TWENTY-SEVEN: Pages of Her Life

CORNELIA RETURNED TO school on Monday morning, walking around with her head down, trying to avoid everyone's gazes on her. She didn't want to speak to anyone, nor did she want to see the scathing looks at her. Despite all of that, she couldn't help but notice how there were more whispers about her. Throughout the previous week, she could feel that thing had lessened slightly, but they seem to be back in full force.

She fished for her cell when she reached her first class but didn't find Abigail. But she heard a girl whispering to the another, before the two started giggling. Cornelia felt very self conscious at that moment, but she tried to ignore it.

It wasn't until lunch time when Joshua pulled her away from the cafeteria, "What's up with you?" She yelled, trying to pry her arm away from his grip.

He opened a Janitor's closet and closed the door on them. The place was very tight and she felt quite trapped with his towering over her. "I'm helping you." He said and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"If you go in there, Jessica won't leave you alone. And this time around everyone will be on her side."

"Is that about Lucien's thing again? It should be old news already." Cornelia tried to sound nonchalant.

"It's only old news if there's spicier news, but this isn't the problem. Someone posted several pages of your dear diaries. It's literally everywhere."

Cornelia felt like an ice bucket had been poured over her head. With everything that had happened, she had forgotten about her missing necklace and the key she held so close to her heart. Her hand flew to cover her mouth to silence the loud gasp that was about to leave her lips, after she had realized who was behind it.

Abigail! But why? She wondered to herself.

Joshua got his cell phone out and showed her several pictures that were posted all over social media of pages from her diary. The pages had her dreams, her confessions about Lucien, everything's she had been feeling for as long as she had started writing in it.

She shook her head, horrified at what she was seeing, at the betrayal that came from the one person she had trusted the most. "Look, I can't judge you. This isn't why I'm talking to you." Joshua said softly. "But Lia, I don't even know how you will handle this."

Tears fell from her eyes, and the pain in her chest was unimaginable. For a second she hoped she was dead, she wanted the earth to swallow her right where she was. It was like that dream when she saw herself standing in front of the entire class naked while giving her report about World War Two. But it was much more than that... her one friend had stabbed her in the back and she didn't even know why.

Cornelia tried to leave, to get out of that confined space which only seemed to make her anxiety rise. However, Joshua wouldn't let her. He held her in place, looking deep into her eyes, "Cornelia, let me help you. I want to help you."

She swallowed the lump in her throat, "How? What's there to be done?"

"If we found whoever posted this, then maybe we can get them to say it wasn't yours to begin with."

"Yeah." She mumbled softly, "I think I'll just go home for now..." She swallowed thickly, "I'll figure it out later, for now, I'd like to be alone."

Joshua didn't want her to leave, he wanted to stay with her. His feelings for her weren't new to him, he had had them for as long as he could remember, but she never gave him a chance. Joshua had always been the friend of her friend, the joke, and the guy she barely tolerated. He had never been more, no matter how much he had wished for it.

And even after he had seen those pages of her diary, even after they broke the perfect and innocent image of Cornelia Cooper in his eyes, his feelings didn't waver. According to her diary, her interest in Lucien Amarok was one sided, a passing crush, and he believed he still had a chance.

He wanted to help her, to use the situation to get closer. But it was clear to him that it wasn't what she wanted, and so he gave in, "Go ahead, you leave first though. The last thing we need is another rumor."

She nodded again, and left with her head down. Cornelia had no idea what was going on or why all of that was happening. She left the school building and was walking home, she felt someone walking after her, following her footsteps.

Her shoulders stiffened. It's the middle of the day, no one is going to do anything right now. She tried to calm her pounding heart with that thought. However, she still rushed her steps and clenched her bag tighter into her chest.

She heard the steps keeping up with her pace, and she looked left and right hoping to see someone in her vicinity. But there was no such luck. The hand on her shoulder made her jump and turn around just to hit the person in the face with her bookbag without even seeing their face.

"Ms. Cooper, calm down. It's me Daniel." He said urgently, but allowed her to hit him all the same.

Her frantic movement seized and she regarded him with wide eyes, before her anger took over. "Give me a heart attack, why don't you?" When he didn't retort, and she saw his shocked face at her outburst, a soft breath left her mouth, "I'm sorry. I'm just having a bad day."

He gave her an understanding smile, "Would that be the reason why you're out of school so early?" She gave him a nod, and he decided not to pry. "Would you mind if I walk you home?"

"I'm on your watch today?" She asked lightly and he nodded. They began walking together, "I'm sorry if it's an inconvenience to you. I'm sure you have better things to do than follow a teenager around."

"It's not an inconvenience, Ms. Cooper. Lucien cares about you, that's more than enough."

Cornelia could see his love for Lucien. It seemed like there was such a deep friendship between the two. It was obvious with how much Daniel was worried about him. She felt that Daniel would follow Lucien to the pits of hell without as much as a second thought. "How long have you known him?"

"All my life."

His answer made the tightness in her chest increase. The thought of how good their friendship was pained her. She had known Abigail all her life; she had known her for so long, yet that happened. She did that to her.

"Mind if I ask why you're having a bad day?"

There was nothing she could say, so when she saw her house she couldn't have been more glad. "We're here, and I'll be home for the rest of the day so I think you can go about your life."

Daniel's eyes were focused at the direction of her house. He seemed to be listening in for something, then his eyes narrowed. He turned to Cornelia with a serious look on his face, "Stay here." He ordered and dashed into her house.

Some would call it stupidity, others would see it bravery, but Cornelia followed after him, running to keep up with his pace. He noticed the her front door was already open, and Daniel had strode inside. She stepped in carefully, and slowly. She questioned her decision for a second, but the thought floated away just as quick as it came.

There had never been any news if break-ins or house invasions in Formid Root, especially their neighbourhood. However, when she saw a man holding her father at a knife's point, her false sense if security vanished and was replaced by nothing but sheer dread.