I hummed along to the music blasting in my ears, murmuring the lyrics to 'Say Something I'm Giving Up On You' by A Great Big World under my breath. Looking cautiously around the empty hall, I check to see if anyone was still standing around.
I'm alone, with music playing, in a hallway, with half an hour to go before first bell.
I do what any other right-minded person would do- pretend I was in a contemporary music video.
I push myself through dramatic pirouettes, kicking my tight-clad legs up to my head, throwing my arms around with enough force to knock someone out cold. I throw myself up in a jump, all limbs airborne for the finale, and land back down just as the song ends.
My blonde hair is sticking to my face in sweat, my heart thudding like crazy in my chest, nearly breaking my ribs. I pull out one ear phone, eager to give myself a break, when a series of slow, rhythmic claps sound from behind me.
I nearly jump out of my skin, spinning on my heel to face whoever witnessed that cringe worthy moment of my utter ridiculousness.
Blood flies to my cheeks, tinting them what I'm sure is a crimson red, as I meet the rather amused gaze of Nathan Walker.
His dark blue eyes are just twinkling with amusement while he tries to keep a smirk at bay. It results in a weird lip-twitching action as he moves from his position leaning against the lockers to come stand in front of me. His slim yet muscled figure is a mere foot in front of me, hands stuffed in his ripped-jean pockets. He's wearing a slightly wrinkled grey button down shirt, with the top two buttons undone, revealing the top of his bare, pale chest.
He seems less intimidating when not surrounded by a crowd of people feet shorter than him, and yet I'm at a loss of words to see him showing an emotion other than anger
Trying to play it cool, like it totally doesn't matter he just caught me dancing my heart out, I give a slight smile, and a light chuckle.
"Sorry you had to be scarred for life there," I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear, nervously looking down at my old chuck tailors.
Nathan simply looked at me, dark blue eyes piercing into mine. It's strange to be so close to Him- I have to crane my neck to see his face he's so tall. Then again, with my 5.4 frame, I'm fairly short.
"Well, I'm going to head off before I manage to humiliate myself further." I laugh, and give a weak wave before turning and walking away down the hall, plugging my earphone back in my ear and blasting Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars, trying to rid myself of the sheer embarrassment that was displayed before Nathan Walker.
. . . . .
I push myself down onto the cold bench, dropping my lunch on the table. I'm first one here- as usual- so I dig right in, peeling the plastic wrap off my sandwich, and poking through the hole on my juice box.
The cafeteria is nearly full, with people slumping down at tables with their friends, already launching into conversation and eating their food. Just when I'm starting to feel all sad at an empty table by myself, my friends slowly start streaming in, dropping their lunch bags and trays down on the table.
My friends consist of seven super-duper, ultra-amazing, fabulous people that are all equally crazy (yet talented) in their own unique ways.
First, there are the twins, Brandon and Brady; both basketball players, both blonde haired, one with green eyes, one with blue. They're insanely funny, arguing day and night with each other, and are bigger drama queens than Luke.
Next up is Janice; with curly brown hair, bold green eyes and her adorable little 5.1 frame, the girl is a sweetheart. She's also our schools' fearless debate team captain.
Parker arrives shortly after with Luke in tow, wearing his school lettermen jacket, a smirk on his tan face. Parker is that golden boy that parents dream their daughters bring home, with perfect grades and a perfect attendance record... he's also one hundred percent attracted to guys.
Luke is...I can't even begin to explain Luke as a person. With rich lawyer parents, you'd think he was some spoiled brat, when in reality, he's the exact opposite.
And last but certainly not least are the stepbrothers, Quinton and Brett. While Q is a straight a student, Brett is a total slacker who hasn't touched a textbook since ninth grade. How he's made it this far, I'll never know.
Then of course, is Cameron. He isn't an official member of our little 'crew' mainly because he hangs with another group of friends. Cameron is kind of a drifter, he floats around to different groups of people- usually people that appear terrifying with their lip rings and tattoos- sometimes joining in with us.
So that's us- this little band of misfits that seem to always come back to each other, no matter how much people think we don't work and are better off apart. Our group is wild and crazy in our own way, not in the sense that we go off partying on weekends and share the pains of our hangover afterwards together- not at all. We're crazy in the sense that no matter how unlikely it was for us to become friends, we did. We are.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
. . . . .
After a lengthy lunch- consisting of Brandon and Brady arguing over who would win in a fight Thor or Iron Man, Janice debating with Quinn about some science thing that no one else understood, and Luke cracking jokes about Everything- I head to my PE class.
PE has always been a fun class for me- after growing up with AJ and Beau as brothers, being competitive is in my second nature. Everything in my house was and is a competition- and I mean everything. Just take what happened the other night with Beau and the T.V. remote for example.
