Splicing of Changes (Editing)

Chapter 47

Today is a Monday, starting the last week of school before winter break. Normal school that is without exams as they will be starting next week and will end next week as well. I want to say I am prepared for exams but then again who is actually prepared for them ever? As I walk into the school, I feel a shift in the atmosphere. Yes, the division is still there. Yes, people still look at me weirdly and talk as well. I think by now everyone knows I am Tori's younger sister yet still they make stories about me. And yes, people still look at our friends' group in a weird way because of Silver's death. As if that made us weird in any way. This school!

But today, the vibe was not the usual. Yes, those usual things were still present along with the stares that I still receive from people. Today though most of the students were busy looking at their phone watching something. Then they looked at me. Wait did someone send a video of me? But I did not do anything recently that would make an entertaining video? So, why? What is going on? Now I am curious as well. Finally, I reach my friends group, who seemed to be standing thousands of miles away. In reality they were few feet away from the entrance. But all of them were hunched over watching something. I cleared my throat to announce my presence. Somehow it felt like an appropriate way to greet this peculiar bunch of people, I call my friends.

"Heya Kris. Did you see this?" Jeff asks me after turning for a second to look at me.

"Umm...no. What is it? I just came to school." I offered as a reason. He just waved it down. Yeah, okay. I should have checked my phone and the rumor patrol group. But I never check it. I guess I should have now.

I take my phone out of my back pocket because for some unknown reason the jeans I wear all have smallest pockets known to people. Why are they so small? I mean my phone is bigger than the damn pocket and I put my headphones in my pocket as well. Anyway, I could vent about that later on. Now I need to check whatever this is. I unlock my phone and slowly go to the group dreading to open it every second. Finally, I open it to see so many texts. I ignore and just scroll down and see there is a video there. After debating for about a minute I press play.

It's a video of Lee and someone girl blowing smoke into each other's mouths. Someone else laughs in the background. But the way the video is shot it seems like Lee and this girl is almost kissing. It's very intimate that's for sure. Not just what Lee and that girl is doing the whole setting of the video. I did not like it at all. I saw it about two to three times. That's too many for me already. The whole video now lives rent free in my brain and I already hate it.

I did not say anything to any of my friends who were all very eager for my input. Makes sense because Lee is my best friend. But I have no idea who the other girl is, or who took the video. Although I feel like I know that girl from somewhere yet, I cannot place her. It does not matter now. It was obvious from the video that Lee and the girl are close and that they enjoyed their weekend a lot. I mean I did not distance myself from Lee, but it sure feels like it nowadays. Or maybe I did unknowingly because of my stupid feelings. I walked to my locker did my thing and then walked to my first class. Interestingly enough I do not think I share this class with Lee. A fact I am particularly glad about now. Although the stares are not helping. It's not me in the video so why are people looking at me like that? Did I miss something in the video?

I took out my phone yet again and checked it. No. It's still the same. But this time I noticed someone posted the video, whose name is scratched away but the caption that person gave stayed, 'catch me if you can'. Who is it referred to? The smoke? Or Lee? How does it matter? It's not like Lee will tell me who they are or that I can ask her directly. I mean I can I guess as a friend. But won't I look too eager and weird? I don't think I have ever asked Lee things like this. That's strange though, isn't it? Lee has asked me about who I like, she teased me about Diane. But I have never. Suddenly my mind flashes to a day last year when Lee asked me to skip school with her and we went to the hangout to chill. I remember the tension we felt that day, that indescribable pull between us. Huh! Maybe we have always had this sort of pull but I always ran. The realization made me stunned.