Honey (Editing/Rewriting)

Chapter 20

Honey
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As Honey made her way through the unusually quiet school halls, she couldn't help but notice the sparse presence of students. A few students lingered near their lockers, engaged in hushed conversations about the unsettling events involving Ariel and her brother, Jaylen. The air was thick with curiosity and speculation.

Tragically, on Friday night, Ariel and her brother were involved in a car crash. Jaylen's loss of control behind the wheel resulted in a collision with a light pole, causing the vehicle to be split in two. The graphic images circulating through the school via text messages made Honey feel a wave of nausea well up inside her.

Jaylen's body partially protruding from the mangled car and Ariel's decapitated form lying on the ground created a deeply distressing and gruesome sight that was difficult to witness. Such visual imagery was undoubtedly traumatic and deeply unsettling.

From the first to the fourth period, her mind struggled to maintain focus as she found herself dwelling on everything that had transpired over the weekend following Cheyenne's wedding. Honey didn't have any sympathy for Asha after beating her up because she believed it was well deserved. Honey even noticed Asha's absence from school today, which was supposed to be her last day before moving. Despite this, Honey was grateful because her day at school had been somewhat peaceful without having to hear Asha's snide remarks.

Before heading to lunch, she took a quick detour to the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, she examined her appearance. Her hair remained styled in a neat curly bun, with a single curl cascading down the left side of her face. She opted for a natural look, leaving her face bare of makeup. Her outfit for the day was a pink tennis skirt that fell mid-thigh, paired with a black graphic cropped T-shirt adorned with pink writing. Completing the look, she wore matching sandals.

As the door to the bathroom opened and closed, the sound of sniffles filled the air. Glancing at the mirror, Honey caught sight of Monica passing by behind her. There was a fleeting moment when their eyes met, and Honey noticed Monica's red and swollen eyes, evidence of recent tears. Breaking the gaze, Honey averted her eyes and grabbed her bag, casually making her way towards the door. However, before she could leave, she heard Monica's voice echoing through the bathroom, calling her name.

"Honey, can we talk? I just wanted to apologize...."

With resolve in her heart, Honey chose to disregard Monica's calls, pushing open the door and striding out of the bathroom. She had no intention of entertaining any apologies from anyone; in her mind, there was simply no coming back from that.

Under her breath, Honey mumbled to herself, "Fuck all these bitches."

From that moment onward, Honey made a vow to herself; she refused to accept any disrespect from anyone. She won't let things slide anymore, no longer willing to be the bigger person. Honey had reached a point where she was tired of extending kindness to those who did not show her the same.

Sauntering down the hallway, Honey made her way to the cafeteria. She picked up a salad from the al a carte line and then headed towards her usual seat at the table where Brielle and Isaac were already waiting for her.

"I'm ready to go home. I'm about to have Cheyenne call and sign me out. I don't like how gloomy it feels today." Isaac said.

Brielle adds, "Today has been so overwhelming. The cafeteria has never been this quiet. Classes are empty, police officers and counselors everywhere."