Page 48 of Stuck Behind Her

Okay. Now that everything is good here, I have one more thing I have to do. Talk to April Miller.

Chapter 26 – Cinquantanove

Val

I cross the hallways and staircases, making sure to look at my watch every now and then. I will not be late. Not for the death of me. I sprint through the hall until I get to the class’s door, which is just about to close. I stop the teacher and walk in, heading directly to my seat. My bag drops to the floor next to my table, and I fall onto my chair panting. I rest my head on my hands and place my elbow on the table. A couple of slow breaths later, my breathing evens out, and I turn my head to see Aurora sitting next to me.

Her hair is loose today, flowing with the breeze of air that enters the room every minute. Her light jeans and white cotton shirt are accompanied by a green plaid button up, which she keeps unbuttoned. Her eyes are surrounded by faded black circles and she stares down at the notebook on her table. This is definitely affecting her. I’m not surprised, however. Elias is her cousin, and I’m sure they are close.

“Hey. How are you doing?” I ask. She raises her gaze from the notebook, dropping the pen she was spinning between her fingers. She straightens her back, turning slightly more.

“I’m great,” she replies, keeping her voice quiet so as not to interrupt the teacher. Her lips curl upward, but her eyes don’t react. I know she’s lying. I know that look. I’ve had the same one before.

“I’m sorry. About Elias and everything,” I tell her. The smile fades from her face.

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault, Roland is just . . . Roland. You never know when he’ll turn against you,” she says, a sorrowful tone in her voice. Her head returns to the front of the class, focusing on the teacher. Although I can’t. My body tightens, unease crawling through my skin.

She looks so sad. I lay my arms on the table, overlapping each other. I need to do this. For her, at least. If not to sabotage Roland, or for Elias, at least for her. I might as well owe her that much. I rotate my chair slightly, trying not to make any sounds. The back of the class might be unnoticeable to the teacher, but it won’t stop her from hearing.

“Hey,” I say. “I know you’re upset, so I was thinking maybe I can visit you tomorrow. If you’re free, that is. It can be a good distraction. I know it won’t help completely, but I’ll do anything to help you out.”

Her head turns to me again, and her expression softens. The tightness in her eyes and face relaxes. Within her relief, I see surprise in her diamond blue eyes. A spark.

“Uh, yes. Yes, that would . . .” she stutters, her mouth moving without output. She stops for a second, smiling. “That would mean a lot. But only if you really want to, I don’t want to pressure you to come,” she adds, the last words coming out forced. As if she doesn’t want to admit them, or she’s scaredof the response. I give her a warm smile in exchange, my eyes softening as a reaction to it.

“Don’t worry, you’re not. This is all me,” I assure her, and a breath of relief leaves her body. Her smile grows slightly. Something inside me relaxes as well, like some weight has fallen off my shoulders.

“Thanks. So much. I really appreciate it.” Her words come out as a whisper. Even her voice is softer now. She didn’t think I would actually offer to help her out. How come though? I mean, I’m no one to talk considering my reaction to Elias's sudden texts. But I have my reasons for that. What’s her reason?

I turn the other way and open my bag, digging through it until I find my notebook. I swipe it out and continue in search of a pen. When the cylindrical shape touches my fingers, I grab it and pull it out. The notebook flips open, and I rip one of the pages out, running my pen on its surface. I hand the paper to Aurora, who takes it in confusion. Her eyes look down at the paper.

“My number. So you can tell me when I can come over,” I explain. She folds the paper and stuffs it into her pocket. She mouths anotherthank youbefore returning her attention to the lesson on the board. Unlike me, she actually goes to school. She needs this information, whereas it doesn’t really affect me. I look toward the front of the class anyway to avoid suspicion.

Step one of the plan has been put into action. While I’m at Aurora’s, I just need to talk to April. Even if she decides to remove herself from the situation, her advice can still benefit me greatly. But, until then, occupying my mind with this isn’t an option. I have a meeting right after school, and I have to get there ready and on time. However, this time, I also have to be focused.

When the school bell rings and students crowd the hallways as they attempt to be the first ones out, I’m already outside and walking to my house. I don’t have time for the stacks of people crashing into each other right now. I run all the way home, entering and exiting without anyone noticing. Inside, I unclip my wig, hanging it on the side in my room. I then swing the keys off the hanger and run to my car. I will not be late. I refuse.

The car engine rumbles, and I’m immediately on my way to the office. The roads are unusually clear, and only a few cars pass by every minute. Thank God. I get to the office quickly, parking in my usual spot and rushing up the staircase. I shuffle through my purse, which is always in my car, for the keys, grabbing the cold metal and inserting them into the hole, flinging the door open to Oliver, ready and waiting.

“You’re late,” he complains. All the air rushes from my body and it takes me a moment to recover. He better be joking. I lean down, holding my hands on my legs. When I get enough breaths in, I straighten up and look at my watch. A burst of triumph blasts through me.

“Ha. It’s exactly five p.m. I’m right on time,” I gloat, which he frowns at. Wow, such a mood killer.

“You were supposed to be here five minutes earlier,” he states, moving aside to allow me to enter. I walk in, still steadying my breath, and settle in my chair. I lean back, waiting for Oliver to sit down and organize his professional self.

“Then tell me that next time. I can’t read minds.” He rolls his eyes, hitting the files in his hand on the table to make sure they’re evenly put together. They’re placed on the table cautiously, keeping their positions so that they align each other perfectly.

“Okay, so we have a couple of things to discuss today. First, the competition. Do you have any choices yet, or are you taking the situation of being at school as entertainment?” he asks.

I push my lips into a thin line, holding in my laugh, and lean forward onto the table. I mean, I have choices and all, but he’s absolutely right. I am using this as some form of entertainment.

“Well, about that,” I hesitate, and he releases a long sigh. “Come on, I told you I was going to make friends. It was bound to happen, it’s your problem if you didn’t expect it. But I have some choices, don’t worry. I’m not completely useless,” I tell him. His fingers line the edge of the first folder, before he opens it to one of the starting pages.

“At least I’ve gotten that right,” he murmurs, and I gasp dramatically, bringing my hand to my chest. That’s so rude of him. How could he even say that? I’m so offended. He looks up again, pursing his lips when he sees my expression. I drop it, trying not to roll my eyes at him. “So, who are these choices?”

“I have one, but I’m not confirming anyone until the end of the school term, just in case I need to change anything,” I tell him. He nods, as if he’s approving my thoughts. He grabs the pen hooked into his chest pocket, clicking it before looking back up at me.

“One is better than none. So, who is it?” he asks again, almost pressing me for an answer. Look, I get that he organizes all my stuff, but why is he more insistent on this than I am?

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