Aelin
I walk with Jacob, linking our arms as he leads me to the classroom, his embarrassed features dissipating from the slight altercation that happened before. "Sorry about that, I shouldn't have slung my arm round you", he scratches the back of his neck with his free hand before letting it drop to his side like it was dead-weight. "You didn't do anything wrong, I hope I haven't annoyed Embry...for whatever reason", I mumble, feeling confused as to why I care about his emotions so much so early on into our friendship. Jacob smiles at the comment, shaking his head as he looks at the ground, "I'm sure you can't annoy him even if you tried".
Soon enough, we get to our destination; English. "You can sit next to me, I've got a free seat", I nod as we walk in, unlinking our arms as we do so. The teacher grins at me, walking over instantly. "Good Morning, Aelin. I've read some of your work from your previous school and I'm so excited to have you in my class", I grin in reply as I pull my bag up higher on my shoulder. "Thanks, Miss, hopefully I'll keep up the good work". After taking the book that the class is reading from the teacher, I walk towards the back of the classroom, sitting next to Jacob.
The dark haired boy cocks his eyebrow at me, leaning forward as he does. "Are you good at English then, or..." Laughing, I shrug in reply, getting my notepad out for the class and noting the date in the top right corner. "I've entered a few writing competitions in my old school and nationally, I've come first quite a few times. So yeah, across the board I'm good at school stuff, but English is my best and Maths is my worst". Jacob nods in reply, whistling when I mentioned about the competitions, "Well, I know who I'll be coming to if I need homework help". I simply shake my head in reply, a small grin prominent on my face.
Once we're given our tasks to do, I turn to face Jacob as I hear the classroom noise reach an acceptable level so no one can eavesdrop. "So, what's wrong huh? I can tell you're feeling down", I lean my head on my hand as Jacob looks up from the book, trying to find quotes for the task at hand. "Honestly? Bella, I just don't understand why she can't see that I'm right in front of her y'know?" I sigh, placing a reassuring arm on his bicep, "Jake, you need to try and get over her. The Cullens were a big part of her life, though they might've not been the best people, she still loved them". He nods slowly, frowning at his empty page of paper. "She's no good. Like, she's a lovely friend but I feel like she'll cause a rift somehow, just try and distance yourself, yeah? It's different from me, I guess". I turn back to my work and open the book, finding the quotes almost instantly.
Half hour later, I stand up before walking over to the teachers desk before the other members of the class, handing in my piece of stationary with a smile on my face. "Quotes, explanations, analysis and links for Chapter Two, Miss". The teacher takes it with a smile, "Thank you Aelin, you can leave early if you wish". I nod with a smile before walking back to my desk. I collect my things before sliding a paper to Jacob. He looks up confused before I lean down to whisper in his ear, pretending to grab my bag. "More quotes with the other stuff, I see you're lacking". I replicate his smile before I place my belongings in my bag, "I'll be by my locker".
Walking in the empty Hallway, I finally find my way back to my locker. Unlocking it, I extend my arm slightly so I can dig through my bag to extract my English equipment, seeing as I don't need it anymore. Soon I feel someone stop and lean against the locker next to me. Realising that they're not leaving anytime soon and knowing it's not any of the boys, I close my locker with a huff. I cross my arms and take a step back as I stare at the unknown raven haired boy next to me, his smirk that's plastered on his face is all I need to see before my nose scrunches up in disapproval.
"So what's a new, pretty girl like you doing all alone?", He steps forward, causing me to step back once more, my unamused face still apparent. Instead of replying to his tragic excuse of flirting, I stay silent. His smirk falters for a second after my lack of answer before he straightens his body, him now towering over me by at least a foot. "Walk with me, yeah? Let's have a chat, I wanna get to know you". I roll my eyes before turning away from him, though his hand grabbing my forearm causes me to spin back to my original position. "Okay, so first of all don't touch me", I begin, my eyes blazing with fury while I try and keep angry tears at bay, "And I am not interested with the likes of you, please leave me alone". I rip my arm out of his strong grip before I begin to back away.
Once I begin to walk away I hear heavy, quick footsteps behind me, though I try my best to ignore them and instead speed up my pace. Seconds before I begin to turn a corner, I get pushed up against the lockers. My back burns as it's pushed into the combination locks, causing me to push back against the body in front of me. "Right you don't know you I am so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt", the boy from before begins, grabbing both my hands with ease while the other one hits the locker to box in my small frame, "I'm Ryan, and girls don't say no to me". I laugh breathlessly, shaking my head slightly to anger him more. "And I'm Aelin, who's saying no to you".
Ducking under his arm, I manage to manoeuvre my body out of his grasp and I sprint round the corner, though my body soon collides with another. My head shoots up, causing pain to ripple down my spine and I'm faced with Embry's warm, brown eyes.
