Lasting Impressions

Chapter 16- Blissful Ignorance

“Rough night, huh?” She guessed in a cautious tone.

“What would make you think that?” I spat sarcastically. Rachel held her hands up in a defensive gesture and I hoisted my bag strap higher on my shoulder.

“Sorry,” She said honestly “Are you ok? Because you really look like you spent the night outside… and what in Hell happened to your hair?” She exclaimed, pinching a strand of my knotty hair between her thumb and finger.

“Don’t even ask. I didn’t get time to my hair this morning, I was too busy trying to fix the horror that it my face.” Came my reply accompanied with a yawn.

Rachel reached into her bag, retrieving a small black hair brush with a floral design on the handle. “Here, this might help a bit…though I doubt it’ll fix it entirely.”

Taking it out of her hand, I attempted to run the brush through the snarls, ripping half of it out in the process. “It’s always great to know you can make me feel better in my time of need.” I remarked, rolling my eyes.

“Drama Queen.” Rachel muttered.

“Oh shut up.” I meant it seriously, but a smile twitched at my lips.

“Ha! You can’t stay mad at me! No one can.” She teased, her blonde curls swirling behind her with every step.

I chuckled and rolled my eyes, such a typical Rachel-like response. “Whatever you say Goldilocks, whatever you say.”

“Guys, guys, guys!” A voice called from behind us. Rachel and myself both simultaneously spun around.

Jenna came running, her backpack bouncing crazily over her shoulders and her brown hair blowing behind her. She came to a halt only a foot away from us, causing Rachel to take a couple of shocked steps back

“What’s up, Jenna? You seem…on edge.” I commented, she was literally bouncing up and down on her heals.

“Well- Oh God I’m unfit!” She placed a hand on her rapidly rising chest, her other hand resting on her knee as she tried to regain her breath.

“Jenna,” Rachel snapped, growing impatient. “What’s going on?”

“Oh my god, you wouldn’t believe it. Peter and Tristan are fighting! Yeah, you heard me, full on punches and kicks and whatever else you do when you want to basically kill someone.”

My eyes widened dramatically and my mouth hung open to such a degree my jaw ached. Rachel seemed to be in a similar state as me.

“What?!” Cried Rachel, regaining her composure before me.

“Where?!” I yelled only a second after. Why would they be fighting? I knew they didn’t like each other, but was that hate between them really as bad as this?

What happened to them that made them want to fight physically rather than the little insults they threw back and forth whenever they were forced to be in the same room together?

All these thought ran through my mind on repeat as Rachel, Jenna and I sprinted through the schools towards the courtyard.

“Watch it!” A girl cried as I ran into her, causing her to stumble slightly.

“Sorry! It’s a matter of life or death!” I yelled back, not even casting a look in her direction. Jenna chuckled breathlessly beside me.

“Life or death? Really?”

I rolled my eyes, my heart thumping rapidly in my chest. “Well knowing those two, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

Finally we burst through the doors to the courtyard and I found myself temporarily distracted by the light smattering of snow that covered the leaves of the pine trees, little icicles hanging off the branched that shone in the sun.