To Be a Broken Smile (sequel to Tumbling Down - DM Fanfic)

Weekend (Ch.26)

Tyler: So what are you doing this weekend?
Me: I dunno. Abby might make us come in.
Tyler: Well if she doesn't, save me from my brother and his friends. They-
Me: Wait. He has friends?

Tyler laughs at that.

Tyler: Sadly. They'll be over all weekend.
Me: Okay.

He's about to close his locker.

Me: No!
Tyler: What?
Me: I'm cold.
Tyler: My god, how many of these do you have?
Me: Well if you took them back, I wouldn't have them, would I? And why would you keep bringing them for me?
Tyler: Why don't you bring them back?
Me: Whoops...?
Tyler: They probably all smell like perfume or your dance bag.
Me: I would never put them in my dance bag. And is perfume bad? I think it smells to the upmost level of fantastic.
Tyler: I'm not saying it smells bad.
Me: Then why are you complaining?
Tyler: Because I want my sweatshirts back?
Me: They're in my room. Just come up and take them!
Tyler: Maybe I will.

The bell rings. I'm supposed to be in lunch so it doesn't matter for me. But Tyler is late.

Me: Good going.
Teacher: Stranton!

Before I can turn to see who it is, Tyler pushes me back to the wall.

Tyler(quietly): Look upset and go. I'll make something up.

Look upset? Not hard.

I do as he says, sitting with Paige as soon as I see her.

Paige: So why are you late, huh?
Me: Forgot my book in my locker.
Paige: You're so bad at lying.
Me: So where's Chloe?
Paige: I dunno. She's probably just late. And how she's feeling makes her care even less.
Me: You're gonna watch over Clara, though, right?
Paige: I'm literally trying to get Christi and my mom let her stay in Brooke's room until you guys are home. Or at least until her house isn't an arena for screaming matches.
Me: Is Chloe talking to you about that?
Paige: I only found out after the crash. You?
Me: Clara told me. She's a lot more trusting in people than Chloe is.
Paige: She's always been like that. There just wasn't ever anything so massive that it was bad enough to hide like that.
Me: True. I'm still scared though. About leaving. Chloe was a student at Joffrey. Now, we're expected to be living on our own. To an extent. Be adults.
Paige: You'll be fine. Chloe said she was on her own a lot. But when she made friends, it wasn't so bad.

Making friends? Yeah, that went well a year ago.

I nod anyways.

Paige: Are you okay?

It almost sounds like a derogatory joke. But then I realize she wouldn't know. Nor will she ever.

Me: Still just scared. What if they don't like me there? They fire me and send me back?
Paige: Did you see the level of skill some of those people had at the auditions? We passed. To the end. You got there.
Me: Yeah cuz we knew the choreography.
Paige: No, because you two were the best. Didn't the guy say the Abby Lee dancers were at the top of the list?
Me: I feel like he said that to everyone.
Paige: Don't say that. You guys are amazing. They wanted certain looks to people. And certain styles. I may look like Chloe but I'm not a lyrical dancer.

We talk until the bell rings. For study hall I work on English and the project I have involving one of the characters. I start with the questions we're supposed to answer.

1. What has happened to your character in the book?

She showed the people she was mean. That's about it.

2a. Have you learned much about your character's past in the book?

Yeah. She was neglected. She was lonely.