Prithika Singh would have told you that her love life was going great. After all, who could argue that the pretty cheerleader and the handsome quarterback with their sweet year-long relationship were anything less than a dream couple?
But Prithika i...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Once again, this chapter is unedited and I'd love any and all feedback! And I'd love to see thoughts/comments/reactions in the comments as you read! <3
(The color above is for brick walls.)
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THE TALK IN THE COURTYARD
A century's worth of thoughts ran through Prithika's brain as she kept staring. She could've sworn that she wasn't actually standing there at that moment, that this was all some kind of horrible awful nightmare that could not possibly be happening. She was vaguely aware of her fingers squeezing the plastic box of brownies so hard the ridges on her knuckles showed through, of the whispers and the movement starting up through the halls, of her feet suddenly turning cold in her shoes.
Julia was staring at her wide-eyed, like a mouse just caught in a trap. But the only thing that Prithika could even look at was Carter Hale, school heartthrob, star quarterback, seemingly perfect boyfriend. He didn't meet her eyes, staring at his sneakers as he shifted from foot to foot.
"Carter?" she prodded softly.
He finally looked up. "I...." he began. He cleared his throat. "We met over the summer and we spent a lot of time together and we realized...." he trailed off. Julia put her hand on his shoulder.
"I see," Prithika responded, suddenly colder and sharper, still not entirely sure what, exactly, she was seeing. She felt like her body had been trapped in ice. "Well, I have to get to class. Congratulations on your new relationship." She willed her legs to move. Miraculously, they listened. She took even steps towards U.S. History, half-certain she was floating.
People were talking around her, about her, but she didn't return the frequent looks in her direction. She didn't even stop to open the door to the classroom; someone else did it for her. "Thank you," she said numbly to the person without even looking at their face.
The teacher, Dr. Fawcett, fixed her with a reproachful look.
"I'm sorry I was late." Prithika mustered up the energy to look apologetic.
The spindly old woman softened just a little. "First day. I understand. Don't let it happen again."
Prithika nodded and took a seat. She didn't act like she was paying attention to any of the other students, focusing only on the generic class introduction. She didn't even deign a response when someone dared to tap her on the shoulder and asked her what she'd said to Carter in the hallway.
It went on that way for a couple more classes. Everyone was looking at her like a microwave someone had chucked a fork into, expecting her to blow, but she held it together somehow. The only indication that something very, very wrong had happened was how dangerously calm she was; she wasn't smiling at people in the halls, she wasn't chatting with her friends, she wasn't giving random people compliments, and she certainly wasn't linking arms and laughing with Carter Hale.
