Rot & Romance (Rewriting)

Chapter 9

"I'm fine. I barely felt it," Lainey said distressfully, trying her best to hold back tears.

Lainey hated feeling weak. She hated that Fawn always had to stand up for her. She was determined to change that.

"Come on, let's get inside," she said.

They entered the school and made their way upstairs toward their lockers.

"I'll see you in class," Lainey said to Fawn as she worked her combination lock.

Fawn opened her lock before responding.

"Oh, no. Remember what happened to you last time? I'm not leaving you alone again," Fawn said.

"Fawn, you can't be with me everywhere I go," Lainey said. "And you shouldn't have to. The students here are just going to have to get over themselves because I'm not putting up with their crap anymore."

Fawn looked mildly surprised by Lainey's response, raising an eyebrow and almost smiling.

"Well . . . you almost convinced me," she said. "But I still think we should be on the safe side."

"I'll be fine," Lainey persisted. "I promise can take care of myself."

Fawn wore a strained expression.

"Okay," she said slowly. "Be careful on your way to your locker."

"Of course."

Fawn smiled.

"See you in class."

Fawn disappeared through the nearest staircase, leaving Lainey alone in the crowded hallway. She slowly made her way toward her locker, staring back at the many faces that met her with hateful glares. By the time Lainey reached her locker at the end of the hall and around the corner, her hair was wet and being called a bitch had lost its effect, making the profanity written on her locker redundant.

"The rain get the best of you?" asked a voice that accelerated Lainey's heartbeat.

She spun around to see Eric Isaac standing behind her.

"Eric! Hi!" Lainey said breathlessly. "And, yeah. This umbrella is good for nothing. Except for getting me wet. My hair, I mean." She awkwardly laughed, hoping to distract Eric from how embarrassing she sounded. But he was looking past her toward her locker.

"The whole Nicole thing . . . it got out of control, didn't it?" he said softly.

Lainey turned to face her vandalized locker.

"That's an understatement," she said quietly.

"Your friend has been here the last couple of days cleaning off your locker after school."

"You mean Fawn?"

Eric nodded.

"She's the real deal."

"I know," Lainey said, once again feeling ashamed that Fawn had to go out of her way for her. "Fawn's more than words can describe."

There was a short moment of silence.

(A/N: Okay, play the song now!)

"I miss her--that Nicole," Eric said morosely. "School hasn't been the same without her. I'm still waiting for her to walk up to me with a poster she's made for the team." He looked down and smiled. "I always had to tell her to lose the hearts. Lose the damn hearts! We play football!" Eric sighed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "She never lost those damn hearts. . . . What I wouldn't give to see another one of those posters. Hearts and all."