Together.

Chapter Eleven

You don't go to school come Monday, instead you lock yourself away in your bedroom. Your Mom tries to coax the real reason out of you, but you just tell her you're not feeling very well, and she seems to understand.

You keep yourself busy by doing your homework, mostly. Lately you've had less time to catch up, so having a few days off helps you get back up to speed. Teresa doesn't call, like you asked, but Newt tries to. You ignore him.

Even though you ignore your friends, you keep checking your phone throughout the day. Waiting. Waiting for Gally to text, to ask you to help him or hang out at his again, or even ask where you've been, but he's as silent as Thomas and Teresa, and that leaves an uncomfortable feeling.

By Thursday morning, you've gained enough courage to face going to school. You still don't explain your un-wellness to your mother, and even though she looks worried about you she is happy to drop you off.

Of course you find it hard to avoid Thomas and Teresa, however it works out almost perfectly. Occasionally you side step away down another hallway or hide in the girls' bathrooms for a few minutes until you think it's clear, and fortunately, they don't come looking for you. They clearly don't want to come looking for you.

But during lunch time, sitting at a different table, Newt spots you and with angry brown eyes he strides right up to where you sit; "Why aren't you answering my calls?" He puts his tray down in front of you, and takes a seat across from you.

"I... uh—

"I know you're... in some weird place with Teresa and Thomas right now, but that doesn't mean you ignore me."

"Newt, I'm sorry, I just wasn't..." You sigh, pushing away your food. "I know you Newt, you're going to try and get us to make up and be friends again or whatever, but it's not... it's different this time." You look up at him, his soft, quiet face staring back intently, "It can't be fixed... just like that."

Newt looks down at his food, "Thomas and Teresa... they would never mean to hurt you, Y/N."

You shake your head and immediately stand up from your seat, and out of the corner of your eye you see Teresa and Thomas staring at you both. You hate this feeling of being so vulnerable, of being on your own. "I can't do this right now," you exit the cafeteria and find some solitude outside by the parking lot. You hear the train rattle by as you breathe slowly, wishing away the rest of today.

You think about Gally again and wonder if he's avoiding you, avoiding school, but why? Was he ashamed of himself? You think about the diner, the mysterious people outside near the alleyway the night Gally pushed you against the wall – the mysterious, old man who is relentlessly after Gally.

You glance over your shoulder, and then look back out to the train. The next one for your line comes in three minutes. You tighten your grip on your bag and cross over to the station; you have an idea.

The train stop is close by to the diner, about a ten-minute walk. You don't dawdle outside of the diner, instead you walk inside immediately and choose a booth at the back, one against the massive, front windows that overlook the street outside. You order a coffee and a small cake to ease the bitterness, and you turn your attention to the world outside.

People walk past outside occasionally, it's not a particularly popular street; especially at this time of day. When the waitress comes by with your coffee, she smiles gently, placing the mug down in front of you before pouring in the dark liquid from her coffee pot. "Nice day it is today."

You glance out the window again to reaffirm her words, the sun is shining brighter than it has been, not a cloud in the sky. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"Milk?"