Stage Fright

Chapter 34 ~ The Recording

Heather

Fuck me.

It had been three days but I was finally back at school, Josh was certainly right about me staying home from practice on Wednesday, I wasn't much better the next day. Thursday I was doing better, but I thought I would benefit from one more day of rest. I still wasn't perfect, but I couldn't keep missing days of school, plus I had a rehearsal today. 

People were looking at me like I came back from the dead, I couldn't understand why either, I told my friends I was sick and word gets around. 

The only nice thing had been Josh coming to see me everyday after school. He'd stop by and we'd watch something together. I wouldn't let him kiss me or spend the night though, I didn't want him or anybody else to be as sick as I was. I was alright now, the only lasting thing was my sore throat, I didn't get dizzy anymore which was the most important for coming back to school.

The only problem was the absolute mess of material that I'd missed. I was so behind in my work, I had so much to do this weekend. These classes meant everything to me, I really liked working and learning but I needed to concentrate to get back on top of it. 

After a long morning of sucking down cough drops it was lunch time. I asked Eleanor for fruit, I wasn't in the mood for much else. I quietly walk to the cafeteria and sit at my table.

"Heather!" Hailey says and I smile.

"She's back." Taylor adds, clicking her acrylic nails on the back of her phone.

"Hey." I wheeze out and they all furrow their eyebrows. 

"Oh god, you sound like a chain smoker." Julia laughs, sitting next to me and I chuckle. "So how was your trip?" She asks and I smile.

"Good, other than the fact that I brought this cold back as a souvenir." I tease.

"We all chatted and we managed to find notes from the classes you missed." She says. "I'll send them to you."

"You're a saint." I smile and she nods. The boys quickly walk into the cafeteria and fill up some of the chairs around the table.

"Hey babe." I hear and I see Hayden slide into the seat next to Julia, giving her a kiss. I felt momentarily jealous. I wanted that, my secret boyfriend was getting harder and harder to cope with. But a part of me liked that we weren't in the public eye yet, nobody could scrutinize our relationship.

I watch Josh walk across the cafeteria and I feel my cheeks get warm. He sends me a friendly wave and joins his friends at a table. I wish we could sit together so badly.

"Heather, when are you going to give in and date the poor boy?" Taylor asks. "I thought you wanted to." Everyone at the table has stopped talking now, as if waiting to see what I'd say.

"I-um......I'm just taking some time right now. I want to process how everything ended with Zeke before I jump in with someone else." I say and she shrugs. 

"Any chance you're looking for someone right now?" Trevor asks, picking at his cuticles. "I'd show you a nice time, think about it, homecoming queen and king-"

"No thanks." I tell him and everyone at the table laughs at the near instant rejection.

"Ouch, just an offer for lonely nights." He says and Taylor turns and flicks him in the forehead.

"Cool it dumbass." She says and he backs off. 

I have someone for lonely nights, his name is Josh Baxter.

"That's cute, when did you get it?" Julia asks, pointing to my necklace and I smile.

"Oh, recently." I tell her. "I thought it was kind of sweet." That was mostly because Josh's matched mine but she didn't know that. Luckily, his tended to stay inside his shirt collar.