Internet Friends // Matthew Espinosa

Chapter 12

8 weeks after I got off that plane

I was walking to school from my apartment with Krystel when my sister ran up behind me.

"Nic!" she put her hands on my shoulders and turned me around. "Your....your phone. Don't forget, I'll meet you at the doctors' at 10, after third period." She gives me my phone and runs back.

My doctor's appointment is scheduled for today. I'm supposed to get my cast off.

"Thanks!" I call.

"Like, Nic, I know you don't wanna talk about it, but you're going to have to." Krystel says.

"What?"

"The stuff with Matt and with Cameron and with Taylor." she says, like it's the most obvious thing ever.

"I've already told you," I roll my eyes. "NOTHING HAPPENED BETWEEN ME AND MATT, ME AND CAM, OR ME AND TAYLOR! Okay?"

"Okay, okay. " she walks into the school and I walk to English and Krystel walks to her math class.

I rest my elbow on the table and put my chin in my hand and imagine what it would be like, right now, if Matt hadn't cheated on me.

I wouldn't be called a slut.

I would have this nice long distance relationship. Or would we have broken up already? Maybe, a long distance relationship was too much for us. Maybe, all the fans hated me and just wanted us to break?

"Ms. Canniff?" My English teacher says.

"Huh?"

"Do you have an answer to the question?"

"Can you repeat your question?"

"When did-" The bell rings.

"Class dismissed." she exhales and shooes us off.

And I take out my phone, lean against my locker and text the one person I call the one person I wanted to talk to.

Matt. I don't exactly know why I wanted to talk to him, or why I should want to talk to him, after all he's done to me, but I call him. After all, we got so close, and we haven't spoken in weeks.

I dial his number. He picks up on the last ring, I'm on the verge of hanging up.

"Hey, Nicole."

"Hey," I say. "Um kinda just wanted to say hey and I'm really sorry."

"No, no it's my fault."

"Anyway, I'm supposed to get my boot off, today."

"Good for you!" he sighs and I can tell all he wants to say is 'sorry'. "I got mine off like, last week."

The bell rings.

"Matt, I have to get to class. I'll call you later?"

"Yeah." He hangs up.

Why did i call him? I hate him.

I trudge through my next classes. History and PE.

At lunch, I grab my books and go to the office to check out.

"Good luck!" the secretary whispers.

"Thank you."

I get in my car with Krystel and she drives to Dr. Lambert's office. When I open the door, I say bue to Krystel, tell her to get my homework, and look for Chloe. Chloe is a volunteer at the orthopedic doctor and she shows people around. She's like, Riley's age.

"Hey, Nicole!" she walks around the desk and hugs me.

"Hey." I hug back.

"She's ready for you." Chloe opens the door to the office. I see Riley sitting in a chair.

"Hello, Ms...?" Does Dr. Lambert really not know my last name?

"Canniff." I smile.

"Are you ready?" Dr. Lambert asks.

I nod. "Ri, you ready?"

She nods. I sit on the exam table and she starts to unbuckle the boot. I see the cast. She rolls out a big machine with something that looked like a vibrating pizza slicer. I mentally waved goodbye to my cast.

She cuts it and it falls.

I smile.