Page 111 of Withered

Kristy walks in and holds a pair of clothes in front of me. “Change into them.”

“Where did you get this from?” I ask her, taking the clothes.

“I asked Ty for them.” She is fixing her hair.

I put on a black shirt, which is too long for me. The shirt looks familiar for some reason; I take a sniff of it; it’s not Tyler’s, but Jake’s. It’s his woodsy scent. The shirt looks like it’s been put on a hanger, so I tuck it into my jeans.

“Hey Kristy, drop me home after school,” I tell her.

“What happened to your car?” She is taking her books out of her locker.

“I came with Jake today,” I state.

“Okay. See you in PE?” She asks.

“Can we skip it today? I’m not in the mood,” I ask, hoping she’ll say yes.

“Yes!” She jumps, scaring the crap out of me. “I thought you’d never ask.”

We split, and I went to English. Professor Caleb gives me an overall look after he arrives. Not only him, but the maximum number of people do that. And why not? This shirt is too big for me. Tyler smirks and shakes his head as I sit next to him.

English goes by without any mention of him. Even though it’s a basic subject, the professor manages to keep everyone’s attention. This needs to be done now. I already feel it long enough.

We get home after an hour because we stopped by the store to get ice cream. I find my parents in the kitchen, say a quick hi, and run to my room. They notice the shirt but thankfully spare me the talk. Kristy changes into my fluffy pajamas while I keep Jake’s shirt on.

I thought I could hold it together, but like everyone else, I burst into tears. Kristy rushes to my side, embracing me while I cry for a boy who feelsnothingfor me.

Kristy makes a joke about how the tables have been turned. I remember how she used to cry all night and I had to console her, and now it’s my turn.

Every comforting word I spoke to her replays in my head, yet all I do is slide them away and break into more sobs. This is exactly how she must have felt. No amount of soothing words can reach my ears; they simply dodge them.

She calms me down, and we spend the afternoon watching films and eating ice cream, exactly like she said.

A knock on the door startles us, and I wipe my tears as Kristy pauses the movie.

“Kiddo?” Dad calls.

“Yes, Dad?” I ask as he enters my room.

“Why are you crying? Did something happen?” He asks with worry in his eyes as he kneels beside me.

“N-no. It’s due to the movie.” My voice is strained, but I manage to crack a smile.

“You girls still watch this.” Dad laughs at us.

“So, I came to tell you about the annual fundraiser. The organization is going to have a ball this time. Make sure to bring Jake with you,” Dad tells us.

Kristy and I share a knowing look.

“Okay,” I stutter, but he doesn’t notice.

“Kristina, your father is going there as well,” Dad informs her.

She nods. “I’ll be there, Mr. Evans.”

“It’s scheduled for next month, which gives you enough time to shop,” he says this before leaving us.

“Now I have to find a date,” I grumble into the pillow.

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