He pulls me into him, though I hop out of his grasp due to the pain I'm in. "Hey, you okay?", he hesitantly places a hand on my arm, and I shake my head, deciding to be honest with him. "T-this guy was flirting with me, and when I walked off saying I wasn't interested, he pushed me against the lockers", I sniff before trying to shrug off the stutter, "My back and head kills, truth be told". Embry's eyes squint, though I can tell it's out of anger and he peers around the corner I came bolting from. "What's his name?" His voice is blunt, no emotion behind it but I can tell from his increase breathing that he's vexed. "Ryan, he has black hair, same height as you, that's all I can tell you".
I step towards Embry, though he quickly steps back, lifting a single finger. "Don't come close, I'm too pissed, Aelin". He quickly walks away from me, causing my heart feel as if it's crushing. "I'm finding the others, don't come near me for a while until I'm calm".
I stay still in the middle of the hallway as the bell rings, signalling lunch. I continue to stay in my own little world until people start bumping into me, I mumble a quick sorry before I make a bee-line to the nearest exit I can find. Deciding I can think of an easy excuse to the teachers, I run to the car park. I sit on the bottom steps, straightening my back with a hiss of pain as the injury from before starts to make itself more known.
I begin to think about my conversation with Embry, trying to figure out how I'm in the wrong, but a sound of footsteps causes me to whip my head around, though a grimace graces my features as I realise I've turned too quickly. I look up to see Paul with his eyebrows furrowed before he sits next to me. I stare forward, a hard stare on my face as I text my dad a short explanation of what happened, and to ask him if he can pick me up.
"Embry told me what happened, are you okay?" I glance towards the older boy to see he's already looking at me. My shoulders shrug slowly before I look away, a sniff leaving my body, "I'm fine, sorry I pissed him off". Paul laughs at my comment before shaking his head, "You didn't piss him off, Ryan did". I nod in reply before feeling my phone vibrate, reading the text quickly to see my Dad is on his way. I stand before kicking a stone, turning my whole body towards him, "I'm sure that's a lie, but thanks for trying to make me feel better, just tell him I said sorry and I won't be hovering around you lot anymore, yeah?" Before he can say anything else, I start my walk to the carpark entrance, wanting to get away from the conversation as soon as possible, and knowing I can get in my Dad's car quicker when he arrives too.
Paul begins to follow, before Jacob comes out of the doors. I see them talking to one and another, though I'm too far away to listen. They stop talking when Embry comes out too, he begins to make a bee-line for me but the other boys stop him in his tracks. I end up turning around to face the woods, feeling awkward of all the attention that's somehow landed on me in a matter of hours.
Soon enough, the similar black Dacia Duster that I've grown accustomed to rounds the corner, and I slide into the plush seats as quickly as my injured Vertebrae lets me, and I begin my journey home. I decide to take one quick glance towards the trio of boys, and the look on Embry's face tugs on my heart a bit too much for the length of time that I've known him.
Something is up.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Once I get out the bath, I turn my body and stretch my neck. Though it hurts, I can begin to see the scarlet imprints of the combination locks, some already beginning to bruise. I look down at the floor waiting for the tears to stop before I wrap my body in a towel. I make my way to my bedroom before I get changed into some grey jogging bottoms and a white cami top. I take my hair out of the bun it was in, so the length can cover the bruise on the back of my neck. Slipping some socks on, I hear a knock on the front door.
Once I make my way to the door, I open it slowly to be greeted by a worried Jacob and Jared. I stare at the blankly, making sure I'm in a standing position that's comfortable with my injury. "Are you okay? Embry told us what happened and when we tried to find you, you ditched", Jared asks with sympathy clear on his features. I huff in reply before I walk into the kitchen, leaving the door open for the two teenagers to come in.
After I've grabbed a water bottle, I turn to see them sitting on the island chairs. "And I gather Embry explained that he walked away from me after I told him what happened?" I place a hand on my hip as Jacob's expression turns into a shocked one. "He probably left because he was pissed. It's not uh-good when we're angry-", Jared pauses to walk around the island to stand in front of me. "Uh-Testosterone and shit, y'know?". I shake my head in reply as I take a sip from my drink, tears threatening to fall. "It was only a push any-" Jacob's voice chimes in though I soon cut him off with disgust.
"What? This was just a push?" I turn around so I face away from the pair, lifting the back of my shirt up to show the barbed-feeling injuries. Once I know they've seen the marks, I pull my shirt down and slide my hair to the side, so they can see the injury there too. "If you're just going to say it was just a push, I'd like you both to leave".
Jared begins to protest but I shake my head, a single tear falling. "I'm hurt, I need friends who will act like friends, not like people who are keeping one big secret away from me", I swallow deeply before I point to the door. "Until then, I want to be alone". Jacob begins to talk but I walk away, grabbing the box of cigarettes and the lighter, too in pain and tired to argue.
"Go, please".