TROUBLE

CHAPTER NINE: RUMORS

The rest of the day was dull. After the cafe incident I went home and received many lectures from Andre.

About how I was out all night on a school night and the fact that I stole his car.

Aunt Mika didn't seem to mind and she even let me stay home because,and I repeat, "hangovers are a bitch." She left for the rest of the day and I was home alone, procrastinating with my homework.

Now I pace back and forth by my locker.

"what are you doing weirdo?" Hailey asks in a nasally tone. I don't even have to look at her to know she's dressed in something either pink or sparkly.

Or both

"Minding my business." I say never breaking my pace. I glance at the clock. Sooo close. Two minutes.

She scoffs and hastily opens her locker. The clock hits two thirty and I shoot down the hallway gripping my bag. This is my only opening. I rush out the school doors making sure nobody saw me.

I promised myself I would do better this school year and avoid this exact situation but here I am. I whip out andres car keys. "He's so easy." I say to myself climbing into the driver seat.

"What are you doing young lady?!"

I whip my head around and see Scotty sitting in the back seat with a bag of food in his lap and a couple of fries in his mouth.

"What are you doing young man?!" I say back, hiding andres keys.

"I'm enjoying fries thank you, now back to you..." I look around for a lame excuse but nothing is coming to me.

"I'm uhhh, I have a free block." My lips spread into a fake cheeky smile. He hold up a greasy finger, his cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk.

"LIES!"

I look at him wanting to jump out the windshield. How did he see through my bluff? He pulls out a folded piece of paper and slowly unravels it.

He clears his throat. "Well I don't exactly see a 'free block' on this paper." I quickly snatch the paper out of his hands, quickly reading it.

"why the hell do you have a copy of my schedule?!?"

"It's a long story, but that's not the topic of this conversation. The topic is why you are actually in andres car hiding his keys from me."

I squint my eyes at him. "How did you get in here in the first place?" I ask suspiciously.

"I copied his car key a long time ago. Get with the program newbie." He says flashing me a key.

"Oh. How interesting. Now will you get out?"

"Only if you tell me what you're up to."

"But it's a secret."

"Yeah, that's why you have to tell me."

"What if I just get you something while I'm out in exchange for you to keep your shut mouth shut?"

"Ok but if the biggest cupcake you can find."

"I hate you."

He climbs out the car shoving more food in his mouth before waving an EXTRA polite goodbye. I drive away my head in the clouds about what happened earlier today and where I'm going now

•••
Earlier

"Hey." I turn away from my locker to see the girl who's bed I slept in during my drunk episode with mercury.

"Hi." I say still digging in my locker. "You do remember me right?" She asks holding her books out in front of her just like Thaz does.

"Yup. My bad for sleeping in your bed. On the bright side it was comfy." I shove some books inside  the locker and take some out.