Finally another chapter! I left you guys hanging too long, didn't I?

In this chapter, there is a mentioning of rocket dogs. They are a type of shoe brand. Just for anyone who didn't know.

So, here is chapter 9 of The Novelty Called Love:

Chapter 9-

A Wait For Disaster

The hallways were quiet- almost as quiet as yesterday morning, when I first walked in alone. But this time, an even and steady breath walked along side me, giving me worried looks every other second.

As much as I thought I would like to have Courtney feel sorry for me, to want to help me, to feel a bit of worry- I didn't. I was beginning to hate it. What happened to the girl who had yelled at me yesterday? She sure wasn't here.

I tripped a little bit over my own two feet, and Courtney grabbed me tightly. "Are you okay?" I nodded. I felt… awkward under her grip- but an okay kind of awkward.

"Courtney!" A voice came from behind, footsteps growing louder.

I sighed. Not her. Anyone but her.

Danielle's brown hair swayed as she came to a stop in the middle of the hallway. "What's up, Dunk?" She smiled, and that's when I noticed- she had some damn sharp teeth.

Courtney looked at her with disapproval, her nose scrunching up. "This is the hallway; not a track race." I rolled my eyes. There was the Courtney we all knew.

"Oh shut up mom!" The brunette cracked her knuckles, staring at me in confusion. "What's the punk doing here?" She beat the heels of her rocket dogs together, as if she were preparing for a long run.

"Shouldn't we be asking you the same question?" Though I meant for it to come out threatening, it sounded very congested. It's hard to seem tough when you're sick.

Danielle frowned. "Oh, we got a plague going around school now."

My eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Alex is sick at home, too." She shrugged. Then she shot back, "Not that I care!" She chomped on her gum, quite loudly, her face red.

Courtney smirked. "I've been meaning to ask you about that, Danielle. What's up with you and him anyway?"

"What-"

"Oh come on!" Courtney's arms flared up above her head. "We all know you like him! You giggled when he winked at you yesterday in algebra!"

Danielle face went red with chagrin. She began to stutter. "W-well why are y-you walking him down the hall? S-so you can go make out in the j-janitors closet?" She smiled a little, happy that whatever had been exposed about her was not half as bad as what she had just said.

Courtney stood there, her mouth open wide. I grinned. "Sounds awesome." She shot me a look, but nothing more. I frowned. What was wrong with her? Why wasn't she angry? She was supposed to be furious!

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who noticed it. "Court? Aren't you gonna kick him in the balls now?" Danielle seemed eager for that to happen. I was really beginning to hate her.

"No." Courtney said. "And, for you to know- we're going to the nurse. Not the janitor's closet." She tugged my shirt. "Come on."

I began to walk again, but then Danielle was blocking our way. "Hey, I'm heading there too!"

"Why?" I said, exasperated and heartbroken- we were so close to being away from her. And being alone again…

She looked at me, her face covered with fake confusion. "It almost sounds like you don't want me there." Showing her sharp teeth, I almost heard a growl. "I'm going because of this." She only looked at Courtney, and then lifted her left part of her jean.

"Oh!" Courtney said, and I gasped in disgust. Danielle had a huge chunk of her leg- just gone. I'm not sure I've ever seen any wound as bad as that, and I saw some hardcore crap in juvie. "How did that happen?" Courtney bit her bottom lip, looking a bit queasy.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She smiled. "Let's go guys- they have lollipops!" Danielle ran down the hallway, her ponytail swinging behind her.

I turned to Courtney. "Your friend is insane." My eyes narrowed. "And a bit rude."

Courtney sighed. "I know."

***

"No, I want the RED one!"

A sucker was thrown across the room at a fast speed, right as the door opened. A boy with black hair and a green shirt with what looked to be a handprint on the front. His green eyes crossed when he was struck with the agile piece of candy, and shot Danielle a dirty look.

Danielle smiled nervously, and took the new sucker from the nurse's hand. "Thanks Doc. I'll try to stay off the leg for a bit."

A large black man turned to us in a nurse's outfit, and I recognized him as the lunch lady- I mean man. It was really nasty too- he was wearing a skirt.

"You can't drive maggot! Make you sure you don't drive!" He yelled at her aggressively, but Danielle was unaffected, and headed back to the green eyed boy.

"Whatever, Hatchet." She smiled at the boy. "Later Trent- have fun with Gwen." As she walked out, I saw Trent sneered and heard Courtney giggle. He headed over to us in a rush, eyes on Courtney.

He grinned. "Is this Duncan?" He looked at me, smiling. I gave him a small smile, but nothing else. Whoever this guy was, I wasn't sure I could trust him yet.

Courtney nodded. "Yeah, that's him."

Trent held out a hand, and I shook it. "Cool to meet you, man." I said.

