anymore.