Three.
I don't make first period.
Or second.
Chances of Mum calling in for me are zero, so once I manage to get home and changed, I roll up in time for first break. The common room is a sorry sight. I'm not the only one who was late. Some people are here in body, the rest of them are missing somewhere in the chaos of last night.
I'd woken in a tangled mess with Rose's face stuck to my thigh, a memory of something else stuck too deep in my mind. Rose is no help for digging it out. She's made it on time, and shares her coffee with me, an open text-book on her lap she's half-heartedly making notes from.
"Have you seen Ben this morning?" she asks. I shake my head, brain rattling painfully, and pull my knees up, lying down on the bank of worn orange chairs.
"Why?"
"He's got a shiner."
"From who?"
"Some random guy at the party apparently."
"Someone from here?" I almost can't imagine his pretty-boy blues being fucked up. I can imagine he deserved it.
"Not sure, you can ask him yourself." She nudges me, and I peel open my eyes to see him walk in and throw his backpack on a table. His face is a busted up rainbow.
He looks over, but before I can open my mouth, he looks at me as if I'm a piece of shit and turns away.
I let it go for now, too hungover and tired to worry what I've done.
Jessie appears on my other side, and winces when she look at me. "You look terrible."
"Thank you. I love you, too."
"Seriously, are you sure you're even alive." She pokes at my cheek, "You're paler than the walls."
I try to smile but it hurts. "Probably not."
She fusses around, pulling stuff out of her bag, getting a drink, talking ten to the dozen. I groan and ask her to sit still.
She ignores me. "Why was Ben outside Gartside's office?"
"He was?" It's a pretty rare event that anyone does something enough to warrant the Head getting involved. He is the king of delegation.
"Yep, with this other boy I've not seen before."
Sparks of last night flicker just out of the corner of my eye. "No idea. Does anyone know who the other guy was?"
"I don't know, but you can see for yourself, he's walking outside now."
I sit up—lightening pain makes me close my eyes. But when I manage to squint into the bright light, I see him.
Collar up against the wind, shoulders hunched, head dropped, fists clenched white as they hold the bag slung over his shoulder. The bell rings, and the kids from the high school pile out into his path. He keeps going and they split and swarm past him, keeping a wide berth. I hear Ben calling him a freak. And other things I don't think fit. He disappears into the History building, somewhere I should have been a minute ago. I was going to skip, but I'm curious, because there's something I should remember, something about him. Something.
I pull my better self together and make my way to class.
AN: So much love for those of you flailing on FB and for sending others this way. You're all ace.
Kim & Choc have the patience of saints. I heart them.