Off Limits (Christoffer Schistad - Skam)

Part 20

All eyes were on Mara the very moment she climbed out of William's car the next morning. The rumour that she passed out had spread around as quickly as wildfire but she couldn't be bothered by the constant whispering she heard on her way to her locker. Being the centre of the general attention was something she was used to and at ease with, regardless of the reason behind it.

Besides, there was really only one person she felt like giving her attention to this morning, and it was none of those gossips that talked in a hushed tone as soon as she entered a room. She endured the two first classes without saying a word apart from answering the teachers' questions. When someone said hi to her, she smiled and nodded friendly but her lips were sealed. She simply wasn't in the mood. Her night was shorter than what she would have liked, her brother even more sorry than what she thought and Chris even more worried.

She had told William that she would forgive him completely eventually – if he made efforts and bought her enough sushis from her favourite restaurant. As for her lack of sleep, there wasn't much she could do apart from taking a nap after class today.

That left her with Chris. He must have ran late this morning because she didn't see him come to school and when she had glanced at William from across the school yard, he had shaken his head, silently telling her he hadn't seen Chris either. Mara was growing wary when she still didn't see him after her first classes, but she was kept busy by Noora and her friends. They were all so enthusiastic upon seeing her well and coming back to school that the young Magnusson was almost rendered speechless.

"It's good to see you well!" Eva said with a giant smile and stars in her eyes.

"Maybe you're not eating properly," Vilde suggested, setting her worried eyes on Mara like she feared she would pass out again any time.

Mara put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and told her she ate more than enough food for a munchkin like herself. It put a smile on all their faces and she felt like it was a small victory.

"William told me what he did this morning," Noora sighed, looking absolutely done with her boyfriend's shit. "I'm so sorry, if I'd known about this I would have tried to change his mind."

"It's not your fault." Mara shrugged a shoulder and brushed an unruly strand of hair behind her ear. "Have you seen Chris?"

"No, sorry," Noora said with an apologetic pout.

"Oh, I saw him!" Eva interjected, her eyes lighting up. "He mixed up his classrooms this morning and accidentally barged in in the middle of my English class. He looked pretty upset, but I don't know if it's due to him walking in the wrong class or something else," she said sheepishly.

It must have shown on Mara's face that she was uneasy about not finding Chris today.

"I'm sure you'll find him," Vilde said as she grabbed Mara's hand for support. "He must be with the boys or still in class."

It was a long shot, but at least she tried to ease Mara. She smiled despite the bad feeling stirring in her gut.

"We were about to hold a Kosegruppa meeting, do you want to join us to take your mind off of him?" Vilde offered graciously, looking at Mara with wide hopeful eyes.

When she saw her expression, Noora stepped in and answered for Mara.

"I'm sure she'd rather find him now," Noora told Vilde. "You girls start the meeting without me and I'll meet you after helping Mara."

Before any of the girls could object, Noora grabbed Mara by the arm and dragged her away, making her stumble on her feet when she pulled her with her. The urgency with which Noora pulled her forward seemed out of place given the situation, and it triggered a number of alarms in Mara's head. She shivered despite the thick knitted sweater she was wearing. It was Chris' favourite, the one that hung off her left shoulder.