Mackenzie | √

Chapter 44

Good.

That was how I felt when I woke up the next morning. Of course, I despised school mornings ​so it could never make me feel good. What made me feel good, though, was what my mind had travelled to as soon as my eyes opened this morning.

After my hands had been in Tanner's and he'd told me I wasn't alone, I felt better a bit. Of course, I was curious about what he'd​ meant by that, but his words just sent a feeling of peace to me. After he'd said those simple words, we'd run quiet before finally finishing up our coffee. We'd made small talk, and then Tanner insisted on taking me to work again. 

All through the ride, I kept on thinking about the pain I'd seen in his eyes. I knew something was going on with him. I just knew it, but he'd brought me out of my thoughts as he pulled my cheek.

When he dropped me off, he got down too. We'd entered the diner together and a few heads turned to look at us, and I could see Kora's eyes light up.

Tanner had ordered two chicken wraps from Kora, and by the time I came out of the dressing room in my uniform, Kora handed the chicken wrap to me, wiggling her eyebrows. I blushed hard before realising Tanner was still in the diner. I looked over to him, and he winked and waved a little before getting up to leave the diner.

Kora wouldn't stop teasing me about Tanner.

*

"Is it just me or everyone seems to be looking at us." Bambi said to me as we walked, leaning in beside me.

"No, Bambi. Actually, I think they're looking at me." I said back to her.

"You?" She looked around and saw for herself that all eyes were actually on me.  

"What's going on?" I looked at Bambi

"I... I don't know." She looked back at me. "We'll probably found out soon."

I was sure we would, and I was certain as hell that what was coming soon wasn't good.

It was just a feeling I got.

"This is not good, Kenzi." Ryan appeared by my side, looking at me worriedly.

"I don't get it. W- What's happening?" I looked at Bambi, then Ryan, my heart racing a bit.

"Everyone thinks you caused your parents to separate-"

"What? That's ridiculous! How could I have-"

"I know. It's crazy, Kenzi, but someone's​ spread bad stuff about your family."

"Wait, wait what?"

"It's rumour, Kenzi-"

"No, that's really insane!" Then I kept quiet immediately, squinting, "Hold on... who started it?"

"Shit..." Bambi and Ryan said in unison, their voices trailing off, it looked like a scene from a movie, and if the situation wasn't so serious, I probably would ​have laughed.

"Who could have started it?" Bambi looked from Ryan to me.

"Well, how many people know about your family apart from Bambi and I, because definitely, we wouldn't go around talking about your family, not to talk more of actually spreading shit like that."

I thought for a while. "Uh, Tanner. But it can't be Tanner because-"

"He doesn't have the time for bullshit like that, I'm sure." Bambi added.

"I mean, it actually can't be Tanner, or could it be? I mean, he apologized to me and these days, we've kinda been​ hanging out and just yesterday I told him about dad-"