Charlie found me on my way to the bathroom.
Of course he freaked out when he saw what happened to my face.
“What happened? Who did this? Are you ok? Heh, ignore that last question, it was a stupid, of course you're not ok.” He mumbled that last part under his breath. “Where are you going? The nurse’s office is the opposite way of where you're headed. Wait, don’t tell me you're going after whoever did this-” he stopped rambling when I grabbed his shoulders.
“Charlie. I’m okay, honestly. I’m not going after who did this to me, seeing as I kicked his butt! Really, you should have seen the other guy, he looks way worse than me.” I said with a smile but Charlie didn’t buy it. He still had worry swirling around in his eyes.
“Then where are you going? Why aren’t you going to the nurse’s office?”
“I’m going to the bathroom to wash up.”
“Wash up? Are you serious right now? You look like you have a broken nose! You should be getting medical attention, like right now!”
“Remember what happened in grade school when Becky Mclair started talking crap about you? Remember when I went after her and her older brother stepped in and broke my nose for the second time? Do you remember what I said to you when you asked why I did it and if I was ok?” I asked, a smile pulling at my lips at the memory of the face Becky made when I took her brother down.
“You smiled at me and said that you did it because you wouldn’t let anyone talk crap about anyone you care about. Then you got up and started laughing while we were heading to the nurse. You had the biggest, proudest smile on your face as if breaking your nose was worth it just to see that smug look disappear from Becky’s face.” Charlie said, tears brimming over his eyes but he still smiled at the memory.
“So then you know that this is nothing. All I have to do is relocate it and clean up the blood.” I said, gesturing at my face.
“Ok fine, but I’m going to help.”
“Charlie, I don’t think you can help with this,” I said. His face dropped even more and I hate when that happens so I added on, “But I guess if you really want to then I can’t stop you.”
Charlie smiled and his whole face brightened up, before rushing me into a gentle but firm hug. When we separated he grabbed my hand and started leading the way towards the bathroom.
The last class was even worse than the encounter I had with Dex and Elijah. The lesson was boring, my nose was throbbing from fixing it, and to make it worse, Elijah had this class with a few other new people.
He’d decided it was a fantastic idea to sit directly behind me, even when I glared at him to move. It’s not like that seat was empty anyway, a jock sat behind me before today but coming in to see a big, bad, mister wolf sitting in his seat, he basically bolted from the room. Elijah did all of this without saying a single word to me, the only acknowledgment I got was a smirk pointed at me when he sat down. He ditched the hat sometime after lunch ended, where? I have no clue. He also donned a Wayfair letterman jacket, wearing his school colors with pride even though I doubted he was part of any school sport.
The teacher decided not to acknowledge any of the new kids and the fact that they stole most of the seats they were sitting in. I guess teachers are also scared of the new students. Which got me thinking, why are they so frightening? Other than the rumors, they seemed like regular high school students with tattoos. They are just like any other click high schools have. They have a leader and lackeys like any other group.
A tug on my hair was my only warning before the messy bun I secured became undone. Untamed curls fell like a vengeful waterfall over my shoulders and down my back. I twisted in my seat to find Elijah dangling my hair tie from his pointer finger and an amused look on his face. He watched as my hair tumbled in my face with a transfixed look. His gaze flicked to mine and held, as he reached up to wrap his finger around one of my curls only to stretch it out until it was straight and let it bounce back up to its original place. He started to reach up again but I met him halfway there and slapped his hand away from me.
I started to reach for my hair tie but he was quicker, moving until I couldn’t reach it. I really hated him. “Give me my hair tie back,” I whispered.
He started to lean in, only to stop right next to my ear. The next breath he took, I could feel it tickle the baby hairs near my ear. “Why don’t you ask nicely?” He whispered so low that only I could hear it.
The audacity in this guy. I’m going to have so much fun kicking his-
“Miss Hart. Mister Connell. Anything you want to share with the class?” The teacher asked, making me almost jump out of my skin. The only thing keeping me where I was, was sheer stubbornness. I will not back down from this arrogant boy.
