Can't Be Afraid Anymore

Chapter Fourteen

"Ok, well I'll tell the teachers what they need to know, but keep trying to help her. I think you're the only one she trusts."

"I'm not going to push her. She'll tell me what she wants."

"Okay.....Do you know if she's suicidal or of she harms her self?"

"No, no she's not like that. She just gets panic attacks. And I'm done talking, I have to get to detention."

"See you on Monday Matthew."

"Yeah." I hear Matt say. He walks out if the room and almost bumps into me. "Oh, hey. Didn't know you were waiting."

"It's fine. Come on we have to go to that teacher."

"Hey," Matt says and grabbed my arm. "What was that about?"

"Just don't trust teachers. All they want to do is fix you, they don't understand." I saynot looking at him.

"How are they suppose to understand if you never let them in?" He asks and I turn away from him. "Why why do you always shut people out?" He asks his hands on my shoulders turning me around to look at him. I kept looking down. He puts his hand under my chin to make me look at him. "Please just talk to me, I'm not going to try to fix you, I like you just the way you are."

"Anytime I let someone in, I get hurt, so I'm done trying to let people in." I say and walk away done with the conversation.

"Your late Anna and Matthew." The teacher says as we walk in. I didn't even know Matt had caught up to me. "I have a meeting to go to, so I trust that when I come back you two should be where you are now." He says and inclined his head to the seats.

"Yes." I say grabbing my homework.

"Yes." Matt says looking at me. The teacher walks out the door. "Anna please just tell what happened or what makes you get panic attacks?" I ignore his question and put my headphones in.

Matts P.O.V

Grrr. Why does she have to be so stubborn? It's not that hard of a question. She could at least acknowledge that I'm here. After a while, I start doing my homework, but then I heard the music. I look at Anna, but she was too focused on her work. Then I realized that she was singing softly with her headphones in. She didn't even notice that she was singing. I recognized the song a little, but I couldn't figure out the name. "Because of you I never stray too far from the sidewalk." She sang again. I wanted to ask her what the song was but didn't what her to stop singing, she seemed so peaceful. She realizes that I was staring at her and she pulls an earplug out.

"What?" She asks, she didn't sound annoyed though.

"What's that song called?"

"What, can you heard music through my headphones?"

"No, you were signing it." I say. Her face goes a bright red.

"Oh, sorry it's a habit." She says still blushing.

"It's fine. I forgot my headphones in my locker so it's nice having other music." She was still blushing a little, but she didn't seem as embarrassed as before.

"Here." She says giving me one of the earphones. "You can listen too." She says and moves closer so the earphones didn't fall out of her ear. She starts to work on something.

"Hey we need to go over some science stuff today." I say, she looks at me and huffs.

"Fine." She says and put her things away. "Let's start."

"Ok what is the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases absorb and reradiate thermal energy?" She looks very confused. "Think, it ends with effect." When I say that she looks even more confused. "Greenhouse effect."

"Oh that makes sense." She hits her forehead. After 30 minutes of science, she says, "I'm done."

"Fine, but we have more to study tomorrow." She looks at me and laughs. "What?" I ask looking around. Then I felt my hair. She put a pink bunny sticker in my hair, where she got it from I wasn't sure. "Thanks, thanks very much."

"How has detention went you two." I hear the teacher say as he walks in. Anna tries to stop laughing, but you could see the smile on her face.

"It went boring like it should be."

"Yeah, right." The teacher says clearly not believing me. "You two can leave now."

"Ok Mr.Carter." I say. Anna grabs her things and we leave the room. "A pink bunny?" I say shaking my head.

"It suits you." She says laughing a little. I slow my pace a little so I was behind her and then tickled her in the side. "Ahh." She screams.

"Payback."

"That's not fair. You know I'm really ticklish." She says grabbing her sides.

"But it is."

"Hey." She asks I turn around. "Can you drive me to work? I walked to school today."

"Sure. Come on." I say. She hops in my truck and I drive her to work.

"Thanks." She gets out and I nod my head. I watch her walk inside and then park my car.  

Anna's POV

"Hey. Sorry I had to stay after school." I say to Sara.

"It's fine your only 2 minutes late. I see you tomorrow though right?"

"Ya, I'm working the evening shift tomorrow until 5."

"Ok see you then." I hear Sara say. I go in the back to grab clothes and put them on the racks. I hear the bell on the door ring.

"I'll be there in a second," I say pulling out the rack. "Can I help you wi- What are you doing here?" I ask Matt.

"You're going to need a ride home, so I'll just stay here." He says wondering around the store.

"Ok, but don't break anything or your paying for it," I say looking at him. He raises his hands. After four hours it was time to close the store. "Hey, can you grab the empty hanger up there," I point to the top rack.

"Shorty." He says and grabs the hanger.

"Shut up," I say and grab the hanger from him to put it in the box with the other ones. "It's not like I can help it."

"Hey don't forget your jacket again. I don't want to lose three of my sweatshirts."

"I got it, oh and I washed your sweatshirt, so if you come in I can give it to you," I say locking the door.

"K." We go to my house and he comes up. "I'll be right back," I say and go into my room. I change and grab his sweatshirt. "Here's yo-" He fell asleep. I shake my head. Oh well. I put his sweatshirt on the couch and put a blanket over him. Night apparently.