Fame's Revenge

Chapter 6: Then

Sometimes Liz only thought she imagined being ignored. Was she really ignoring everyone else? Was that girl waving at her? She vaguely recognized her from one of her classes, but they'd never spoken that she could remember. Was that boy smiling at her? She knew he was a senior this year like her, but she was pretty sure they didn't have any classes together. Was she really being dense?

She gripped the strap of her bag tighter and ducked her head, hurrying to class. As long as no one was staring at her, she found she didn't mind.

Much.

After being pretty much ignored most of her life, Liz rarely noticed this kind of stuff, but today felt like A Day. She felt even more like someone in the background of someone else's story, an extra on the set that was her life. Especially on a day like today when Shay was out due to some appointment - either with the doctor or the dentist, she wasn't sure. All she did know was that school days were worse when she had to go through them by herself. She lacked confidence. It felt so much better to have someone to hide behind, and Shay always stood up for her. Their dynamic fit them.

She went through the motions of going to classes and acting like she was paying attention to the teachers. Today her anxiety was just getting the better of her and, no matter what she did, what was coming from her teachers' mouths was as good as gibberish. It only served to make her more agitated. By the time she went to lunch she wanted to disappear and never reappear. She just wanted the day to be over already.

Shay came back right after lunch and Liz felt relieved. She let out a breath that she felt like she'd been holding all day. She was still tense, but she knew that it wouldn't get worse.

-

Shay slid into her desk, noticing right away the tense set of Liz's jaw. She knew right away what was wrong. She didn't feel the same worry or concern she normally would, which was odd, but she didn't care. Shay eyed Liz and turned her focus to the teacher. Why did she have to be here? She wanted to be alone today.

She propped her head up on her elbow and sighed. She felt bored and out of place. Would the risk of getting in trouble be worth texting Harry? She pulled out her phone and stared at it. Harry wouldn't want her to get in trouble texting him. Besides, she didn't really wanna text anyone, if she was honest. Instead, she sunk down in her seat and let herself get lost in her thoughts.

Before she knew it, class was over. "Shay!" Liz said, coming up to her. She looked relieved to see her, and Shay still didn't feel anything. "I've had one of the worst days."

Shay nodded and began stuffing her things she'd used for the class back into her bag. "What happened?" She didn't really care, but she felt obligated to ask.

As they began walking to their lockers in preparation for their next class, Liz told Shay what had been going on, confiding in her. Shay tried to listen, she really did, because she knew that she cared about her friend, but listening to her talk was taking every ounce of willpower she had. It's not that it was boring or that it wasn't stirring something like concern inside of her, she was just... not that interested.

She reached her locker and sighed. Why did she need to go to class? All they did was suck the life out of everyone who went. Still, she had to go. If she didn't, she'd be in trouble.

-

Liz watched her friend as they walked to their next class. She was acting so weird. It was almost like she 'd just checked out of her own mind and body. Liz frowned, but she left the girl alone.

When the school day ended, she asked Shay if she wanted to come back to hers and hear the original song she'd been working on. Shay didn't seem to care, but she obviously forced a smile and said okay. Liz was slightly hurt, but she could understand having a bad day. She'd had her fair share of them.