A Walk in Your Shoes

CHAPTER 26

It's been two weeks since the party. Dad punished me the following week. I spent it coming straight home from school, with no friends. However, it's not like they were hanging out with me anyway. I deserved the punishment. Dad wasn't too mad, and he'd been there before as a teen. He told me I should make better choices when I'm upset. He was, however, happy that I made it home safely and that Flint didn't drink.

As for Flint and me, he's been a little weird. We don't talk much other than through text. I'm pretty sure he was turned off by my behavior, and to be honest. I am too. Our class activities have been individual projects only, so we don't say much in class either.

Even with the little interaction, I decided to go to his family picnic tomorrow. I'm looking forward to escaping town for a bit to clear my head. It's been a long two weeks of being ignored by Cam and Rose. Tanya tiptoes around me. I've been spending time in the music room at home, and it's been really great for relieving my stress. I either spend hours banging on the drums or singing. I've sent a few of my songs to Flint, and so far, he's given me some amazing tips and even said he took one of them and started writing lyrics to it.

It's Friday afternoon, and I just finished doing some editing for Mr. Shepherd for the newspaper. It's ready for publication and will go out next Friday. I'm looking forward to this semester's issue. We publish them at the end of each semester as a review of what is going on. After this one, we have one more at the end of the year, and I'm a little sad that it will be the last one I'll write for the Brooke Wood High Gazette.

I head towards the parking lot when two familiar voices echo in the hallway. I press my back against the wall and listen in from the other side of the hallway.

"Rose, you have to tell her, or I will."

I've never heard Tanya use that tone with Rose before. I may have only heard one sentence, but I'm almost positive that the "her" they are speaking of is me.

"I can't...."

"Rose, she's supposed to be our best friend. I've kept this secret from her for what feels like a lifetime. I think it's time you came clean. She deserves to know what he's done, so she can officially end it," Tanya says.

"He says they've broken up."

The words that leave her mouth cause a sharp pain in my chest. I'm not sad that Cam thinks we're already broken up. It's more so that my best friends have been keeping a major secret from me. I can't wrap my head around it or my heart.

"And anyway, she'll hate me forever. So, it's better to let her think that I don't want to be her friend anymore." She sniffles.

"Look, I know she'll be pissed, and I don't know what she'll-"

"That's just it. She'll hate me," Rose says.

She's having a hard time continuing as the sobs become more frequent and they echo through the empty halls.

"This has been going on since January. She has a right to know...."

What happened in January? That was the party and the night of the Battle of The Bands. All of them started acting strangely after that night. Nausea rises in my stomach. I have to know what they are talking about. I'm tired of being the odd man out. If I'm ever going to get anywhere with Flint, I need to settle things with my friends first.

"I can't tell her...."

"Tell me what?" I step out from behind the corner, and both of them jump.

Rose has her back towards me. Her body stiffens at my voice. She spins slowly. Tears running down her cheeks.