After getting changed, I headed out of the locker room, entering our large, shiny gym. It's equipped with basketball nets, bleachers, and a weight lifting room up a flight of stairs.
I skipped happily over to the middle of the gym, and started performing some stretches. students gathered in groups with their friends, talking and laughing as they stretch on their own, preparing for the game of volleyball we're going to play.
I'm not particularly good at volleyball- football is more up my alley- but I did enjoy it. Nobody else on my team thinks the same, seeing as I'm a safety hazard and accidentally hit a person per game when it's my turn to serve.
Everyone seems to stiffen when I rotate in to serve, and to be honest I don't blame them. My teammates shuffle farther away to avoid being targeted (by accident). I Wind up for the overhand, throwing the ball up and shifting my stance to get more power.
That is when the most embarrassing and humiliating thing possible happens- I tripped on my own two feet, stepped on my shoe-lace and went flying backwards, landing with an echoing boom as the breath was knocked out of me.
Everything's silent in the gym for a matter of seconds, and then the sound came back all at once- muffled laughs, grunts of amusement, and the smacking of teeth as people sympathized with my pain. And boy they have every right to sympathize, my tailbone hurts like a mother-trucker. And that's saying something considering I've obtained countless injuries during my annual fights and wrestling matches with my brothers.
I blink back tears rapidly, my eyes begging to empty their tear ducts.
"Are you okay Emma? Did you hit your head? Do you need to go to the nurse?" Coach Ross looks me over with concern as he offers me a hand up, glancing over me for visible injuries.
"Ouch. Yeah, I should be okay. Can I just get some ice?" My bottom lip is trembling, and a lump is building in my throat as the pain continues, making me cringe.
"Of course, do you want me to send someone with you?" He furrows his eyebrows in doubt when I shake my head no. I don't want anyone to see me break down, I've been embarrassed enough for one life time.
. . . . .
"Who was it? Who hurt you?" Beau's angered voice blasts through the house as the door slams shut behind him, egging my headache on further.
I hear a dramatic gasp, and suddenly Luke is rushing into the living room, kneeling beside the couch I'm currently situated on, stomach down with a bag of frozen peas on my tail bone.
"Someone hurt my Baby Bear? Who was it, tell me, I'll go deck em' right now!" He makes a show of slamming his fist into his other hand, a distraught look on his face.
Beau's quick to join us, a mixture of annoyance and concern on his face.
"Ew, please never call my sister by a pet name ever again." He shivers in disgust, and rolls his eyes when Luke grasped at my hand like I'm on my death bed or something.
"He's right though Emma. What jack a-"
"Language Beauregard, we don't cuss in front of ladies," AJ reprimands, entering the living room from the kitchen, a mug of tea in one hand. "And no one hit her idiots, she had a gym incident." He hands me the mug, helping me to sit up without the frozen peas slipping off my back.
"Thanks AJ. And no one is decking anybody." I giggle at the expression on Beau and Luke's faces. After blowing to cool it down, I take a hesitant sip of my tea and sigh in content when the taste of peppermint graces my taste buds.
"Mom's running a late shift at the hospital, she'll get home after midnight. But she says get better." AJ smiles apologetically at us, seeing our obvious disappointment that we won't see mom until tomorrow, maybe later. I know she works hard to support the three of us- after her and dad divorced, money was tight. Things are better now, Mom's moved up to become head of the nursery department, and with AJ working now things are easier. Regardless, Beau still works part time bussing tables at Red Lobster on the corner of Edward and Bay, and I've been applying for jobs waitressing.
"Do you guys mind if I just take a nap? I'm feeling pretty out of it tonight." I sigh, placing my empty mug on the side table, next to the couch. After AJ had picked me up from school- seeing as I did not want to hang around for another three hour practice- I'd crashed on the couch and not moved a muscle. My brother had been kind enough to bring me the frozen peas, and a grilled cheese so I wouldn't starve. But now, I just want to sleep.
"Sure thing Em, you want to go upstairs, to your room?" Beau asks, dropping his back on the recliner.
"Yeah, probably a good idea." Within seconds after the words left my mouth, I was uprooted from my position on the couch and into the arms of AJ.
"My legs work, I'm okay." I insisted, giving a farewell smile to Beau and Luke over AJ's shoulder. He's already got us at the foot of the stairs.
"I don't want you to hurt yourself Em, that's a nasty bruise." He pushes my bedroom door open with his foot, entering my pale blue room. After laying me on my bed, he kisses my forehead and moves out of the room, closing the door behind him. I curl up beneath my thick covers, yanking the sheets up to my chin in an attempt to contain my body heat.
When my consciousness is on the brink of sleep, a stray thought comes to mind, just as my eyes close.
Today, when I talked to Nathan Walker, I didn't look at his scar. I noticed everything about the brooding giant, except the gnarled, large scar crossing through his eye.