Strangely Perfect

47.If Guilt was a Cancer

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F O R T Y S E V E N:

Adam had a way with making sure Ben Blush would never have a moments rest and I seriously considered just getting the red tattooed to my face. After asking me to the dance, every moment with him just seemed so perfect. It was as if we were in our own bubble and nothing could ruin my mood. Despite the weather, it seemed that everyone was as happy as me wherever I looked. It was pure joy all around.

Or so I thought.

"Why do you look so mad? And why are sad?" I looked from Alex to Wes in confusion. I poked Wes' nose, "you're too cute to be sad." I hoped that it would lighten his mood but it didn't.

"Yeah." Is all he said, grabbing my finger and putting it down from his face. It was after school and we were sat in the secluded cafeteria.

"What going on here?" I looked to Alex for answers.

"Jamie." She said.

"She's not been in for two days now and she won't answer my calls or texts. And no one seems to be home." Wes admitted, staring at his phone.

"She's hiding something. I knew it from the day she yelled at us." Alex glowered at the memory.

"She apologized for that, Lex." I reminded her. "She just didn't have her pain meds."

"Well I call bullshit."

"I need to go to my basketball practice and sit and watch everyone." Wes stood up on his crutches. "You'll let me know if you hear anything from her?"

I nodded and he left still sad as ever.

"Alex you need to stop being so suspicious about everything. She said sorry and told us why. Just trust that there's nothing else and believe her." Alex looked to me blankly.

"You're so blind." She shook her head at me as if she expected it. "You're so blind to everything you don't even see what's around you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean." She laughed but there was nothing funny to it. "It's like you don't want to believe what's going on. And don't give me that dumb crap of trusting our friends. You're honestly not worried at why she's been MIA for two days? What? Do you just not care?"

"Of course I care." I frowned. I was definitely no longer happy.

My bubble: popped viciously by Alex.

I had been telling Alex for a few days that there was nothing suspicious about Jamie's outburst and she still doesn't seem convinced "But if she says that it was only an outburst because of pain then we should just-"

"What? Blindly trust it? There's something clearly wrong with her! You're just going to take her word for it? That's she's okay so we don't need to bother her? Do you ever see anything going on around you?" Alex was angry. Whenever she was mad she'd use a lot of hand gestures and her nostrils would flare and her eyes would be wide. Just like she was.

"I do see what's around me, Alex. And she said she was fine. You just never trust anyone! You never do! That's your problem." There was no way I was going back to my happy bubble.

"That's my problem?" She echoed drily. "My problem is that I don't trust my best friend? You're unbelievable."

"Well at least I trust her! You always have to be right about everything and you always want something to be wrong when it's not! Give it up already. It's pathetic, Alex." I was so mad at her. So mad that I couldn't even hear myself speak. "Maybe I do trust easily. But I'm not blind to what's there."