The Silence Between Us

Today's a New Day

Chapter 30:

"Are you alright? You seem a little agitated today." Mae's concerned voice sounded from my right as she sat down at the table, her tray clattering.

"Yeah." I replied, twirling my fork around my spaghetti, refusing to take a bite.

I sensed the frown in Mae's tone as she leaned over closer towards me. "Stop playing with your food. It's making me nervous."

I huffed. "You sound like my mom."

"Maybe you need a mom's advice right about now."

I sighed, focusing on getting all the noodles on my fork like my life depended on it. "Maybe you're right."

"Lou." I kept my body hunched over my full plate of food that I knew I wasn't going to eat. About five times later that Mae said my name, I reluctantly turned my body to face her, not ready to hear her advice. I knew it was going to help, I just...didn't want to think about it anymore than I had to. The more I thought about it, the more jumbled my thoughts became.

"Louisa, listen to me. You need to do this."

"I know I do, but-"

"No buts, no what's, no coconuts." She interjected.

"Um...what?"

"Doesn't matter." Mae quickly replied. "All that matters is you need to do this. She's been bullying you for too long and it's about time you truly stood up for yourself. You know, tell Cora what's what."

I sighed again, resting my hand on my forehead. "Yeah you're right. I just wish everyone was here I guess for moral support." And when I said everyone, I really meant the one person who I haven't seen for weeks.

I was the first one to get here along with Clara since our fourth period is pretty close to the cafeteria. Mae like usual got here second and now we're just waiting on Alex and Finn.

Speak of the devil... "How are my girls doing?" Finn practically sang as he sat down next to Mae, slinging an arm around her shoulder like usual. Gosh darn they were so adorable together.

"Not good." I wailed miserably to my plate.

"Well have no fear, the amazing Finn is here!" Finn shouted, raising his fist in the air like a superhero.

"That doesn't help." I muttered.

Clara spoke up for me. "She's talking to Cora today."

Finn nearly choked on his water next to me, spitting out the liquid that was in his mouth. A few coughs later he turned to me, quizzically. "I'm sorry, you're doing...WHAT?!?"

"I talked to my mom." I said bluntly, hoping purely based on laziness that I wouldn't have to catch Finn up to speed. I took his silence as a means to keep explaining anyways so I did. "She was very...adamant about me putting Cora in her place. So here I am trying to put my life back into order I guess."

"Well then good for you, Lou!" Finn exclaimed.

I buried my face deeper into my hands. "Yeah, I guess. Except I'm going to die a painful horrible death if I do this and it might make things eight hundred million times worse than it already is now."

"Can't get much worse than it already is, Louisa." Alex suddenly said appearing out of nowhere and taking his seat across the table. I sighed for the third time, knowing that he was right but refusing to actually acknowledge it.