His Heart's Desire

33

Alice

"Alice. Come out, please. It's not your fault." Tracy says from outside the stall and another sob leaves my lips.

I wipe my eyes with my sleeves. "Go away." I whimper.

"No Alice we're not leaving. Please come out. I brought you a granola bar." Gen says.

I think it over for a second before speaking. "What kind of granola bar?" I ask quietly. It's quiet for a few more seconds before Gen mumbles.

"Oatmeal raisin..." she says defeated.

"Oh throw that shit out Gen no one likes raisins," Tracy yells and I hear the crinkling of a wrapper.

"And it's expired? Really Gen." Tracy says annoyed then her voice turns soft again. "Look, Ally. We can't help you feel better until you tell us what's wrong."

A shaky sigh leaves my lips and I stand up. I slowly open the door and Tracy stands there relieved.

"Wheres Gen?" I mumble.

"Here." She walks out of a bathroom stall crunching on the granola bar.

"Oh my god." Tracy rubs her temples frustratedly. "Can't stand her." She mumbles to herself and that gets a laugh out of me. Luckily Gen didn't hear it.

Gen spits it into the garbage. "Ew tastes like Diisobutyl Phthalate epichlorohydrin, melamine, urea-formaldehyde, and polyimides. Bleh!" She spits it out into the garbage and we look at her.

She meets our eyes giving us a stupid look. "Common chemicals in paper and cardboard? Get your facts right." Gen rolls her eyes and throws the granola bar away and it lands with a loud clatter.

Tracy rolls her eyes and looks at me. "Come here." She opens her arms I feel tears threaten again.

I hug her tightly and feel Gen wrap her arms around me too.

"What happened Ally." They ask.

"I found out something private in Nick's life. He didn't want people to know about it. But it's really bad. And he got mad at me." I say sadly.

"Of course he got mad. I'm sorry for you." Tracy apologizes.

"Don't be. He has every right to be but what hurts me so bad... knowing." I bite my lip and close my eyes. I can't tell them. It's Nick's private information. But I can't stand around and do nothing.

"Look I really just think you should go and talk to him. Every time you two got into a fight it was better after you talked it out." Gen encourages.

I nod and inhale a sharp breath. "You're right."

I left the bathroom with my thanks to Gen and Tracy and made my way down the halls in search of Nick.

I grip the strap of my bag and bite the inside of my cheek anxiously.

As I walk down the halls a light flickers and I can't help but think of every horrible cliche outcome. I mean come on. The light just flickered and if I see a monster at the end of the hall-

"Screw you!"

I gasp and stop walking when I hear that familiar voice yells down the corridor.

I pick up my pace and stop just where the hall turns. I look over the corner as quietly as possible.

My mouth drops when I see Nick holding a fearful Brodie by the collar and against the wall with Nelson behind him.

"You stay away from her. Do you hear me? You don't talk to her or even look at her when you walk these halls Brodie I mean it." Nick growls pulling his fist back and punching him in the face.