The Player and the Played

23. You can't sit with us!

"There's only a month to go for Christmas," Lana stated.

"I know, right? I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. It still feels like 2016," Selena replied.

"Uh huh," Alec said, looking up from his pizza slice for a second. It was lunch and Lana had explained the whole thing in brief to Alec and Selena who understood so she was sitting with us. We continued talking and Alec soon finished his pizza.

"It's going to start some time now," I told Lana.

"What is?"

"That," I said, pointing to Alec and Selena kissing. They both blushed and Selena pulled away.

"I go through this nearly everyday. It's kind of annoying when you third wheel."

"Well, now you won't," a new voice said. I frowned slightly.

"Hey, Hailey, Lana, lovebirds," Jesse said, dragging a chair at our table and promptly sitting down. Selena turned a slightly deeper shade of red.

"It's Wednesday," I said.

"So?"

"And what colour are you wearing?"

"Pink?" Jesse replied, getting my reference.

"That's black," Lana stated, drily.

"Or is it?" He waved his hands like a Jedi. "It's black"

"Mean Girls And Star Wars, huh?" Lana asked. Jesse's cheeks were tinged with pink as he tried to stutter a response but failed.

"I think it's now officially our job to make everyone else on this table feel uncomfortable," I said, high-fiving Lana, a smile on my face. But soon, my eyes were scanning the room for a pair of blue-green eyes and when they didn't find them, my smile slipped off.

"What happened?" Jesse asked.

"Nothing, I feel kinda sick. I think I should go to the nurse."

I lied. I went straight to the soccer field, hoping to see Tyler there. But he wasn't. I hadn't seen him anywhere. Maybe it was paranoid of me to be so worried but he had been pretty shaken up in the morning. I just really hoped he wasn't doing something stupid or wallowing in his sorrow all alone. I'd been there for the past two years and I didn't want that to happen to someone I cared about. I called him. The phone rang once. Then twice. Then thrice before he declined it. I tried again.

"Hi, this is Tyler's girlfriend. We're doing something right now so don't disturb us," a voice said in a high pitched and whiny tone. I instantly felt a little disappointed. But him banging a random girl was better than him being sad, wasn't it? Unless that was just his way of dealing with Beth's loss. I stayed silent but didn't cut the call.

"I'm kidding, Hails. Were you jealous?" Tyler's voice says, but the teasing tone seems a little fake and forced.

"No I wasn't. Why aren't you at school?" I asked.

"Just. I didn't feel like it." I rolled my eyes even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"Okay, I'll tell you in person later," he said.

"Where are you?"

"You're not skipping classes because of me. I don't want to be the reason for your grades coming down."

"They won't come down. I'll get notes from Lana and I've done most of my homework."

"How do you even get the time?"

"How do you?" I retorted. He may not have known that I knew it but I knew he was on top of most of his classes.

"Fair enough. I'm at home," he said.

"I'll be right there," I said, cutting the call. I sent a quick text to Alec saying that I was going home as I had a fever.

***

I found Tyler sitting on his bed in an old hoodie, his face devoid of any emotion.

"Hey," I said, sitting down gently next to him.

"Hi," he said, in a dull, dead voice.

"Want to tell me what it is?"

"There's nothing to say." I gave him a flat look.

"Fine, it's her death anniversary. Death. It's weird how five letters can have so much meaning. It's one syllable but it's so hard to say. It's so hard to say she's...dead."

"I know. It takes years to get over loss. And even then it doesn't work. But the thing everyone tries is to forget. It doesn't work. I tried that but got over Ashley's death after embracing the fact that she wasn't there. I think you should try that too."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you need closure. I think you need closure so that the next time you think about Beth, it would be you reminiscing not slowly dying. "

"So what should I do for that?"

"I think it's time for you to read Beth's letter."

A/N
Ba
Dum
Tsss

Cliffhangerrrr
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I'm bored in life but my tests have started and vacations are over and my Bio teacher is an annoying asshole to everyone and he thinks he's so funny but he really isn't...the usual.

What's up with you guys? On a scale of one to ten how much does school suck?

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Anu.