Salted Wound

Chapter 44 Anastacia

Jan. 7, 2019

My pencil taps on the desk so quickly that it creates a beat. The room is quiet and Harold's stupid video is playing on the screen. I turn to the empty chair that is normally filled with Zamari, but for the first time in a while, it's empty. He usually makes this class bearable and entertaining, always getting in arguments with Mr. Harold and then have Freddie chime in. But now the classroom is quiet and sad. What a great start to the last semester of high school. I turn my phone over to see if I've gotten any messages from Zamari. Nada. I quickly send another text asking if he was okay then turn my phone back around and lay my head on the table and close my eyes and try to sleep away this class.

    It isn't long till I hear the bell ring and the sound of chairs screeching across the floor. I lift my head up and quickly gather my things and get up.

    "Morning sleeping beauty," Esme says as she waits for me to pick up my water bottle.

    "Can it be break again?" I murmur.

    "God, I wish. Where's Zamari?" She asks, noticing his absence.

    "I don't know. He didn't tell me he was going to miss today and he isn't returning any of my texts. Probably something with the hospital," I shrug.

    "Wasn't he released already?" She asks.

    "He was, but Jade wasn't. She's still there and as far as I know, Zamari has been spending all of Christmas break at the hospital," I respond.

    "Well, damn. Don't tell that to Freddie cuz he almost spent the night outside the hospital when we went last week," she mentions and I laugh

    "We'll see how it goes, I'll try to call him again tonight and keep you updated," I say and she smiles and pulls me away from my desk and drags me out of the classroom.

---

    "Zamari, please, just call me," I beg. I press the end button and throw my phone on the couch and cover my face.

    It's 8:00 pm and I haven't gotten a single text or call from Zamari to tell me how things with Jade. It sounds silly and selfish, but I miss talking to him. I know he'd find some way to snicker an inappropriate comment about the situation and it would make me feel a tiny bit better. But now I can't even have that.

    "Still no call?" Strella walks in. She's wearing an oversized sweater that hides her belly bump a bit and some fuzzy pants.

    "It's fine, I'll try again tomorrow if he doesn't show up," I shake my head.

    "Don't stress him out even more, Staci. He has a lot on his plate right now, let him come to you," she says coming towards me and sitting right beside me.

    I turn the other direction so flutter my eyes to keep them from watering.

    "I know. I just miss him, you know?" I say and turn to her. She's giving me a pitying look. "Wow, I didn't think I'd ever say that." I chuckle.

    "Yeah, cuz you love him," she blurts out. I shoot her a look and wait for a second.

    "As a friend. Yes. I don't know, he just became a huge impact on my life, and it's not in a romantic way. When I first found out you were pregnant he was just the one person who knew what was going on and it was easy to talk to him because he understood my struggle."

    "Oh, so I was a burden?" She jokingly raises an eyebrow. I chuckle and shake my head.

    "No, it was just stressful cuz you would never give us an answer if you were going to keep peanut," I say placing my hand on her belly.