CHAPTER TEN
tunnel vision
"you're good to walk home alone?" is what i asked maeve as we neared my house. the moon was peeking out from behind its roof, the night establishing itself in the darkness. and the coldness. all i wanted to do was go inside and warm up.
"i'll be fine," she assured me. "and i don't want to keep you. i can see you shivering." she pointed at me. "or is that you shaking in your boots because you just had a steamy staredown with your crush?"
even though walker had parted ways with us a few minutes ago, i still checked to see if the coast was clear. "shh!"
"you didn't deny it! my plan worked, y/n," she said proudly. "you know, i started the contest 'cause i wanted him to realize how beautiful your eyes are, and i think he did. did you see how flustered he got when you said you liked him? he definitely is interested in you!"
"okay, okay. my delusions aren't your parental responsibility -- you don't need to keep feeding them."
i heard my front door open a long way behind me. dad called out, "y/n! it's getting late, why don't you head inside?"
i waved goodbye to maeve and we both started to walk in opposite directions. my smile faded as i noticed the discontentment on dad's face. "where have you been?"
"i told you. jordyn's," i said darkly, stepping inside and taking my jacket off.
"and what were you doing there?" he crossed his arms and looked at me skeptically.
"homework," i stated. "that's why we brought our schoolbags."
"then why did your aunt tell me that you were watching a movie?"
"it was part of the assignment!"
"apparently jordyn said that you had, quote, 'finished all your work beforehand.' and 'you' was referring to three people? who was the third person? why'd you lie?"
"look, he's just a friend. and that's not a lie!" jeez, i hadn't even got to take my shoes off or regain feeling in my hands.
"he? you're hanging out with a boy right under my nose?"
"damn, dad. you sound like a jealous boyfriend. why don't you tone down the inner teenage self that's coming out right now?"
"excuse me, young lady. when i was your age, i listened to my parents," he rebuked, pointing a stiff finger at me.
a part of me agreed with him, but i couldn't just let him win. that part of me is who i was trying to suppress. "sure, but maybe that's why you were so happy to come home early today. because you don't enjoy your job? it's just the grades that got you into a good college and job, not the actual passion for it?"
his voice lowered. "this isn't about me."
"it's not about you? isn't this just you--"
"y/n. go to your room."
i just looked at him and his disappointed face for a few seconds before reluctantly obliging. i didn't have the energy to slam the door... or do my homework. plus, i was too scared to go back downstairs where my homework was, and where my phone was, so for the rest of the night, i kind of just sat there.
i contemplated rage-writing a short film, going back to my roots. but the night was weighing down on me, it was pulling me to my bed like a magnet.
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
the rest of the week moved like an out-of-shape hillbilly walking uphill on a one hundred degree day. i got through it by distracting myself with walker, maeve, and jordyn of course. i told them about what happened that night, and none of them were surprised. i wasn't either. we kind of joked about the whole situation.
and by the time i came home on friday, my dad and i hadn't fought since. but that was because i agreed to show him proof that i did my homework every day for a month, which kept him off my back. some of that proof wasn't necessarily authentic, but i had to do what i had to do. i had been investing more of my time in hanging out with my friends than i had all year. it felt great, don't get me wrong, but there was also that guilt that was constantly crawling within my skin.
"what are you planning on doing this weekend?" asked mom that saturday morning over breakfast. "i hear you've finished all your work. why don't you go out, be young and stupid?"
"i think i will go out with my friend." i nodded firmly.
"okay, maybe not that stupid." she leaned in and whispered, "one time i started going out with a guy friend of mine. it's not worth it."
"i was talking about just hitting the town, mom. but you have got me hooked. why isn't it worth it?" i asked as if i was an interviewer. it would be heuristic -- i did have a big fat crush on my friend after all.
"oh, you know, the usual. he ended up dumping me for the hot girl at the bar. but i thank him for it. i would never have met your father." she chuckled to herself. "i ran into that old friend at the grocery store a few years ago. he married her!"
"interesting," is all i said. that was the truth. i always do find it captivating, the fact that one decision leads to another. the chain of events that leads to the next, which leads to the next, which leads to the creation of a life, a life that could have turned out utterly different if one of those chain links had rusted along the way.
"thanks, for breakfast," i told her, sitting up to put my dishes in the sink. i gave mom a kiss on the cheek before going up to my room to get changed.
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
once i was dressed, i pulled out my phone and opened the notifications i had gotten in the new group chat i had made with maeve and walker.
walker
we still on for today?
maeve
yes!!! are we actually filming?
walker
that's the goal. i bet a tornado will come in on us or something though.
maeve
real. our luck is pretty shitty.
walker
that rhymed
maeve
i know, i'm just shakespeare.
walker
thou art entangled in a web of misfortune.
maeve
beautiful. i just shed a tear.
walker
i tend to have that effect on people.
that last text was sent as i was reading the rest. putting on my shoes, i joined the conversation.
you
fair tidings, dear comrades! lo, a splendid day graces our presence!
walker
looks like maevespeare has some competition.
maeve
woahhh there fella.
you
shall we rendezvous at the schoolhouse to commence our day of filming?
maeve
methinks it is in our best favor.
i beseech thee, fetch the gear, whilst i shall furnish the victuals.
you
aye, without hesitation! ere an hour hath passed, we shall be assembled there.
walker
now i have no clue what you guys are saying
maeve
ugh, i miss the renaissance.
see you at like eleven?
you
sounds good :)
walker
ditto
i turned my phone off and headed downstairs, where i asked mom to drive me and the filming equipment to the school. the three of us thought that getting a feel for actually doing this may be more productive than just reading it through, even if that meant we had to go through maeve's acting.
we arrived in the empty front parking lot, which was such an alleviating sight compared to a few days ago's paparazzi incident. luckily, i had anticipated the absence of extras and wrote in for the opening scene to be many hours after school had ended, also a perfect conversation starter for caleb to ask emily what had kept her there.
mom was helping me get the lighting, cameras and such set up when maeve appeared, turning around the school's corner and beginning to near us. we waved to each other and she picked up her pace. i hadn't noticed she was carrying sandwiches wrapped with the logo of our local deli until she was close enough. i questioned how she got from the deli to our school in such a short amount of time, but maeve tended to do things that would create conspiracy theories everyday.
"alright! am i good to go?" mom asked.
"yeah, i think so! thanks," i returned.
i was wondering why maeve was smirking at something behind me, until walker jump-scared me, asking directly over my shoulder. "hey! are you y/n's mom?"
i flinched, then pushing him toward mom, i said, "yes, this is she."
"nice to meet you," he said, shaking her hand.
"are you the famous walker school-bell that'll be acting today?"
a flare of embarrassment sunk into my skin. "mom, it's scobell."
"oops!" she rubbed her hands together. "okay, well, i'm gonna leave you guys to freeze out here. bye!"
i could tell she wasn't ashamed, and i just had to wave and cringe as she hopped back in the car. for all i know, she could have done that on purpose, as a classic "as a parent, it's my job to embarrass you" move. at least she loves what she does for a living!
"she's a character." i sighed.
"and i thought people pronouncing it 'sco-bul' was bad," walker chuckled.
after hiding my face in my palms and laughing ( it looked as if i was crying, but i was inside anyway ), i gathered myself. "let's get to work."
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thank you for reading chapter 10!