Corrupting Ms. Popular

C H A P T E R 16

Believe it or not, Will hasn't come home, yet. It's already 4:46 and he hasn't messaged me, called me or came home. I had to admit that I was worried to an extent. A million things could've happened and Will is reckless when he's angry.

I had finished my homework, gone for an afternoon jog and tidied up my room and took my laundry to the laundry room.

I was starting to get worried and I debated on going out looking for him but the likelihood that I would get lost was higher than me finding him.

I needed to get my mind off of him so I decided to go to the music room. It wouldn't hurt to play something and it would keep me busy for a while.

I walked into the room next to the staircase leading to my bedroom and closed the door behind me. It was my first time being in this room.

The walls were a sea shell white and there was a large window with a few pictures on the windowsill. Some of my paintings were hanging on the walls and I sighed since I knew Mum had wanted this room to be my escape. The floors were polished pine and I wondered how Mum had gotten the piano in here, but I wasn't going to ask her.

Across the room was my paint aisle and I noticed Mum had arranged my paint on a rack on the wall from lightest to darkest. She had rolled plastic out on the floor and I sighed, knowing how she hated my messy ways.

I walked over to the piano and sat down. My song books were piled neatly above the piano and I sighed since I didn't really want to play but I knew it would be the only thing to get my mind off of Will.

I started playing the song Dancing On My Own by Calum Scott. The notes just flowed out and soon, I found myself getting lost in the music.

I don't know how long I kept playing the same song over and over again, but I noticed that the sky was getting dark and the light flowing into the room was not enough to illuminate the notes.

I abruptly stopped playing and stood up. I remembered that I needed to lock everything and started doing so. I didn't give a flying s**t if Will wasn't home...

Well, that was a lie, but I wasn't going to worry myself sick about his well-being. I made sure everything was locked and then I went to my room and grabbed my portable Bluetooth speaker and went down to the kitchen.

Once I had connected, I let music blast through. The first song that started playing was Hotline Bling by Drake.

I hummed to the beat as I started making dinner. I didn't know what Will wanted to eat so I made a little bit of everything.

“Ever since I left the city you... You got exactly what you asked for. Glasses of champagne out on the dance floor.”

I sang along and made the pork chops and I hoped that my Mum wouldn’t mind me making them. I usually only ate unhealthy food on weekends.

There was a loud banging on the door and I took the food off the stove and wiped my hands. I paused the music and made my way to the front door. I looked through the peephole and saw Will-looking drunk.

I unlocked the door and opened it and Will stumbled in. I could feel my anger start boiling as I closed and locked the door behind him.

“Where have you been?”

I snapped at him and he laughed dryly as he fell down on one of the couches. I could see some dried blood in his nose and I frowned and noticed his knuckles were also injured.

“At the bar... Among other places...”

Came his reply and I walked up to him and took his face between my thumb and forefinger. I turned his face from side to side and angrily kicked the couch-not that I did much damage.

“Go up to you room and clean yourself up. I am not asking. When you are done, you better come to the kitchen.”

I ordered and he drunkenly stood up and wobbled on his feet.

“Yes, Mum.”

He replied sarcastically and I glared at him as he disappeared up the stairs.

I went back to the kitchen and continued making the food. I put some calm tango music on and danced to the beat to calm myself.

I poured us each a glass of soda and put it next to our plates. I had made us pork chops, mixed vegetables, some Indian rice and I had made a small fruit bowl for each of us.

Will probably hadn't eaten the whole afternoon and I didn't want to be more worried about him. I decided it would be best if we didn't go to school tomorrow since he would have a hangover. I made a mental note to call both my parents before I went to sleep.

Will came stumbling into the bedroom and sat down behind the plate I wasn't sitting behind. I decided to start asking him what he had been doing. There is nothing as honest as a drunk person.

“Why didn't you come home?”

I asked gently. There was no use in getting him mad. Not at a time like this.

“Because I was mad.”

Came his snappy reply and it looked like he was reliving whatever had made him mad.

“Why?”

I asked. I wasn't going to push him to answer and I noticed a cut above his eye. He was so irresponsible. I knew he had gotten into a fight with someone. The signs were there.

It didn't look like he was going to answer so I just continued eating.

“I was mad because you left with Liam. When he jogged with us that first morning, he had no interest in you. Now at school, you are the only person he has eyes for.”

He stated and I took a sip of my soda to buy some time.

“Liam and I have nothing going on. So far we are just friends. And I know that you and Leila aren't just friends. So, do you feel like sharing?”

I knew I was taking advantage of his drunken state, but I wanted answers. Will was pretty good at hiding the fact that he was drunk. He was never one of those people who slurred or completely lost balance.

The only way to tell was that he avoided eye contact and he walked and moved slower than he usually would. He also wasn't as keen on joking as his sober self was.

“Leila is... Lexi. She reminds me so much of her. Maybe not in looks, but her personality. Not the fake one she has at school... The one when she's alone with me and has no one to impress.”

I was shocked. Not because of what he said, but because of the fact that he was talking about Lexi. He never spoke about her unless he was accusing me of her death.

I closed my eyes as memories came flashing into my mind. I finished eating my food and I noticed that Will had ate everything and still seemed hungry.

I pulled out a bowl and put a large packet of chips in there along with two packets of candy. I gave it to Will and he nodded in thanks as he started walking to his room.

What was happening to our family?