Chapter 11: A Mess.

Chapter 11: A mess.

"Thank you." I tell Spencer, as I get down from his car.

"You're welcome." He replies.

"Have a nice night." I tell him before I enter my house.

The house is oddly quiet, so quiet that I can hear the curtains in the living room swaying and I was in the foyer. I walk to the living room and I find my parents cuddled up on the white sofa, sound asleep. The television was on but the sound had been muted.

I smile at the sight of them.

It was nice seeing them act like a couple. They always acted so formal around each other when people were watching. Turning on my heel, I head upstairs. I need to get to my bed. After I open the door to my room, I place my purse on the dresser. I squeeze my way out of my boots and jump on my bed.

My nose inhales the sharp smell of peppermint.

I roll over to the side of my bed and I pick up my Rubik's cube. I try to get the color combination for five minutes before I throw it at the wall in frustration. I just want my life to be normal.

But I guess normal is a setting on the dryer, I don't get normal.

***

I walk past the student lounge and I see a very happy Adam talking to a bunch of freshmen. I smile at the sight. I would have loved to go in there and patch things up with him right now, but I figured I'd let him be for now.

I'm finally back at school, the hallway still smells like dirty socks and cranberry juice.

But it's good to be back.

"Damn Mami, did that ass grow fatter in just two weeks?" A voice says behind me and I know it's that Handler asshole.

"What do you want, Chad?" I ask him in frustration.

"I just wanted to welcome you back after your two weeks of incarceration." He says, smiling at me.

"It was more like house arrest. I couldn't go anywhere." I tell him, trying to make him feel like he's making sense.

"Well, while you were gone, something juicy happened." He says, licking his lips as he rubs his palms together.

"How juicy?" I ask him.

"Very juicy with pulp even." He tells me.

"Oh, just spit it out already." I say, impatiently.

"Hannah and I are officially a thing." He says, smiling at me.

I burst into laughter.

I'm laughing so hard that I can hear my laughter echo down the halls.

"Y-you and Hannah." I say, chuckling.

"Why is it so hard to believe? I'm a total catch." He says, running his fingers through his brown hair.

"Yeah, of STIs." I say, laughing.

"Hey, it was one time." Chad says, trying to defend himself.

Chad got chlamydia when we were in the ninth grade because he had been messing around with a senior in our school at the time. It was a pretty funny experience because his mother is a doctor, so when he got sent to the emergency room, complaining about pain in a certain area, and the doctor on duty turned out to be his mother, she was not too pleased with the results.

Everyone at school heard about it and they all started calling him "Chadia".

Let's just say Chad doesn't date anyone from our school anymore, apart from Sasha Montgomery, his first official girlfriend.

And now apparently Hannah.

"But it still counts. Look, Hannah's a nice girl, she's not like those plastic handbags you carry around." I tell him, referring to the girls at our school.

"She's a girl who knows her worth. She will never ask for your attention, instead, she'll have you fight for hers. So, if you really like her, be careful because she doesn't come with a manual." I warn him.

"Don't worry I can handle her. Well, he can handle her." He says, pointing at his crotch.

"There's the Chad I know and am disgusted by." I say as I walk away.

"Thanks for your blessing." He yells from behind me.

I smile as I walk further down the hallway. So, Hannah and Chad are an item. Didn't see that one coming. She must be really mad at me if she didn't tell me that she had started dating someone, Chad Handler of all people. I need to fix things with her.

I walk into Mr. Daval's Geometry class.

I smile at the man that got me suspended in the first place and I take a seat beside Hannah.

She has a sweater on, with the words "I am the truth." etched on it.

"Hey." I say, but she doesn't reply.

"Nice sweater." I tell her.

She nods at me and turns away.

I do the same, as I stare at the board.

Ok.

***

"I mean it's pretty great." Hannah says, sitting on Chad's lap.

They share a kiss and I shiver in disgust.

Hannah and I had spoken the other day at school and we are now back to being besties.

Adam, on the other hand, hasn't been too receptive.

"Get a room you two." I tell them.

This is a weird scenery.

I mean, we are at Blake Shepherd's eight-bedroom mansion, celebrating our school's football team, The Warthogs, win against The Raptors of Drawfield high.

"I mean making out is fun and all, but it's not great till you throw a towel into the mix." Chad says and I stare at him in confusion.

"A towel?" I say chuckling. "What are you making out with? A dog?" I ask him.

"Don't worry, Hannah will tell you all about the Chad experience." He says, winking at me.

"Hannah, you have hit rock bottom." I tell her and she punches my arm playfully.

Adam sits beside Chad and Hannah.

I cough uncomfortably, as I tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Hey." I say, waving at Adam.

He just looks away.

"Harsh." Hannah says, tapping his shoulder.

"It's nothing personal, Hannah. I just don't talk to bitches anymore." He tells her, as he stares in my direction.

Oh really.

"It's not my fault you had your head so far up Courtney's ass, dude." I tell him.

People that are seated around us are obviously gaining interest, as a small crowd starts to form around the sofa.

"At least that ass is in bed with Zachary Henderson." He says, folding his arms.

He did not just say that to me.

"You know what Adam?" I say.

"What?" He replies.

"At least I can actually get into a relationship, not wallow in my own self-pity, because nobody wants to be with someone who still wears suspenders." I say, trying to jab him where it really hurts.

I mean, he rocked the suspender look, but I had to win this.

"Screw you, Valarie." Adam says angrily.

"Well, get in line because there's a long line of people that want to screw me." I tell him and the crowd goes "ooh."

"Yeah, whatever makes you sleep better, you tramp." He says, shrugging.

"At least, I can sleep without having to worry if I'll be spending the weekend at my mom or dad's house." I tell him.

"Val?" Hannah says, holding me back.

"No, let me finish what he started." I say, taking her hands off me.

"I have a stable family. A family house. And you have a bag that's always packed, just in case, Mommy decides to send you to your Dad or vice versa. The thing is, Adam, I'm better than you. I'm wealthier, I'm smarter, I'm just better. I don't have to live in garbage condos with my deadbeat Dad or kick it with my waitress Mother." I point out.

Guilt starts to creep in as I realize that I had exposed every one of Adam's secrets, just so that I can have the last word.

Adam's parents got divorced when he was five years old. It's a touchy subject that he hates talking about. He loves both of his parents equally and the fact that I brought it up today, shows how shallow I really am. And how low I can go, just to get the last word.

Everyone just stares at us.

The silence is maddening.

"You win. I mean you're right, you are better. A better bitch than Courtney and a sorry excuse for a person." He says, before storming out of the house.

"Go figure." Is all Hannah says, as she grabs Chad's drink and downs the whole cup.

Feeling bad, I get on my feet and run after Adam.

I'm a mess.