Chapter 32 Psychotic Ex.
Christopher walked into first-period class five minutes late and Mrs. Greene wasn’t pleased – as usual. The moment he entered the class, she had given him one of her glares and said, “Late again, Hayes.”
“She’s talking like I come late all the time,” Chris mumbled under his breath.
“What was that?” The teacher demanded.
“Nothing. I’m sorry,” Chris apologized. “It won’t happen again.”
“That’s what you said the last time.”
“It’s for real this time,” Chris replied.
“Next time this happens, I won’t hesitate to give you detention,” she said. “Now, go sit.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Chris said and walked to his seat.
Detention, he mused. That should be her last name since she loves it so much. Mrs. Detention, it suits her perfectly well.
It was only after he had settled down that he noticed Hazel isn’t in her usual spot. He looked around, wondering if she is seating somewhere else, because it was something she can do. Maybe she’s gotten tired of him and decided to get herself a new seat. She has been acting strange this week so that may have happened. But he doesn’t find her in class. Even though she isn’t the type to run late, Chris assumed that’s what’s up.
But now, twenty minutes since he entered the class, her seat is still empty.
Or could she be sick? Chris wonders. He doesn’t think so.
He has been occasionally staring at the entrance for those minutes and she’s yet to walk through that door. Chris doesn’t even notice that Ivy too is absent which would raise suspicions.
After a few minutes more, Chris decides to text her. With his eyes set on the teacher, he discretely pulls out his phone and holds it under his desk so that Mrs. Greene wouldn’t see it. He unlocks it to text her and only then does he remember something very important that he should have remembered all this while.
He doesn’t have her phone number.
Damn! is the first thing that comes to his mind after the realization dawns on him.
It has always been girls giving him their phone number - he never had to ask. He’s so used to that that he didn’t realize he doesn’t have Hazel’s number. And knowing her, she can never just give it to him without him asking. He isn’t even sure she’d give him her phone number if he asks. And he doesn’t have Brooke’s own either. Shows how different both girls are. Chris sighs.
He has to find out why Hazel is not in class or if she’s in school today.
Right now.
He can’t wait till the first period ends. He thinks for a moment, staring at the board. Someone would think he’s so interested in the lesson that he’s lost in thoughts.
He remembers Jason. And remembers that Jason knows Brooke. Jason once told him that he shares some classes with Brooke. Chris hopes one of those classes is first period on Wednesday. He decides to text Jason and try his luck. There’s no harm in trying.
Chris: Hey dude.
\- - -
Jason feels his phone vibrate in his pocket but he doesn’t make any move to pull it out. After a moment, as soon as the teacher has his back to him, Jason pulls his phone out subtly. He reads the text and frowns because Chris doesn’t text him during a lesson. He finds it strange but he knows whatever it is has to be important. So he replies.
Jason: What’s up?
Chris: You know Brooke Dawson, right?
Jason: Yeah… What about her?
Chris: Do you guys have the same class right now?
Jason: Yeah.
Chris: Is she in class?
Jason looks up and scans the class for the aforementioned brunette to find her present.
Jason: She’s here and what’s with all the questions? What’s going on?
Chris: I’ll tell you all about it later. Is she perhaps sitting anywhere close that it’d be easy to pass a note?
Jason: Surprisingly, yes. She’s sitting right in front of me.
Chris: Yes! Thank God!
Jason: Okay…..
Jason has a puzzled look on his face as he looks up to see if the teacher has noticed that he isn’t paying attention.
Chris: I need you to do me a favour. Ask her if Stephanie is in school.
Jason: I’ll do that.
Jason slips his phone on the desk, in such a way that it goes under his notebook so that nobody can see it. He pretends to be attentive for a minute, watching the teacher until he’s focused on another side of the class. Then he leans forward on his seat so that he’s closer to Brooke who is sitting right in front of him.
“Hey,” he whispers.
Brooke furrows her forehead when she hears Jason whisper behind her but she doesn’t think he’s talking to her so she doesn’t answer.
“Hey Brooke,” Jason tries again.
Brooke turns her head slightly to look at him from her peripheral vision.
“You’re talking to me?” She asks.
“Yeah. Uhm… is Stephanie in school today?” He questions her.
