Meet Me After Class

Chapter 7: Oh Crap!

"I hate you! We were supposed to go there together!"

"And then what? Be humiliated together? No freaking way!" And to add insult to my injury, Penny laughed at me like I was the biggest fool in the entire universe. Which I think, at that moment, I really was.

I stopped pacing in her room and sat on her bed and narrowed my eyes at her. "I hate you so much right now."

She moved to the other side, keeping a reasonable distance between us. She knew how I could be a bit of a wrestler when distressed.

But that didn't stop her from grinning. "And how about tomorrow? Will you still hate me tomorrow? Or next week? Or next month?"

My best friend was testing me. "Not funny, Penny Lou!"

"Hey, in my defense, I did tell you I'd call you back."

Nobody's perfect, of course, and Penny had plenty of less favorable traits too. Just like how she's trying to put the entire blame on me right now. Her inability to own up to her mistakes had been the source of every squabble we had in the past. She obviously blew me off, and she couldn't just accept that and say sorry for it.

"I told you to meet me there."

She raised both her hands up. "Clearly another case of miscommunication, Wendy. I told you I'd call you. Your evening plan to catch Pinecrest's first ever killer, a.k.a. our very own teacher, Mr. Scott, was kind of short notice. I had to check my busy schedule first, hence the 'I'd call you back.'"

I really wish I had taped our earlier talk. Maybe that's how I should handle her next time. Record all our important conversations.

I gave her a look, seriously unimpressed with her lack of empathy. "I fell and shamefully accused an innocent person, Penny. Why are you all chill? I mean, seriously, I'm hurting everywhere," I groaned.

She smiled and moved closer to me. "Wendy, as your best friend, let me be brutally honest with you, I kind of had a feeling that it was gonna be another Rico Case. I don't know how, but despite your story about the dead body and all that jazz, I kind of knew. I mean, serial killers can't be that clumsy. And Mr. Scott is just..." she paused and took a deep breath. "Talking about a murder on a school ground just doesn't make sense."

"You could've told me all that and I would have considered it and maybe changed my mind!"

"I'm pretty sure Adam already did and you didn't listen. That's why you called me. Look, just forget about it, move on, and pray that Mr. Scott won't tell Principal Peels on you tomorrow."

I crossed my arms defiantly. "He won't."

"Are you sure about that?"

"He wasn't mad. Showed me Daisy's tiny grave and even offered me a drink," I admitted, feeling my face flush with embarrassment as the memory replayed in my mind. The whole crazy escapade of guilt and shame after that was just the cherry on top.

"Oh, spare yourself the drama and don't go around telling people you went to his house and he offered you a drink or you will taste Megan and her sidekicks' wrath. Our sub is gaining popularity," Penny advised.

"Why would I broadcast my spectacular adventure of making a total idiot of myself at his place?" I retorted.

"Exactly. And quit blaming me just because Adam didn't tag along," she said, yawning.

"Well, Adam didn't tell me he's in either," I shot her a glare. I wanted to throw back every word she said before I headed to Mr. Scott's place, but arguing with my best friend was a futile exercise in frustration.