Social Clique

2. Paxton

CHAPTER TWO

PAXTON

My eyes catch Cammie's short brown hair as she dashes down the hallway.

"Camellia, wait, where are you going?" I yell.

Craning my neck, I try to keep an eye on her as she weaves in between the mass of walking bodies. Pushing against the current, I try my best to keep up. Her slim frame allows her to duck and weave, leaving me to doge between bigger gaps. As I begin to round another corner, I run smash bang into another hard muscular body.

Jumping back, I rub the spot on my chest that made contact. I peek up and see Mike's cold brown eyes glaring back.

He grumbles something uncoherent before taking a step to the side and continuing around me. As Mike submerges into the crowded hall, I wait for him to completely disappear before continuing my chase after Cammie.

Rounding another corner, I catch the vague image of her disappearing into the girl's bathroom. The second the white door swings back and clicks into place, disappointment flood through my veins and disrupt my body.

With defeat evident, I walk to my next class. At some point I'm going to catch her. She can't avoid me forever.

My feet drag along the ground as I hesitantly enter the classroom. I make my way to the back of the room to a free wooden desk. Grabbing m books from my backpack, I place them on the desk space in front of me.

I know why she's avoiding me, but I don't want her to. It started with walking in a different direction or just a mutter of words as she passed me in the hall. Now she's hiding in the bathroom when I get close to her. She's been my best friends for years and I miss her.

My bubble of thought is broken when I hear his voice. A sound of noises float from his mouth as a stack of papers are tossed onto the desk next to me. Looking up, I see Mike adjust himself in the seat.

Before any real means of conversation can be bought up, the flustered teacher comes storming into the classroom juggling a number of different boxes. Panting, she places her boxes onto of the brown desk in front of the classroom.

"Right class. We're just going to do a series of questions in silence. Once I've written them on the bored, I expect you to get stuck into them," she says, turning back around to the desk to fetch out a marker to write on the white board.

The class nods, which is encouraging enough for her to accept their answer and press onto laying the work out. Dragging the book closer to me, I start to flick through the different pages until I come across a plain one. Taking a pen out of my pocket, I get set to writing the first question on the bored.

As I move on to writing another question down, the book is suddenly ripped from my hands. Looking over to my right, I see Mike with a smirk plastered across his face.

He laughs before throwing the book over his left shoulder, "Its only health class and it's not important, so no work. If you ever want to see the field this season then you better start acting right," he threatens.

"I don't want to follow you or your dumb ass rules! I'd rather be sat on the bench for the entire season," I spit out. Standing up, I walk around his desk to collect my book.

"You will soon," he says, slapping the side of my shoulder with his usual determined grin.

"Whatever you say, buddy," I chuckle, more to myself.

CAMELLIA

The siren for first period rings through the hall. I poke my head out the door to see if the hall is clear. I dash past Paxton's first class and make my way to class. As I pass, I see Mike and Pax laughing. See, I half smile, this was a good idea. The idea of abandoning my best friend is slicing me to pieces, but the thought of him being able to follow his dreams is enough reassurance for me,

Soon enough Paxton will get bored of chasing me around and just accept the fact that he needs to be friends with Mike to get on the team and he'll soon forget about ever knowing me. The sooner Pax accepts this, the sooner he'll be happy. I hate seeing him sad, but this is simply the best idea I can think of for this very second.

At the end of the day, I walk back to my locker. I'm constantly scanning the sea of people to ensure Paxton isn't waiting to spring out. As I open the locker door, I shove my books into my shoulder bag. Once my locker is empty, I close it and swing around.

As I do, I come face to face with Paxton. My heart beats uncomfortably, but I trooper onwards. I can't let him know it's hurting me or he won't move onwards.

"Why have you been running away from me all week? Don't try and deny it either," he snaps, his eyebrows sinking as he glares down at me.

"I, um, eh." I nervously trail off.

In fear of saying something else, I completely shut my mouth and allow my gaze to fall on the ground. Paxton lets my head hang low for a couple of seconds before his muscly hand hooks under my chin and forces me to look back up at him. His piercing blue eyes gaze back down in mine. They bubble over, showing the hurt he's feeling.

"Please stop running from me, Cammie," he begs, his voice cracked with desperation.

I want to crumble in his arms and to promise I won't do it again. But I need to be strong for the both of us. I can do this.

Squeezing my eyes shut tight, I begin to speak, "I'm sorry Pax, we just can't be friends," I whisper before bolting out of his arms. He begins to call out, but I continue to sprint down the halls and way from Paxton for good.

Deep down, I know he knows that we aren't supposed to be together. He simply can't have the best of both worlds. Certainly when his whole life is riding on joining the football team. I can't be the one who stops him from taking advantage of his future and making something of himself. I don't want to be that person.

tps:n?*