We remained there for a while. The first period was done and we were still there. Lucas and Zach were playing games against each other with their phones. Aaron was seating close to Trenton. A sign of support and care. What kind of bad thing had happened to him? Who had hurt him? I was not exactly sure if whatever that had happened to him included him being hurt but it was a guess on my part. I used to think he was just hating me. Like he had not accepted me like the others, but I was realizing it was different now. Maybe this had to do with a personal experience. I wish Lucas had talked. Said something, anything. Not just leave me in suspense with those words. Now I wanted to know. I was dying to know. But I was not sure even that secret was going to be told to me. Maybe they didn't want it to go beyond them and their father too, I'm sure. I covertly looked his way, my heart went out to him. Whatever bad experience that had shaped him like this was truly bad. It had not just affected him physically but mentally too. Even his lifestyle was affected. I was going to find a way to make him happy. I did not know how but I would try.
I idly strolled my eyes towards the few students that miled the school premises. A girl's dressing caught my eye and my heart leapt in remembrance.
I was yet to see my clothes. I had searched everywhere all to no avail. And there was no one I could ask. Or rather, I did not want to ask anyone, it would make everyone know the truth. And I knew somehow that if the boys knew the story behind that ink, they'd definitely think it's still happening again and go confront Katelyn. I did not want that. She had called to apologize and she was specific about me not telling the boys. She wanted it to end with us. That cloth would reveal a lot and put me in trouble. Who had taken the clothes? Melissa had left after everything.
"What's going on in that head of yours, girlfriend?"
"Nothing much."
He was looking at me suspiciously. His eyes narrowed a bit, he studied my expression as though he was looking for answers on my face.
"What is it?"
"Did you enter my bathroom yesterday?"
I blurted out before I could stop myself. I had developed this sudden curiosity to know if he had, maybe that would help me reveal whether or not if he had taken the clothes, and why.
"Your bathroom? Yuck!" He pretended to gag. "What would I go there for? So I can see your lady things?"
My eyes remained on his for few seconds longer, it was not him. He even look disgusted by the mere utterance of my question, I sighed. There was another person who had been there when I woke from sleep. Zach.
My gaze swept to him. He had his ear piece plugged in and his head bobbing to whatever song he had playing on his phone.
I tapped him. He raised his brow at me, I gestured that he remove the ear device.
He did.
"Yes, hot legs?"
"Did you by chance go into my bathroom yesterday?"
A smirk that could not scream pervert any louder than it was in that moment crooked a side of his mouth up.
"Why? You kept something for me there, hot legs?"
I groaned.
"No, Zach. Did you go in there?"
He finally noticed my serious expression and wiped the smirk from his face. His perverted expression morphed quickly into one of concern.
"No, I did not. Why? Did you lose something?"
If I told him the truth, it was going to rouse more questions and before I knew it, I would be confessing the truth. As much as I knew they could help me, they could also jeopardize this new found peace. They could make Katelyn withdraw the hand of friendship she'd extended and make her hate me again, and it would definitely be worse this time.
"No. Just asking."
"You did not lose anything and you're asking? Why?"
Zach did not seem to be buying it. Why couldn't he let it alone and joke about it as Lucas had?
"Nothing. I just noticed some things were disorganized in there yesterday when I headed up to my room after the call with Katelyn."
"Oh. Maybe it was your personal maid, Melissa. You can ask her."
"Oh, that's true. I will."
Would Melissa have taken the clothes? But why? I had not disclosed anything about the clothes, so how could she had known about it? Also, I'd kept it hidden from sight? No one could have casually walked into the bathroom and see it. Whoever that had carried the clothes had surely entered that bathroom with the intention of getting the clothes. And no one had seen me enter, or had they? Had someone seen me sneak into the house and out of curiosity decided to walk into my room to know what had happened? All these assumptions seemed too much and far fetched. It was not correlating in any way. Maybe I should ask Melissa but in a subtle way. Like not directly coming out with the real missing items. But I could not. She did not like me, who knew what she was already discussing with her friends about me? She was my personal maid and she handled everything that concerned me, she already knew much about me. I was scared of gossip. She might tell it to her friends who would definitely rumor it amongst themselves and unknowingly, someone might hear and get interested. If it was mom, she was going to want to know and she would probe me until I was exhausted.
I was greatly worried. When I had gone upstairs last night, I'd decided to wrap the clothes well and take it with me to school. Then when I was free and alone, I'd drive out to find somewhere far to throw it or if I could, I'd burn it, leaving no evidence.
My fingers went to my wrist and began giving an absentminded rub to the bracelet adorning it.