A Country Winter

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"So sleeping beauty finally wakes up," A male voice murmured somewhere close to my ear, as my eyes struggled to flutter open. The first thing I realized when I came to was that my head felt like it had been repeatedly run over by bull dozers. The second was that a circle of curios teenagers had gathered around me.

''Ah!'' I screamed, startled. The face that had been peering intently at my face, and invading my space bubble, jerked back.

The face was male, defiantly male. Short, black, greasy hair covered his head, acne seemed to be waging a war on his forehead, and everything was much to skinny about him. So...It was an ugly boy. 

''Calm down! I'm just checking to make sure your pulse is good,'' Ugly Boy said, his cold hand coming down to gently press against my neck.Yuck.  The only thing I hated more about ugly people was ugly people touching me.

The rest  of the class continued to stare at the scene in morbid silence. Their creeping stares reminded me of the reason I fainted in the first place, bringing the nightmare freshly back.

Swatting the Ugly Boy's hand away, I sat up and glared at him. ''I'm fine.''

He quirked his brow but didn't move to touch me again. I could tell he didn't believe me, and I set my mind out to prove him wrong. Clinging to the classroom wall I shakily stood up. 

'Look I can even stand up!'' I triumphantly stood upright with little but no sway. A few imbeciles had the nerve to clap.

''For how long?'' He said smiling. Oh goody, he had a sense of humor, I thought sarcastically to myself. 

Just then the teacher rushed back into the room, with who I assumed from her smock was a nurse in tow. The next half an hour of my life was spent getting fretted upon by everyone. Apparently everyone felt terrible that I had got so nervous, the teachers even excused me from classes until after lunch. A group of different adults had repeatedly asked me if I wanted to just go home for the day, I always replied with a shake of my head. I would never be able to live this down with my new class mates, and if I ran from it it would be worse. 

As soon as I could shake off the teachers I went to find a place I could hide out in for the few hours till lunch. I quickly found out that a small school doesn't have a lot of spaces to hide in. Everything was built to use all of the space available, and there wasn't any comfy lounge spaces like there had been in my old school. The only safe haven appeared to be the library, where no one was in, not even the librarian. 

I had never liked books too much. I could just never get into reading, there had always been over things to do, or when I did sit down to read a book I found it extremely boring, so the hobby never stuck. 

Here in a room full of hundreds of novels, with absolutely nothing else to do for hours, I thought I'd give reading one more chance. I trailed my fingers along the backs of the books as I walked down the aisles, looking for one that caught my attention, which seemed to be none of them.

Maybe a textbook? Learn something interesting...No, to much effort.  I felt in the mood to read something easily, nothing that needed to much concentration or thought. 

Finaly, lodged in between to other large books on poetry, I spotted a small leather bound book that seemed interesting. On the title only the authors name was written; Edgar Allen Poe. Hmm, I had never heard of him before. 

Sitting down on the carpeted floor, with my back pressed against one book shelf, I immersed myself into the another world.

It must have been at least an hour before I resurfaced back into the real world, and that was only because a sudden chill told me some one was watching me. 

Looking to my left I found the source. Dressed in a white tee shirt and new jeans it was Ugly Boy. Was he stalking me?

''You didn't even notice me.'' He smiled another one of his constant smiles. Leaning on the books case with his arms crossed on his chest he peered at the title. ''Woah. Didn't even think you could read, let alone Edgar Allan Poe.''

I gaped at him. Did he really just say that? ''Excuse me? That was rude. How long have you even been watching me for?''

''Hah, long enough to know you're confused.'' He point to the book in my lap. 

''I'm not-'' 

''Yes you are!'' He teasingly caught me off. Which did not make me smile, laugh, or enjoy his presence, it caused me to do the exact opposite. 

''I am NOT confused. And I think I should be leaving,'' I grumbled out, and started to get up.

'' Suit yourself, but I have to ask; Do you even know where you're going?'' 

I was so close to slapping him. ''Can you do me a huge favor? STOP BUGGING ME. This day is already hard enough without you pestering me.'' 

''Hey, I was assigned to help you after...'' He made a tumbling motion with his hands. 

''Thanks,'' Fake sweetness laced my voice, ''But I don't think I need any help.''

I walked passed him without looking, heading to ward the doors. Hearing him follow I spun abruptly around. If he think he was going to follow and bug me all day long he had some serious issues. He waved a paper amusingly in front of my face.

''I have your schedule, and I can help you. Its obvious you had a rough start to the day, and just for that I guess I can turn down my annoyance level.'' 

I sighed. He was the type of guy who wouldn't take no for an answer, he'd probably follow me all day even if I did say no.

''I know I'm going to regret this but fine.'' 

''Great! And really you should be more grateful to the person who half caught you when you fainted,'' He smirked. Which, on him, wasn't hot at all.

''If you had fully caught me maybe I wouldn't have a raging head ache right now, and I'd be nicer!''

This banter continued on through the entire school day, which managed to go on with out another incident. It was embarrassing to see a few of the faces that I had passed out in front off, but I tried my beast ignore their stares and to listen to what the teacher had to say. Ugly Boy, who name I learn was actually Daniel, stayed glued to my side until the bell rung at exactly three thirty. 

He wasn't that bad. His gentle humor made me smile more than I would have with out him, and he made sure no one teased me. Though the protecting nature of him got annoying fast, I could protect myself with out a nerd watching over me.

It wasn't until I slid into the truck that I spotted Jeremy, who my thoughts had been crossing to every once in a while since the turkey meeting. He was sitting on the tailgate of a white Ford truck parked a few lots downs, with a bunch of other well muscled guys. They were laughing, and I watched as they each took a few swigs from a large glass bottle when they thought no one was looking. Oh, so he was one of those guys. The general rule breaker kind. The kind I liked.

Pulling slowly out of my parking spot I purposely drove by them, and to my surprise Jeremy saw me and waved. A few of his friends looks confused, until he said a few words and motioned back to me. Trying to remember how to breath, I drove away. 

 Wow, this was my slowest upload, sorry guys! I really need to get back into writing this, and editing/revising it. So far I don't really like the direction its going and I'm self conscious about the beginning. That's going to be my mission for this week, do some rewriting :D