Evangeline

8

i'm tired ://

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Opening the fire escape door, a gust of wind sent a shiver down my spine as I stepped outside and let the door close behind me. Walking over to the ledge they were perched on, I climbed up and sat beside Jared, Seeley on his right side. I smiled nervously at the two of them, but got nothing back. It was like I wasn't even here. Jared's eyes were glued to the table I had just left, a cigarette perched between his chapped lips, and Seeley was casting an observant look at our surroundings.

"Hey guys." I murmured quietly, but I know they both heard me. Snapping the thin yellow hair tie around my wrist to calm my nerves, I looked up at the boys, who still weren't paying me any attention. "Can I ask y'all a question?" Jared snorted, and without looking, Seeley smashed his palm into Jared's chest, and pushed hard, sending him flying backwards off the wall, into the muddy garden plot behind. I gasped at the action, but all the breath left my lungs when Seeley moved along the wall to sit next to me, leaving mere centimetres between our bodies.

"Shoot." I barely heard it.

"Do you know what happened to Harvey?" The wind around us picked up, sending a shiver down my spine, but the heat radiating off Seeley was enough to stop the chills.

"Why do you want to know about that prick?" Jared's voice scoffed from behind the wall, and when I threw a glance over my shoulder, I found him sitting in the dirt, with his back pressed against the brick and a newly lit cigarette between his teeth. My brows furrowed.

"Um, he just came and spoke to me and said sorry for bumping into me last night, which was fine and no big deal. But then I felt really bad because I think I upset him somehow and then he lied about falling down the stairs. So I was just wondering if you guys knew anything because you were there and then when he spoke to me y'all were looking at us." I rushed out in a big breath, aiming most of it at Jared but not moving my focus from the hair tie on my wrist.

"Did he tell you you upset him?" Seeley's voice was dark as he finally lifted his gaze from the building and faced me. I shook my head nervously. "Did he apologise?" I nodded, lifting my eyes to meet his. His dark eyes scanned my face, and then he gave me a contented nod. "Good." What did he mean by 'good'?

"What do you mean? Everything was fine." I said, finally leaving the yellow band on my wrist to rest as I laid my hands in my lap. Another snort came from behind the wall. Taking another look over my shoulder, trying to avoid Seeley's burning gaze, I looked down at Jared's slumped figure.

"What?" I asked down to Jared after he didn't say anything.

"Ignore him," Seeley's quiet voice tore my eyes away from Jared and back to him. "I think you should take falling down the stairs as an answer, and leave it at that." His face held no emotions, as usual. He got off the wall and turned back to face me.

"Wha-" I was cut off by the shrill sound of the bell, signalling the start of last classes for the day. Seeley held a hand out for me, and I took it gingerly, stepping off the wall with his help. 

"See you later, Angel." And then he was off, walking through the doors to the canteen, leaving me puzzled and confused outside.