Stage Fright

Chapter 9 ~ Apologies

Heather

It had been a long week, long. Today was Saturday, I couldn't even think anymore I was so mentally exhausted. I'd been to another rehearsal, done enough work to rot my skull out of my body and most exhausting of all, I had to pretend I was fine.

I wake up and immediately roll over, not in the mood for a sunny day. I just bury my head under a pillow and try to go back to sleep. 

Everything between Zeke and I was falling apart, I still kept ignoring him and staying away. I wanted to move on but I wouldn't just skip over our issues like they didn't happen. He hadn't apologized for how he treated me, but he kept showing up to take me to school. I wouldn't get on with him though, I started driving myself for the first time in ages. I wasn't going to give him the chance to abandon me again.

Julia had been there for me some, we'd chat and went shopping on Thursday afternoon. I just needed to forget about everything going on and distract myself.

After Wednesday night the rest of my week had been a little depressing. I just felt emotionless, walking through the hallways like a ghost. The only good thing had been Josh. I felt embarrassed that I'd cried like that in front of him, but I was so glad that he wanted to be my friend again.

He gave me his number before he left on Wednesday and I smiled. He offered to give me a hand with the show stuff if I wanted it. He also offered to do homework with me, apparently he was also in AP calculus, so he could lend a helping hand.

He was certainly right about the show, that I could leave everything at the door and just let go for a few hours. It made the practice yesterday feel a lot more fun. I had to work on my lines and my songs before Monday, apparently we were singing through 'summer loving' and 'we go together' at our next rehearsal.

Luckily I'd been so focused on my schoolwork all week that my weekend looked pretty empty. There was a party tonight at Taylor's house, she was one of the girls on the cheer team. I always got the feeling that maybe she didn't like me a whole lot, we just got along because we were in the same group of friends. And with all of the fighting Zeke and I had been doing, I was strongly considering skipping it.

I never skipped things, I always wanted to put forward a good impression and make sure I was around. But I wasn't in the mood to party.

I hear someone ring the font doorbell and I groan rolling over, hoping Eleanor would tell whoever it was to leave. I didn't want to see anyone.

I get up out of bed and walk to the closet to change out of my slip and put on some clothes for the day.

"Heather." I hear through the intercom system. I knew it was Eleanor and I walk out of my closet and over to the wall next to my desk.

"Yes?" I ask, pressing the button. 

"There's someone here to see you." She says and I groan.

"Who is it?" I ask.

"Zeke's here." She says and I shake my head. "He says he wants to talk to you." She tells me and I lean my head against the wall. "Do you want me to send him away?" She asks quietly and I sigh. 

"No." I mumble. We had to work this out, I was sick of fighting and ignoring each other. "I'll be down in a few minutes, I'm not dressed." I tell her and I walk back into my closet.

I just pull on jeans and a t-shirt, pulling my hair into a ponytail and putting in my contact lenses. I brush my teeth quickly and leave the rest of my morning routine for later. I walk calmly through the halls of my house and down my stairs. I wasn't going to rush around. I get to the bottom and he's standing in the foyer, leather jacket on, hair still buzzed right down to his skull.