Paper Heart ✔️

Chapter 03 | you won't regret it

          I stood inside my bathroom, staring at my reflection in the mirror. With my hands in my hair I tie it up into a ponytail. I can't help but notice the redness appearing around the perimeter of both my eyes. They only grow darker as I wipe any wetness away.

Before I exit, I take a moment to breathe so I can relax. To no avail I'm still feeling extremely agitated and quite irritable. However, I make it downstairs.

"Would you like some breakfast?" My mother calls out from the kitchen.

"No." I simply answer and head for the door.

The air outside feels different today. I'd usually admire the morning sky. Yet here I am dreading every bit of it. I tried to conjure up some lame excuse as to why I couldn't go to school today. Instead of letting me weep in the solitude of my own home my mother insisted I go.

When I get inside my blue Prius I toss my bag to the side. I waste a couple of minutes staring at a blank wall until I turn on my car and leave the driveway. I couldn't recall how I made it to school on my own. Did I even stop to let the traffic go by?

I park my car in the nearest spot.

The view of my school is straight ahead and it brings a sudden creep of nerves. Now that I'm here I did not want to get out. Feeling so anxious that I might leave and never return. But then there's a knock on my window and I see it's Jess standing outside my car.

She brings me a sense of comfort and relief. So with little strength I have I finally step out.

"I'm glad you came." Jess reveals a smile.

I can't smile I can't even pretend to. As we start to walk I can see a makeshift memorial outside the main entrance of our school. There sat a large image of Wyatt sitting in the center of it all. Flowers, gifts and embellishments decorated the surrounding area, all for him.

I want to cry when I see his face.

My heart quivers, it aches.

"We should go inside." Jess uttered. I feel her hand rest on my shoulder to help guide me inside. When we enter I instantly feel the eyes of my peers gazing over me in surprise. When I heard them whisper, my conscious told me their words weren't sympathetic but cruel.

"Ella."

Danielle calls my name from the end of the corridor. We meet her halfway and once we're face to face she lets us know we'll be heading in the gym for the assembly.

"How are you feeling?" Danielle ask.

"Really Danielle?" Jess snaps. "Why would you ask such a stupid question?"

"Why don't you mind your business?" Danielle claps back.

I follow my friends through the large gymnasium doors where our fellow classmates reside. Again, they're watching me as I climb up the bleachers to sit.

"I'm worried about Justin." Danielle starts to wipe her hands on her jeans like she's nervous. "He hasn't called or sent a text."

Justin must be doing just as bad as I was if not worse.

"Ahem." The principal pulls out a microphone and coughs loudly into it. "Welcome in everyone, as most of you know a tragedy has occurred this week. We lost an amazing student here at Lincoln High, he was a true role model and advocate and his name was Wyatt Finley."