eyes of the mind

chapter 11

Over the course of a few weeks you could tell there was a shift around the school.

Brock pretended as if August was dead. If we passed him, Brock would walk past him as if August was a ghost of his past.

Football season came to a quick close because Brock decided to quit the team as well. Which then costed the wins of games they needed.

Carol and August did nothing to hide their flawed relationship. I wouldn't necessarily call it an honest one seeing as he is sleeping with every girl that says hi to him and the sad thing is that Carol knows because he doesn't hide it.

He hasn't tried to make any contact with me, but he lurks. I picked up my bad habit again after that night so I would have lunch at the stoner bleachers with Brock. And from the corner of my eye I would see August from a distance glancing over at us with envy and anger.

—

It was the last day before Thanksgiving break and the last class of the day. As I was walking down the hallway I heard whispers.

"Oh my, did you hear?" one cheerleader says.

"No what happened?" the other responds.

"So you didn't hear this from me, but I heard that during lunch Carol walked in on August making out and basically dry humping Lily in the girls locker room" the first one says.

"No way, you're lying, seriously?!" the other responds.

"Yes and that's not even the worst part. She caught him AGAIN with Amber in the abandoned bathrooms FUCKING, like full on fucking. Like how do you even react to seeing your boyfriend cheat on you TWICE. And in the SAME DAY" the initial cheerleader says.

"And that's just what she knows about. Because I heard some stories about him sleeping with some of student council and the swim team" the latter says.

"Damn, I feel so bad, if anyone could change him I thought it would be her. But that also explains why she was having a meltdown in the back of the library. I wish she would be classy about it though, like the library literally has a sign that says no noise or something" the latter responds.

I try to keep walking but something is tugging on my heart. I actually felt bad for Carol, no matter how mean spirited she was.

As I make my way to the library I see August surrounded by a few girls in our grade and I try to walk as collected and as fast as I could.

I felt his stare on me with every breath I took.

—

I walk to the back of the library and see Carol. She looks like a train wreck but that's another issue for another day.

"I heard" I said as I sat next to her.

She had her head in her hands but she knew I was there.

I suddenly see her shoulders shaking and I hugged her as I heard her quiet sobs. She clung to me like I was her lifeline from her sinking relationship.

"Shh, it'll be okay, it'll be okay" I say rubbing her back.

"I thought he was meant for me. I knew he had problems, but I thought that I could change him. I'm so sorry please, I'm so sorry, to you and mostly to Brock. He didn't deserve it, he didn't deserve me" she cried out.

She was right. He didn't, but it won't make it any better to batter her when heart is already black and blue from Augusts adulterer abuse.

I let her let out all of her sorrows and comfort her while being silent and just listened.

We stayed like that for about an hour. Brock wanted to meet up with me after school but I just told him to meet me in the library.

The library was empty seeing as everyone was rushing off as fast as they could. The librarian was also asleep on the job considering she is as ancient as this building.

I hear footsteps and look up to see Brock confused, angered then sadden in one fell swoop.

He went on the other side and hugged her as she wailed to him, and then cried in both of our embrace.

After she calmed down we all were laying our backs on the bookshelves in silence after filling Brock in on the information.

"It hurts doesn't it? To have someone who you thought loved you as much as you loved them, if not more go out and deceit you?" Brock rubs in.

"It does and I apologize, to both of you. I wasn't in love with you anymore and it wasn't fair to treat you like shit because I couldn't handle being alone" Carol responds.

"It also wasn't fair to be jealous of you Lavender. He seemed so in love with you but for my own selfish reasons I always pictured it to be me. For him to be in love with me" Carol says.

"It's alright. So now that you've apologized and it seems genuine let's go have a bit of fun? Get drunk at the skate park? Landon is there with his friends and it seems like we could all use a drink and serotonin" I say as I help her up.

—

We all carpool in Brock's car to go to his house. He says he doesn't believe in drunk driving so we get an Uber to the skatepark after he steals his parent's cheap liquor so they wouldn't notice.

When we arrive we all take shots after we get out of the car. As we all walk up we see Landon and his friends chilling on a bench taking a break from skating.

"Well well well, I see we're back to stalking me. Also isn't this the girl who basically home wrecked your relationship?" He says as he daps up Brock and looks between me and Carol.

Carol smiles shyly but holds her hand out for him to shake. He backs up a bit before he sees me smiling it's okay. He then hugs her and then hugs me.

"Um on behalf of my apologies we brought alcohol" Carol squeaks out.

"Yeah yeah, you know I'll never turn down a drink" Landon replies.

As the sun is going down we are all drinking and having fun.

Carol getting drunk skating lessons from one of Landon's friends. Brock is trying to learn the tricks Landon did at the party, taught by an equally drunk Landon.

Myself laughing and emerged into the scene in front of me.

My friends ... my family, excluding Carol. She has to prove herself a bit more.