Sinful Discovery

017

Chapter 17

By the time morning came, Sky was gone. Between Jamal and I, I woke up first and I had to bang plates over his head after my morning prayers before he got to wake up, groaning and cussing at me.

"Bro, fuck you," He rubs his eye extra hard. "I'm not going to school today. My head feels too heavy."

"I'm going to go shower," I start walking away. "Before I'm out, better be ready for your turn."

"Where's Sky?"

"Gone," I spat, then remembered the note he left behind, the note I threw into the bin. All it said was— thanks for the night x. Sky. Like, who on Earth says that? He's a complete butt for just leaving like that and writing just that like Jamal and  I were his lucky one night stands.

I actually see him as a friend and to think that I was looking forward to seeing his morning face. He ruined that for me. I think about Sky as I shower, completely mad at him but then I stop to wonder what ifs. What if he had an emergency? Or maybe he has somewhere to be really early in the morning and he didn't want to wake us all up? I hit my fist on the tiled wall, completely exasperated with myself. I'm making excuses for him without him even being here and I'm getting all worked up over nothing.

What exactly is wrong with me?

"Issy, you're using up all the water!" Jamal yells from outside and I don't know how long I've been here but I check my skin to see that it's pretty wrinkled.

"I'm coming!"

"You better not be," he shouts back misinterpreting my words. "That's my fucking bathroom."

"Gross, shut up Jamal."

-----

"Don't be so pissed," Mal says as our teacher entered the class.

"I'm not pissed," I lie. I am actually both because Sky left leaving just a flimsy note and because he didn't drop by at my locker as he usually did. Why don't I know his locker again?

"You are," Jamal insists. "People do that all the time, at least he left a note and it's not like he's our best friend all of a sudden. Maybe he was shy to let us see his morning face and him in a boxer. Or brief."

"Ew," I struggle to keep the image away. "And like I said, I'm not pissed. I just...what if he saw my bed hair and your drooling face and then bolted, decided we're not worth it?"

Jamal mouth open and closes, then he shakes his head. "That doesn't even deserve an answer. It's those things that make people stay, not run away."

"You don't know that."

"I know nobody cares about your hair."

"That's—"

"Mr Taylor and Cole, do you both need to be excused?" The teacher asks, squinting his eyes at us.

"No," Jamal and I both answer before making a zipping motion over our lips and fixing our eyes on our books.

Lunch time comes around and Darcy had a meeting with some club so she didn't come, some other students sit with us though, most of them from Mathlets. I try to blend into the conversation but it's about a teacher and maths so I'm mostly lost but I answer when asked something directly, otherwise I eat my lunch in silence while Jamal gists with them.

My phone buzzes and I quickly get it out, knowing that only one person texted me.

Meet me outside?

I smile at the text, finally. But then I frown, remembering what he did and his note. I quickly text back telling him that it's not Wednesday and I'm having lunch with my friends. After I send it out, I take note of my lie. It's only Jamal that's my friend here and right now, he's not paying any attention to me.