The Badboy and The Jailbird

Chapter 20 "Bathroom Brawls"

Amy Gumenick as Michelle Christo

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I need to tell Baxter. 

That is my first thought in the morning. And it's true. I need to tell him that I have feelings for Taylor and have since I met him.

Getting out of bed, I groan then throw a pillow at Jamie. She will provide me with good advice.

The pillow hits her back and bounces off the bed and onto the floor in front of the door.

A screech escapes her, then, "What the hell, women?"  I chuckle and walk to her, shaking her shoulders.

"Get up. I need advice." She groans unnecessarily loudly but sits up, still covered in blankets. I sit back down on my bed.

"What?" Half groaning she looks up at me with tired eyes. For a brief moment I can see her and Taylor's resemblance but then it's gone.

"Well, I need advice on two things. a) I don't know what to do about the whole makeout-session-in-the-dining-room this with your brother, and b) What the hell do I tell my kinda boyfriend who I've lost lustful feelings for?" I stare at her beggingly, waiting for advice.

She stares back sighing and rubbing her neck. 

"So, first off, don't do anything about the thing in the dining room. Let that play out by itself. And second," I stare in anticipation, waiting for the words of wisdom. "Tell him everything." And with those three words, she walks into the bathroom.

Well. That helps a lot. (Note the sarcasm).

I lay back on my bed with a deep sigh and think about the day to come.

-

It's Tuesday. Possibly the worst day of the week. It's not Wednesday, halfway to Friday. It's not Monday, the day where you are too tired (or hungover) to care about anything. And it's not the weekend.

Note: I haven't seen Baxter all day, which is weird because he is in two of the four classes I have had already. 

In my stomach, an uneasy and nervous feeling bubbles. Wild thoughts are running through my mind.

Is he ditching with someone? a girl perhaps? 

Is he hurt? Maybe in the hospital?

Is he homesick? Flu maybe?

Maybe he killed himself? 

On a family vacation?  But he was here yesterday.

I decide to check his Snapchat story. I excuse myself to go to the bathroom and walk out the door to left, down the hall and turn into the bathroom on the right.

Quickly, I whip out my phone and start to click through all the different stories till I see one that stands out. 

It is from Heath, one of Baxter and Taylor's friends.

On the screen is the local hospitals welcome sign with a caption stating, "Pray for Baxter."

The feeling I experience next is indescribable. 

My heartbeat races and I have to use the handicap rail to keep from falling over, as I quickly reply to the photo.

TO: Heath 

-What the hell happened to Baxter?!

The little red arrow tells me it sent and I sigh, knowing I probably won't get a response from him for a while.

Snapping me back to reality, the bathroom door flings open and I slip into the nearest stall, shutting it as quickly and soundlessly as I can. Immediately I recognize the voices. 

Michelle Christo. Barbie girl.

Kayla Mitchell. The sidekick.

And Mikkel Ivanov. The Russian GBF.*

"Oh-my-fucking-god! Did you hear what happened to that hot guy? Baxter something?" Mikkel's voice is the first one I hear and it makes me cringe because who the hell is comfortable with a guy in the girls' bathroom. I don't care if he's gay or not!

"I did!" Michelle. "He passed out in first period. I'm surprised more people aren't talking about it."

Then the sidekick chimes in. "Yeah. I talked to Heath and he said they found a brain tumor that can't be operated on that's cancerous." 

I dropped 5 shades paler in that moment. A sob started to rise but I prevented it from going any higher than my throat which made my eyes and throat burn.

I cheated on him. I cheated on a dying man. What kind of horrible person does that? Me, apparently. 

I was lost in thought when I didn't notice my foot slipping off the toilet seat I was standing on. In one big, ungraceful motion, I was on the floor in the tiny stall in a confused, pretzel-like shape. A string of profanities escaped my mouth and the voices in the bathroom ceased.

As I was slowly regaining myself, I heard Michelle. "Who is in there?"

Cursing to myself, I unlock the door and step out into the brighter light. 

All three of them let out an unnecessarily dramatic gasp.

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Yep. It's the Jailbird. I was eavesdropping if you were wondering and he is my boyfriend so If you don't mind, I'm going to the hospital." They all have amazed/blank expressions on their face so I head for the door.

That is until Michelle opens her dumb, bitch-ass mouth.

"If he is your boyfriend, why were you sucking face with Taylor last night in your dining room?" I freeze dead in my tracks, then spin on my heels to face them.

With two steps forward, my fist collides with Ms. Christo's face, uniformly, just like it has done with my punching bag time and time before. 

In the seconds before I am out the door, Michelle is on the ground grasping her cheek, Mikkel looks to be assessing the damage, and Kayla's eyes are shut tight while she is hyperventilating.

Running down the hall, I sprint into my classroom, grab my bag, yell something about throwing up, and sprint back out again.

There are two concepts in my mind:

How the hell did she know? Did Taylor tell her? Did she happen to see? No. That would be stalking. 

and

What the hell is going on with Baxter?