Malediction

8 - Asking for trouble

Friday morning, I sat at the kitchen counter, arguing with mum.

"I'm fine mum" I rolled my eyes "Please, I don't want to stay here, it's boring and lonely and I'm going to fall behind if I wait until Monday to go back"

In any other usual circumstance, someone in my position would be more than happy to have a valid excuse to stay home over going to school. Spending one day, alone, stuck inside, was not my thing, let alone another 3.
I enjoyed school, I enjoyed being with my friends.

"Are you sure?" She sighed, staring at me "How is your head?"

"I haven't even taken any tablets today, that's how fine I feel. I told you, if I start to feel dizzy, or sore, I'll come home straight away" I bargained

I hated having her worry about me. I was sick of everyone asking how I was feeling. 3 bunches of flowers later, constant concerned friend visits later, I was finished with the sympathy. I wanted life to return to normal, as normal as it could be.

"Okay, okay" She finally succumbed

Luke stood by the front door, waiting as he watched the argument take place.
Before my winning could be reversed, I stood and picked my backpack up, heading for the street with my brother.

"Why do you want to go back to school so bad anyways? You could have stayed home and had the house to yourself, you had 2 whole extra days to clean your room before grandma and grandpa get here too" Luke casually made conversation as we walked to school together, Andy nowhere in sight

"Where is Andy?" I ignored his questions

He shrugged "His mum is driving him today, she doesn't work Fridays he told me"

"Oh" I answered, remembering the Newscot boys and my original dilemma.

Over the last 48 hours, I had forgotten about the drama of Danny and Andy. I had been way too preoccupied by my near death experience to even think about what their secret was.

"Hey you!" Skyler greeted, emerging from her house, her body bouncing toward me with open arms, hugging me in a move she hadn't done in years

"Before you ask, I'm fine" I rolled my eyes, Luke already walking ahead of me - I admired him for no longer caring, he was the only one that had stopped asking if I was alright, clearly understanding my distain for it

"You scared us all!" Skyler held me by my shoulders, looking over my face, a small scratch over my eyebrow

I pushed her arms off and began forward with her in tow "I hope Cara is getting more attention from this than I am. She saved my life, I'd be dead if it weren't for her"

I was forever grateful and in debt to her. She had pulled me to safety from an out of control car. She was a hero. She was my hero.

"You'd be happy to know she is, she's practically famous now, the newspaper even wants to do an article about her about it" Skyler informed me

I hadn't heard of this yet. But it made me happy.

"Good, she needs to be recognised for what she did" I sighed

I had prepared myself to return to normal school life, but school life was not prepared to be the same for me. The second I walked into the halls to meet my friends, people began to stare from all angles. Whispers then began, to which I was unsure were a good thing or a bad thing.

"There she is!" Paisley greeted, wrapping her arms around me

"Hey" I mumbled into her shoulder, pulling back to then receive a hug from everyone else in our group, including Cara.
I embraced her unusually long, holding on to her tightly as I whispered to her