Once Gone

5.

After being in the hospital for two weeks and experiencing numerous needle refusals, I was back at school. My first week was eventful you could say. I still don't remember what happened that night, but maybe that was for the best.

I feel the staples in the back of my head, covered by my hair. It's strange to have metal inside your head. My ribs are mostly healed now and most of my bruises gone.

"Emma, where the hell have you been?" Ally yanks me by the arm making me wince.

"Ally, I was in the hospital..." I gently push her off my arm.

She gasps over dramatically making heads turn our way.

"It's not a big deal, can we sit down please?" I mumble, trying to escape the attention we were getting.

I follow her to our usual round table at lunch, "You have to tell me what happened to you, details."

She waited for me to explain. I told her everything, except the part where James was there to rescue me.

"We are going shopping and getting you a haircut!" She yelled a little too loud, with a finger raised in the air like she had a brilliant idea.

I roll my eyes, is shopping her only coping skill?

"Have you seen Josh? We had a date planned that night..." I didn't see Josh in our Chemistry class, and it made me wonder.

"I heard he transferred schools, someone beat him up pretty badly from here." She talks with food in her mouth not bothering to chew it first.

I sat forward in my chair, "What do you mean?"

Rolling her eyes at me as she replies, "Exactly what I said, now how did you have a date with that hottie?"

I think back to when I met him, but only shrug at her.

Looking around the Cafeteria, I spot James who's already looking at me. His blank face gives away nothing. I pursed my lips, debating whether or not to go talk to him. I haven't seen him since he left me at the hospital when I woke up. I decided he was a complete jerk who thought he was better than everyone, but still had questions for him.

Who leaves someone in the hospital like that and never contacts them again? He wants nothing to do with me, so I will return the favor.

"Are you constipated or something?" Ally makes a disgusted look at me.

"No, I'm going to go ask James something," I say standing up.

She grabs me by the wrist and yanks me back down into my chair.

"Ow! What was that for," I ask furiously.

"I told you, stay away from him Emma. He's bad news." She says in a hushed tone. The only time I saw her serious and not over dramatic is when I mentioned James.

"Why!" I demand yanking my wrist from her grip. I was tired of people telling me what to do. I had to obey the doctor's orders the past two weeks and I couldn't take it anymore.

She holds up each finger when she mentions the numbers,"One, he doesn't do one night stands."

"How is that a bad thing?"

She shakes her head,"Two, he beats up everyone who even gets near him."

I raise an eyebrow at her, but it would explain the cut on his lip before. Then again, he hadn't hurt me—or had he?

"Three, he's a cold harder douche who doesn't care about a soul. Four, he vowed to never love again in his speech at Sarah's funeral. The girl who committed suicide."

"I got that part."

"And lastly, he has the money and power to ruin anybody. Don't mess with him. There are five reasons to stay away from the one and only, James Waters."

She picks up her trash and throws it away while I follow. Was he really this dark and dangerous guy? He wasn't some monster—at least I don't think so.

"Plus, he's too hot for his own good," She says dryly before turning to me.

I make a face at her, not wanting to discuss this anymore. I would stay away from James, simple.

The bell rings and Ally has left me to talk to some guy. I sigh, making my way to my next class.

—

It has almost been a month since James has last spoken a word to me. I doodle on the assignment Mrs. Durant is passing out to us. He sits next to me, never saying a word. I hear him sigh—a frustrated sigh. I glimpse at his paper on the floor, and pause. It rests underneath my seat. Deciding to pick it up, I reach for it. He's instantly grabbing for it as well. Our eyes meet for a fraction of a second-there's strong tension in the atmosphere. He reacts first, setting it back on his side of the table.

I quickly focus on my doodling again, my hair falling, hiding my face from him. I realized he truly did want nothing to do with me, and I didn't want to push it any longer. He had taken no liking to me in any shape, way, or form—I had to face that fact.

I had grown a bitter view of him. He acted as if he were above everyone. I understood the pain of his girlfriend's death, but it didn't remain as an excuse. He still had never revisited the book store again, nor did he even glance at me in the hallways as we passed one another. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with anyone, and I couldn't help the resentment I felt towards him.

The minutes tick by—many students talking in the background. We were told to work on the worksheet, but at this point in the day, it was too much effort to force my brain to function properly now.

"Emma, I heard Aidan asked you to homecoming."

Brittany, one of Ally's acquaintances, was sitting on the side of my table. Aidan was a boy I hardly knew, but had seemed to have taken an interest in me.

"Yeah, I don't know if I want to go though..."

She gives me the same over dramatic gasp Ally does, "Why not?" She demands.

I can't help but roll my eyes at her, "I don't know Aidan very well, and I hate dances."

She scowls at the last part—I still don't know why she talks to me.

"I hope you know he plans on kissing you."

I hear an unexpected growl next to me and it makes my heart jump. I turn to see where the noise came from—James is facing away from me, eyes narrowed at the board. Brittany doesn't seem to notice, only eyes me speculatively.

"Have you gotten your dress yet?" She asks annoyed, I still haven't turned to look at her.

"Soft of," I shrug and reach for my books when the bell rings. When I slip on my backpack, I realize James had disappeared—the usual.

I walk out with Brittany as she chats my ear off and the dress she found at some boutique downtown. Ally drives us both home, blaring the music—both of them dancing. I stare out the window watching the buildings pass by and the rain hitting the window. My mind drifts to deeper thoughts the rest of the day, making it pass by in a blur.

That night I couldn't sleep—I toss and turn until the alarm goes off signaling for me to get up for work.

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