Day Ten: Wednesday
Once she stopped at her locker to drop off her books for the afternoon, Alisha didn't bother waiting around for her friends to arrive, and instead went to the gym early to get changed for class. She entered the changeroom, and saw she was the first to arrive. She entered one of the stalls, changed into her gym clothes, and went out to sit on the bleachers. One by one, Alisha saw her classmates file in, and also enter the changerooms.
"Hey you," said Samantha as she entered the gym.
"Hey," said Alisha.
"You still on for tonight?" Samantha asked.
"Tonight?"
"Yea! You, me, Ryan, and Tyler. We were going to go to Tyler's."
"Oh..." said Alisha.
"You didn't forget, did you?"
"Sorry, I guess I did," said Alisha.
"But you're free to go, right Lish?"
Vicky said to Alisha.
"But, I can still go," Alisha said to Samantha.
"Perfect! Ryan usually parks in the same area, so just meet there after school today."
Samantha turned and walked towards the change room door.
"Perfect,"
thought Alisha.
"And I guess you're going to make me do more things, aren't you."
"I have no idea what you mean,"
said Vicky.
"Right..."
Alisha saw Mr. Turner enter the gym, and stood up to join her other classmates that were already ready for the class.
"Alright," Mr. Turner began. "We're going to be doing badminton once again today. I want you to partner up, and with someone you haven't partnered up with yet. We're going to do our usual warm-ups, and then you and your new partner will play for the rest of the class. Understood?"
"Yes," said several of Alisha's classmates.
"Perfect. Now, partner up, start doing some laps, and then we'll move into our stretches in ten minutes."
Alisha looked around, seeing if any of her other classmates were looking for a partner. She found herself making eye contact with someone she normally wouldn't have bothered to pay attention to, but given the events of the day before, she found her eye contact locked in with.
"Well hello," said Colin as he walked up to Alisha. "It looks like you need a partner."
"Uh.. yea... I do," said Alisha.
"So? Partner?" Colin asked.
"Uh, sure..." said Alisha.
"Perfect," Colin said, turning to start running laps.
Alisha joined her class in running laps.
"Great,"
thought Alisha.
"Now I have to deal with Colin."
"What's wrong with Colin?"
"Well before yesterday, nothing. He was just another guy I never paid much attention to."
"And now?"
"Seriously? You know why! He joined Evan in using Jackie. And he sent me pictures! He knows I'm involved in some way!"
"Why don't you ask him about it?"
suggested Vicky.
"Maybe Evan didn't share as much as you think he did."
"I guess..."
The class kept running laps for a few more minutes. Afterwards, they switched to stretches, led by Mr. Turner. After 15 minutes of stretching, Mr. Turner wheeled out a cart with badminton racquets on it, while some of the guys in the class started carrying out the poles to set up the nets.
"Hey, partner," said Colin. "Got you a racquet."
"Thanks," said Alisha, taking the racquet from Colin. "Lead the way."
Colin and Alisha walked to one of the far courts being set up.
"Ask him,"
said Vicky.
"You won't know until you do."
Alisha tried her best to hide her nervousness. Turning to look at Colin, she began to ask him about the night before.
"So," Alisha started. "Looks like you had some fun last night..."
"You could say that," Colin said. "I had no idea Jackie was such a sex addict."
Alisha tried her best to stay composed at Colin's remark about Jackie.
"Now what?!"
Alisha asked Vicky.
"Ask him why he sent you the pics!"
"And why did you send me those pictures?"
"Evan said you'd want to see them," Colin said.
"I see... Did he say why exactly?"
"Something about how you wouldn't believe it unless you saw it." said Colin.
"Right..." said Alisha.
"Sounds like Evan kept your cover,"
said Vicky.
"I'm guessing you didn't believe she was so sexually active?" Colin asked Alisha.
"No," lied Alisha. "I didn't think she was at all."
The two of them stood silently as the nets were finished being put into place. Once set, the two of them lined up on their side as another pair of classmates lined up on the other. They heard Mr. Turner's whistle blow, and they began to play their first match.
***
When Alisha entered the lunch area, she could already see across the room that Evan was already seated at their usual table. She could also see Jackie sitting beside him, one arm around her as Evan ate his lunch. She stopped walking as she saw the sight, unsure of what she wanted to do.
"Go sit with them!"
said Vicky.
"I don't want to! I don't think I can look Jackie in the eye ever again."
"So what should we do instead? Sit somewhere else?"
Alisha realized Vicky's suggestion wasn't actually that bad. She scanned the lunch room further, looking for other familiar and friendly faces.
"Bingo,"
said Vicky, as Alisha's eyes saw someone they both recognized.
Alisha walked over and approached the table.
"Hey, can I sit here today?" Alisha asked.
"You can sit here any day," Samantha said. "Church friends giving you a hard time or something?"
"Something," said Alisha as she sat down.
Alisha opened her lunch, and started eating. While she was friends with Samantha, the others at the table she wasn't as familiar with, only just knowing what their names are, and that Alisha's parents would never approve of any of them.
From Alisha's new seat, she could still see across the lunch room to her usual table. She could see the backs of both Evan and Jackie, his arm still around her. Seated across from them, she could see Rachel.
"Looks like they're not doing much,"
Alisha thought to herself, observing them as she ate.
"Your friend Rachel probably doesn't know what to say," Vicky said. "And Jackie is probably scared shitless to say anything at all."
Sighing, Alisha continued to eat her lunch, her attention split between observing them and the discussion amongst the others at her current table. But her attention shifted fully to her old table when she saw three guys approach it, one of them being Colin.
"Oh no,"
thought Alisha.
"This is not good."
"Calm down, it's not like they're going to gang bang her at the lunch table, Lish. They're just sitting."
Alisha watched as the three guys sat down. Colin sat on the other side of Jackie, and the other two, Adam and Jesse, sat across from Colin. Barely a minute later, Alisha could see Rachel cleaning up her things, and shortly after, she stood up from the table and left.
Alisha turned her attention back to her current table in an attempt to push out thoughts of Jackie and the guys. Alisha didn't participate much, not knowing many of them well, and not knowing much of the topics they were discussing, mainly some TV show most of them seemed to be obsessed over she'd never heard of.
***
Alisha arrived at her math class early. Lunch was still going for another ten minutes, but given Alisha's interest, or lack thereof, in the conversation topics, she felt it best to just escape. She set up her books for class, and took out her phone. She saw a notification for a new group message, and opened it; Rachel had created a new group message with Alisha and Toni. Alisha scrolled to the beginning of it to see what the two of them had already sent.
Rachel - "i made this so we can all stay informed about jackie so nothing gets twisted or anything"
Toni - "good plan. last thing we need is bad rumors about her"
Rachel - "so what i know is that jackie apparently liked evan and she made a move on him at alishas house and they had sex on her bed"
Rachel - "and alisha can confirm"
Toni - "gross!!!"
Rachel - "and last night she was with evan again"
Toni - "did she tell u that or someone else?"
Rachel - "alisha did. evan sent proof to her"
Toni - "proof???"
Rachel - "ya but ill wait til alisha joins to say more"
Toni - "ok"
Alisha took a deep breath, and started to think of what to reply with. She started to write a message, but found herself stuck, not sure of what to share and not share.
"Stuck?"
asked Vicky.
"Yes..."
"Well what you have so far is ok, we just have to dress it up a little."
"What do you mean?"
"I can show you. I even promise not to hit send until you read it first."
"Ok..."
Vicky took control, and began to rework the message.
"There, give that a go,"
said Vicky.