She took in a slight sniff and caught a scent she was deprived of for three long years. Apple-cinammon. It was him. "Cane," she breathed out in revelation. He finally looked at her and blinked his eyes at her. Genesis remembered this from when they were kids and he didn't know how to wink so he would just blink both eyes at her. At that time it would always cheer her up, but this time it just made her sad. She thought she could handle everything high school had to offer, but she never anticipated her ex going here. What were the odds. There were twenty eight other high schools in the district. Fate was indeed a cruel mistress.
Genesis stood up abruptly as the bell rang. She gathered up her work and her back pack and left the room as fast as possible, leaving the worksheet in a bin where it would be graded. She moved as swiftly as possible through the halls without getting more attention than was on her...
...
..
.
"Was that her?" questioned Ryan.
Canaan nodded. When he saw her enter the class room he recognized her immediately. It sickened him that he could think nothing bad about her even though it was all her fault he was so dark-hearted. She was beautiful. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail and the uniform didn't hide those womanly curves and long smooth legs. It actually made his stomach twist when she didn't recognize him and looked at him like some stranger.
Nine years down the drain.
"Are you okay?" Ryan laughed softly. "You look like you wanna punch a wall."
Canaan just grabbed his bag and left the classroom not even bothering anymore with the worksheet. Three years...
The walls were all white. There was a single table with two chairs. Seated on one already was Genesis. She had a somber expression and dark rings over her eyes. He didn't miss the fresh scar that ran from her jaw all the way to the corner of her eye in a straight vertical line. She wore a white shirt, white pants, and white orthopedic shoes.
"What's with all the white?" he questioned the guard waiting by the door.
"Her schizophrenia reacts to vibrant colors," he said.
Canaan turned back to Genesis and took a seat across from her. She wasn't even looked at him. She just stared at a while like she was having some staring contest.
"Hey Genny," he said with his usual smile. "How've you been?" She didn't reply. "Everyone misses you. Your aunt says that if you get better you can come live with her."
"Why would I want to be with that old hag?" she said coldly, a tone he never heard from her. Angry yes, but never this stone-faced.
"She's not so bad," he told her. "And we could be together. Don't you want that?" He moved his hands to touch hers but she quickly hid them under the table. It was like a punch to through his chest.
"No!" she shouted, her face contorting with wrath. It startled the guard enough to walk near the table.
He knew that this was her way with greiving for her parents deaths and lashing out was easier than dealing with the truth. "Genny, I love you," he told her. It was the first time he said it. She always did, but he was too nervous to until now. "And I'm not giving up on you." She stood abruptly and smacked him in the face. It happened so fast and even the guard was too shocked to grab her and hold her down onto her chair.
"You're an idiot, Cane," she said, staring at him with so much venomous hate. "Get out of here. I never want to see you again."
"But, Gen-"
"Go!" She struggled but the guard settled her down.
"You should go kid. This girl's a lost cause."
Canaan just started at her for what felt like hours before his legs moved on their own and he found himself in the lobby where his grandmother waited. He didn't hear anything she said but just kept going until he found himself back home. The words hurt more than the slap. She was so different now. It didn't seem possible.
Genesis didn't seem as hostile as before but definitely just as cold if not seriously damaged. He wondered how the doctors could let her out when she was obviously not cured yet.
"Cane?" questioned Ryan. "You okay?"
Canaan shook the memory away and stopped in the hallway, having arrived to his locker. Coincidentally, Ryan's locker was right next to his and five locker doors down was Genesis opening hers for the first tim. She looked calm and collected. Some guys were whispering things like "heard she was in a straight jacket," and "she was in the looney bin where they did these weird tests to her" and "i heard she killed her parents".
As far as he knew, only one of those was true.
