Bittersweet

x.

Val huffed as she leaned against her locker, crossing her arms and watching people rush past her. She was early for school, thanks to Todd Watson, and didn't know what to do with all her free time.

The odd passing student would glance her way and grimace at her state. She licked her chapped lips, running her tongue softly back over the healing cut on her lip.

From a distance Val could hear the high pitched giggle she recognized as Kim. She turned and faced her locker, pretending she was doing something so that the bitchy girls couldn't see her face. Once they passed, she heard yet another familiar voice.

"Valerie fuckin' Atkins."

Val froze up at the sound of the deep and angered voice. Slowly, she turned, but relaxed at the sight of Richie. He, on the other hand, froze, his mouth falling agape as he stared at her.

"Oh my God, Val, what happened to you?" Richie stepped forward, yanking Val in to a hug, careful not to squeeze her too hard.

"I'm okay, Richie, really, it was just a bad night. Things got out of hand." She took a step back and smiled up at him, watching him pretend to smile back at her.

"Well where have you been, you crazy bitch? I was worried sick about you!"

"I've been staying with a guy." They both turned and began to walk down the corridor, strolling in the direction of Mr. Watson's classroom.

"A guy?" Richie gushed. "Who? Name? Details, please!"

"His name is Todd; he's just a guy I've recently gotten close with."

Mr. Watson's door was wide open and Val couldn't help but to stare in at him as they passed. He had his head in his books, scratching the back of his neck as he worked away at something, a confused but pleasantly adorable expression on his face. Val grinned.

"You know, Lucas is going crazy over you. So is your dad. He's been here everyday after school looking for you since you were gone."

"What?" Val stopped on the spot abruptly and turned to Richie. "He's been looking for me? Here?"

"Yeah. I've been telling him you were staying with a friend. A girl friend. He told me to tell you to go see him whenever I saw you next, so I'm telling you."

Slowly Val turned and continued to walk down the hall, pondering over her new information. The bell went off and her and Richie parted ways for their first classes of the day, but she was unable to shake the uneasy feeling of running in to her father.

The first few classes passed like a drag and before they knew it, her and Richie were reunited once again for lunch. She continued to think about what Richie had told her, but tried to focus more on not starving.

As they walked to the lunch hall along with the rest of the school, Val caught sight of Mr. Watson stood outside his classroom at the end of the empty hallway. Val turned to Richie, "Save me a seat, I gotta ask T- Mr. Watson, something about homework." Before she could wait for his response she was jogging down the hall towards him.

Todd's eyes shot up at the sound of footsteps coming towards him. Once he saw it was Val he took a look around the hallway's to see if there was anybody close enough to listen in on their conversation; there wasn't.

"Hey, V," Todd chimed, "how's the first day back going?"

"It's always a drag until maths," Val hummed with a wink. "Listen, Richie told me something this morning, about my dad."

Todd perked up at this. "What is it?"

"My dad's been coming to the school everyday looking for me, did you notice him?" Val was tired, Todd could tell. Her eyes were filled with worry and the bags under them didn't help the state she was already in.