Just Candice.

[JC9] | just fights.

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"Ignore people who threaten your joy. Literally, ignore them. Say nothing. Don't invite any parts of them into your space."
— Alex Elle

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"So, do you want to explain yourself?" I asked.

Skylar's dark eyes met mine as he looked up from his hand that was currently being bandaged by me. For a second his eyes darkened even more which led to him tightening his fists.

I sighed as I opened his fists with my fingers to which he replied by ripping it out of my grip.

"Skylar! Stop. What the hell? Can you just...stop walking away from me?" I shrieked as I watched Skylar take long strides towards the door. In attempts to save him from getting in trouble, I borrowed (stole would be more accurate) the first aid kit from the nurse's office since she was always oblivious to everything.

He stopped for a second and turned to face me, his face flaring with unspent anger. The anger that I stopped him from channeling when I dragged him out of the fight with the guy.

Justin McDaniel.

After my appointment, I went home and went through all my social media to find who the guy was. It took a lot more effort since, thankfully, I didn't follow him anywhere. From the looks of his social media, he was a definitely a grade A douche.

"I appreciate this," he said, throwing up his injured hand to show me what he meant and continued, "but it's none of your business. Just because Derek invited you to sit with us, out of the goodness of his heart, doesn't mean we're best friends forever. So...just stay out of it, okay?"

"Don't flatter yourself. Your life's not that interesting." I hit back, in hopes of saving face.

Without saying anything, he walked out and slammed the door in my face. I couldn't comprehend what had happened. He had the audacity to tell me it wasn't any of my business as if I hadn't just helped him for the second time now when he was punching anything and everything.

As I walked out and tried to keep my brave facade up, I couldn't ignore the small ache in my chest due to his words. I didn't think of them as my best friends but I thought we were really becoming friends. It didn't sit well with me that one second he was helping me clean up my locker and then the next he was angry at me again.

Get over it, Candice.

I squared my shoulders and reminded myself that I didn't care. Why should I have, anyway? He was just a guy that couldn't seem to stop having mood swings around me. I'd had enough guys like that in my life.

And, if he wanted me to 'stay out of it', I would freakin' stay out of it.

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"Is it just me or is there some...tension here?" Derek quipped, as we all settled down in the cafeteria the day after the (physical and verbal) fight.

"Nope." Skylar said, nonchalantly.

I scoffed and looked in the other direction trying to stop myself from saying something. I was always told by my grandmother that my mouth would get me in trouble. In the past few years, my mouth had been getting me in trouble but it was the good kind if the faces of all the guys was anything to go off of. Alas, I tried my best to keep my mouth shut but the other sounds that came out— well that was just reflex.

I chewed on my carrot and found Olivia's table in the middle of the room as I looked around. She had her head thrown back, laughing at something. For a small minuscule second, it seemed like the whole room was stuck in time and all I could hear was her laugh or, more accurately, her witch-like cackle. It was as if she was mocking me with her happiness, which was ironic since she was blaming me for taking every single shred of goodness from her life.