When Harry dropped Mae off he gave her a warm hug to let her know everything was ok. He didn't say so, but she knew that's what it meant. He gave her a kiss and then promised he would see her again soon. Like always, she didn't know when. She stepped inside and went straight to her bed, cuddling into the sheets and basking in her loneliness.
School was the next day.
She went about her usual morning, greeting her teachers as she passed them in the hallways. She met up with some of her closest friends and hugged them extra tight. Her friends thought nothing of it, thinking it was just normal Mae being herself. Her caring and loving self. She payed attention in all of her classes.
Writing down notes, the bell rang and all the students were dismissed. They rushed out into the hallway. Within seconds every classroom door was being slammed open and students came rushing outside. The football teams loud cheers rang through the downstairs hallow halls. They had won a game. The cheerleaders shook their Pom poms as a form of congratulating.
Mae was the only one left behind in class. She was still writing stuff down on her pink notebook.
The teacher looked up at her a few times, glancing back at the hallway that was slowly being emptied out. The bus depot was getting full outside. Mrs Robinson looked back up a few moments later at Mae, who sat with her head resting on her hand, only looking at the chalkboard every few minutes. She drew a long line, then started scribbling more notes down.
But looking at the chalkboard, there was only three sentences written. Mae had been here for 15 minutes.
"Mae, what are you writing?" She asked, catching the girls attention. Mae looked back down at her notebook as she nervously smiled, closing it.
Mrs Robinson did a 'come here' motion with her finger, something she never did with Mae. Mae was usually gone by now- one of the first kids out. Mae walked up to her teachers desk, setting the notebook down. The teacher flipped through the pages before landing on the one titled for todays date. Her eyes lit up as she read the three sentences copied from the board.
Mae had her arms behind her back, chewing on her lip.
Mrs Robinson's gaze looked down the page. There was random doodles, then- nothing. She hasn't been writing at all. Mrs Robinson tilted her head as confusion and worry filled her mind. She knew little about her favorite students personal life but she did know her parents were extremely absent in her life. Mae was getting ready to graduate, and as a parent herself, Mrs Robinson knew there was something bothering her. She was almost a full adult. And at a young age she already has lots of potential.
"I'm a parent of a teenager, one who is a lot like you, in many ways. So this is coming from a parents view, but you seem very...distracted. And I was young once," her teacher laughed, almost reminiscent about her younger days. "Is there a..boy that is distracting you?" She asked. Mae blinked, looking up at the wall. This is when she spotted something that made her heart fall.
A missing persons poster of none other than Sarah was hanging on her teachers wall.
Mrs Robinson watched Mae's mouth fall open. She wasn't even paying attention. The teacher let out a soft sigh, taking off her glasses and rubbing her face. She held her hands to her mouth in balls as she thought of another way to say what she wanted to say. Mae was still underage: a student. Her student. If she said the wrong thing it would look very bad.
"Mae." Mae snapped her eyes back down from the poster.
"Are you sure your alright?" her teacher looked at her with a concerned look. A look of forlorn for her favorite student who was missing the light bubbly attitude she had since the beginning of the year. Mae nodded, faking a smile. She grabbed her notebook and quickly left the room.
She pushed through the groups of students and headed down the stairway. She walked out into the bus depot, standing patiently to wait for her best friend. She fumbled with the sleeves of her uniform, watching students walk past. A few of the boys took a quick peek at her legs that were only briskly being covered by the skirt she wore. She ignored the glances as she spotted Celeste walking over to her.
The girls hugged in a tight embrace.
Celeste hugged extra tight, holding onto her dear friend and rubbing her back. Mae pulled away, noticing Celeste look at her in a saddened way.
The girls walked together past the crowd and finally everything was calm and quiet. They walked arm in arm, silent but not awkward. Mae wondered why Celeste was so gentle and weirdly careful. She was an outgoing person normally- Very mouthy.
When Mae reached home both girls entered her bedroom and set thier bags on the floor. Celeste watched Mae plop onto her bed which hadn't been made. How odd for Mae.
"Don't mind my bed, I didn't care enough to make it today." Mae said. She laughed slightly, her eyes drifting off to look at her messed up pillows. Celeste nodded. "It's ok. I understand, it's probably the least thing you were thinking about doing today."
Mae's laughing subsided as her face fell into confusion. Her eyebrows furrowed together, her soft curls falling over her shoulder while looking at Celeste. Celeste looked guilty. Chewing on her lip she sat in the bed next to Mae just before Mae opened her mouth.
"What do you mean?" Celeste's breath hitched in her throat, looking away from Mae.
"W-well I was um..I just had heard about what happened. I'm sorry if it's t-"
"What are you talking about?" Mae asked, her voice quivering. She placed her hands in her lap which were suddenly feeling very sweaty. Celeste was silent for a minute and as she scratched the back of her neck, looking up at the ceiling, Mae's heart started to thump deep and fast at the realization maybe her assault had been leaked.
"The thing that happened at that hotel? I-it was on the news," she said. The news? How on earth did her assault get on the news in a matter of 24 hours, she thought no one saw anything. And if that was on the news, she was curious if Harry knew.