Brooke wonders why he’s asking about her because, for all she knows, she doesn’t think they’ve ever spoken a word to each other before. She hasn’t spoken much to him either. She’d be surprised if he can match the name to Steph’s face. It’s nothing new because that’s how things are around here. That’s the way Steph wants it to be. She’s okay with being a wallflower even though she’s not so much of it anymore—she’s friends with Chris and Luke. If you could somehow manage to gain the attention of the two most popular guys in school, then Brooke doesn’t see you as a wallflower. The only thing that connects Jason to Steph is Chris.
Maybe Chris has told Jason about Steph that’s why he’s asking about her, Brooke muses.
“Yeah,” she replies to his question. “We came together. She should be in class. Is there a problem?”
“No. There’s nothing to worry about, thanks.” Jason says and leans back to sit comfortably on his seat.
Brooke purses her lips, shrugs, and focuses her attention back on the lesson.
Meanwhile, Jason picks up his phone and texts Chris.
Jason: According to Brooke, Stephanie is in school. They came together. She should be in class.
Chris: But she isn’t!
Chris takes a deep breath and scans the class once again to make sure he’s right. Where could she be? She doesn’t miss class, Chris thinks.
Jason: Do you want me to inform Brooke?
Chris: No! Don’t.
Jason: Who is this Stephanie by the way?
Chris: You don’t remember her?
Jason furrows his eyebrows after reading Chris’ text. He thinks but doesn’t remember anyone named Stephanie.
Jason: I can’t remember anyone with that name. Who’s she?
Chris: Dude, we’ll talk later. Thanks.
Chris sends the final text and pockets his phone. He pinches the bridge of his nose, thinking.
Something’s not right. Why isn’t she in class? Could she have decided to skip? Without telling Brooke? No. She couldn’t. What if she’s in some sort of trouble?
Different kinds of assumptions rise in Chris’ head.
I need to find her, he decides.
He rises to his feet and walks to the front of the class, not giving himself time to second guess. Mrs. Greene lets out an irritated sigh, clearly peeved that he’s interrupting.
“What is it, Hayes?” She demands.
“I need to use the bathroom,” he tells her.
“You came late to class and now you want to leave to use the restroom?”
“Yeah,” Chris shrugs. He doesn’t have time for this.
“Am I excused?” He probes when he feels like she’s taking too long to answer.
Mrs. Greene doesn’t want to permit him to leave the class but she has no choice. When nature calls, you’ve gotta go. “You’re excused but be back in the next five minutes.”
“I’ll try,” Chris replies as he walks out of class, different pairs of eyes watching him.
After sneaking around in search of Steph for some minutes, Chris decides to check the girls’ bathroom. Now that he thinks about it, he should have thought about going there first. Even though he doesn’t like the idea of going into the girls’ bathroom, he would have to. Luckily for him, it’s first period and everyone is probably in class. And the few that would be in the bathroom would probably feel honoured to have him there. He chuckles at the thought. Thank goodness there are stalls.
He finally gets to the door that leads into the girls’ bathroom. He pauses and finds his knuckles moving to touch the door.
He knocks.
Why is he knocking? He doesn’t know. Maybe he’s expecting someone to answer, maybe someone would find his knock strange and come to the door, or maybe he’s trying to alert whoever is inside of his intrusion. He doesn’t get a response so he takes a deep breath and opens the door. He peeps in and sees no one, then he takes tentative steps in.
“Hello, is someone here?” He calls out just as he notices the backpack on the floor which looks an awful lot like Stephanie’s.
Stephanie was standing in front of the mirror, inspecting the damage on her shirt when she heard the knock. She found it bizarre that someone would knock on the door to the girls’ bathroom but she’s grateful for the warning because she wouldn’t want anyone(except Brooke) to see her like this. She immediately goes into one of the stalls to hide, making sure to lock it. Standing in the stall, she hears footsteps before the person speaks and her eyes widen.
Is she hallucinating or did she just hear Chris’ voice? In here? In the girls’ bathroom?
“Hello?” Chris says again, nearing the backpack to inspect it.
“Chris?” Steph says reluctantly in a low voice but he hears.
“Hazel?” He mutters.
“What are you doing in here? In the girls’—”
He interrupts her. “I know I’m not supposed to be in here so do not lecture me.”
“Fine. But can you at least tell me what you’re doing in here?” Steph makes sure she emphasizes the last two words.
Chris rolls his eyes. “I was looking for you.”
His answer makes a frown appear on Steph’s face. “You were looking for me?”
“Didn’t I just say that?” Chris tries to stop the smile from appearing on his face but his lips have other plans.
“Why were you looking for me?” Steph asks the important question.
