Salted Wound

Chapter 46 Anastacia- Jan 22, 2018

Zamari sits far from me. He's been coming to school for a few days now, but he's been avoiding me and the whole group. Hayes walks around the classroom helping students pick out sources for our new upcoming essay about mental illness. We have 2 minutes left of class and I'm getting antsy. Once the bell rings I quickly get up and start putting my stuff in my bag and hope to catch Zamari to talk, but when I look up half a second later he's gone. I groan and slump away with my group. Dante and Noah look back to see if Zamari followed me, but nothing. They give me an apologetic look and I shrug.

    They moved our classes a bit this semester, so our fourth-period class turned to our third-period class and our third- period class turned into our fourth-period class. So now I have study session with both the group and with Zamari back-to-back. Well, if Zamari ever shows up. Even though he's been coming to school, he's been skipping on study sessions and he announced he's going to stop coming because of Jade. I can't let that happen. He needs us.

    We walk to our study room in the library and we slump in our seats. I remember when we all used to be engaged in the study room and not slow down, but lately, it's been pretty dead. Esme and Dante sit on one side of the table and Naomi and Noah sit on the other. That leaves Freddie and I are across from each other. We each take out our own papers and work in silence. I hear Dante and Noah have a small conversation but I don't bother listening. I'm lost in my head wondering if Jade is okay.

    Around this time Zamari would probably make a joke about crickets being in the room or just say some inappropriate joke to lighten the mood, but it's quiet instead. God, I really miss him. Especially lately when Estrella's new hobby is to complain about the world. He'd probably spend time with her and she's calm down a bit. Or in class, he'd sugar talk Harold into giving us less work. Or the best of all, he'd bring us food!

    "Ana, have you talked to Zam?" Dante asks. I shake my head, not looking up.

    "He called me last week and said he's done with study sessions. Haven't talked to him since," I mutter.

    "Is it because of Jade?" Noah asks.

    "Yeah, I'm sure."

    "Is he just going to drop out of school? He's not staying enough hours, they can pull him from graduating," Esme jumps in.

    "Yeah, well, he's deciding to do this. I tried getting him to come since school started and I got nowhere," I say throwing my pencil on the table. They all stare at me, pity in their eyes. "And want to know the worst thing? Before school started I at least knew he and Jade were okay. When he answered last week he told me everything was fine, but when he answered it sounded like he was done with school. Like he was done with everything and including me." I begin my rant.

    "I completely understand that his sister is in the hospital, but he can't just give up on his education when he still has the opportunity to keep going. I've tried going to the hospital to see if he'll see me, but it never works. So why am I going to waste my time now if I'm not getting anywhere?" I finish. I feel my face flush and the familiar feeling of water springing out of my eyes.

    I hear a book slam shut and we all turn to Freddie who is jamming his work in his backpack. "Put your things away." He demands.

    We all look at him confused. "Hurry up!" He orders.

    We all do what he says and Esme comes and hands me some tissues. Freddie walks out of the room and we all follow him. We leave the library and go to the parking lot to where Freddie's car is parked.

    "Hurry up, get in,"

    "Freddie, where are we going?" I ask.

    "The hospital. If Zamari can't come to the study session for that reason, then the study session will go to him. It'll help Jade as well," he says unlocking the door.