A New Love

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

I wake up alone. There is no one beside me that I so intensely remember, there is no one in my room, and there isn't even anybody in my house.

Last night I remember Duke being right beside me, didn't we watch movies? Didn't he fall asleep beside me? Didn't he say "I love you"?

Was that a dream?

I don't know anymore. I could have easily had dreamt that, it's what was on my mind at that time. It felt so real though. How could something that felt so real be a dream?

I have to start my day eventually so I walk upstairs in my spandex and tank top and try to awaken by eating breakfast. I get myself a bowl and spoon and pour my cereal into a bowl. I find it very quiet in my house alone so I walk up to the stereo and blast my music through the speakers.

I start singing along,

"Don't you ever say I just walked away,

I will always want you...

I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALL,

I NEVER HIT SO HARD IN LOVE..."

As I don't care if my neighbors can hear me I keep singing along. I finally come closer to my phone and I hear my phone vibrating. I rush over to the stereo and quickly mute it.

"Hello?...No sorry I missed your call, I was...umm....in the shower."

I make up an excuse as Skye is on the phone.

"Do you want to come over? We are already in town, we can pick you up." Skye inquires.

"For sure." I reply. Skye moved to an acreage recently so I'll probably be helping her unpack, which I don't mind.

Since I have to pretend that I was up a while ago I have to hurry to get ready. I pretend that it is my comfy day and wear leggings and a sweater. I put my hair in a braid so it looks like it was wet from my "shower."

The doorbell rings as soon as I slip my shoes on. I walk out to my best friend's car and casually sit down.

When we arrive at Skye's house we go directly to her room, I can tell she needs to tell me something.

I sit down on her bed like its glass and it will break any second, "what do you need to tell me?"

"Pfft...What makes you think I have to tell you something." Skye totally ignores the subject. I just give her this look of unimpressiveness and she sighs, signally that she is giving in. "Fine, I have to tell you something that you probably don't want to hear, and I don't like talking about."

Now she's scaring me.

"I have been getting bullied alot and I don't really know what to do about it." Skye continues.

This comes as a shock to me. Skye is such a happy person she never wants to make anyone sad and she is rarely sad.

So many questions keep rushing through my head: how long has this been going on? What do they say to her? Has she done anything to herself?

Skye changes the subject quickly, she never likes to talk about herself, ever.

---

(Monday)

I show up to school later than normal expecting everyone to be there, and everyone is, except Skye.

Is this because of the bullying? Is it that hard on her? I think she needs to talk about this.

During school I couldn't concentrate on anything else but Skye. All sorts of scenarios went through my head: is she okay? Did she do something to herself? Will she be okay tomorrow?