Not Like Before

Chapter 8

Laura's POV

When I got to school, Zay and Parker were interrogating Chandler. I didn't understand why until I saw him.

I gasped at how he looked, the whole left side of his face was bruised up and he had a split lip.

"Whoa, did you get ran over by a bus?" I ask, half joking. Chandler rolled his eyes. "No I got jumped in the park." He explained angrily. Wow, I guess not everything has changed. Random people still like to beat him up.

"By who?" I ask.

"That's what he won't tell us. He claims he doesn't know." Parker explained.  

"That's because I don't. Why do you care anyway? It doesn't concern you." Chandler spat and slammed his locker. Well he sure is angry.

"Fine, whatever. Didn't your parents ask questions though?" Parker sighed and asked again.

"Yeah and I told them the same thing I told you." Chandler said, walking away.

I shook my head and sighed. I can tell he's hurt, but he won't admit it. The thing I loved about Chandler was that he never hid when he was sad or scared, he would cry freely and he was so sweet.

I never thought he had it in him to be mean, before I moved back I'd only seen him angry a handful of times. And even then it didn't last very long. Now, that's the only emotion he was capable of showing. That and sarcastic.

It's so frustrating.

"I'm just waiting for him to be himself again." I said to Zay.

"Well don't hold your breath. This is him now." He shrugged, closing his locker and walking away.

Then and there I decided to make it my goal to somehow put that smile back on Chandler's face. That smile he had every time he was able to forget about the scary, cruel world.

Or how pure he was.

Flashback

Zay was sitting in the passenger seat, while Chandler and Laura were in the back. "So, none of you will be drinking any alcohol, correct?" Caleb asked. Laura and Zay said no while Chandler mumbled it. "Hey, kid. No alcohol right?" Caleb turned to look at Chandler. "You don't have to worry about him, Caleb. He's innocent." Zay answered for Chandler.

"I-I'm not gonna drink but I am not innocent!" Chandler argued, and Zay and Laura tried not to laugh. "What? I'm not!" Chandler protested. "Chandler do you know what 69 means?" Laura asked.

"What are you talking about? It's a number...?" Chandler said confused. At this, Caleb, Laura, and Zay all started bursting out laughing. "What? What does it mean?" Chandler asked. "You got a lot to learn, kid." Caleb said.

End of flashback

He's really not 'innocent' now. I guess that was a warning. Out of all the things that change, I somehow made myself believe that he never would.

Chandler's POV

Time is a really funny thing. It never really speeds up or slows down. However time, as immovable as it is, can feel so much faster or slower depending on the situation.

Like right now, sitting in first period listening to my teacher ramble on about the square root of who cares, 50 minutes feels more like a decade.

But when you're sitting around playing Uno with your friends during your freshman year of High School, you look at the clock and you're a senior.

I'm just being dramatic. But thinking of dumb metaphors for time and life is better than facing the harsh reality that I'm lying to everyone. 'I got jumped in the park.'

Wow, I sure have gotten good at this lying stuff right? If this was my freshman year I'd be sweating and breathing heavy and stuttering every sentence.

If the world has taught me one thing it's this: Smile, stay calm, lie, and everyone believes you.

You probably wanna know what happened to me don't you? Well, sorry. The thought of it sort of kinda makes me want to blow my brains out so let's not.

But the good news? My mom and Payton will be spared! Yay. Now don't get me wrong it's most definitely a good thing. Their lives just shouldn't have ever been threatened in the first place.

But most things that happen shouldn't. Like getting called on when you don't have your hand up, which is exactly what just happened while my brain was thinking up dramatic metaphors about time.

"I don't know." I mumbled to the teacher, Mr. Spears.

"You don't know because you weren't paying attention." He says, as if he's won. "Yeah." I shrug. Ha, this man thinks he scares me.

"I'm not gonna deal with the disrespect. Am I clear?" He asked. I can see that I'm pushing his buttons. But that's one of my favorite things to do.

"You asked me the answer, I didn't know it, and then you told me I wasn't paying attention. Did you want me to lie and say I was paying attention?" I ask sarcastically. He shakes his head, face red with anger.

"Office. Now." He seethes. I kinda wanted to laugh. I've been to Juvie, your office doesn't scare me.

Third Person POV

When Andy picked Chandler up from school in the middle of the day, he was admittedly annoyed. This was one of his only days off, and now he had to spend it giving another lecture on respecting your teachers.

Chandler got in the car and mumbled an apology. "Didn't think they'd call you." He said.

"It doesn't matter if they call me or not you have got to learn to be respectful, even when you're irritated." Andy said, buckling his seatbelt. He sighed when he looked at Chandler.

"Someone jumped you, huh?" He asked. He knew he should be more angry at Chandler for disrespecting his teacher, but it was Mr. Spears. The man's annoying.

"Yeah." Chandler said. Andy noticed how he shifted in his seat and avoided eye contact. He's lying.

"Mkay so what's the real story?" Andy asked, pulling out of the school parking lot. Chandler sighed. "You don't believe me." It wasn't a question.

"Your dad...." Andy began.

"Why does everyone think it's him? He's better now." Chandler cut him off. Andy nodded.

"Listen Chandler, I know things have been hard. With your parents and with—"

"Can we please not do this?" Chandler cut him off once more. Andy just sighed, and they rode home in silence.

A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed!