Trinity (23)

It’s Friday, which is usually the best day of the week, but unfortunately for everyone, the day turns out pretty crappy.

First, Sister Anne and Sister Bertha inform the ninth grade class that we’re in charge of planning all of the Lenten school services, and ultimately Saint Paul’s Easter celebration, as well. This wouldn’t be awful, and in another reality could even be fun, but they’ve crowded our whole 116 person class into the chapel and Pearl doesn’t sit next to me. She doesn’t sit next to Henry either, and somehow that makes me feel worse.

I’m distracted the whole time, watching her out of the corner of my eye from a few pews away. She keeps rolling her eyes whenever the nuns talk, and it makes me want to shake her. As usual, I feel like Sister Bertha is watching, watching, watching.

Pearl doesn’t talk to me later in the day either. Not during science class, or in the halls, or when I try to find her at her locker. I think she’s going out of her way to avoid me.

And not only that, but Henry gets called to the office, which I only know because Maggie informs everyone at lunch. She says that he and Katherine were having a huge fight in between first and second period.

I’d quickly told him yesterday that the handwriting on the note he’d received matched hers. He hadn’t believed me at first, because apparently she used to dot her ’I’s with circles, and do some kind of curly thing with her ’Y’s. But I’d given him a flyer for the bible study group, and that had certainly convinced him.

And on top of all this is the schoolwork I hadn’t done Wednesday because I was at Pearl’s house, and the science test next week that I haven’t studied for yet, and the English paper that I need a first draft for by Monday.

All that would’ve been bad enough on its own. But someone has also spread the rumor that Nicholas Kelly and I are dating, or that I went over to his house on Wednesday, or that he’s planning on asking me out. Of course, no one’s said any of this to my face.

No one but Maggie, that is.

By the end of the day, I’m anxious to vent all my frustrations to Pearl. I’m anxious to see her. And I’m standing outside the front doors, waiting for her to come out. And at some point I glance over at the buses, and that’s when I see her climbing aboard hers.

It’s Friday, and she’s not coming to the park with me.

. . .

I spend the weekend checking and rechecking my phone for texts from Pearl. I don’t receive any. Checking my phone so much reminds me of what Kelly said at Maggie’s party: maybe whoever it is isn’t worth texting.

And thinking about Kelly and Maggie just makes me irrationally annoyed. Maggie did text me once more, but it was just to tell me that Sister Anne put her in charge of the Easter Planning Committee, and she’s putting me on the committee, if I want to be. I told her sure, because I know if I say no she’ll ask why, and I don’t want to explain that I’m mad at her for telling the whole school that I have a crush on Nicholas Kelly.

Especially when I don’t think I do.

. . .

Monday slogs along. I’m tired because I stayed up too late editing my English paper. And I have a history assignment I completely forgot about. And I forgot to put my school uniform in the wash, so I had to wear my skirt with the missing button. I keep waiting for someone to point it out.

Pearl isn’t at school. I try not to worry because she’s missed Mondays before, because of her retreats, she’s said. But hadn’t she just told me that she only had a two hour session this week?

Henry isn’t at school either, but that one I can at least explain. Or rather, Maggie does, over lunch.

“You didn’t really see the fight though, Becca,” Maggie was saying as I sat down. I sit in between Erica and Abbey now, because Mary Kate’s been getting to lunch early to claim the seat directly next to Maggie. I don’t mind, other than I still keep catching her scowling at me from behind her graphic novels.

Becca juts out her chin defensively. “Obviously I didn’t see the fight part. They were in the boy’s locker room, duh.”

“But you heard it?” Rachel asks around a mouthful of apple.

“Who?” pipes in Erica, glancing at me.

I can only shrug.

Maggie is quick to answer, though. “Andrew Ryan and--”

“Henry Foley,” Mary Kate finishes, setting aside her book with a thump. “Bloody noses, both of them.”

Now Henry’s getting into fights? Actual fights?

“Erica, you were there,” Becca says. “We were here after school for track, and Andrew was too, obviously. Henry must’ve gone in to pick a fight with him.”

“Why would Henry want to fight Andrew?” I ask.

“Oh, it’s got to be about Katherine,” Maggie informs me, stealing a handful of animal crackers from Mary Kate’s lunch. “Since she’s dating Andrew now. Henry’s definitely jealous.”

I don’t tell her how incorrect this statement is.

Abbey shakes her head. “Henry’s suspended is what he is. Well, he and Andrew both.”

Becca sighs dramatically. “And Katherine’s still here, soaking up all the attention.”

Rachel sets down her water bottle--which I’ve been told (and have confirmed) is constantly filled with protein shake. “She actually hasn’t said that much about it.”

Silently, I wonder how much Katherine does know. And I also contemplate whether that’s my problem. Because right now, I have far too many problems of my own.

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(first part: https://theprose.com/post/432343/trinity)

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(previous part: https://theprose.com/post/446860/trinity-22)

(next part: https://theprose.com/post/447481/trinity-24)