P A R T T W O
“Resentment is like drinking poison
and waiting for the other person to
die.”
― Carrie Fisher.
Chapter Twenty-three
Birds Are A Girls Best Friend
I don't realize just how much I don't want to go back to school until I'm standing at the front gates, staring down the hallway of Westershade High.
The look on my face is probably a cross between horrified and fearful, and I just can't seem to find a reason to stop staring like that until someone bumps their shoulder against mine and pulls me out of my daze.
“I never get tired of seeing that face every time we start a new school year,” Stacey says.
I'm smiling when I pull her into a tight hug. She laughs into my shoulder.
“It's good to see you, too.” she says.
“How was New York?” I ask when we break apart.
She shrugs. “Same old, same old. Mum paid more attention to her work than she did to me and I spent the last three weeks of my holidays tossing up between watching TV and eating myself to death.”
“Sounds nice.” I say.
“Yeah, it was a real family occasion.” she turns back to the school.
“I'm sure your dad's happy to have you back.” I say.
She smiles. “Yeah, he is.”
Two years ago, Stacey's parents split up. She told me it was because their opposing personalities clashed so often that they were miserable together by the end of their relationship. Apparently Stacey had been expecting it for a while, so when the divorce finally happened, she was prepared. Her mother flew off to New York to take up on an offer to become an editor at a very popular publishing company. Her dad, on the other hand, stayed in Westershade and remained the Sheriff of the Westershade County Police Department. Stacey choose to stay with her dad and has lived here ever since.
“And here's Lara!” Stacey spins around to face the approaching girl who's wearing a wide grin and a green jacket spotted with little, multicolored pins.
She beams us with a bright smile and walks straight up to wrap us both in her open arms.
“I feel like I haven't seen you guys in forever,” she says and steps back. “Next time everyone decides to drop off the map, a little warning would be nice.”
“Hey, I gave warning,” Stacey says in her own defense.
“I...” I smile. “I had to work.”
“All holidays?” she asks with a raise of one eyebrow.
I open my mouth to speak, then close it and drop my head. “Sorry.”
She laughs. “I'm kidding! We all had our things to do. But before you're completely forgiven, you have to buy me lunch.”
“I do?”
YOU ARE READING
Bitter Blood (BBi)
Teen FictionWhen Parker Kingsley was thirteen years old her best friend disappeared without a trace. It's been four years since Avery vanished and Parker is finally beginning to move on with her life. But at the beginning of the last week of the school year, so...
