Tourmaline

Chapter Fifteen

It was a Wednesday. Laurie and I were planted firmly at our usual spots in between Greg, Tate, and the rest of the basketball team. Tate's arm had made its way around my waist, pulling me tight to him.

A few of the players swapped rates of passing female teachers on a scale of 1-12 while Laurie and I talked quietly amongst ourselves.

"Did you hear? They caught Liam Graham stashing a shitload of pot in his backpack."

"Does that mean the school's not going to stop the searches?"

"Of course not," Laurie snorted, as if it were plainly obvious. "Turns out they're catching a lot more people than they thought. They're not gonna end it anytime soon."

"Lovely," I said dryly. Groups of law enforcement had been roaming the halls for weeks now. It was becoming exhausting to open up your locker under the judgemental eyes of bust-happy policemen.

"Hey, love dove. You look tired. We could skip next period, if you want. You gots to gets your beauty sleep for tonight."

"Tonight?"

Laurie made an exasperated sound in the back of her throat. "We're going out with the basketball team. There's a game tonight. I've told you this more times than you can count."

"Oh god I forgot. I can't go, Laurie."

"Seriously?" She called out, attracting the attention of a few passerbys. "Hey, Tate!" Tate turned to look up from his conversation with one of his friends, whom I think name was Cooper, to face Laurie. I shifted beneath his body, his arm still wound tightly around me.

"You're gonna have to kick enemy ass alone tonight. Tourmaline can't come." Laurie gestures towards me.

Tate glanced down at me. He smelled of Axe and crisp car leather. "Really? Why not?"

I cleared my throat uncomfortably. "I feel sort of sick. It's probably just a 24-hour thing, nothing to worry about."

"Do you want me to come over once the after party's finished? I'll bring some movies or something."

"Sure," I choked out. "I'd love that."

The bell chimed loudly, echoing throughout the rainy courtyard. I grabbed my bag and tossed my lunch away before waving Laurie and the others goodbye. Tate appeared at my side to walk to class together. He laced his fingers in mine and our steps began to fall in sync as we trotted down the dim hall.

Suddenly he grabbed me and swung me to the side beside the lockers. He bent down to whisper in my ear, his voice husky, his fingers running through my hair. "I'm looking forward to tonight."

"Me too."

Tate's mouth trailed along my neck softly, giving me small kisses here and there. "God, you're great."

I nodded, but my mind was somewhere else. There was something in me. Something small and sharp, like a pin stabbing holes in my insides. It gnawed at me.

Guilt. Painstaking, consuming guilt. I had to tell him.

***

I checked the Kit-Kat clock perched on my wall. It was just after 8:40, leaving me the ideal amount of time to make it to the school before the game's end.

I quietly evaluated myself in the mirror. I was wearing a thick royal blue sweatshirt and a red-and-yellow floral gypsy scarf sat loosely coiled around my neck, with small coin-like embellishments lining the outside edges.

I looked perfectly and proudly regular.

I grabbed my keys and phone before heading out. Before I knew it I was in the school's parking lot. I climbed out of my car and followed the deafening noise of cheering students toward the school's gymnasium. Colorful balloons in the school's colors dotted the path. Each balloon shivered in the icy wind, swaying back and forth melodically like rocking chairs.