I Still Need ✓

32. I'm starting to think it was all in vain

After a long debate on the phone with his parents, Floyd went home with the biggest pout. He was not allowed to stay over. They wanted to hear from him what exactly was going on with me and Dylan, since he'd run away before he could properly explain it to them. I had a hard time determining whether they were just confused or angry. They seemed pretty against it when we'd left earlier.

Floyd didn't respond to any of my messages later that night, so I guessed they'd taken his phone. They did that from time to time, when they were of the opinion that Floyd had 'done something bad'. This usually meant he'd stolen cookies or something stupid like that, so I wasn't all that worried.

The next morning, he was standing by my locker with a similar pout as the day before.

"Did they take your phone?"

"Yeah. They were mad I'd run off."

"Not because of... us?" asked Dylan.

"They didn't really approve of it, but they're not going to stop us. Basically, it'll be our own fault if it goes downhill."

I nodded—I didn't expect any more nor any less from Floyd's parents, since they usually had this aloof kind of outlook on life—but Dylan shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. I followed his gaze, but I didn't really see anything or anyone that might catch his attention. "Dylan?"

His head snapped back around. "Huh, what?"

I fought off a frown. "Nothing. Let's go to class."

Olivia was back, sitting in her usual seat, two rows ahead of mine, and she was looking a lot better already—if only to keep up appearances. I heard her saying to her friends that she got sick yesterday and it didn't seem weird to anyone. Neither did anyone dare bring up Mr. Rosenberg and I hoped to God it'd stay that way.

When I sat down, Floyd slipping in the seat next to me, Riley suddenly turned in her chair and leaned over the edge of my desk. She glanced around and hissed, "Hugo, Floyd, I heard something you're not going to like."

Floyd's eyes went wide. "What is it?"

"People are saying that Dylan is cheating on Hugo with you."

"B-but..."

"I know."

"Shit."

In my mind, I was replaying my arrival at school and quickly realized that when Dylan had been staring off into the 'distance', it was because people had been staring at us. Not a lot. Just a few—more than usual. Enough to raise suspicion.

I frantically slapped Floyd's arm. "Text Dylan!"

"I can't! I don't have my phone!"

I held in a groan and got my own phone, while murmuring, "Why would they even say that? We've given them no clues whatsoever. Dylan and I haven't even been 'together' in school for weeks."

Ruby, who'd been listening alongside Riley in silence, shifted in her seat to get closer and murmured, "Maybe you weren't as secretive as you hoped."

"But we never—" I cut myself off and I'd turned to Floyd, who had a horrified expression on his face.

Oh, no...

"What did you do?"

"Gosh, where is Mrs. Reynolds?!" exclaimed some kid, followed by an exasperated sigh, which we all ignored. Who would complain about a teacher not being there anyway?

"He was upset yesterday!" Floyd squeaked. "I just... I... We were in an empty restroom— I thought it was empty!"

I gripped my pen in fear, feeling the air thinning around me.