Chasing Miss Conner •NEW VERSION•

XX

Twenty

I sat on the steps outside the school, nervously looking over my shoulder every few minutes, half expecting a teacher to rush out and tackle me. Luckily, I pulled myself together enough to walk calmly out of the school.

I was thankful that the front of the school had an over-hang, because it was pouring down rain.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and with a sigh I pulled it out. I had about ten texts from Genny, freaking out, asking if I was okay. I rolled my eyes and went to click the screen off, when it buzzed again as a new text came through.

Genny: "Are you still going to the formal with me?"

I waited, and as predicted, a second text came through.

Genny: "Bitch you better be dead."

I sniffed out a dry chuckle. I knew I shouldn't have run out on her like I did, but I couldn't help it. The voices in my head were too loud, I couldn't stand it anymore. I just needed everyone to shut the hell up for five seconds.

I sent my mom a text in case she got a call from the school, so she wouldn't worry. I knew she'd be furious, but she'd get over it. After another few minutes, I gathered myself and got up, hurrying towards my bike.

Today was definitely a lay-in-bed-and-eat-ice-cream, kind of day.

Since it was early in the day, traffic was light and I arrived home fairly quickly, soaked and freezing. I hurried up the steps, feeling very much like a bad kid, as I let myself in and re-locked the door behind me. I never played hooky.

After a while of laying in bed and debating on whether or not to go back to school and turn myself in, I gave up feeling bad and decided to make something to eat. Food was the cure for uncertainty, right?

I was stirring in the cheese mixture for my box of Pasta Roni, when my phone dinged with a message. My heart leapt into my chest when I read the text.

Genny: "Miss Conner bailed on the rest of school for today. The sub told us she had a "family" emergency, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

I hit her contact and held my phone between my ear and shoulder so I could stir my pasta as it rang.

She answered with a sarcastic drawl. "I'm sorry, you've reached the voicemail box of Genevieve, please leave a message and don't try again later."

"Genevieve?" I questioned, wincing.

She wasted no time. "I'm sorry, you seem to have the wrong number." The phone crackled as she prepared to end the call.

I hurried on before she could hang up on me. "Wait! I'm sorry. I know I'm an asshole."

She didn't say anything when I paused, so I continued. "That book she gave us in class, did you read the back?" My voice sounded small.

A whoosh of air signaled a sigh, prodding me. "Well, it triggered some things for me. I didn't understand what it meant or why out of all the books in the world, that was the one she had to choose. I felt like it was personal. Once I got that thought into my head everything just exploded. I shouldn't have run out on you or ignored your texts. I'm sorry."

There was a brief pause before she replied. "You know I love you, right?"

My chest grew tight as a lump grew in my throat. "I know."

"I get you, Shay. I just wish you'd trust me a little more. That's what hurt the most, knowing that you were thinking that I wouldn't understand or wouldn't be there for you."