(Unknown)

Chapter 8

        I heard nothing from Oliver for the rest of the week at school, but I did see him in the halls between classes and in the cafeteria. He never even attempted to speak with me again, which for some reason, disappointed me. I wanted to know if his story was real or if I had been correct in assuming that it had been a mean joke thought of by him and his friends. 

        

        When I did see him around school, it was most often when he was with his group, but sometimes it was on his own. Something I noticed on Wednesday was that, when he was alone, he seemed a bit dispirited. It was almost like he put on a mask of happiness when he was around the guys, but I don’t think it was a very good one. At the lockers, I heard Zeke and Carter speak of their concern for Oliver, they had mentioned that something was different about him now. 

        

        It was these mentions of worry for their friend that made me begin to believe Oliver’s story, but then another thought entered my mind. His downheartedness may not have been because of me and what had happened between us, there were a many number of things that could have made him act the way he was. He could have trouble at home, or he have been failing a class, or maybe he was in a fight with someone. It was actually a little sad to see him walk around in that way. 

        

        It wasn’t just Oliver though, none of the boys spoke to my friends and I, not for anything. Carter and Zeke pretended not to notice my presence when we were at our lockers at the same time, Tanner didn’t even attempt to tease me in the hallways, and Nath wouldn't sit anywhere near me during Comm Tech class. It was peaceful, yet very unsettling. I started to think that they felt guilty about what had happened between me and their friend. My firm hold on the belief that it had all been a prank began to slip, at this rate I would lose it completely. It had to be a prank though, I thought to myself each time my doubt began to take over, I bet Oliver had never even seen the Lord of the Rings movies, let alone read the books. 

        

        The girls slowly went back to their old selves, chatty and loud. Our daily routines continued and they stopped treating me like an invalid, but I could tell that they were still being careful. I’m sure that they had noticed Oliver walking around like a sad puppy as well, and they probably had the same idea that I did. Addie was like a nurse, making sure that I was happy and comfortable, it was very sweet. Zana did her best to be distracting whenever she thought she saw any of the guys, bringing up any possible topic. Vicky and Cass were acting much the same way, but they were more there for morale it seemed. I appreciated all of it, everything they did for me was because they cared, but now it was just getting frustrating. I just wanted my friends, not my social workers. 

        It was Friday again, my favourite day of the week was now even better since the awkward debacle had made school a not-so-great place to be everyday. As much as I loved my friends, it was a bit of a relief when we arrived at my stop. I was totally ready for two days of home and being at Covernotes. I had worked a few times during the week and I found that it functioned as a great distraction. 

        I walked the few steps down the street from the bus stop to my driveway, happy to be home for a few hours before my shift at the café. I was ready to sit in my room, eating leftover chicken wings from the night before and re-watching Supernatural episodes on Netflix. Sadly, my plans for relaxation did not seem to be what the universe wanted me to do, again.