Friends Don't Kiss, Do They?

Chapter 15

The bell rings for fourth period, but I don't move from the floor. I stay seated, not wanting to move, afraid if I walked the halls I will see Samantha. I could avoid her forever, especially when I have cheerleading practice this afternoon.

And then a thought occurred to me. What would she do if she finds out that Matt and I had sex? What tricks will she have up her sleeve to get me back?

I push the thought out of my head. I didn't want to know the answer. If my friends were here they would tell me not to worry about her, that her threats were there to scare me. Samantha can't hate me if Matt and I slept together. She and Matt were never together in the first place. It was all in her head that they were dating. It was also her way of hurting me and making me feel jealous.

I don't come out until the bell rings for lunch. I could stay there until the end of the day, but I couldn't avoid Samantha forever.

I meet up with Bailey, who kept complaining about Tayvon. I wasn't listening to her. I was mainly thinking about Samantha. Tayvon was nowhere to be seen. He had tried speaking to her at recess, but Bailey told him that she didn't want to speak to her ever gain. He was properly somewhere with Matt, who also wasn't in the cafeteria.

"Hailey, are you okay?" Bailey asks me. "You're very quiet and haven't said one word at all." She takes a sip of her water.

I bite my lip, not really wanting to talk about Samantha right now, but perhaps speaking about her to my friend will make me feel better. "I was cornered by Samantha and her friends during free period today."

"What did that bitch say to you?" She screws the cap back onto the bottle.

The tears began to form in my eyes and I couldn't stop it. I tell Bailey what she did.

"That bitch," she replies. "She has no right to treat you like crap. You need to start standing up to her, Hailey."

I wipe the tears. "And what will that do? She will make my life hell even more."

"Hailey, we have two weeks left until we graduate. The final basketball game is next Friday. We then have prom and then graduation. She can't make your life anymore like hell than it already is. School ends soon, and someone needs to put Samantha in her place to show that the words she says can no longer hurt you."

Bailey was right. I shouldn't let Samantha's harsh words get to me no more. There's only two weeks left of school. Although, standing up to her was easy said than done. Even if I do tell her exactly how I felt, her hurtful words weren't easy to just forget. They will always haunt me.

"So are you and Tayvon still going to prom together?" I ask, changing the subject.

Bailey shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe not. What about you? Are you going with Matt?"

I shrug. "He hasn't asked me yet. I'm sure I will be going with him."

"You should go with him. You both made a perfect couple."

I smile. "Thanks. So have you heard anything about Abby?"

Bailey shakes her head. "No, Anna hasn't heard anything new. Hopefully Abby is alright."

The rest of the school day went by quickly. Anna and Bailey said they will wait at the front of the school for me until I was finished with practice. I probably wouldn't have stay for the whole practice. I probably only have to see what I can do and that's it.

Whole my team mates were changing into their uniforms, I wonder outside where Mrs O'Hare was setting out the mats on the field. I sat down on the bleachers. She smiles and then greets me.

The rest of the team soon joins me. Mrs O'Hare gives a quick run through with what we were going to do that. I could feel Samantha's eyes burning through my soul as I kept my focus on our coach. The team starts doing the routine, and as I watch them, I realise Mrs O'Hare was right. I couldn't cheer in the final game. There was a lot of arm movement and hand clapping. The only thing I could do was wave the pom poms, but I couldn't only do that during the routine.

I grab my bag, swinging it over my shoulder, and walked away from the bleachers. Mrs O'Hare sees me and calls me back. I sprint, hoping my coach wouldn't chase after me.

Anna and Bailey were waiting at the front of the school liked they promised. They were shock to see me.

Before either of them could ask me why I was back from practice so soon, I explain it quickly to them. "Mrs O'Hare is right. I can't cheer. I can't do it with a broken wrist."

Without asking me any questions, Anna leads us to her car. As we walked Bailey puts a hand on my shoulder.

"It's alright, Hailey," she says. "Even if you can't do the routine, you can still cheer."

She was right. I could still cheer, but it just wouldn't be the same doing it from the court.

* * * * *

Abby was resting when we walk in. She opens her eyes when she hears our footsteps. She says hi softly. Anna walks over her, pushing a strand of Abby's hair away from her face. Bailey and I stand beside Anna. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she looked like she was a total mess.

"Hey, how are you, Abby?" Bailey says. "Anna told us what happened."

Abby smiles at us. "Thanks for coming, guys. Yeah, I missed the step and fell."

"How's the baby?" Anna asks. "Is it okay?"

Bailey and I stare at them both with a puzzle look. Abby is pregnant? "Baby?"

The smile disappears from Abby's face. She then replies softly, almost a whisper, "I lost it."

"Oh. I'm so sorry, Abby." Anna wraps her arms around her into a hug.

Bailey and I express our sympathy.

"How far along were you?" Bailey asks.

"This Friday would have been the eighth week," Abby replies.

"Abby, why didn't you tell us?" I ask.

"I was afraid to in case you guys disowned me as your friends or you would put me to shame."

Bailey shakes her head. "No. Don't ever think that, Abby. We will always be your friends."

I nod. "Yeah, we would have supported you through the pregnancy."

Abby smiles. "Thanks. Sorry for not telling you. I got really emotional and I blurted out that I was pregnant to Anna."

"Do you know who the father was?" Bailey asks.

Abby nods, biting her lip. "It was Nick."

Bailey and I gasps, surprised our friend had hooked up with him. Abby dated Nick for six months until he cheated on her for another girl from a different high school. He transferred so he could be with the other girl.

"Oh god, I'm such a fool." Abby covers her face with her hands. "I shouldn't have listened to him when he wanted to meet up and apologise for what he did. I shouldn't have slept with him."

I shake my head, knowing I had the exact same thought when I had slept with Mat. I shouldn't have slept with Matt straight away. I should have waited before I did, but I didn't. Controlling your feelings wasn't an easy thing for someone you truly care about. Abby didn't speak much about Nick after they broke up over three months ago. Nick twisted her hand, making her believe she wanted her back, but he didn't.

"Don't blame yourself for anything, Abby," I tell her. She removes her hands from her face as I speak. "He fooled you into thinking he was still in love with, when he wasn't."

Anna rubs her hand up and down Abby's arm. "How did your parents take the news?"

Abby is quiet at first. "When the doctor informed them that I had a miscarriage, Dad looked at me like he didn't even know me at all. He walked out of the room. Mom ran after him. I haven't seen my parents since the accident."

"Listen, Abby, if you need anything, remember the three of us is here for you," Bailey tells her.

Abby smiles at us. "Thanks you guys."