Oblivious To The Signs

February 5: Kissing And Slapping

They must've read the article... I thought.

I tried meeting some of the students' eyes but they avert their gaze once I do. And when they're sure that I'm not looking at them anymore, they'd continue staring at me like I don't know what's happening. Their stares are so heavy and judgmental. They've been staring at me so intently it gets to the point where it's a bit unbearable.

What's their problem? Don't they have anything interesting going on with their lives? Well apparently not seeing that they can't stop staring at me.

I've never felt so much like an outcast before in my life. I didn't notice that my hands were shaking until I heard my keys hit the ground. The sound woke me up from my reverie so I immediately picked it up.

It was like my body has a mind of its own as I moved back inside my car. It seems that I'm about to cut school. I was breathing heavily as the total weight of their stares has dawned on me. I started up the engine and started driving away. I've only drove like a few seconds when a car stopped in front of mine.

It was a 2013 Audi A7.

Andrew's car.

The change in the students' faces––from judgmental stares to shock and to absolutely nosy, intrigued faces––were so dramatically obvious it's actually hilarious. I would've laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.

I stepped on my brake as he made a gesture from his windshield. Kind'a like saying "Don't go anywhere." He then parked his car, me following suit. I cut off the engine but made no attempt at going outside.

Andrew, wearing a dead-serious face, walked over to the driver's side and gestured me to lower the window down. And so I did.

"Come on, walk with me." He offered––but it sounded more like an order.

"But those people are..." I trailed off. I gestured to those students who were staring at him too.

Man, don't they have classes to go to? Oh, right. 'Cause  there's still a lot of time. I blame my mom for making me come to school this early.

"Don't worry." He assured me. He must've seen the expression on my face which is pure anxiety. "I've got your back. Don't mind these crazy mofos."

I sighed, rolling up the window. I was about to open driver side but Andrew already did it for me. I know that he's a gentleman and all but that little act right there isn't actually helping with our situation right now.

"Let's just go to class early." I told him, avoiding eye contact.

"Wait, I'm just going to do something first." He replied while looking around the parking lot. I heard him mutter, "There's the witch."

Then he shouted, "Hey, Candy Hale! Yeah, you. Who else? I already said your whole name for crying out loud." Some students chuckled and snickered after hearing Andrew say that.

Candy looked around the laughing students in the parking lot looking back at her and her face visibly turned red. I guess she's not used to being dissed like that in public. Correction: She's not used to being dissed. Period. She slowly walked closer to where Andrew and I are standing and the students are making a way for her. Man, they really like a good teenage drama, don't they?

She stopped walking until she's like a few yards away from us. I think it's understandable that she doesn't want––or just too scared––to be near Andrew right now, especially with what happened last night. I haven't checked though if she's deleted the article already. But if she still hasn't, I'm not worried. I've seen the look on her face when Andrew sort of threatened her last night––pure terror and heartbreak. I would've actually felt bad for her if I wasn't busy not feeling bad for her. Kind'a like, "Sorry, not sorry."