Chapter 11 - Rumours

When morning came, I was just about ready to jump off the roof. I hadn’t slept all night, my eyes and nose were sore from all the crying and my head hurt from all the thinking I’d done in the last ten hours. I crawled out of bed and almost fell asleep in the shower, and then pretty much tripped down the stairs for breakfast.

 

My grandma had cooked me eggs and toast. I gobbled it all up, packed my school bag, and debated if I should just give up and go back to bed. Close off the rest of the world and sleep. Decided to go to school when I saw my grandmother’s scolding gaze. I would rather deal with her frustration later rather than sooner.

 

So I stomped to school, my head down, a chill spreading over me. The morning air was freezing. I was shivering and shaking, the items in my backpack rustling against each other as I moved. When I reached the school, the first thing I saw were the gray clouds over the horizon, just above the red brick walls of the school. It was as if Mother Nature was warning me ahead of time that today was going to be crappy.

 

But I trudged on inside, and tracked down all my teachers to get all my missed work. Walking back to my locker, an armful of science, I bumped into someone by accident. My science textbook went tumbling out of my grip, and a brown haired boy picked it up for me. He stacked it back into my arms, and as I was thanking him, I saw his face.

 

It was Wilson. The kid I’d completely rejected yesterday.

 

“I--” The words stuck in my throat.

 

“You don’t have to say anything. I know you have the hots for Nate.”

 

I started to agree, then I registered what he was saying. “Wait, what? No I don’t! Why would you think that? I totally don’t!” My franticness was not helping anything.

 

Wilson shot me an unamused look. “Really? Then why did you kiss him yesterday?”

 

My face flushed. “I did not kiss him!”

 

“That’s what he’s telling everyone. You’ve been labeled the ‘mystery girl with the killer punch.’” Wilson was laughing now, taking this whole situation as funny.

 

I dropped all my books, stepped forward and grabbed his blue shirt, pulling his face close to mine.

 

“You listen here, Wilson. I did not kiss your buddy Nate, and I never will, because he is a stupid worthless jerk and is not worth my time.”

 

I shoved Wilson away from me, gathered my books and headed to my locker, still fuming. I had to find Nate before this got out of hand.

 

 

 

When the lunch bell rang, I rushed to the cafeteria. I spotted Nate and Wilson in a group of guys instantly, joking and laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world. I marched on over there, grabbed Nate’s wrist and tugged him away. Someone whistled, and I whirled around and snarled at them to shut the hell up. I swear there was froth started to form at the corners of my mouth I was so mad.

 

I dragged Nate out into the hall and when I faced him, he was grinning cockily.

 

“I didn’t know you went here,” he said and winked, as if he hadn’t been pissed at me yesterday.

 

I could’ve slapped him. “What rumours have you been spreading?”

 

His easy smile evaporated and was replaced by a deep frown. “Uh.”

 

“You better goddamned tell me, or I’ll hit you.”

 

He winced, and gingerly touched the cheek I’d punched. “Okay, okay.”

 

I tried to wait patiently while he gathered his thoughts, but I had serious difficulty.

 

Finally, he spoke. “I’ve kinda been telling people we’re, uh, dating.”

 

I said nothing, covered my face with my hands and sank to the floor, resting against the hallway’s wall. My head pounded, a threat of a headache coming on.

 

“Why?” I asked.

 

“I don’t know. After Serena and I broke up, I’ve felt out of sorts, I guess you could say. I just wanted people to know that I was fine and I didn’t need her. Wanted people to know I’d moved on.”

 

He was Skye, but in guy form. And a lot less likable.

 

“So I was just a toy?” I said, exasperated. “You never cared, never even wanted to be friends or anything. Just wanted to show me off to your ex.”

 

He stayed silent.

 

I barked a humourless laugh. “I get it. My best friend has been doing this for months. It hurts people, you know? It’s a bad feeling to know you weren’t even wanted.”

 

Nate slouched down beside me as I began to cry silently. I was thinking about my mom, and how she had taken refuge in the alcohol instead of caring for me. She’d abandoned me, left me to fend for myself, except for an old lady who wasn’t even able to drive herself around.

 

Nate patted my back, whispering encouraging things to me, but I scooted away and screamed at him to leave me alone. He didn’t.

 

“Nate,” I sobbed. “Please, just go away! You’re the villain here!”

 

“You’re the one who led me on, only to crush me twenty seconds later.”

 

I growled, “Nate. That was not me. A ghombie had possessed me and was in my body.”

 

Nate hopped up. He started pacing, his frustration written clearly on his face. “Bull. You’re a bad liar.”

 

“You wouldn’t know because I’m not lying.”

 

“Andrea, just shut up! I don’t buy it, never will.” With that, he stomped away, and I felt sort of broken. And I wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep, let the serenity of sleep erase all of my problems.

 

Then the stupid bell rang, and I picked myself up and started heading towards my locker. 

Author's Note

Short, i know. but too bad for you! i'll write alot this weekend, i've got nothing better to do, so the next chapter should be up by Monday. (hopefully, no promises) anyways, what do you think of the way the story's going? you like? what couples do you think there are going to be at the end? and P.S., i'm thinking about making a sequel to this. i'll finish this somewhere good, then pick it up in a second book. i think that sounds like a good idea, but you tell me what you think! (jeez, this is a long A.N.) enjoy:)

Reviews

[BloodyMary]

...I still love Nate. I'm obesessed.