Tumbling Down (Dance Moms Fanfic)

Not So Comfortable (Ch.14)

Drew: Where have you been?
Me: In a car, on my way here. Schedule?
Drew: Not yet. I do know I'm in room 2105 after homeroom.
Me: Yeah that's not with me. But whatever. All you really need to know is the whole school is a square, except for two hallways. The arts, FACS, band, choir, art, is down that hallway over there that looks like it leads into oblivion. And the gym and all the exercise related rooms are over there, down the other oblivion hallway. All of the offices, for counselors and the nurse and all of those people are where we are now. And all the rooms are marked who's in where. The room numbers that start with 1 are on the first floor, a 2 if they are on the second floor. Same as your old school I assume.
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Drew nods.
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Me: Lunch is in the middle, I guess you can see that, and so is the auditorium. You can probably see that too.
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The warning be sounds.
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Me: I've gotta run. But I'll keep my phone on. And just stay here, they'll get you sorted out.
Drew: Sounds good. Who do you sit with a lunch? In case we have that together? So I can be prepared.
Me: Oh, um, nobody. Later.
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I run off. Being unpopular again sucks.
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~*~*~*~*~*~
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Drew hasn't texted me today, but Hannah sure has. Like 50 times. I just end up not replying to her anymore.
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I rush into science happily, like usual. I can communicate with someone other than a teacher.
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Rock: So who were you talking to earlier?
Me: No need to say hello.
Rock: Hello.
Me: No. I had to force that-
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The bell rings.
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Me: Oh, can't talk now.
Rock: Hey, not-
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My phone goes off. Loudly. Thank god nobody has quieted down yet.
Rock: Oooh...
Me: Shh!
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I turn my phone on vibrate. Hannah texted me again. Again. You've gotta be kidding.
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"Is he okay?"
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Oh. My god.
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"I guess. He isn't in any of my classes, so I wouldn't know. But he hasn't texted me. I will let you know soon."
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Soon comes pretty fast. Fifteen minutes into class, someone knocks on the door. A secretary with Drew.
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After some talk with the teacher, and distraction from work, Drew is admitted into the class.
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Teacher: You can sit back there, behind Mackenzie.
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I look around, willing there to be another empty seat. There isn't. Shit.
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This isn't gonna be completely uncomfortable at all, haha, no way.
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As Drew walks past me, I see his phone light up in his pocket. Hannah, most likely.
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During lunch, I switched his name back in my phone, because I kept sending Hannah the wrong messages. I hold my phone in my lap, I text Drew: "text Hannah that you're fine. Tell her to leave me alone."
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A minute later, I receive the message: "I did. She won't listen". "Oh great" is all I can think to say.
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Putting my phone face down, I see a Folded piece of paper on my notebook.
I open it, reading Rock's handwriting: "Do you know him?"
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Uhhh...
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"Yeah. He used to live by Hannah. I didn't know he was transferring here. Or today."
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After sending it back, I just work on what in supposed to. I don't see a note come back my way, which makes me nervous.
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~*~*~*~*~*~
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I get maybe five minutes of peace after school before I have to get to Rock's car.
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The car ride is silent, except for the barely audible radio. I feel so tense I actually say out loud, "oh my god," when my phone goes off.
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Rock: You've been hearing that all day. I don't that really scared you.
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I don't reply. Nor say anything until the ride home is over. Or after I get out of the car.
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When I get up to my room, my phone goes off again. It's not Drew or Hannah. The only other person who would text me calls me names.
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"New boy living next to your old one. Heard you've known him for some time. Hope that doesn't become a problem..."
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I reply: "No it isn't. I just know him"
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"You getting with him like you got with everyone else?"
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"No"
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"Oh the whore is finally going Christian?"
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"Stop calling me that!"
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I really should just stop replying. But I don't.
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"Then stop doing what your doing. Simple as that."
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"No."
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"Did you just tell me no?"
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"Can't you read?"
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I'm only making this worse.
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"Can't you not be such a filthy slut?"
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I turn off my phone. I don't want to deal with this anymore.
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~*~*~*~*~*~
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Rock: I'm not worried about him, so don't freak out.
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My nerves don't fade. I figured he would be fine with the whole Drew thing, after thinking about it for a half hour. But what I'm worried about is the messages I had waiting for me once I turned my phone back on.
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Me(tense): I know.
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All that goes through my mind is those messages. Telling me that I better reply, or bad things would happen.
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I'm not sure what worse could happen, but I mean, I never imagined getting punched in the face either.
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Rock takes my left hand loosely by the fingertips, rubbing my knuckles. He wants me to tell him. He knows something's up. But I can't do it. It could chase him away from me.
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And I will not get back on that godforsaken bus. Or walk in the snow.
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Rock: What are you freaking out about then?
Me: N-Nothing.
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Yeah, cuz he so believes that.
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~*~*~*~*~*~
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It's 5th period and she hasn't come for me yet.
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Where is she?!?
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I sit in the library during free period, alone at a table, homework spread before me in various piles, separated by class. I'm working on history now, but cannot focus on who killed who in the Civil War. I'm only focused on the clock, the minutes ticking by, wondering when she'll come up and get me.
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"Where is she?" I keep asking myself. But I have no answer. My only solution to my jitteriness is to pack up and start roaming the halls.
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I walk down the front hallway, by all of the offices. I hold up my "free period" paper that they give us so we don't get in trouble for ditching class. My arm goes down when I look up, seeing Rock. I take an immediate left.
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He didn't see me, I don't think - thank god.
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And I'm extremely grateful when I open my locker to a couple pictures connected together that send horror to my face.
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The first one is of me and Rock, a caption that says, "Remember this? Thought it was cute, even though it was actually whorish?" The second picture is me talking to Drew the day he moved here. This caption says, "Well now he's here. Gotta make a choice. Can't be a slut forever. Only you and I know about this, correct? Well, if you don't end what's happening in the first picture, this will get out. And I can end it for you."
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Rock: Mackenzie?