Arc-en-ciel

Chapter 11: Hate Him

I let go of her arm as soon as we're outside because I don't want to make it look like I'm dragging her around like a rag doll. Despite that, after a few strides, I feel her fingers wrap around my arm.

I don't even scoff in her direction at that.

I walk faster than I usually do too, and she wordlessly half-jogged, half brisk walked beside me to keep up.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asks again, her voice quiet.

I don't answer this time either.

Surprisingly, she stays silent for the whole walk to school after that- as if she could sense that I was in a shittier mood than usual.

When we're a few feet away from my locker, where a grinning Tyler was looking between the both of us with an expression full of mirth, she pulls away from my arm.

"I'll be right back," I hear her mutter, but I don't even turn in her direction as she takes off the other way.

"What did I just see?" Tyler says, his voice smug as I open my locker with more force than necessary.

I don't respond.

"Walking in together, hmm?" he continues, despite my silence, "It's adorable. I love it Jamie-boo, you're just giving me more content to tease you with."

I still don't say anything, stuffing my textbooks into the tiny metal space harshly.

"Not even a 'shut up'?" Tylers lets out a little humored scoff, "Man, does this silence mean acceptance? Fucking fina-"

"I saw him at The Coffee Shop," I say, my voice quiet.

He pauses.

"Saw who?" he asks, the humor in his tone dissipating.

"Who do you think?" I ask, my voice low and bitter as I turn to him, "He got the blonde bitch pregnant again- like they're one big, happy family. Can you fucking believe him?"

Tyler's expression drops.

I didn't need to explicitly tell him who I was talking about, and although he was an idiot most of the time, he knew when to cut it out.

"Oh, fuck," he mutters lowly, running a hand through his dark hair, "Fuck, man I'm- I'm so sorry. You wanna skip, or go to a library or something?"

I slam my locker shut with a loud bang. "I want to kill him.'

"Can't help much with that, can I?" Tyler mumbles, "I'd get us caught if we even tried. But skipping it is, c'mon- I'll text Elliot to tell Annabeth that you're-"

"Hey, Jackson!"

I grit my teeth but turn towards whoever had just called out to me.

The moment my eyes meet his, I knew I should've ignored him.

Ian Jenson smiles crookedly at me, but there was nothing nice about it. It was as malicious as it could be.

About half the corridor had also paused, looking between the both of us half-nervous, half-curious.

"You know what I heard?" he asks lowly, taking another daring step in my direction. I clench my teeth harder but don't respond.

"I heard your daddy is still fucking his old secretary, and now you have another half brother on the way."

It goes quiet all around us.

There are a few hushed gasps too, but all I can feel is the familiar, hot, red fury rising up my chest.