Chasing Isla ✔

Chapter 18

I gently close the door before walking towards my friends that had just arrived.

"How was Tommy's driving?" Laura questions with concern while standing outside her car.

"It was fine" I assure her. .

Well besides the speeding but we're going to forget about that.

"What's he doing in there?" Willow's gaze is on Tommy who sits in his car.

"He said he's FaceTiming his brother" I explain, "which is funny cause I didn't even know that he had a brother"

"Yeah he's got a brother" Willows eyes fill with sadness.

What's with that look?

I open my mouth to voice my thoughts. "What-"

"Come on guy's we don't want to be late" Kyle claps his hands together as we all begin walking to the gym.

The moments passed now, so I'm not going to ask Willow, but I will ask Thomas.

"That was weird right?" I whisper to Thomas who walks beside me.

"You need to stop paying so much attention to detail" Thomas rolls his eyes while we all enter the decorated gym.

He knows exactly what I'm talking about and I'm willing to bet ten bucks that he knows what's going on with Tommy — but I'm not going to pry it out of him.

"Here" Laura gives us all large squares containing numbers that will stick to our backs. "I've already given them everyone's tickets"

Kyle and I had the number sixteen on our backs. Why does sharing something as little as a number with Kyle make be feel sick?

"Contestants take your places" a lady on the microphone orders "and remember that we are raising money for the Children's Miracle Network, if anyone requires a ten minute break at any point please wave your yellow card"

"Do you have ours?" I ask Kyle.

"In my back pocket" he responds, bored.

The music starts, cueing Kyle and I to put our hands together, and begin dancing. God I really don't want to touch him.

"Good" I nod slowly as we begin dancing.

"So-" he attempts making conversation.

"Can we not talk" I beg.

"My body could be pressed up against yours for up to forty hours," Kyle reminds me, his warm breath against my neck. "I say you got to get over it, sweetheart"

I roll my eyes. Why does Kyle calling me sweetheart feel absolutely violating?

***

I hear a cell phone ring over the music. I glance over to Laura and Ely. They continue dancing as Ely pulls out his cell phone.

"What time is it?" I yawn.

"I thought that you said no talking?" He raises a brow.

"Kyle" I pleas, searching my surroundings to find that there are around twenty couples left.

"It's nine o'clock" he looks down at his wrist watch.

So we've been dancing for fifteen hours. With this amount of physical exercise, I won't need to work out for the next few weeks.

Suddenly I hear Ely and Laura arguing across the dance floor, making me furrow my brows.

"Where are you going?" I hear Laura yell as Ely pulls away from her.

I watch him storm away from Laura, making her slap her own cheeks in frustration.

"Give me the yellow card" I order.

"You need to pee again?" Kyle cries with wide eyes.

"No, just give it to me" I beg, forcing him to hand me the yellow card. I immediately walk over to my friend, "Laura, what's going on?"

"Its over" she sobs, walking towards the gym bleaches "He's gone! We lost"

I watch the tears flow from her eyes and down her face.

"Why? Why did he leave?" I ask slowly.

"He's got family stuff going on," She sighs. "As per usual"

As per usual? That's concerning as hell.

"Like what?" I raise a brow in concern.

"Do you care or are you just curious?" She snaps aggressively.

What the hell?

"Laura, of course, I care" I assure. "I wouldn't just ask out of curiosity"

She grits her teeth at me. Oh here we go. I'm about to be scolded.

"Do you wanna know how it works in my group? We don't ask, that's what makes our friendship work, we all just don't ask any questions because its easier to deal with problems if you pretend they don't exist" Laura explains.

My group? Is she serious? So all of a sudden they're not my friends? Ignoring your problems is so beyond unhealthy.

"That is not a healthy way to deal with your problems" I start "you should talk to someone-"

"Someone like you so that I can give you all the dirt on all my friends?" She cries.

She's sleep deprived, tired, exhausted, angry, frustrated, upset, disappointed. She doesn't know what she's talking about.

"Laura-" I sigh.

"There are certain things that we don't like to talk about...We don't talk about the fact that Tommy's brother won't make it to see his next birthday, or that Willow is going for her forth surgery since she was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer, or that Elijah's dad is a drunken idiot who's never home so his mum works two jobs to support him and his siblings cause her rich parents won't do anything to help, Kyles parents divorced when he was young, his dad is never around and so he only see's him a few times a year...I have nothing to complain about, the worst I have are controlling parents...do you know what its like to feel completely useless? If you want to know, just watch their lives fall apart"

"Laura-" I look down.

"I'm ready to go home now" she announces before walking quickly away from and towards Thomas who stands in the distance.

I sigh.

I know exactly what it's like.