Love, Drugs, and High School

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Annabelle

          “I’m really sorry about last night,” my uncle said to me as he drove me to school. “I didn’t want you riding in the car with him. They aren’t people that you should be hanging out with, Annabelle. Not that you are, but I’m just saying.”

          “I know,” I said quietly, not wanting to admit that I knew him. Serves him right anyways.

          “I still do feel terrible about making you walk. I know it’s not that far, but I still feel bad. I just don’t want you riding in the car with them. My job puts me in danger, but I don’t want to jeopardize you.” He said, rambling on.

          “It’s ok.” I said shortly. I didn’t really want to talk about anything. Looking at myself in the mirror in the blind, I saw that I really did have serious bags. Sleep wasn’t something I was getting very much of lately.

          “See you after school,” my uncle said, sounding corny as ever. I just walked away, looking straight down at the ground. I didn’t want to be here. Apparently looking down at the ground wasn’t a good thing to do, because I ran right into someone. More like we crashed into each other.

          “Sorry,” I heard a familiar voice grumble and I looked to see that it was Ryan. He looked all out of sorts and was being stared at by everyone he walked by. Part of me did feel bad for him even though I didn’t want to.

          His gaze lingered on mine for a second which seemed like a second too long. Something was different in that moment; something awkward and very uncomfortable.

          “So I’m guessing you heard, right?” Linzie’s voice asked as she walked up behind me.

          “What?” I asked, even though I really didn’t care at all.

          “Ryan got arrested yesterday! By the police chief! Can you believe that? I have been waiting forever to see that happen.” She continued to ramble on, but I didn’t really want to listen. Everyone had their own struggles. I would know; I lived through mine every day.

          “Don’t you agree?” She asked me when she was done ranting and raving. I had no answer for her because I wasn’t really listening.

          “I don’t know,” I said, answering her in the only way that I could. “I have to get to class,” I said, just wanting to get away from the awkwardness of talking to people. I would much just rather be alone.

Ryan

          I’m not sure how the day passed, but it did. There was no way that I could feel any different. I was screwed. There was no way else to put it.

          Going to the library was the last thing I wanted to do. It would have been rather easy just to skip out of it before, but now I couldn’t do that. I had to stay here. I didn’t want to even find out what the punishment would be if I didn’t.