Forever Comet

Know you

Everyone's eyes were on me. I held the project in a cradle position against my chest. Nova began to walk closer by my side. It was my first day back. And everything was different already. I could hear soft, quick chatters. Some about how I punched the shit out of Luke. Some about how scary and weird i was. Some asking who exactly Nova was. Even some...about that woman. I picked up my pace a little forgetting about Nova. "Hey. Where is your class again?" He stops me and asks. "Uh. Oh no. Im fine. You go on to class..." I say glancing over my shoulder at a group of students eyeing us.  "You sure?" He asks noticing my little paranoia. "YEAH. Yeah. I got this." I say with a smile. An effortless smile. He smiles back at me. "Good...see you at lunch?" We both nod and wave a little. He walks away into a crowd of students rushing to class. I smile again. But to myself. I had no idea why.

Some hours had passed. I made it through half of the day. Not once did i sneak to the restroom in social panic. Encounter someone making jokes about my past. Be pushed around violently for no reason at all. Not once did i feel like running away. I could tell others were wondering. What happened to her? They looked at me differently. I was walking with my head up high? I pushed my short strands of hair behind my ears and looked straight toward where i wanted to be. I had just made it out of science lecture. I couldn't wait to tell Nova that my project received an A.
As i walked up to the cafeteria, i stopped. It was a place i would dread going inside. The torture. The insecurity. The place where being me...was hell. "Not today..." i whisper. Then thats when i did it. I opened the door and walked in. I had stares galore. I started to blush. As i walked in further, suddenly a hand touched my shoulder. It wasn't Nova. "H-hey..." I jumped a bit, as a reflex. It was Luke. He had backed up in self defense. "What a punk" someone yelled at him. He thought i was going to punch him again. His expression went from shy to sad really quickly. He started to walk away. I stopped him by gripping his arm. I whisper, "Hey. Not in here." He nods and we both walk out the cafeteria with whistles being blown at us. We walked down the empty hall to a near by bench. I gestured for him to sit first. It was silent. "Uhm...sorry. For...you know." I say trying to start the conversation. " I didn't want an apology. I...wanted to give you one." He had changed. "While you were gone. I realized something...is all." I glance toward him and examine his body. He had a scar from where i hit him but then i spotted a bruise on his arm. "Hey...uhm are you alright?" He jumps. "Why?" "Are you being hurt?" A sudden energy had come over me. Like i had to ask and help him. "What?! Me?...." he says with a grin but it fades quickly. "And what if I was?" "Well if you are...we need to tell someone." "No." "Why-?" "YOU ARE NOT the one who got punched by a girl. A psycho at that..." Then i stood up. I didn't want to hurt him. I wanted to help him. "Come on. Who was it?" I grew a bit angry at this point. "Im not sayin-" i stoop over closer to his face. "Who. Was. It?"

We walk into the cafeteria. This time with no hesitation. "Point him to me" i ask him. He points to a tall, buff student. He was most likely a football player. "Ok." I take a deep breath and begin to walk over to him and his group. They immediately stop their chatter and give me a dirty look. "Ohhh! Look who is comin! Ole weirdo with a fist!" He says laughing. "Cool. Its the cliche jock!" I say back with an angry tone. His laughter turns into an annoyed expression. "What right do you have to bully someone else?" "What ever do you mean girly?" "You know what i mean. Beating on Luke-." "Oh so you are a TATTLE NOW LUKE!" "DO NOT come after him!" I then feel a hand on me trying to pull me away. "Marni. Im ok its fine." "No its not fine. If you ever come for him again Its not gonna look good for you." The jock started to stand up. And hover over us both. "Both of ya better back up." I look up at him in disgust. "Please. Sit down. Height doesn't matter." I say with a smirk. He moves closer to me with a threat to hit me. "You little-." "Hey! Back up." Luke and I turn around quickly. "Nova." I say softly. "You called your little boyfriend too?" The jock says shaking his head. Nova walks closer to us but then stares into the jock's eyes. His angry expression began to fall numb and he sits back down quietly. Like Nova told him to. "No. She didn't. Mar. Come with me. You too Luke." Nova drags us both along out of the scene we created in the cafeteria. As we walked out I could hear his group laughing...but the jock...daydreaming.