Trust

✍ Tears

A/N This chapter is pretty heavy-going so to balance it out, I've posted a clip of the TFIOS movie (it's coming out in the US on June 6th) on the side :) I am genuinely so excited to see it!!!

Anyway, if you read this dorky author's note, leave a comment and/or a vote! :3 I promise that the next chapter will have a lot more Chase and Poppy stuff *winks* ;)

So... without further ado, let the chapter begin!

*****

I went to school the next day, expecting the worst.

But nothing happened.

March enquired about the bruise on my cheek, but I explained it away with a lie. She didn't ask about it afterwards. People in school gave me strange looks and I stared right back at them. As far as I knew, I had nothing to hide.

Jared didn't come to school, a sign I wasn't sure how to take. I decided to stay cautiously optimistic.

I saw Chase a couple of times. We would look at each other before drifting away into the crowded hallways. I wanted desperately to talk to him but March stayed firmly glued to my side and we didn't have an English class scheduled during the day.

It felt strange that after yesterday's events, everything was still... normal. Jared had every opportunity to complain to the school board about what had happened and as far as I could tell, he hadn't taken any.

After school, I went directly to the hospital. Adam was being discharged. Mum signed the paperwork and I showed Adam to the car.

"How're you feeling?" I asked. He needed a bit of help getting the seatbelt on so I pulled it across his chest for him. He insisted on clipping it in himself.

"Like you couldn't possibly understand." He turned to look out the window, the back of his head facing me. I noticed how his blonde hair was getting a bit long, curling over the collar of his jacket and growing over the tops of his ears.

Mum tried a bit of small talk with him as we drove home but Adam kept giving sarcastic one-liners so she gave up. We listened to the sounds of pop music blaring through the speakers for the rest of the way.

We reached home and Adam walked upstairs without a word. I watched him go, wondering what to say or not say.

"Just give him time," mum said. "All you teenagers go through this phase at least once."

"When was mine?"

Mum looked at me. She had the same colour eyes as me- hazel.

"I can't remember."

"Me neither. I probably had it during the divorce," I said.

Mum kept quiet.

"You look a little pale. Have you been eating alright?" I stepped a little closer to mum so I could see her better. The lighting wasn't the most flattering at that moment, but it was enough to see inconsistences in my mother's physique I hadn't noticed earlier.

"Of course."

"Are you sure? You haven't eaten dinner for the past few nights and you look like you've been losing weight."

"I'm fine." Mum looked irritated. "Stop worrying about me, Poppy. I swear, I'm fine. It's just a little stomach bug."

I remained unmoved. She shook her head. "Must I remind you who the mother is here?"

I smiled. "Alright, alright. No more worrying. I get it. But you would tell me if anything's wrong, right?"

Mum smiled. "I promise. Now stop worrying."