Close Your Eyes, Mr. Player

Close Your Eyes, Mr. Player ~ Prologue.

Close Your Eyes, Mr. Player ~ Prologue 

Just keep walking, Melody, you're not worth his time. Do. Not. Stop.  

  

But even though I could feel my nagging conscience whispering for me to just ignore my surroundings, I ignored it, as someone purposely knocked my study notes and textbooks from my hands, papers flying everywhere. I ignored the all too-familiar snickers of everyone around me, and leaned down to pick them up. "Classy," I mumbled to myself as I filed the loose sheets in between my textbooks, and pressed them safely against me.  

  

I brushed myself off and continued walking, making sure to keep my eyes down, and my steps quick. I didn't want to have to face-off with some obnoxious attention-whore today; despite the fact that it was more like a routine for me, I really wasn't in the mood.  

  

But of course, I'm not exactly what you would call a lucky lady. In fact, I'm incredibly unlucky, especially when I just so happen to bump into a very nonchalant, exuberant Jesse Larson, who just so happened to be standing directly in my path. "Sorry," I mutter under my breath as I slip past him, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end when my arm accidently brushes his. 

  

"I'm sorry, but did you say something? See, I hate to break it to you darling, but no one can really hear you under that mediocre, plain-Jane facade you have going on there" he shouted at my back, causing me to mistakenly stop just ten feet away from him, earning a thousand laughs from everyone around him. It took absolutely every good moral in my body to stop me from saying snarky in response. 

  

I looked over my shoulder, regretting it as soon as I did it. There was a crowd of people, just like there was every single day, watching me from the sidelines, as the King of Cruelty himself  stands front and center, his chiseled arms crossed over his equally chiseled chest; his striking eyes staring down at me. He had something between a sneer and a smirk on his face, and I almost wanted to guess it was the latter, considering how astoundingly cocky he was. I almost wanted to throw up. "I'm not doing this with you again."  

  

He scoffed, crossing his lean arms over his chest. "So she speaks!" he said, glaring down at me like I was a grain of sand under his shoe. Worthless, pointless, small. I bit back the tears that were forcing themselves out of my eyes. I would never give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.  

  

"You know, eventually, this is all going to come back to you. And I plan to be standing right where you are when that happens," I said, making sure to look him right in the eye as I said it. He needed to see I meant it, and that I wasn't scared of him and his empty insults. 

  

He said nothing, and just turned away from me.  

  

I wanted to just turn back around and walk away, but I couldn't help but watch as he stopped near a group of girls who were chatting and giggling obnoxiously at their lockers. I noted that he squeezed one girls hip while leaning in to kiss the neck of his girlfriend, Zoe. Every one of the girls were staring at him, Westwood High's biggest Player, as if he was God. As if his very presence was the absolute greatest thing they had ever experienced. 

"Makes me sick," I said out loud.  

  

I ignored the glares of the onlookers and just pushed my way through the crowd of people who'd watch our little scene. By now, I was sure everyone had set their clocks for the same time everyday, ready to watch the quiet book nerd get torn apart emotionally. Whether it was Jesse or Palmer or the rest of the basketball team. I was so used to it now, that I sometimes found myself there without even trying, as if my body had somehow willed itself there.  

  

"Melody!" I heard a familiar voice call from down the hall. I looked up, grinning when I saw my best friend Hannah appear from around the corner, running towards me at top speed; her long, dark ponytail bouncing back and forth. I could see the appreciative look she got from several guys at they stared at her chest which was all too obviously exploding out of her shirt. I felt a prick of envy. "Sorry I missed it. I know I'm usually there to save you from mass humiliation," she said, linking arms with me. 

  

I shook my head, trying my best not to laugh at her dramatically sad face; it was as if she had just let me down in the worst possible way. "It's okay. Second last day of school, I get a whole summer away from him after tomorrow. Besides, you've been doing this for three years. It's about time I started taking care of myself," I said as we walked into the cafeteria.  

  

Instead of enduring the hassle of the food line, we both decided to skip lunch and just sit at our usual window table where our friends were all casually sitting around and laughing; making plans for the summer vacation. They waved us over when they saw us approaching. "Well, next year we're seniors. Next year, you are NOT going to let Jesse "The Major Douche bag" Larson push you around like a stroller," she said as we sat down. I couldn't help but giggle at her overly enthusiastic and optimistic outlook on everything. It was refreshing and made me feel a hell of a lot better. 

  

"No. No, I'm not," I said, twirling a strand of my thick brown hair around my finger. Hannah was right. I didn't have it in me anymore to let people push me around like that. I had too much anger built up to allow that anymore.  

  

Jesse took that moment to burst into the cafeteria, surrounded by his friends; his girlfriend was clinging to his arm, obviously annoyed by all the attention he was giving to everyone else. He looked down at her and muttered something. His words were fast and his eyes were furrowed in annoyance. She pressed her lips together and nodded, slipping her hand into his. He smirked and looked up, his eyes instantly meeting mine. I looked away, hoping he didn't notice me watching him. 

  

I thought he would storm over here and demand I apologize for "disrespecting his rank in society", but he just turned the other way, and I smiled to myself. One point for Melody. 

                                                                   *****

 ~ So finally, after almost 3 years of stepping away from this book, I've finally decided to come back and give it some slight enhancing and retouching. I've tried not to make it too different, just a bit more mature and  I also made sure to fix any editing mistakes I saw. 

I love this story, and now that I'm back to make it better, I hope you all enjoy it too. Leave a comment below if you have any feedback, I love hearing from you guys! 

Michelle.