The Tutor || S.M.

Chapter 35 || "Helaina's A Child Of God"

"Helaina."

He repeats my name, and just like that, I snap out of my trance and come back to life. I back away, slowly shaking my head. He continues to come towards me, and I feel bile rise in my throat.

"Get away from me." I mumble.

"Helaina, please let me talk to you, I-" Shawn begins, but the second he grabs my arm, I yank my arm away and jump back.

"Get the fuck away from me!" I scream, bumping into the person behind me. People are watching us now, but I don't care. Let them watch; let them see Shawn for who he really is.

"You don't understand. I, I don't know why I said that last night. I was angry and thought that getting high would help, but before I realized what was happening, I was high and texting you things I could never even think of saying aloud. Please Helaina, you have to believe me." Shawn begs, and I see the hurt in his eyes.

"No." I shake my head. "Do you realize how pathetic you sound? How pathetic you are? You really think I'm going to just forgive you after you were the biggest dick in the world to me?"

"I'll do anything to prove to you how sorry I am." he says. I shake my head again, stepping around his silently and heading for the locker room doors.

"I have to go to class." I mutter, grabbing ahold of the door. I half-expect for Shawn to reach out and grab me again, but instead, this time he lets me be. I sulk into the locker room and bite the inside of my cheek as I will myself not to cry. I refuse to continue to let Shawn get to me like this- to have such a strong hold over my emotions.

"Hey Helaina." Charlotte says as I approach her. She looks up from tying her shoes, and the smile on her face drops and is replaced with a worried frown when she sees me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I shake my head.

"Are you sure, because I'm always here if you need-" she begins, but I cut her off.

"I don't want to talk about it." I interrupt. She closes her mouth and sets her lips into a thin line, nodding slightly.

"Okay." she says, clearly hurt.

"Charlotte, I'm sorry." I sigh. "I didn't meant to snap on you like that, I'm just not having a good day already and I need something else to focus on."

"It's okay, I understand." Charlotte says, standing up. "Are you getting changed?"

"No, I'm already in sweats." I say, glancing down at my black sweats and band t-shirt.

"You have boots on, though." she points out. "Mr. Hampkins will take off points if you aren't wearing sneakers."

"Does it really seem like I care?" I ask, and she laughs.

"No, I guess not." Charlotte says, and we begin to head out of the locker room and into the gym.

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The rest of the school day passes without incident, each class going smoother than the next. By the time the bell rings for lunch and I stand up from my seat in Calculus, I've nearly forgotten how shitty my day started out as. I swing my bag onto my back and head down the hallway, spotting Julia waiting for me at the doors to head outside.

"Did I miss anything?" Julia asks me as we push open the doors and step outside. The warm late-April sunlight embraces me like a hug from a long-lost friend, leaving me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Miss what?" I ask, humming along quietly to the song that's been stuck in my head since first block.

"With Shawn. Did he try and talk to you today?"