Seven Minutes From Heaven [bxb]

Chapter 16 - I want to see you

A/N: I think mentioning all the hot goss would have worked better in the last chapter, but I just remembered while writing this one lol. I'll probably switch things up so these last two chapters will be slightly revised, but no big changes. Just a heads up. 

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As much as I wanted to, I hadn't forgotten about the humiliation from Friday night. Apparently, no one else had either. The large turnout of students from our school meant that the news spread around fast, and there were endless whispers each time I walked the halls, entered the toilets, or drank from a water fountain.

Shame washed over me every time I met a passer-by's eyes. Josh had exposed all of my demons so that everyone knew about it. Even if I had the strength to fight this before, mum collapsing took every last ounce I had left. And now I had not only my demons to face, but my own best friend. Tristan and I had next class together. He'd texted me as soon as he left my place with Liam on Friday night, but I didn't have a chance to respond. And the longer I left it, the harder it became. I didn't want to wrap my head around the fact that he'd no longer be my only friend, but I couldn't stress mum out any more than I already had.

Tristan was already at our desk by the window, watching me the moment I came in. Actually, everyone's eyes were on me. They probably had been from the moment I stepped foot inside the school grounds this morning, but after having kept my head down all day, I was only now noticing. Tristan lifted his hand and waved pensively at me, like he didn't know how to act around me anymore. I dumped my bag down under my seat and tried to avoid eye contact, though I could feel his eyes boring holes into the side of my face.

"Hi," he said as I settled into my seat.

"Hi," I said back, making a point of not looking at him or engaging further in the conversation. This didn't seem to gel with him though, because he scooted his chair closer and leaned in front of me so that I was forced to look at him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, peering up at me. "Was your mum really mad?"

I nodded. "I can't hang out or talk to you anymore," I said, pulling my bag up to my legs and rummaging around for books. "I promised her."

"Because of Friday night?" he asked, looking at me dubiously. "Because I helped you see Liam? Will you hang with Liam instead?"

"I'm cutties ties with you both," I mumbled, pulling my textbooks up and opening up to the right pages. "She was so angry, she fainted."

"Fainted?" he asked with surprise.

"After we left? What did you do?"

I shrugged, realising how quickly and easily I was getting swept into conversation with him. But as far as friendships went; he was my best, and only, friend. It was harder than I thought to cut ties and ignore him completely. If I wasn't so swept up with mum and Pastor Cordell for the past two days then it probably would have been the longest weekend in existence.

"I freaked and called an ambulance," I said. "They've kept her there all weekend."

"So it was just you and Josh alone?" he asked. "How'd that go?"

"We were mostly at the hospital," I answered, now setting out my stationary in front of me. The class was still settling and into their seats, and the teacher hadn't arrived yet. The sooner the teacher got here, the sooner I could end this conversation and make good on my promise to mum.

"But you live so far away from the hospital," he said. "How'd you––"

"Pastor Cordell was with us all weekend," I said. "He drove and spent time with me."