Stained

Chapter 26

Estella and I haven't spoken since the fiasco that happened in the cafe this morning. I know without a doubt she's calling to ask how I know Damien. Estella might be my friend but she loves to gossip more than she loves to party, and that alone says a lot.

I reluctantly answer it. If I don't, she'll come up to me in class. Yeah, I said it, class. She goes to the same college as me; I saw her in the lunch hall today. Thankfully, before she could spot me, I ran into the library. Running away is my speciality anyway.

"Hey!" Her cheery — as always — voice comes through the phone.

"Hey, what up?" I ask, getting straight to the point.

"Soo..." she drags on the word. That's the telltale sign that whatever she's going to say is going to be bad. I mean it's Estella, everyone knows whenever she drags on a word nothing goods going to come the others way.

So I wait for the worst to come.

"You know my birthdays coming up this weekend." I've never gone to Estella birthdays, because, well, her friend groups and I don't really mix.

To be honest, I don't mix with a lot of people. Whilst everyone communicates at get-togethers, I sit there silently, lost in my own world. So I avoid them as much as possible. In shorter words; I have social anxiety.

"This weekend, my place." Well, she certainly cut to the chase. Hell, she didn't even ask, but am I surprised? No.

" I can't," I answer in my most apologetic tone.

"Oh come on. You didn't come last year and you didn't come the year before that either, and the year before that one you weren't even in our school at that time. You have got to come this year, no excuses."

I didn't come because of my issues, that everyone seems to know about, including Estella.

"I can't. I'm sorry. I have homework." It's not a lie, I do. It's my second day at college and I already have five assignments to do.

"Oh common Hazel, birthdays only happen once a year."

I might as wel come out with it, she won't give up any other way. "Estella I love you, I really do, but me and your friends don't really mix...well. Remember Yasmine?" Yasmine, Estella's close friend in high school always figured out a way to be rude to me. On every encounter.

"Ugh, that slag. I don't talk to her anymore. We had a one night stand and she blamed me for taking advantage of her being drunk when I too was drunk. She's acting like she's not bi already."

"Estella," I prod. "It's not just Yasmine." Girls always hated on me in high school for some reason, when all I ever did was be nice to them. In both my high schools actually. There's probably something wrong with me, I never mix with any friend groups. Well not until Hannah and Sarah, but they are primary school friends.

"Oh come on, you owe me." Wait what? I owe her? since when? "Damien really embarrassed me this morning. All I did was act like a concerned friend, and ask what happened to your arm. He didn't need to go all crazy psycho on me. Everyone was looking, it was so embarrassing!"

Everyone was looking because of how loud you were, I want to say but don't.

"Please, please, pleaseeeee," she pleads.

She's not going to stop, I know she won't.

"What are you doing?" I sigh. I can't believe I'm agreeing to this.

"Yay!" She screams.

I wince, pulling my phone away from my ear. I think I heard two pairs of screams, but I'm probably just hearing things.