When Crossing The Tracks-Sweet Pea

58- love so mad

"I just want to know what was going through your head, Lila" dad said as he drove the car home from the hospital. I sighed, staying silent as I watched small raindrops rolling down the windows of the car "You're not like this, ever" he said and I rolled my eyes "If you're in trouble, any kind, come to me" he said "Jesus dad, just drop it please. It's not a big deal" I said "It apparently is since you got hospitalized" he said. I clenched my jaw "I'm fine dad, I promise. So can I go to school today?" I asked "No way, you're staying home and resting. And besides, I don't need you doing more dumb shit with this stupid board game trend" he said and I perked my ears "Griffins and Gargoyles?" I asked "Yes, exactly" he said "How do you know about it?" I asked "It's the talk of the town since those kids died" he said "Dad, it's not just a game, it's something more. Something a lot more dark" I said "No it isn't. It's just a stupid game designer for high school teenagers who are easily influenced by peer pressure" he said, his voice stern "How come you know so much about G&G?" I asked "I don't" he said "It's not what it looks like from where I'm sitting" I said "Is that right? Well looks are often deceiving. End of discussion" he said and I stayed silent for the rest of the ride.

All day, I felt like a caged animal. I never wanted to go to school so badly in my life. Escape from between the 4 walls of my room, from my dad's scolding and just be with my friends, investigating this crazy game. Instead, I was alone with my thoughts which seemed like the worst thing for me right now. I was laying in bed, trying to fight the urge of getting up and looking into the mirror. I was picking at the skin around my nails, biting my lip. I groaned and jumped out of bed, lifting up my shirt and looking into the mirror. I examined every inch of my torso, sucking in a breath and comparing myself in every angle, every way. I'm just bloated right? The doctor said it herself, I'm not pregnant. But what is she's wrong? She can't be wrong, she's a doctor.

I gasped, jumping a little when there was a knock on my door. I pulled down my shirt and got back into bed "Come in" I called out. Betty walked in and I sighed in relief, getting out of bed "Thank God it's just you" I said "Hey, are you okay?" she smiled as she closed the door and sat on the bed "Yeah, my dad's just overreacting" I said and she nodded "Are you sure?" she asked "Yeah, of course" I said "Alright. Listen, I think....i think my mom played G&G when she was young. She seems to know a lot about the game" she said "So does my dad, we almost had a fight over it this morning" I said "I think we need to ask them about it, confront them point blank" she said and I nodded "My dad's not going to be so easy to crack but I'll find a way" I said and she nodded "The school is taken over by the game ever since the game manuals appeared in the lockers" she said "It was probably Ethel" I said "Or maybe more people play the game and we just don't know" she said and got up "Alright, I have to go. I need to find Jughead" she said and I nodded "I'll talk to you once I find out something" I said.

The next day, I got dressed and ready for school. I walked by Betty's house and from there we continued together. "My dad didn't tell me jack. Only that he started playing it one day in school and that it's stupid" I said "Well my mom did" she said "Really?" I asked "Yes, and the chilling thing is all of our parents were in on it, it's so twisted. And what's more scary....Lila, the principle died one night. A bunch of kinds snuck into school to play the game, the principle came, my mom saw him. But for the news few days he was missing until they found him, dead and rotting away in school" she said "My God" I said "That's why they're so secretive about it. Mom thinks it might've been someone from their group, they named it the Midnight Club" she said "That's crazy" I said "I know, I don't even know what to think" she said "Yeah" I agreed. As we were approaching school, I noticed Sweet Pea, Fangs, Toni and Cheryl alongside Jughead, just a few feet away from us. "Oh, there's Jughead. I gotta tell him what I found out. I'll see you in class, yeah?" she smiled and rushed off before I could even say anything. I managed to avoid Sweet Pea all day long in school but just before I could slip away from him after last period, he caught my wrist "Hey" he said "Hi" I mumbled "How are you feeling?" he cleared his throat "Fine" I said, looking around "I'll drive you home, c'mon" he said "It's fine" I said "It wasn't a question" he said and I sighed "I don't like riding on the bike" I said "I have the car" he said "Kevin said he would give me a ride" I said "I don't see him anywhere" he said. I ran out of any excuses "C'mon" he said and led me to the car