Page 68 of I Despise You

But curiosity is too strong, so I search online for him. There’s nothing new on his social media. No mention of any new schools or anything.

But when I find his Instagram, I see there’s a photo he uploaded last week. It’s a relief to know that he’s okay, but when I click on the photo, I crease my brow. It’s a photo taken at a really nice beach on some exotic island or something.

This is life.

It’s what Chase wrote next to the photo. He’s holding a glass of some fancy cocktail, and even though there’s not much of him in the photo, it’s clear he’s having fun. It looks like he’s taken a vacation. Maybe he got tired of school.

My eyes zoom in on a mole on his arm. Except, I’m sure Chase doesn’t have such a mole. I study the photo closer. It’s not him. The guy in the photo is not Chase, and I’m a hundred percent sure of it. But why did he post it then? Why does he want everyone to think he’s on some awesome trip?

What if he didn’t post it? What if someone else did it instead of him? But why? It’s not like Chase is a celebrity, but if he really dropped out of school and doesn’t have any intention to go back, then maybe his father needs him to pretend he’s just on a break to keep the press away. Chase not being the perfect son anymore might inconvenience his father if he wants to keep pretending his family is impeccable.

But maybe I’m jumping to conclusions. Maybe Chase just wants to make everyone jealous, including me. Maybe he really is at some school somewhere and doesn’t want anyone to know about it.

It’s really none of my business. I need to let go of him. Forever.