Across From Me

Nineteen

But it was different from the rumors going around about Clementine. This time, people aren't laughing and pointing. This time it was just glaring. Nasty looks and hissed words. Beth's confusion and wonder only deepened at this. By then, her worry was increasing too.

She got to her second period to find Minnie talking to a group of people very energetically and gesticulating wildly. She couldn't tell if Minnie was angry or excited. She got her answer when the people replied in an annoyed manner. In reply, she heard Minnie almost shout 'I'm telling you it wasn't her!' When they finally noticed her, she got nasty looks from the group while Minnie rushed over with a very panicked look on her face.

"I'm sorry Beth I tried to tell them what happened and that you're a good person but they wouldn't listen to me and when I tried to tell them I had known you for a long time they brushed off what I said I am sorry I tried really hard but-" Minnie was talking too fast for Beth to even comprehend with her words jumbling together. When she finally stopped for a breath, Beth put a hand on her shoulder.

"Slow down, I don't know what you're talking about," Beth told her, Minnie caught her breath, "Now, what happened, and what are people saying?"

Minnie looked really worried now, she took a breath, "Well... people have been saying, and I can't even remember the original version of the story. Well it's complicated, people are kinda saying that you well..." She trailed off, playing with her fingers.

Beth was tired of this, so she gave Minnie a look and said, "Just get to the point."

Minnie sighed, averting her eyes, "People are saying that the reason Clem left the art competition is that you were the one who destroyed her paintings," Beth was shocked, like cold water running down her back, but Minnie continued, "And well it escalated to the point where people started to kinda....dig up your past?"

Beth's natural reaction to this was shock and confusion, but as she got over the initial reaction she could only feel desperation. It had been a long time since she felt something like this like her entire world was crumbling. In increasing franticness, she grabbed Minnie by her shoulders and held her with a vice-like grip.

"Who is saying this?"

Minnie looked afraid at the intensity, but she answered, "I don't know, I just heard from one of our classmates a few minutes ago. I don't know where or who it came from," She analyzed Beth's face, which was getting increasingly paler.

"What have they even been saying about my- our past?" Beth asked her, loosening and eventually letting go of her hold on Minnie's shoulders. Minnie relaxed.

"I've been trying to tell them that what they're saying is completely wrong, I mean, I was there! But no one is listening to me! I guess they'll believe what people say at face value instead of someone who actually was there to see it," She sighed again, looking at the ground, "The thing is, people seem intent on villainizing you. Which is completely wrong as you were the victim. People are saying you were the one who bullied Amy and Amy finally snapped. People are saying that you are a snake and befriended Clementine in one of her worst moments so you could get something from her. I know it's all wrong, but again, no one is listening to me."

Beth's head felt fuzzy, she needed to sit down otherwise she would fall, "I think I need to sit down," Minnie quickly got Beth's arm and led her to a chair. She sat her down on it and Beth put her head in her hands. She felt dizzy, all of the information gathering in her head at once and all she wanted to do was have a good lie down.

It all felt like too much for her. She felt like a little kid again. She felt like her middle school self. She felt powerless and weak. Beth knew she hated feeling like she couldn't control herself or what happened to her. She hated feeling like what happened to her depended on what her peers felt about her. She hated feeling like that. 

Minnie let her stay that way well into class. Halfway through, Beth felt the energy to lift her head. No one was looking at her. No one was even acknowledging her. And for the first time in a long time, she felt afraid to walk outside of the classroom. To go and walk around a place she had the right to feel safe but didn't. It was like being in middle school again.

The reason why she didn't make friends was to avoid this happening again.

Minnie didn't leave her and kept asking if Beth was okay. Beth just shrugged most of the time, but near the end of the class, she felt like it would be best to talk to Minnie.

"Why after all this time did it have to resurface in this way? Amy doesn't even go to this school and yet she follows me everywhere," Beth sighed in frustration, running her hand through her already messy hair.

Minnie studied her with sympathetic eyes, "I'm sorry Beth. I really tried to get them to listen to me. I didn't want to mess up again like I did in middle school but they didn't listen," She sounded as frustrated as Beth felt. Beth figured Minnie felt guilty because it was like a repeat of middle school, but this time Minnie had the ability to say something about it.

Beth didn't want Minnie to feel like this was her fault or as though she needed to take this burden, she shook her head, "No, no, don't be sorry. This is kinda my problem now. I don't want people to take this out of proportion and then villainize you too. Let me deal with this, okay?"

Minnie didn't look very convinced, but she nodded anyway.

The class continued to drag on, and Beth wondered what she could even do. She didn't have much power here. Which was exactly the problem that frustrated her the most. The fact was, she couldn't do anything to convince people that she was truthful and good. She never interacted with anyone, so at this point, only Minnie and Clem could defend her. And she didn't want to hurt them any more than she might have.

This was the past coming back again. The past that Beth tried so hard to forget about because it only hurt to remember. But people were rewriting the story to fit their views about Elizabeth. And even then, how had this come back? How did someone even find this out? It was as if it was a big deal back in middle school. And Beth tried very hard to keep it quiet, or what happened to her at the end, quiet. But in the end, her efforts proved to be worthless after all.

If she had known what her efforts would get her, she wouldn't have even tried it in the past. But now, she couldn't go back and change anything.

The only question was if Clementine had heard about this, which she most definitely had, how was it affecting her? Beth knew that Clem had had many doubts about their friendship and she feared that Clementine might withdraw again. Beth tried really hard to explain to Clementine that her friendship was a burden to her. But now that the rumor was going around it might just destroy the fragile mindset that Clem was only just starting to build-up

The only way she could possibly find out was by finding her. So when the bell rang, she gave Minnie a smile and a nod, a way to say thank you for now. She would give her thanks later on when she had a better time. Hesitating for a moment, Beth walked out of the classroom in search of Clementine.