Absent

Chapter 14: Not-so-secondary friendships

"So... who's the mysterious boy who's been driving you to school?" Vicky asks as I enter her Hyundai IDS, dropping my bag and books (which I recently bought) next to me. I smile to myself.

"It's a friend."

"Ohhh, a classmate? Are you finally hanging out with them?"

"An older friend." I correct her.

"Oh, don't tell me it's your sister's boyfriend." She says, losing interest.

"Actually, he's my-"

"-Your boyfriend!" Vicky interrupts, excited to her bones.

"No. He's just my friend. But-"

"-you do love him, don't you?"

I open my mouth, only to close it again. How can I approach her if she's jumping into conclusions. I steal a glimpse at Jimmy for help. He catches it and whispers to Vicky. She looks disappointed. "Fine, I'll let her talk first. So, Heather, what do you want us to hear but comment only once you're done?"

I laugh but appreciate the effort. "I need best friends." I admit. "I need someone with whom I can explain what's happening in my life, without him wanting to kiss me."

"So you do have a boyfriend!" Vicky screams. Jimmy kisses her and moves his head to the side. She understand the message, and allows me to continue.

"On one side, there's Chester. On the other, there's Alex." I explain. Vicky seems more than tempted to ask who Alex is. Jimmy takes compassion of her and says it himself.

"Who's Alex?"

"He's a senior, Alex Magalski. And there's a lot about him..."

I spend almost the entire ride explaining everything that has happened between Alex and me, and Chester and me. I also tell them that Alex's heart transplant is scheduled for October third. They listen with an occasional comment, but ultimately, they're good listeners to every detail.

"Okay, let's get the facts straight." Vicky says, after I'm done. "Chester's very direct but cute, and emotional. You sacrificed yourself for him. And you're jealous about him and this Gissele slut. Alex is ridiculously hot -I still love you, Jimmy-, his father was the drunk that hit you with his car, and you're more worried about him than for yourself. Am I right?"

"Not a single thing wrong." I agree, shaking my head. They're both, Chester and Alex, so connected to me.

"Then, the only way to decide is to ask yourself who do you love the most. Who do you love the most, Heather?" Vicky asks, as she parks the car in the school parking lot.

"I'm not sure I love either of them... I mean, I can't deny that I like them, but what if I only like them as friends?" I answer, suddenly frustrated that the conversation has taken me nowhere.

"Heather." Jimmy says, facing me tenderly. "You're an amazing girl who's gone through terrible things, but are you going to lie to me, saying that you didn't save Chester because you love him? Or that you didn't forgive Alex almost instantly once understanding he's in danger? Heather, what you need to do right now is to sort everything out, and then you're going to see clearly which owns your heart."

I smile and nod. Jimmy almost sounds like my gay friend, except he's not. He's all for Vicky, and she's all for him. That relationship, as well as Galileo and Lindsey, began a few days later after I fell into coma. I guess that the shock was so much for them, that they needed someone to replace me, until they could accept the news.

Galileo and Lindsey.

That reminds me...

-------------------

I exit my History class, after gaining a detention for not presenting my homework. Apparently, having health issues isn't enough any longer. I don't really care. I'm trying to spot Gissele-

Yes! I see her, flirting with some guy I don't know. It doesn't matter. I have enough proof to know that she's not in anything serious with anyone. I push people out of my way and finally reach out to them.

"Gissele, I'm Heather Peacock. We spoke the other day. Can we have a word in private?" I say nicely. She smiles and kisses the boy's cheek. I take her to the girls bathroom and make sure there's no one else in here. "Gissele, we need to talk."

"Alright, what is it?" She answers, not so quite matching her sweet tone of before.

"Chester Reese's not available." I say, straight to the point. Gissele giggles and opens her bag. She draws out her lipstick and applies it, while staring at her reflection on the mirror.

"Yeah? And who are you to decide that? Because last time I dared to check, you were fleeing school with Alex Magalski. Am I wrong?"

"Do not bring him into this." I say coldly. Her make-up session ceases, and she examines me judgingly.

"Why, sweet girl? He's dying, isn't he?"

Two seconds.

It takes me two seconds to grab her by the hair and punch her in the stomach. She kneels, gasping for air, and making an effort to recompose herself and fight back. I have no desire to stay and let her, but when I'm about to open the door and exit, she pulls me to the floor too, and throw her make-up mirror at my face. I place my hands on time, and the broken glass doesn't hurt me badly.

This bitch called for it.

I stand up and launch at her, pushing her with all my weight against a wall. She reveals something in her hand; a piece of glass. Before I can stop her, she hits my face with it, and instantly I feel the cut burn as it's exposed.

But she's hurt too.

As I walk away, hand on my left cheek, she places both her hand on the back of her head and complain loudly of how much it aches.

And, for the sake of both of us, Mrs. Celeste arrives and puts an imminent stop to our battle. She takes us first to the principal's office, where Mr. Klein demands to know the cause of our actions, and calls our parents to come pick us up. Then he insists in us paying a visit to the infirmary. The school nurse attends Gissele first, but only recommends she lies down (after she threw up). Then with me, she applies some medicines and creams to my wound, and though I don't listen to her, I catch some sentences such as; "Could've gone worse. They could've killed each other. You lost a lot of blood. Aren't you that girl from the incident a year ago?"

She's right about something: the loss of blood leaves me dizzy and unable to walk. The nurse sighs and tells me to rest.

I don't get enough rest before Jimmy, Vicky, and Chester are all next to my bed, pleading for the details. But I wish Alex had come today to school, because I want him to hold my hand and gift me his smile.

And I can't help but notice that no one pays a visit to Gissele, except for a boy Lindsey's age, that she immediately sends away and pretends to be asleep. Who was him?