Same Time

five.

j a i m e e

+

Exhaustion overtakes me as I leave the gym, hitching my bag over my shoulder. A group of people stood midway down the street and, upon hearing the shouting, I moved closer towards them. Immediately, I identify the majority of them as people I went to High School with, people who I hadn't seen in years.

One of the girls turns and looks at me, eyebrows furrowing in recognition before she beckons me over.

"Jaimee Mendoza?" She says, to which I nod. I don't reply as I can't remember anything about her other than her face, and that she was most likely a cheerleader. She walks to meet me and distances herself from the parade of people. "Some of us from High School met up and we saw Nkosi. One of the boys said something about you and now they're fighting."

For fucks sake.

I rush over to the crowd of onlookers, without hesitating, pushing through the dormant bodies until I'm at the front. A harsh echo of a bone breaking echoes throughout the assembly of people as Shayden stands over someone on the floor, who is covered in blood.

Someone tries to push me back but I step forward, shrugging the hand off and fighting the urge to flinch.

"Get up you fucki-" Shayden begins to growl before a crash behind me takes his attention. His eyes find mine instantly, those black eyes widening in surprise, and then regret.

I shake my head at him. Our gazes stay locked as some boy runs past everyone and helps the guy on the ground to his feet, the crowd soon scattering once they realize that no more drama will be happening.

"Are you joking?" I start off, shaking my head in disgust at him. "What are you doing?"

"Ja-"

"What the fuck, Shayden!" Taking the last few steps forward until we're almost chest-to-chest, I push him back. "We aren't kids anymore, you can't go around hitting people without consequences."

"You don't get it." He seethes, stepping forward. "He sai-" He cuts himself off, holding the bridge of his nose between two fingers. My eyes catch the bruises already aligning his knuckles but I try to desperately ignore the sight of them.

"He said what?"

"Said you were a slut."

Wincing, I pull my lip between my teeth. The word never resonated with me before, never bothered me. Girls taunted and slut shamed and guys were just dicks when it came to High School, eventually the insults would be meaningless and I'd just shrug them off. But the events of the last couple of years make that word mean something entirely different to me, and I can no longer act as if it doesn't bother me.

You'd think as we were adults now that some people would grow up.

Disregarding the twisting sensation in my body, I keep my head up and cross my arms over my chest. "Why?"

"We were talking normally about what had gone down since Graduation. He asked about you and I told him we aren't together anymore. He laughed, said I deserved better than some random Mexican slut." Shayden swallowed visibly, wrath flickering through his eyes as he speaks and I know he's getting himself annoyed again. "So I hit him."

"You can't hit everyone who insults me, Shayden." I attempt to reason, "Fuck him, right?"

"I never let anyone insult you when we were kids so why the fuck would I allow it now?"

"Because we're not together?" I deadpan, gnawing on the skin inside my cheek. His forehead furrows as if what I'd said was completely strange.

"So?" He remarks back instantly, "I wouldn't let anybody disrespect Taylor or Libbie in front of me, so why would I let them say anythin' about you?"