The Leap [✔]

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

On the day I can finally go back to school, its the last day before the Holiday break. Even though I wanted to come this morning, I regret the decision now. Its hard rolling through the halls in a wheelchair, my hands tiring easily. 

The halls are busy with students roaming before classes, loud laughing and banging of lockers. Teachers are more enthusiastic and friendly but that's probably because the Holidays are right around the corner.

But it isn't the same.

It's different because Austin doesn't greet me with the usual kiss on the cheek and smart aleck remark like he does every morning. He's not walking to class or leaning by my locker, waiting to sneak me off school grounds to go to the Diner.

And I don't like it.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Andrea, who is walking beside me hisses, she pinches my arm. I pull away from her and rub my arm. "You know it's not nice to ignore your best friend right?"

I roll my eyes. "I'm just not feeling nice today, sorry," I say, a bit harsh.

Andrea says something but I'm caught off guard when I see Austin round the corner and begin to walk toward us. He's dressed in a black long sleeved shirt with blue jeans on, carrying a book. I expect him to stop me and beg for forgiveness.

Instead he barely acknowledges me as he walks by.

I drop my head.

"Do you want to go Christmas shopping this weekend? We can take Cassie and Whitney too," Andrea offer. "It'll get your mind off some things."

After thinking about it for a minute, I agree to go.

It's only a week until Christmas anyway, which is exciting. It's my favourite part of the year, and I usually have all my shopping done by now. It will be different without Tyler, but I know he will be everywhere I look anyway .

The bell rings for class and Andrea and I separate ways. It's my final class of the day, Chemistry. Thankfully, my mom is picking me up half way through to go to the hospital for a checkup. When I roll into the classroom, Austin is already there but isn't sitting in his usual seat.

He's sitting up front, tapping his pencil against the desk.

For a second, his green eyes meet mine and soften but then he glances away. My heart sinks, and although I want to say something, anything, I continue to wheel past Austin and sit in my regular seat.

I don't focus on what Ms. Kinney is saying, until she snaps her fingers in my face and gives me some papers.

"Emma, here is the worksheets from the past week and the quiz I sent home with Ben," she says, her eyes piercing into mine. "I really hope you're able to catch up, or you might fail my class." I mumble thanks and realize it's a quiz I had taken a few days ago. A big, fat F sits at the right hand corner of the page is red ink.

"Hey, would you care if I sit here?" someone asks, an English voices evident. I look up and see Tucker standing next to the seat Austin usually sits in.

I shrug a shoulder. "You can sit," I say. He slides into the seat, dropping his bag to the floor. "Are you any good at Chemistry?"

Tucker laughs. "No, I'm a horrible science person," he says, smiling. "I'm better at art and history."

"Oh really, do you have any pictures of your artwork?" I ask, interested. Tucker reaches into his back pack, taking out a black spiraled sketchpad. He opens it up and my mouth drops in awe.