Trent nodded. "You too." He looked at Courtney, then back at me. "You know what Duncan? You're actually pretty cool." I coughed a bit, and his smile faded. "Sick?"

"Yeah," I said. In a whisper now, I lean in toward him. "I think it could have been the food…" And as if his name was called, the nurse turned around, eyes suspicious. I waved him off, and thought up an excuse quick. "Just telling him my locker combination." The man shrugged it off, obviously having no concern for the well being of my items stored inside my locker.

"Oh." Trent nodded. He beamed at Courtney for a few seconds. "Isn't your mom a nurse?" He already knew the answer, but was asking out of politeness probably.

Courtney sighed, but said yes. "She's busy though… in a way." She rubbed her arm, eyes on the floor.

"Busy how?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. You can go to her tomorrow." Courtney breathed out her sentence, sighing again.

"Okay." My eyebrows furrowed. There was something she wasn't telling me. I left it alone though.

Trent noticed the tension and looked towards the door. "I guess I better go…" He headed to the nurse… or the chef, and handed him a note. Then he was out the door and gone.

For some reason, I felt even sicker, even though I had been given a few pills. I knew that I wasn't probably going to be here at school tomorrow, and I would probably just go over to a street, spray paint some stuff. Paint fumes were the best remedy for a cough and cold. At least that's what I thought. The Chef has told me that I needed to stay in for a few days, but I wasn't listening to whatever he said.

A small voice interrupted my though process. "We need to get back to class, pig. So stop drooling and let's get out of here." I wasn't sure I had heard what I just heard. I turned to her, to see her face red and mad again. I almost smiled in joy- there she was. The real Courtney.

"What?" I said, just to hear her again.

She fumed irritation in her voice. "I said lets go you stupid Neanderthal. My grade isn't dropping just because you feel like wasting your life away here." And with that, she was up, and halfway out the door. I got up and caught her arm before she could leave.

"Thanks." I said, smirking.

She just stared at me for a long second, and I let it hang. The look on her face was enough to make me grin quite widely, but I held it in. I was hoping that this would cease her worry, not further her agitation. And if I grinned anymore than I was right now, she probably wouldn't take me seriously.

After the long silence, she spoke. "You're welcome."

As we headed through the hall, we let the quiet stay. It was comfortable, and I enjoyed it. Every other second I might catch her looking at me, and then she would blush. Sometimes I might accidently get to close and bump into her, but still no noise was made. It felt good, even though my stomach hurt like hell. I felt good.

At the classroom door, she turned to me smiling. Then, quite loudly, she screamed. "You stupid pig!"

I caught on quickly, and added to her little fake rant. "You know you like it Princess."

And with that, we went inside, to see a few stares and gulps.

It was as if the whole atmosphere changed when we walked in there. Like everything was how it should be.

And then the next day came- and ever insanely, normal changed.

***

Another hanger swung at me, a rather large dress on it.

"Mom," I spoke harshly, "You shouldn't be working now. You need to take off." I gave her a glare, which she shot right back. Her long brown hair swayed as she turned to lecture me.

"Courtney, I am perfectly fine." She headed back to the rack, pulling out a blue dress. "I'm going to work until he comes out, and that will be a month from now." Holding the dress up to her, she smiled. "Wouldn't this look good for my last month?"

I grimaced, fuming. "Mother, that's my point! You're eight months pregnant! You should not be working! You're stressing out the baby." I could almost feel my nose scrunch up in detest at this situation. How could a mother work when she a child was on the way? What if something happened to my little brother?

She rolled her eyes, rummaging through the cart. "Courtney Meeks, I am just doing what I love- and that is helping people." Mom always threw that card at me, that helping people was her passion. If she loved helping people so much, why wouldn't she help herself? "Anyways, you say your friend is coming by tomorrow for a cold right? To help people I have to be there. And I'll be there as much as I can be!"

I sighed at the thought of Duncan. I had only let him come because I thought it would take my guilt away. Now all it was doing was give my mom even more excuses."But Mom-"

"But nothing!" A mood swing had come. I knew this because my mom bit her lip in utter frustration, and then softened. "Oh, I'm sorry baby… But I'm still doing my job." She pushed the cart again, walking towards the counter.

I sighed. Nothing was going to make my Mom quit. I followed her to the line at the counter, not able to press the worried thoughts away. For now, we just had to wait. And hope that Mom and Dad didn't decide to… do it again. I shuddered at that thought, shaking physically.

I stared at my mother's rather large stomach, and let the worry flood right back in.

This surely was the beginning of a disaster.

***

I had so much fun writing this chapter, due to the fact that the next chapter is the most dramatic chapter EVER!

So you tell me, what should I do? Because I have the idea for the next twenty chapters, but I don't want to plan before I ask the readers.

R&R!