Splicing of Changes (Editing)

Chapter 17

Tick tock, tick tock.

The minutes passing by ever so slowly. All day today. Now I am sitting in my fourth hour before lunch break. And I am tensed. I just realized I compared Monday with Sunday. That is how much I am tensed. Because lunch hour for me always brings some sort of drama. And today will be worst. Because of yesterday. And my lack of sleep. I mean I have not got a single minute of closed eyed since Friday. How the hell am I functioning? I do not know. I am scared to find out too.

I thought I would be extremely tired after painting and would fall asleep. Well, that didn't happen exactly as planned. As you know someone stopped by yesterday to help me paint. I think if it was Charlie, it would have made more sense. But no, it was Diane of all people. I had no idea why she came over to help me paint. Also, who the hell told her where I live? Remember I said we did not talk, not even to greet each other. Yeah, the silence continued for a while. And the only people she talked to were everyone in the house except me. How very Diane of her!

We met Amy on the way back from our walk. And she talked to Alex. Rather they both talked to each other while I was busy being shocked and stunned. Seeing as Amy was walking and just on Saturday, she said Charlie walks around town. As if walking is an atrocity and a crime performed by Charlie and Charlie alone. Yet I found her performing the same crime yesterday. Imagine my surprise. Well, you know so; you don't have to imagine it. I mean after all I spaced out of their entire conversation. And still have no idea what they talked about. I asked Alex she giggled and ran away. Not sure why but then again, she is 5.

Finally, the bell ring. I scatter of my desk and rush to my locker to dump the stuff in and go to the cafeteria. We all have the same lunch hour almost, except with like fifteen minutes difference in between our class timings. Thus, the cafeteria is always packed. Students are always there. Although the freshmen generally sit somewhere except the cafeteria here, I am guessing to avoid getting bullied by seniors. But some of them sit around. Especially the ones who play sports. I go to the noise filled room and see that my fellow classmates are arriving slowly. So are new batches of food. I go stand in a line and get the food, taking it back to our designated table. It's weird where it is situated but it feels good. Comforting. I am the first to arrive today because well I rushed here. So obviously. June and Alice follow me, joining me at the table. Then they greet me. That's a rarity in itself.

Danny comes in, followed by Jake, Jeffrey and lastly Mark. Last to arrive are Charlie and Silver.

"Where have you been girl? What? Were you avoiding us this weekend? Got invited to a party we didn't know about?" Danny asks me as soon as everyone sits down.

"I was not avoiding you guys. I was just busy. Not at a party but painting."

"You paint?" Alice asks me shocking everyone as she directly asks the question to me. For the first time I might add.

"Funny. No. I painted my room. I used to paint a long time ago. But not anymore."

"Oh yeah I forgot did you finish the last wall yesterday?" Charlie asks me nonchalantly as everyone's eyes dart in her direction. Lee is just eating and not even looking up.

"How. Did. You. Know. She. Was. Painting?" Danny says with breaks in between each word for I am guessing shock effect and not in some sort of anger.

"Wait you didn't go to the hangout afterwards on Saturday?" I ask because I thought Lee went. She just told me she is not going so that I don't feel bad or feel like I am avoiding them or something. Huh!

"Nope. I told you I was going home, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but I thought..." I trailed off.

"So, let me get this straight Charlie here knows Kris was painting. And she helped her paint her room. Then she was also not seen over the weekend." Jake says.