Under The Weather

9

"Lance?"

His shoulders were hunched, his face pale, as if he'd gotten sicker.

"Bailey?" His voice cracked, overcome with emotion.

He was quick to avoid my eyes, picking at his navy-blue jumper which was covered in stains.

"C-can I c-come in?" 

For a few minutes, there was silence before he replied, he nodded his head and stepped to the side.

Upon entering the room, I noticed that his desk had an unusual number of pills on it. 

I immediately deduced that he hadn't been taking them.

He sat on his bed and I parked in front of him, "Lance, please t-talk to m-me. What's g-going on?"

No response.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before his voice pierced through the silence, "I'm sorry. I didn't know if you'd care." 

I smiled, "Of c-course I c-care L-Lance, you're m-my friend, you c-can t-tell me a-anything."

He looked up, tears in his emerald eyes, beaming at me.

"Okay, bestie." He chuckled.

"N-No n-nicknames." I playfully punched his arm, "Now, w-what's g-going on?"

He wiped the tears from his now dull green eyes, "It's the anniversary of the month my brother died."

"Well, he didn't just die, he took his own life." He shook his head, correcting his statement.

I was in shock. 

I couldn't utter a single word.

I couldn't help but think of - 

"Some stupid kids picked on him constantly just because he wasn't - wasn't like them, I guess. Just because he was deaf."

He paused.

"I don't understand why people are so mean, Bailey. I-" 

Lance burst in tears, lifting his hands to his face to stop them.

"Even after everything, they picked on me too because I was sick. I hate people like that."

'Hate? Does he hate me?'

After all, I'm just like them, aren't I?

"Leave me alone Bailey!" Jamie stood on the roof of our school.

"Don't, please Jamie." I stepped closer to the ledge of the roof, slowly, inching closer to her.

"Don't come near me! You're so mean to me, what did I do to you, Bailey?" She cried out; the rain soaked her, "You were supposed to be my friend!"

"I didn't mean it, Jamie. Just let me help you." I reached out to her, "I'm sorry, for everything I said and everything I did. It was wrong, I didn't mean any of it."

She sobbed, "Go away, Bailey!"

"I know I can say sorry thousands of times and it won't ever be enough, but I want to help you, so I won't let you do this to yourself, Jamie." I inched closer, "Somebody loves and cares about you Jamie, I care about you. So please, just don't do this."

She pulled at her hair, "No you don't! You told me that you couldn't help me! You told me to help myself, Bailey!"

"I do Jamie."

"I don't know if I can do this anymore, Bailey." She looked at me her tear-stained cheeks were evidence of the pain she had endured.

"You don't have to do it alone." I smiled at her

"I don't want to, Bailey. I can't." She looked into my eyes and letting her weight pull her back.

"No Jamie!" I leapt for her hand, holding onto her, "I won't let you go, Jamie!"

No, I wasn't like them. 

Rachel was.

'No, it's not my fault, I didn't do anything. I couldn't have - '

"Bailey? Are you okay?" Lance shook my shoulder.

"I-I'm so s-sorry Lance."

I held him tight.

"Why? It's not your fault." He wrapped his arms around me.

"Y-Yeah, I k-know."

***

"Wheelchair!"

I groaned, "That's n-not my n-name." 

She laughed, "I know that, Bailey. But I prefer to call you 'Wheelchair'"

She placed herself next to me, smirking.

"Who e-even are y-you?" I spat at her, "Abbie."

I took a bite out of my sandwich.

"Where's your little squad?" 

"G-getting f-food." I coldly replied not bothered to even glance up at her.

"Don't be like that. We're friends, aren't we?" She punched my arm. 

Glaring at her, my sandwich gradually compressed in my grip as my annoyance grew.

It was safe to say that I strongly disliked Abbie and her idea of 'friendship'.

"Abbie!" Luna chirped, running up to hug her.

"No thank you." Abbie looked disgusted by her presence. 

I snickered, in response, she glared at me, "You know her?"

"Yeah, she was the first person I met here."

Abbie groaned, "Unfortunately."

"Room for one more?" Lance stood at the edge of the table.

We all looked up at him.

I immediately dragged my eyes away, I didn't deserve this.

I didn't deserve him.

"Always." I beamed half-heartedly

My mind was puzzled, after what Lance had told me, I felt bad.

Though I didn't understand why I hadn't done anything. 

Not to Jamie at least.

Maybe it was the way I laughed and joked, forgot about her and pretended it never happened.

But I didn't hurt Jamie, Rachel did.