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"And it never will. Come on, you look like shit. Let us take you home," Blaire says, pulling on my backpack. I follow her, feeling useless and exhausted.
She pulls me to a black Dodge Charger, and I slip into the back seat. I don't talk as Hazel turns on her car and pulls out of the lot. It seems like I don't need to give her directions, like she knows exactly where she's going.
"Can I ask you a question?" Piper asks.
Silence. I turn around, seeing all of them staring at me.
"Oh, what, me? Sure, I guess," I mumble.
"What was it like?" There's an eagerness in her voice, and it confuses me.
"What was what like?"
"The Room of Atonement."
My insides tense, not really wanting to discuss it. Any of it. "Bad. It was bad." I turn back toward the window. "How many days was I in there for?"
"What? Days? You were in there for three hours." Blaire laughs. "Wait, why do you think you were in there for days?"
I turn toward her, my face bunched up in confusion. "That's… that's impossible. It felt like I was in there for nearly a week. There's no way… there can't be…" My voice trails off, confusion making me feel sick to my stomach.
Was it possible I was only in there for a few hours? It can't be true. I could feel the hours ticking by, my internal clock telling me when to sleep and wake up.
It's just… it's impossible.
I shake my head, not sure what's real and what's fake anymore.
"I knew there was something fucked up about that room," Piper growls.
"What happened in there? Anything weird?"
I shiver. "I don't really want to talk about it."
"I hear it's because you were doing drugs in the bathroom," Blaire says.
"Someone said you were having sex in the stall," Piper sighs.
I shake my head. I guess some things are the same in this school. Drama and rumors are bound to happen, I just didn't want them to happen to me. I stay in the cut, low-key. I keep to myself, besides my closest friends.
I hate being the center of attention.
I don't answer their questions or confirm or deny any claims. I just go back to staring out the window, waiting for this nightmare to be over.
Soon enough, Hazel pulls into the long driveway. Malik's car isn't there, and neither are my mom's or Samuel's.
I grab my bag from my lap, putting my hand on the handle before the car even stops.
I smile, not looking at any of them. "Thanks for the ride."
"Hey, Vera," Hazel starts before I can shut the door. I bend down, looking into the car. She looks apologetic, like somehow, she feels at fault for whatever happened to me. "Whatever happened, it's over now. You don't have to worry about it anymore. We won’t let anything happen to you again."
I smile, but it feels fake.
"Thanks."
12
MALIK
