It Comes Naturally

18.

"WHOA!"

"The fuck happened to you, Donners?"

"Who did you pissed off, freak?"

"I don't think that glasses will help you. You can nearly see out of that eye."

The curious and taunting shouts from the student body stopped her mid-sentence. The boys lowered their heads and focused intently on their meal before them, even the two who had no part in the beating of Travis.

"Oh god," Raine groaned pinching the bridge of her nose. In her peripheral, left and right she spotted the girls trying to get a look at him while she kept her head straight not wanting to see. Ayanna and Erica aren't the best at being subtle. 

"Ah geez!"

"The fuck!"

The exclamation of the two girls brought some attention to their table. "You guys," she hissed not wanting to see the damage on him. Her heart was racing, not in fear but in anxiety and hurt. She was still bruised from his onslaught last Friday and stupidly still had feelings for him. The need to rush to him was there. She wanted to make sure he was alright but he told her to stay away To leave him be.

"He took his prepped lunch and left. Didn't you stop it?" Ayanna asked confused. Raine didn't answer, heck she couldn't.

"I-I'll be back," she said distractedly to them and rushed out the door.

Her friends back at the table watched her empty seat. They were all thinking the same. She won't be letting Travis go anytime soon.

                                                                               *******

Calling herself all kinds of stupid, Raine searched the halls for him, spotting at the last moment when he turned the corner. He was heading to the back of the school. There were a few covered lunch tables out there for an option not much kids used. Running to meet up with him, his words resonated in her head while her own conscience was guiding her towards him. A conflicting mind is never a good thing, especially in this upcoming situation. Thankful of the sneakers she chose to wear with her Korean-styled school uniform, she was able to meet up with Travis when he took his seat. Approaching him silently, she saw the purple-hued bruise on his jaw and the darkness at the corner of his eye. 

"Travis?"

Raine froze when he visibly flinched and stopped his actions of setting up his laptop. He said nothing. 

"They confessed to me yesterday of what they did to you last Friday."

Nothing.

He simply carried on with setting up his laptop and kept his head down. Raine didn't dare get closer in fear of him lashing out. Her heart sank and tears burned her eyes after that thought. She feared the guy she fell for and that wasn't a good thing. 

"I wanted you to know that my feelings for you are.... are... I'm supposed to say was but I can't," she began. Swallowing the lump in her throat she shifted uneasily on her feet. "My feelings for you are genuine and I'm sorry for invading your personal space. As... As promised I will leave you be. Ummm.... also... I... they... the boys apologizes for retaliating last Friday. They're very protective of us, we are truly sorry and will stay out of your way. If you press charges or ask for compensation, they are ready to accept it. I'm sorry, Travis." Raine wanted to tell him that his access to everything she made possible will still be there but somehow felt it's better to let it go. She didn't want him to feel obligated to return a favor or whatever to her. She had to make a clean break no matter how much it hurt.