“I don’t know,” Chris starts as he moves to the sink. “In case you haven’t noticed, this isn’t history class. And please come out of there. It’s already weird standing in here and even weirder talking to you like this.”
A few seconds pass before Steph replies. “I….I can’t.”
He turns around to face the door she’s behind. “You can’t what?”
“I can’t come out.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“Duh!” Steph deadpans.
“Is it girl stuff? Should I go get Brooke?” Chris asks, slightly freaked out.
“No no no. I’m just in a little bit of a situation. My….shirt is torn. It’s kinda ripped,” she tells him slowly, eyeing the damages poison Ivy and Aspen managed to make when she was struggling with them.
Chris furrows his forehead in thought, “How—”
Steph groans, not wanting to explain what happened right now. She just wants to get a solution to this predicament. Chris catches on.
“Okay,” he begins to think.
“Um....” Then he remembers that he has a leather jacket on. He pulls it off to reveal his white T-shirt that is clinging to him like a second skin—in a way that’d make girls drool.
“Chris?” Steph calls out after a few seconds of silence.
“Yeah?”
“What are you doing?”
“Open the door,” he says, holding his jacket.
“No,” Steph objects.
“Open the door a little and stick a hand out,” Chris instructs.
Steph hesitates before unlocking the door and sticking her left hand out.
Chris puts his jacket in her outstretched hand and she retracts it back into the stall.
She stares at the jacket in confusion, “What am I to do with this?”
“Wear it,” he deadpans. She wasn’t even supposed to ask that question.
“I don’t want to,” she purses her lips.
There it is again, Chris muses. That difference. She doesn’t want to put on his jacket, something he willingly gave to her. Most girls would jump at such an opportunity if it ever comes.
“Well, do you have another idea?” Chris asks, letting out a sigh.
When she doesn’t answer, Chris speaks. “I’ll just get Brooke, she’ll know what to do.”
“No, don’t. I’ll put it on,” stopping Chris from going to get Brooke.
Steph weighs her options. It’s either she wears Chris’ jacket or goes around looking like a mad person. But is she going to wear his jacket till school closes? No way. Those girls obsessed with him probably know it’s his. They’d approach her and ask stupid questions.
Steph slowly puts wears his jacket. It’s bigger than her—obviously—so it looks like a ‘hand-me-down’ she had gotten from Brody.
“Hurry up. I can’t stand here all day.”
Steph huffs before slipping out of the stall. She stands in front of him, her eyes focused on the sleeves of the jacket as she pulls at it to reveal her hands well.
Chris stares at her. He stares at her as she pulls at the sleeves of his jacket. Who knew he’d see her in his jacket so soon? And is it just him or does she look cuter in his jacket?
“What?” Steph asks when she notices him staring.
“Um..nothing. You just look smaller in my jacket,” he says.
Steph glares at him before picking up her backpack from the floor. She shrugs a strap on her left shoulder and uses her right hand to tuck some of her black hair behind her ear.
“Can you do me a favour?”
Chris blinks. “What is it?”
“Take me home,” Steph says, deciding on the spot to skip school.
“What?”
“Please give me a ride home.”
“Wait, why? It’s just first period,” Chris states.
“I know but I want to go home.”
“Are you coming back?”
“Nope,” Steph replies, heading for the exit.
Chris follows her. “Okay, what the fuck happened in here?”
“I’ll tell you when we get out of here without anyone noticing,” she tells him just as she’s about to open the door.
A moment later, Chris unlocks the doors to his car in the parking lot and they enter.
“I can’t believe you were just in the girls’ bathroom,” Steph says as she pulls at the sleeves again. Chris notices a bruise on her right hand.
“What’s that bruise on your wrist?” He asks, staring at it.
She follows his eyes and inspects it like she’s just seeing it for the first time. “Your psychotic ex gave it to me.”
Chris recalls seeing said ex on his way to the girls’ bathroom earlier. “You mean Ivy did this to you?” He rages.
“Yup, with the help of her puppet. To her, Luke is some sort of possession that she wants every girl to stay away from,” Steph scoffs. “Ugh! I feel like breaking her neck.”
You’re not the only one, Chris thinks.
He shakes his head sadly. “I can’t believe I once thought of her as a sweet girl.”
Steph scoffs. “Sweet is not an adjective to describe her. It’s quite the opposite.”
“Please just take me home.” Steph sighs, resting her head on the window as Chris starts the car.