Head Over Heels

(Updated) Chapter 19- Dead Phone

"I know we said the no phone rule today, but are you guys ok if I check mine real fast before we go into the movie theatre? I want to make sure my parents haven't tried to call me or anything." Claire says. She's the ever-so-sweet, responsible one of the group. Every friend group needs a Claire. She balances everyone out and is the voice of reason when necessary.

"Yeah that's a good point. Ok, a five minute phone break is probably not a bad idea." Payton grabs her phone from her shoulder bag as all our friends begin to do the same.

"I guess I'll go get some popcorn while you guys check your phones." I turn to walk away when I hear them all chattering.

"Woah..... I mean I knew Mason was obsessed with me, but seventeen texts and three missed calls seems a bit excessive if you ask me." Rachel laughs to herself when she pulls her phone from her pocket.

"That's weird. I have a bunch of missed messages too." Kelly looks up at us.

"Me too." Claire says.

"My parents called me five times." Payton tells us.

Their carefree attitudes turn to looks of concern as soon as they start reading their texts. Each of my friends goes silent. I'm standing clueless looking at them all. Of all the days to not charge my phone!

"What? What's going on? Someone say something!"

Claire very sweetly puts her arm around me and passes me her phone. She had a whole string of texts from Brady.  I'm frantically reading them to see what is so terrible that she can't just tell me herself.

12:17pm Brady: I know you're with the girls today and vowed not to talk to us guys or whatever but a lot has happened you should know about. Call me please if you get a chance.

12:29pm Brady: Alright I guess I'll just text you since you aren't answering your phone. Coach called us for a mandatory meeting. He was super ticked about Tanner and TJ's fight last night at HOCO. He was lecturing all of us about how he couldn't believe two of his athletes would do such a thing. I've never seen Coach so mad before.

12:30pm Brady: Principal Ford and Coach watched videos of the fight from the school cameras and some of the ones posted by people at the dance. Based on all the evidence they decided to bench Tanner for two games and TJ for three. I guess they should have been suspended but Coach was able to negotiate since it was a first offense.

12:31pm Brady: It's just such complete bull crap 😡 We all thought TJ would be off the hook since Tanner started everything and was the drunken idiot. But I guess they couldn't prove if Tanner had been drinking and his parents are lawyers so you know how that goes 🙄 Plus TJ broke Tanner's nose in the fight so I think they were probably just doing damage control so Tanner's parents didn't sue the school or something stupid like that.

1:52pm Brady: Where are you guys? These videos online don't look good. People are trying to make it look like the fight was all TJ's fault which is total bull. Please call me.

3:23pm Brady: Hey....are you there? Nobody can get ahold of TJ. He stayed to talk to coach after the meeting when we all left but nobody has heard from him since. That was a few hours ago. Has he reached out to Payton or Lila?

4:03pm Brady: Hello?

"I need to get to my phone." I look up to my friends in a panic and hand Claire her phone back.

"Let's go. My parents want me home to try and help them find Tyler." Payton tells us while we head for the exit. "I'm gonna try calling him now." Payton dials her phone. "Dang it, pick up TJ! Everyone is worried about you." She yells into her phone, the call went straight to voicemail.