The Broken Fade

Chapter Four- Just Highschool

"How many stories have you written on Wattpad again?" Emma turned over to face Cath, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, indulging herself in some business with her Lenovo laptop. It was a windy Saturday night and the four energetic late-comers had all gathered over to sleep over at Emma's home. 

"No idea, four or five, perhaps?" Cath replied, an uncertain look on her face.

Wattpad is an online network where you write (or type in the modern times) and share your stories with other members. 

Emma raised her eyebrows in acknowledgement and continued scrolling down, checking people's statuses and liking them if they were, well, likable. "Oh my god, Cath, do you remember Tristan Bryant?" Emma sat up abruptly and turned to face Cath again. Aurel, Krissy and Hazel's attention switched from the flatscreen to Emma's excited and bright face.

"Cath's crush for ten years since Grade One?" Aurel guessed, sitting upright in an energized tone.

"Yes!" Emma smiled broadly as she pointed to her Facebook's news feed page.

Cath stared at Emma's laptop screen and immediately,she felt a jolt of surprise and amazement. My time in London is numbering, I'm coming home, America! Tristan's status said.

Cath blinked. Hazel placed an arm around her shoulder and teased, "Girl, don't try to hide your feelings! We know how much you're smiling deep down!"

Cath broke out into a soft giggle. "Oh, stop it you!" Her face was reddening like a tomato.

The girls burst out laughing and celebrated for Cath by ordering a jumbo Hawaiian pizza from Pizza Hut's delivery service hotline. 

                                                                                         *

"Hey, you heard of this year's summer camp activities?" Krissy asked the others as the five changed into their Phys Ed clothes in the changing room.

"I heard there's mountain biking," Aurel said, excitedly. 

Cath rummaged through a pile of messy clothes in her locker and grabbed a pair of Adidas sports pants. "I don't know. I might not be joining." Hazel broke the short silence.

"What?" Cath gaped and looked at Hazel, who just shrugged and focused on tying her shoelaces. 

"It's impossible to miss summer camp!" Krissy protested, but Hazel ignored all their moaning.

"Finished!" Hazel got to her feet and grabbed a bottle of 100-plus and an energy bar. "See you later!" and she left.

The four remaining curious and astounded friends had their eyes fixed on Hazel until she completely disappeared as she walked out of the changing room. Krissy was the first to turn and face the others with an astonished and puzzled look on her face. Cath returned Krissy's curious glare with a 'I'm-as-shocked-as-you-are' expression written on her face. 

"Something's going on with Hazel, I suppose?" asked Krissy as Emma nodded in agreement.

"It's obvious, she's been growing weirder than-" 

"Santa Claus in Kate Middleton's wedding dress," Aurel continued.

"Exactly!" Cath snapped her fingers and smiled. 

"I think it's her family's financial problems, again!" Krissy heaved a deep sigh and leaned against the lockers. 

"Isn't she the richest girl in town?" Aurel slammed her locker shut as they proceeded to walk out of the changing room, past giggling young girls who felt shy about changing in public with other girls, past the shower section, the area where you dry your hair with a hairdryer, and you go into a narrow passageway and turn right, and you're out. 

"Her parents aren't getting along well, and her brother is a runaway drug addict." Emma recalled her first time being classmates with Hazel. Their English teacher made them write three paragraphs describing themselves and their family, and after that, according to alphabetical order, they would have to present their story in front of the whole class. Hazel had stood at the front with fingers trembling as she gripped a piece of paper. When it came to describing her brother, tears had welled up in her sad eyes and her lips trembled badly as she spoke, "My brother's name is Henry. He's eighteen this year. He likes rock and roll type of music. I haven't seen him for a year...he took drugs..."  Emma shuddered as she was remembered of that horrible moment, how she wished she could delete that remnant of her past forever. Miss Magdelene, their English teacher from United Kingdom, had consoled Hazel when she knelt down and broke down crying and took her to the toilet to wash her face. Everybody used to think that Hazel was creepy, having a runaway drug addict as a brother, but after a while, they realized that she was as caring and clownish as everyone else, and the funniest joker in the class too!

"Everyone in this school knows that," Aurel commented.

 "Hey, guys," Cath changed the subject, as she gestured towards the cafeteria, "it's half an hour to Phys Ed lessons. Let's just munch down an energy bar at the cafeteria and have a little chat there, shall we?" They all nodded in agreement and headed to the cafeteria.

They all grabbed energy drinks and bars and sat at a four-seated table. The chairs at their cafeteria were attached to the tables, just like in most of the McDonald's restaurants you've come across.

"Hey, look," Krissy murmured under her breath, her eyes fixing on a few seniors, probably a grade higher than them. 

Emma turned to the left. Kaityln Samara and her boyfriend Justin were sitting on the table with their other gang members. Justin pulled Kaityln closer to him and they began to chat and laugh out loud as if they were next to the sea, where all screams of frustration would be swallowed by the calm waves of the sea, and where no one would bother nor hear you. 

"Disgusting. Full of crap. People made of nonsense!" Cath whispered to them, in an angry and irritated tone.

"Is that bad boy Isaiah?" Emma asked, staring at a boy with a black varsity jacket laughing out loud and leaning by the chair with an 'act cool' type of pose. 

"He wasn't that bad," Krissy shrugged when Emma, Aurel and Cath stared at her in disbelief, and with their eyebrows raised.

"He-was-my-neighbour!" Krissy explained, sounding stern as the four girls walked out of the cafeteria, sick enough of the bad reputated gang's laughters and loud jeers. The sight of Kaitlyn leaning against Justin made Cath want to throw the cafeteria's omelette and mayonnaise sandwich  into their faces.

"Once a bad boy, always a bad boy," Cath quoted.

Krissy sighed and the four of them didn't talk for the rest of the day until lessons finally came to an end, neither did they notice Hazel's presence during Phys Ed lesson, or probably, she just wasn't there?