Aveena
They say when it rains, it pours. I’ve always thought of it as a fancy way of saying, “When life sucks… it really fucking sucks.” Although I must admit I’d never quite understood what that meant until now.
The letter is gone.
G-o-n-e, gone.
Translation: my life is over.
Pretty sure I flatlined for a second when I stopped by the school library at lunch and realized the poetry book wasn’t where it was supposed to be.
We only have one copy in stock, and I’m absolutely positive I didn’t misplace it. Aisle six is the book’s designated spot. I would know—I reorganized the books in alphabetical order myself.
It’s got to be some sort of mistake, I thought. I had to ask Lucille, the librarian and my coworker, if she remembered who borrowed it. She didn’t, but she also frequently searches for her glasses while wearing them, so I took it with a pinch of salt.
I considered asking her if I could pop behind the counter and check our systems myself but decided against it. I’m off the clock. What could be so important I’d need to use the computer during the day when I’m already working tonight after school?
My first guess was that the sheet of paper somehow fell out of the book when it got picked up, but the letter wasn’t anywhere in the library.
It’s like it just disappeared from the face of the earth.
Poof!
I turned in my twenty pages to Ms. Callahan fifth period but couldn’t listen to a single word coming out of her mouth for the rest of the class. I was too busy obsessing over who borrowed the poetry book.
Consumed by anxiety, I crush my phone into my palm and maneuver around the crowd on my way to the library. I work until six every day after school, then drive straight to the music academy to pick up Ashley from her private singing lessons.
I haven’t been called to Principal Emery’s office yet, which is a good sign, but my anxiety won’t let me off the hook until I get my hands on that letter and rip it to shreds. I pull up social media as I dart down the hall and tap my Instagram notifications to get my mind off the letter disaster.
Three notifications.
@The_Axel_Fletcher followed you.
@The_Axel_Fletcher liked your picture.
@The_Axel_Fletcher liked your picture.
I cringe, careful not to follow him back. Remember when I said everything would go back to normal after I went to Theo’s place yesterday?
That might not have been entirely true.
Finn and Theo greeted me with a nod in the hall this morning. And get this, Dia wasn’t with me. These two havenever acknowledged me unless she was around. I didn’t nod back. Thought maybe they were looking at someone else and I’d be the idiot thinking it was meant for me.
After all, Xavier was with them, too, and he looked right through me. Then Theo flipped his head back and yelled, “Hey, Harper! Still waiting for your sister’s phone number. Get on that.”
There isn’t a single person in the hall who didn’t stare at me.
“You’re going to be waiting a while,” I hollered back, and Theo cracked a laugh before dissipating into the crowd with the guys. Weird, I thought.
Then lunch rolled around.
I was more than thrilled to learn Brie wouldn’t be eating with us anymore, having just been dumped by the captain of the basketball team and all. And, to my great surprise, the cool kids didn’t flat out ignore me the way they usually do.
It’s almost as if yesterday opened their eyes to my existence.
Axel hit on me a few times. I politely turned him down, but if his name in my Instagram DMsis anything to go by, it didn’t stick. Theo bugged me about Ashley some more. I had to tell him she was taken. Poor guy turned his attention over to Lacey as soon as I crushed his dreams. Then Finn asked Dia and me if we were going to the game on Friday.
Being addressed directly, rather than treated like an inanimate object, felt weird.