Elijah started to pull away slowly, brushing his lips against my jaw. I shuddered and I almost punched myself for it, but Elijah just chuckled and straightened in his seat. “Yes, in fact I do.” A pause. “Miss Hart over here-” he looks at me with accomplishment, only then did I realize I didn’t share my last name with him “-has beautiful hair. Don’t you agree?”
“I know that you are new here but that is not appropriate mister Connell. Nor will it be tolerated in any of your classes. And you miss Hart-” the teacher says shifting his glare to me “-should know better. Both of you, the principal's office.” He says, pointing to the door.
I muffle a groan as I get up from my seat and make my way to the door, Elijah close behind.
“Looks like Mrs. Grumbles over there doesn’t like me much, huh.” Elijah says, and I have to squash the urge to swing at him.
I keep walking, not sparing him a glance.
“So, Hart is your last name? That doesn’t fit your amazing personality.” He remarks. I take a left down another hallway and he’s still following me. “Well, I see I have gotten on your nerves, but in my defense, you have stunning hair, Miss Hart.”
I have to clamp my mouth shut to stop myself from saying something reckless, he is still after all the leader of a gang. I have to keep reminding myself of that.
Elijah sighs. “Man, I thought that would get you.” He actually sounded disappointed. “From our previous encounter, you were quite snappy. What happened? Did you stop because I won you over with my charming personality? Is that why you're being quiet?” I choke on a laugh, but kept quiet. “C’mon just give me something,” he whines, and I almost forget that he’s not 5.
“Don’t answer him. He wants you to snap, don’t give in.” The voice in my head emerged from where it kept quiet. I want to follow my own advice, I really do but I’ve never been level headed.
“What the hell was that back there?” I snap, finally facing him. “Why did you do that? Why did you steal my hair tie? Why did you get that close to me?” I ask, teetering on the edge of being furious.
Elijah looks stunned, like literally paralyzed on the spot he stopped. His eyes widen slightly, before he smiles and his face goes blank again. I really hated how he could do that. “There she is. My little fiery Scar,” he says, eyes blazing with… something I can’t recognize.
But I don’t care, liquid fury pours into my veins. My hair falls into my face as I advance on him. I push him into the lockers and stand so…so close to him. The next breath I take, I get a whiff of pine, and something woodsy. “I am not yours, nor will I ever be. So, sorry lover boy, but this-” I point between us, “-is never going to happen.”
I look at his face and realize he’s grinning and his eyes are still blazing with…arousal, I realize. He’s aroused by what I’m doing. He’s psychotic. He’s mentally insane. Who in their right mind would be into this?
“He would.” That stupid voice said again. But that got me thinking, would I like this? I mean don’t get me wrong, it's kinda hot, especially if it was a boy like Elijah who did it. I realized how disgusting and perverted that thought was and pushed away from the lockers. Away from him. I lost the feeling of warmth that I didn’t realize I’d had. I felt like I had just pushed away from something that I shouldn’t have pushed away from.
Horror zinged through me and also sorrow. I didn’t understand it. I didn’t understand why my body was fighting against me. Didn’t understand why it hated it when I pulled away. Never in my 17 years of being alive had I ever experienced something like that.
I sneaked a peek towards Elijah for… god knows what. Our gazes crashed into each other, blue against green. I searched and I thought - for a flicker of a second - that I saw something that probably mirrored what I was thinking and feeling. But just like that he was unreadable.
The fading rage resurfaced.
I looked away, instead I found myself inspecting a crack in the wall behind him like it was the most fascinating thing I’ve ever seen.
I cleared my throat. “Never do that again unless you want a concussion.”
Silence answered my statement. So he can be speechless. Who would have thunk it.
With that as my parting words I walked away. I kept walking until I found the double doors at the front of the building.
I never looked back.
I will never look back. Not back to him.
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