I N H A L E | Klay Thompson

07

"You heard me?"

Tah'Jae blinked as she snapped out of it "I'm sorry huh?"

He chuckled and pointed "Nothing whats this you got"

Tah'Jae eyes widened as she felt her notebook slip from her hands and into his before she could even respond. As much as she wanted to snatch it back she froze once he began to flip through the pages with a wide smile.

Suddenly his flipping slowed down as his smile dropped, he looked up at her to see tears streaming down her reddened face. Quickly he pushed it back over to her while trying to muster up an apology. He read things he shouldn't have and he wasn't expecting them either. On the outside she just seemed like a sweet and shy girl but after only skimming through one page he realized there was more to her than that.

"I—I'm sorry I shouldn't have—"

Tah'Jae stood up and quickly gathered all of her things, snatched her diary off the table, and then left the cafeteria as fast as her feet would move. She was way past embarrassed she didn't know what all that he had read but no one had ever read her journal not even Gisselle it was too personal.

"Hey! Hey wait up!"

She continued to walk through the hall before eventually he caught up and grabbed her arm. She spun around and snatched it back giving him a hard glare "Look I um.."

"Why would you do that?" She sniffed "You don't even know me! Did someone tell you to do that? You're gonna go back to your friends and tell them everything you read? I don't bother anyone I don't—" She was crying so hard she couldn't even process what she wanted to say.

"Woah woah hold up that's not true at all" He quickly said "I was only coming to talk to you..I saw you drawing and I thought it would just be pictures in there. I didn't mean to disrespect you..I honestly didn't know personal things would be in there"

Tah'Jae wiped her eyes as he continued to talk "I'm really sorry Tah'Jae I didn't mean to upset you..I was honestly just trying to get to know you"

"Well it looks like you do now" She shook her head and started to head to the library and he followed her again.

She sighed "Please can you just leave me alone"

"But—"

"Goodbye Prince" She turned the corner and he almost made the attempt to stop her again but his friends had came up to him which stopped him from doing so "Jerk" She mumbled to herself.

She walked into the library and made herself comfortable on the loveseat by the window. She looked up and she could see him chopping it up with his friends and laughing. Even though his words sounded true she couldn't help but to think he was telling them everything at that moment. They made eye contact through the glass and she quickly looked down.

"It's nothing" She mumbled to herself as her leg started to shake "It's nothing"

For the next few minutes she tried her hardest to calm herself down but ended up with her knees to her chest as she cried silently. She was having a panic attack at the worst time possible, and to make matters worse Gisselle wasn't there to talk her through it.

"Sweetheart are you okay?" Mrs.Linda the school librarian questioned as she approached Tah'Jae.

Tah'Jae hiccuped as she tried to get her words out without bursting into more tears "Y-yes maam"

"I don't think so hunny you're shaking" She softly said "Do you want to speak with the counselor?"

She shook her head no, after her previous experience there would be no use in visiting her again. Plus they would have to call and inform Chanel about her panic attack. Which was something Tah'Jae was good at hiding from both of her sisters and didn't want them knowing about it just yet.