Separate But Not Equal

Chapter XXXIX

I literally don't even have an excuse for not updating for like 3 months. Soooo

Lauren scans me up and down and then slides past me.

"See what you've done, I hope you're happy now," she mutters.

"What's wrong with you?" I snap, catching her attention.

"Excuse you?"

"I said, what the hell is wrong with you. Do you have some sort of problem with me?"

"Ivory, everyone in this school has some sort of problem with you," she laughs.

"Not everyone in this school takes time out of their day to threaten and harass me, at every opportunity."

"What are you trying to say to me."

"I'm asking you what I've ever done to you. WHY ARE YOU SO OBSESSED WITH HURTING ME?"

That's not what I meant to say.

That came out wrong.

I wasn't supposed to shout at one of the people who is considered most important in this school.

"You think I'm obsessed with you?" she scoffs. "Trust me, Ivory, I couldn't be less worried about you if I tried. I just think that every now and then you deserve to know how much your life doesn't matter."

I ignore her staring at Christopher's retreating shadow moving further away.

The anger that previously controlled all my thoughts and actions slowly disappears.

I care about him.

Right?

Right.

And if I've learnt anything from the few family members that I have it's that when you care about someone, you simply want them to be happy, no matter what happens.

So, If I care about Christopher then I should be happy knowing that he's happy.

Even if he's happy with... Lauren.

I briskly try to follow the direction that Christopher left in, unconsciously making my steps as silent as possible.

You're being intrusive again.

Just mind your own business, Ivory.

My body and my brain seem not to agree today, because my brain is telling me to do one thing and yet my body is doing the complete opposite.

"What do you think that you're going to do now then?" faint voices that sound oddly familiar whisper to each other.

'Eavesdropping, even better,' my brain scolds.

"I don't know, Alex. It's just, I-I just... don't know, okay."

A loud bang vibrates around the school shortly after.

I follow the voices across the hall, and right outside of the gymnasium, slowly looking through a slightly ajar door.

The voices become clearer and so does the owners of the voices.

Alex and Christopher.

Alex casually leaning against the wall while sitting on the floor, with a smoke in his hand.

Christopher pacing back and forth in front of a brick wall, holding his right fist tightly.

A red bruise gradually spreading from the knuckles of that hand, as if he just hit something with it- Ohhh.