Twenty Two

c a t h e r i n e

The hallways before our first class never fail to be so busy and noisy. Students from here and there are flocking, always got something to tell each other. But today is different because their eyes would so often drift at me.

I am not totally unaware that I am still the subject of their shameless gossip. The consuming chaos exhausted me by the second so I made my way out of the crowd and went to our classroom, which was empty thirty minutes before class. There, I made the phone call to Vernon that I have been meaning to do since yesterday.

“Hey." I forced the energy. I am never an enthusiastic person, but just to be more interesting, I feigned vitality.

There was nothing from the other line but the soft whiz of the city breeze and of Vernon’s subtle breaths. Realizing that he is not speaking any second, I continued.

“Uh, since you were suspended because of me, I figured I should make it up to you..”

I gathered my guts that I had worked hard to collect. My pr