Crazy Baby

Chapter 9

I got up out of bed, taking a deep breath. I changed into some clothes and put on my brace, grabbing my stuff for school. I couldn't believe I was finally going back. I didn't like it there and no one liked me but I was kind of happy to be going back and seeing Ava. She wasn't allowed to come visit me in the hospital.

I walked downstairs and ruffled Nellie's hair as I walked past her. She looked up at me from the seat she was sitting in to eat her cereal and gave me a big smile. "Glad you're back, Luka." She gave me a thumbs up before going back to eating her cereal.

I smiled at her then looked at the time. I rushed to my car before I could be late on my first day back to school. I knew I wouldn't like it there with how everyone would treat me and the teachers would pile more work on us but I couldn't help but be happy about the fact that I wasn't going to be seeing the same old blank room everyday again. I was happy about the fact that I could finally walk around without jarring pain and I could move around and go places after so long of doing nothing but lay down on the uncomfortable hospital beds.

I rush into the car and put my buckle on as fast as I can with the brace and bandages on. It was hard to drive with the brace and bandages but I pushed through it all the way to school. I wanted to be able to do things so badly, even if it hurt.

When I got to school, I parked my car and walked over to the entrance, hoping nobody would stare at me like they had the day before the incident happened. Maybe they heard what happened, maybe they heard I told the nurses and doctors that I didn't remember a thing that happened even though I did. Even though I remembered every moment of it.

I pushed open the door and walked into the school, heading to my locker. On my way there, I couldn't help but notice everyone's eyes on me. Even more people than that day. People would stop their conversations with their friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, and siblings to look at me walk by. I was uncomfortable. 'Why is everyone staring again?' I thought. 'Don't they have more important things to do?'

I made it to my locker as the hallways were silent except for the whispers of the people who leaned over to the people they were talking to before and pointed at me. They were probably talking about my visible bandages. I was uncomfortable with everyone looking at me as I took out my binder, closed my locker, and walked up the stairs and all the way to my class.

'Jeez', I thought. 'I wasn't even gone for that long. Was I?' I walked through the door to my class and hoped no one would be staring at me in there. My class didn't care what I did, or at least, when I wasn't a threat to them or they weren't threatening me.

I took a deep breath and placed my stuff on my desk, taking my jacket off as I sat down because it was super hot in the classroom. Maybe the AC was broken? I tried to mind my own business and go on my phone to play a game for the few minutes before class started but I couldn't help but feel the various eyes go on me as the room went silent.

'Oh shit', I thought. 'Not them too. What did I do this time? Is it because of my bandages?'

I look around the room as everyone stares at me and recoil a little as my eyes lay over them. My face goes a bright red as I put my jacket on and pull my hood over my head and look down. Ava wasn't here yet. She was absent for the first couple of minutes during class on Fridays due to a club she's in that meets during the morning. I wish she was here, though. Would she even sit with me if she was? Would she ask the teacher to move seats away from me?

'Dammit' I thought. 'Why won't the damn bell ring already?' The morning seemed to be going on forever as I listened to the whispers of the people who looked on at me. I didn't even know what they were talking about. I sat in my seat, wondering as the bell rang to begin class time, but the people who usually sat around me tried their best to find different seats to sit in that weren't as close to me. Luckily, the teacher had given me the notes and homework for the next week to give me time to catch up so I could either work during class or at home.

I stared into space as the teacher talked about the subject, thinking. What was everyone staring at me for? It was a repeated question going on over and over in my head. What were they whispering about?

Ava walked into class with her stuff and apologized for being a little late and the teacher let her off without warning. Just like every week. She sat in her normal seat, being the only one not scared to be around me that day. I sat and stared at her as she grabbed her pencil out of her case and a blank piece of paper. She began to write something not related to the lesson and when she was done, she placed a colorful card on top of it. I could see her blush as she slid the paper and the note over to me.

'This is why everyone's staring at you' the blank paper read. 'I wanted to invite you personally and had to reschedule it due to the events that happened...'

I pushed the blank paper aside and took the note to read it. I opened the note to a surprise. 'You are invited to my party! It's next week on Saturday, come anytime past 9am.' Below that, there was a line written in parenthesis that said, 'Just for you, Luka: we can have a sleepover when the party's over'. The note had her address on the other side of the note.

I looked over at her and smiled. Even if she couldn't see me smile because she was busy taking notes, I was still super happy about this.

I then realized why people were so shocked when they saw me. Everyone had found out I was going to be there as well. Of course, they would never pass up a chance to go to the house of the prettiest girl in the school, but it was still shocking to them that she had invited me.

I went through my other classes, collecting my work as I went along. I was glad none of them expected me to pay attention that day because I was so excited about the party, I couldn't focus on school. It was not only the first party that I've ever been invited to, but it also proved that I had a friend, someone who wanted me around.