WOUNDED

CHAPTER 9

AZ
Song: I hate everybody- Halsey

I drive in and park my car in the lot. Kids are already walking up and down the yard. The campus is colourful because of the bright colours of their uniforms. The first cycle wears green and the second, red. The girls wear short skirts, white shirts and ties while the guys wear long trousers, white shirts, ties and cardigans; with the colour depending on the cycle they are in. We are all supposed to wear white socks and black flats. But I wear my leader boots, always.

Pfft. I haven't even tied my tie yet.

I tie it and put it on. Trying to fix it through my rearview glass.

Fuck! My head hurts!
I grab my bag and head out the car. Slamming the door and pressing the remote to lock it. I hang my bag on my shoulders and stare at the campus for a moment.

"Six more months Az, since more months and you'll be out of here." I tell myself and walk towards the building as I unwrap a sachet of chewing gum and throw it in my mouth.

The hallway is crowded. Kids leaning on their lockers and talking; boys and girls, girls and girls, boys and boys. The noise makes my headache worse. It's so annoying that I have to walk passed the first cycle hall before getting to our own locker rooms.

Just six more months... Just six and I'll be liberated from the captivity of RCC.

I walk to my locker, straight faced. Not even looking left or right and I can feel eyes on me. When I get to my locker, it's dusty.
Great! I reach out for my hanky and wipe off the dust. I don't even remember our class timetable.

"Hi Az!" A voice shouts from behind the locker shutter causing my head to drum and I close my eyes in pain. It's Bryana, it can only be her. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.

"Hi" I reply with a fake smile.

"Happy New Year!" She says and hands me a pack of biscuits. I actually haven't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon - still Shura's fault.

"Thank you" I say taking the biscuits from her. "And same to you"

"I texted you on New Year's night, but you didn't reply me and you still haven't." She pouts.

"I haven't been online since New Year's Eve"

"Since New Year's Eve?!' She exclaims. "I can't be offline for a day! I'll lose all my streaks on Snapchat, I don't know how you do it!" She yells with a wide smile on her face. And I fake one back. Does she always have to be so loud?
"Well, I just wanted to invite you to our party, Bryan and I had something small."

"I wasn't in town."

"Where were you?"

None of your business.

"Where'd you go?" She presses.

"Away..."

"Away where?"

"Limbe" I exhale looking inside my locker. I really don't know what I'm doing right now. I'm just trying to look as busy as possible so she could leave me the fuck alone.

"Wow!" She exclaims and I close my eyes as the sound of her voice echoes in my aching head.
Can you please keep it down???

"It's been so long since I went there."

I really don't care about that.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"Yes! I bet you had fun!" Why is she always smiling and yelling?

"I did actually." Memories of Kacely flash through my mind for the first time and I wave them away immediately.

"We should go there together some time, just the two of us. Don't you think?!"