BAILE (Where We Come Home)

Chapter 28 Zombie Sleepwalker

I passed the next three days of school in a state that barley qualified as being conscious. I dozed off throughout all my classes, falling asleep in detention because I fell asleep in my classes and forgetting my homework after falling asleep early in my dorm, resulting in an endless cycle of my zombie sleepwalker like life.

"Now everyone remember to meet at the car park, where I will take the roll and we'll take the bus to the train station." Mr. O'Neill reminded before we exited the classroom.

"Is your back still hurting?" Charlotte noticed me rubbed my back.

"And my feet, and my neck." I winced.

"Maybe you're pregnant." April approached her locker.

"Last time I checked God hadn't blessed me with his child." I rested my weight against the lockers.

"Really? I'm surprised Buffy's kept out of your girdle."

"Who's Buffy?" Alick appeared.

"N-no one." I went to walk away.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

I stopped to face him. "He's..."

"A secret admirer who sends her love notes." April twisted a story.

Alick didn't look to be buying it.

"He's a creep." Charlotte added. "So we'll be seeing you next week?" She changed the subject.

"Yeah."

"Great, we'll see you then." Charlotte and April each looped an arm through my own as we strutted down the hallway together.

"What would I do without you two?" I asked myself more than them.

"Fuck all." April replied before we all burst out laughing at her lack of a filter.

We made our way to our dorm, packing our clothes for the Highland Games.

"It's the Games not a strip club." Charlotte observed April's packing choices.

"I want to be prepared."

I folded a sweater. "Do you think your fangs will come in?"

"They better, or I might as well stake myself."

"April!" Charlotte exclaimed.

"Let's talk about something else."

"How about your love life?" I proposed.

"How about yours?" She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Joe and I had sex." Charlotte blurted.

April and I stood in stunned silence for a while.

"Wow." April said quietly, looking even more shocked than I was.

"When did this happen?" I asked.

"Last weekend. I didn't really know when or how to tell you guys." She fumbled with her hands nervously.

"How was it?" I was curious.

Charlotte flushed. "Different, to what I expected."

"I'm happy for you." I gave her a hug before looking back to April.

She was staring off into space, her eyes dark and riddled with undecipherable emotions.

"You're happy too, aren't you April?" I asked.

"Uh." She focused on me. "Sure." She nodded. "Couldn't be happier." She quitted the room for the bathroom.

"I hope she's not upset with me."