The Outcast

21- Accident

AND THEN, SOMETHING happens.

I laugh.

Not a forced laugh, not a fake laugh, a genuine, all out laugh. The kind of laugh you can't stop, the kind that hurts in a good way, the contagious kind.

"What's so funny?" Hayden asks, but I can see his mouth curving upwards

After we're done laughing, Hayden repeats his question to me.

"Jesus Hayden, where'd you even get that quote from, I mean seriously? Twelvie life bro." I giggle

"Hey shut up, I read it on Instagram somewhere..." he says, looking down and blushing, a grin on his face

"Sure." I say, nudging him

"Oh shut up." he laughs

When the bell rings, we have to go to our classes. When we go to part ways, I stop Hayden before he walks off.

"Hayden um, thanks." I say

"What for?" he asks

"I dunno. Just, somehow always being there." I sigh

He smiles.

"It's my specialty Cass." he winks before skipping off

I'm not kidding too, he literally skips away, earning quite a few weird looks... And a grin from me.

I wish I was more like him, so carefree and... Just... Happy. He doesn't care what other people think he just... Does it. And that's rare.

I sigh and walk to where my group is, hoping my eyes don't look too much like the Nile river just ran out of them.

But I'm sure my face is red, my eyes are swollen and my expression is an emotionless scowl, which is always very attractive.

I pick up my bag and sling it over my shoulder.

"Bye." Jordan says to Tia as I walk past them

"Bye cutie." Tia says, hugging him

I don't give them a second glance when I walk past, I just hold my head up and walk right past.

I head towards English and smile softly when I see Hayden already there, his blonde hair falling in his eyes.

I dump my bag on a rack and start searching for my books in my bag. Which is like the black hole at the moment because, Jesus, it's near the end of the year and well, my bag is pretty much just my portable rubbish bin.

Well I'm going to have a fun job of cleaning it out in the summer holidays.

In English, we get given the task to write a short, ten line poem for homework, about a teen issue today.

Which I'm feeling pretty confident about.

By the end of the day, I'm feeling pretty good. I get a seat on the bus and you can't see Tia and Jordan from it, also, the teachers were more laid back because, well, only two weeks left!

But I'm kind of dreading school ending...

For a good reason.

Because, what will the holidays bring for me?

Eight weeks of being excluded, not invited to things, being home, watching my friends have fun without me, that's what the holidays will bring me.

And I jut can't wait.

-

My good mood drops when I get home.

When I open the front door and the smell of alcohol hits me. Tears sting my eyes and I'm tempted to scream.