Chapter Two

“Dude, what was up with your mom Friday night?” I asked Kayla as I walked over to her locker. She looked at me and shrugged. 

“No idea, you know my mom sometimes. She’s a little loopy. We didn’t do anything special so I don’t know why you had to leave. I was bored as hell. She did however make me and Jayden spend the rest of the weekend with her.” 

“What if you didn’t want to?” I asked. 

“I most certainty didn’t want to, but she told us if we didn’t do what she wanted this weekend, she wouldn’t let us go to the winter dance, which was totally unfair!” she slammed her locker and looked at me. Her dirty blonde girls swept over her shoulders and she chewed on her bottom lip. “See you at lunch?” she said. I nodded. “See ya!” we gave each other a hug and then I headed towards english class. When I arrived I saw that there was some new kid, I guess the one Dex had been talking about, standing outside the room. As I got closer I noticed some of his hair covered his face. I was about ten minutes early for english so I took the liberty to say ‘hi’. 

“Hi, are you new here?” I asked. He looked at me and nodded. “I’m Willow, what’s your name?” 

“Caleb Johnson.” He said. He had dyed black hair with a red streak on his bang, ice blue eyes, a lip ring, and he was wearing tight jeans, along with a Slipknot T-shirt. I noticed a white headphone in one of his ears. 

“Cool. What are you listening to?” I asked. I actually wanted to know, I wasn’t just making small talk. He checked his iPod and then showed me. It was called ‘Prayers’ by In This Moment. I could tell it wasn’t any kind of music I liked. “Awesome! So where did you move from?”

“I didn’t move.” He stated. 

“Oh, then were you home schooled?” he shook his head no. I was very confused as to what his situation was. 

“I’ve been out of school since last April,” his voice was soft and low, “so please don’t tell people I’m new or something like that, because I’m not.” The bell rang for 3rd period to start and he looked at me. We both walked into the classroom and I decided to sit next to him, he didn’t like that very much, but I guess he didn’t want to be rude and move away. 

“Caleb! Oh my gosh you’re back!” a girl with dirty blonde hair said walking in, it was Christina. Caleb looked at her and then turned towards me. 

“Talk to me.” He said. I didn’t know exactly what to do so I said anything. 

“You’re cute.” It slipped out and I didn’t realize it did, but I saw a tiny smile creep across his face. 

“Oh my gosh! Caleb! Why didn’t you see me? I have been missing you! Are you feeling better?” Caleb didn’t look at Christina, he just kept staring at me. 

“Christina please take your seat, Caleb obviously doesn’t want to talk right now.” Mrs. Nicholas said. Christina looked at me. 

“Then why is he sitting with Willy? I mean they just talked to each other!” 

“Christina, if it makes you feel any better I’ll move, I-I I don’t mind.” I said softly and truthfully. She smiled triumphantly and I stood up, but so did Caleb. I walked to the other side of the room and Caleb followed and sat next to me. 

“Please don’t leave me alone.” He said. I looked over at Christina who groaned and threw her hands in the air and sat down next to her friend Becky. Mrs. Nicholas came over and squatted next to Caleb. 

“Are you feeing much better?” she asked. Caleb nodded and looked at his hands and I caught a quick glimpse of them and they looked worn out and raw. Mrs. Nicholas stood up and walked back to her desk. 

“I won’t leave you.” I said to him and he looked at me, still with his hair in his face. I saw that same tiny smile come across his face. 

“Caleb wait!” once class was over Christina ran over to Caleb and stopped him. He looked over at me and shrugged. I guess he knew there was no real way to run away from Christina, so by the way he nodded his head, he told me to go on without him. I walked downstairs to the cafeteria and found Kayla. She was flirting with Corey, but when she saw me she said goodbye and walked over. 

“Hi stranger! So how was english class with the new kid?” she giggled. 

“Caleb isn’t new. He has been out of school since last April. I don’t know why though, but he wants to make it clear that he’s not new.” 

“Oooh! Looks like someone’s got the case of the love bug, am I right?” I scoffed and chuckled. 

“No! We just got into talking, I’m serious. Apparently he has some connection to Christina Carter. It was weird he didn’t want to talk to her, and he seemed to trust in me in some way, it was weird I guess.” She chuckled. 

“So I talked with Corey, he told me that he’s going to dump little miss ‘Issa and I’ll be his.” She chuckled. I rolled my eyes. 

“Kayla you can’t make him like you, if he wants to like you then he will. I don’t see why he wouldn’t like you.” She smiled. 

“I’m going to go get lunch be right back.” She walked away and I was left alone at the table. 

“Is she your friend?” I turned around and saw Caleb sitting at the table next to ours. He was changing the song on his iPod. 

“Oh Kayla?” he nodded. “Yeah, she’s been my best friend since 3rd grade. Do you see that guy over there with the spiked hair and white tight shirt?” Caleb looked and then turned back to me and nodded. ‘That’s Corey, she is like totally gaga over him. It’s kind of annoying actually, but I’m a good friend and I never let her down about her and him getting together, even though he’s dating Melissa.” 

“That’s interesting. You know Christina?” he said leaning forward. I nodded. “She still thinks that we’re going out, even though I bluntly told her today that I don’t like her or love her anymore.” His ice blue eyes pierced me and I sighed. 

“I’m sorry Caleb, that must stink.” He nodded and fixed his hair, but it seemed as though he had reminded himself not to move it out of his face. “Are your hands alright? They look pretty badly hurt.” He put them in his pockets and looked down at his feet. 

“I have to go, bye Willow.” He stood up and walked away faster than light. I felt bad. I thought that I had said something bad. Kayla walked back over and raised her eyebrow at me. 

“You alright Willy?” I shook myself out of my thoughts and looked at her. I nodded and took a sip of my water. “You sure? You look a bit sad.” 

“No, I’m alright, I’m just hoping my dad’s alright. He’s all alone in our house and it’s quite a crappy day out.” She waved her hand. 

“He’s fine girl, he’s strong. Look my mom has been strong all these years too, so I doubt your dad wouldn’t be.” I nodded. I still felt really bad that I made Caleb go away, I wanted to keep talking to him. 

Kayla had to pick up Michelle at her school so I walked home alone. It was quite cold outside, so I bundled up with my scarf and my hat. I put my headphones in and tuned into my own world. 

I felt a pair of hands on my back jumped and yelped. 

“Oh my gosh!” I turned around and saw Caleb. 

“I’m sorry Willow, I didn’t mean to scare you. I saw you walking and I thought I’d come say hi. Where is your friend?” he asked. 

“Oh, Kayla had to go pick up her sister so I’m walking alone, but don’t worry it’s totally fine. I gotta get home and keep my dad company.” We stopped and I smiled at him. He smiled back. 

“Oh, okay, well uhm I’m sorry that I ran off earlier I just got really scared so I wanted to apologize for that.” He said looking down at me. I felt a smile come across my face and I patted his shoulder, but he stepped back. “I’m sorry Willow.” 

“It’s alright Caleb, I’ll see you later.” I said beginning to walk again. 

“See you later Willow.” He seemed to be the only one that really calls me by my full name, which I really like. 

Author's Note

tell me what you think please!!!