~*~ 6 ~*~
Lunchtime came, and with it, the dread of having to field more questions about my car, my injuries, or 'that cute boy'. Purposely hanging back I made sure I was one of the last ones to arrive. The cost of that decision was discovering a packed lunchroom. I hadn't figured on that. Getting my tray of food and scanning the room for a place to sit, I saw my usual table filled to capacity.
One table was available with only one person sitting at it. I did a double take. It was the boy who had hit me yesterday morning. He was watching me intently. His expression one of relief and curiosity which changed to one of incredulous disbelief. I decided to go sit by him. It wasn't like there were any options, besides, I had questions. I nudged Sarah as I passed her at my usual table. "Thanks for saving me a seat girlfriend."
"Sorry" she smiled apologetically. "It was filled before I got here! Want to share my chair?"
"Thanks but," I nodded toward my car-slayer "I think I'm going to try to talk to him."
"You are not!" She was grinning. "Serious?"
"I am!"
She watched me curiously, turning in her seat for a better view. I took a seat opposite him and a couple seats down. After setting my tray down and setting my backpack on the seat beside mine I looked over at him. He was frowning at me. I can't say for certain what I was expecting but it darn sure wasn't that. Those gorgeous eyes were filled with contempt. Definitely not welcoming. I wasn't the one who tried to drive through him! I met his look with one of my own.
He met my look and after a moment looked back down at his food. There was a long awkward pause. Suddenly he got up as if his seat were on fire. Snatching up his tray so fast that his carton of milk fell, landing on the floor with a soft sloshing plop. Rigidly he stopped, standing there watching the milk pooling out around his feet. Then the moment seemed to release him and quickly spinning on his heels, he stalked toward the large barrels with long ground eating strides completely disregarding how everyone in the room was watching him. With a loud flourish he dumped the remainder of his lunch and just short of running, left the cafeteria. A pretty brunette who had just walked in late saw him leave. Hurrying after him, she too dumped the contents of her untouched tray into the barrel, though not as noisily, and took off after the boy. And then collectively everyone in the room turned to look at me.
Leave it to me to embarrass myself. I hadn't noticed the hush that fell across the room. I did when the sudden chatter started up after he left. I felt eyes on me. Mercifully Sarah, Jorgi, Tammy, and another girl I only knew by the name of MaryJo moved over to my table and sat down with me. Matt followed, glaring at the doorway the boy had disappeared through.
"Who was that and what did you do to tick him off so bad?" Jorgi whispered. "Everyone's looking at you!"
"Um— I think I just committed social suicide somehow. I've no idea how I did it either." I looked at her confused. "I just sat down. I hadn't even said a word to him. You saw!" I defended myself.
"Well he looked really angry that's for sure!" Tammy quipped.
I ignored her statement. "Maybe because I am breathing? I've no idea. Who's the girl who ran out following him?"
"Don't know her." Sarah said biting into a wedge of her orange while watching me carefully.
MaryJo looked towards the doorway that lead out of the cafeteria. "That was Bettina. She just started. I've got her in a couple of my morning classes. The boy is Bryce. He just came in this morning too I guess." She took a sip from her water bottle and then continued. "She's his girlfriend. I saw him in the office today filling out paperwork. She was sitting beside him real close like and talking."
Matt looked at the girls around the table. "You guys are incredible! He's that guy!" he jabbed a finger towards the door he had exited from. "The one that plowed into Rowan yesterday. He could have killed her! You guys are acting like he's something 'all that'! Who the flip cares who his girlfriend is!" His eyes were flashing a dark brown as he defended me. "Girls make absolutely no sense to me!"
Sarah threw an orange peel at him.
"You sure he hit you?" Jorgi asked bluntly.
Everyone froze wondering if she had just lost her mind.
"What I meant is," she looked around the table as we all had turned to stare at her, mouths agape, "was it really all his fault or— did you like forget to use your blinkers or something?"
"No way!" Sarah grinned impishly. "I know for a fact that Rowan keeps her blinker fluid topped off!'
Matt picked up the orange peel and threw it at Sarah hitting her on the forehead.
"Hey!" Sarah exclaimed. "I was just saying! I know it wasn't her fault."
"But still. Blinker fluid? Really?"
I shook my head. Just like Jorgi to ignore the obvious when there was a cute guy in the equation. Hands down, cute boy won in her mind and everyone else was to blame. "Yes, I had my blinkers on and I am quite obviously certain he hit me." Holding up my bandaged hand and gingerly touching my forehead I looked at her defiantly. "I didn't do anything wrong!"
Matt shook his head in disgust. Picking up the orange peel that Sarah had just thrown back at him he chucked it at Jorgi's head. "Moron!"
"You said his name was Bryce?" Sarah mused.
Matt looked at her in disbelief. "Not you too Sarah!"
"Yeah, the really cute boy she just pissed off." Tammy said pointing a stick of gum at me before popping it in her mouth.
"I didn't do anything!" I snapped loudly. I felt all eyes turn to me again I slumped down, frowning I grabbed up my ham and cheese sandwich and took a bite of the dry tasting food.
Sarah looked over at me, her eyes glittering. Which meant she had an idea. That usually meant I was in for a lecture about something being added to my food designed to harm the ignorant populace, or something about a shadow government run by a shadow world and petroleum being the ultimate curse. Was today ever going to end?
"Rowan?"
"No!" I held up my sandwich. "See? I'm trying to eat."
"No! Listen!" she wanted my full attention. "Do you think he hit you on purpose yesterday?"
"Are you serious?" My frown stopped her from continuing on down that path. "That's too absurd! Even for you Sarah!"
She sighed and then continued despite my obvious lack of interest in her theory. "Think about it. He's the one acting like a jerk and you didn't do anything. Well? Could it be—- he hit you on purpose, and now he is pissed cause your here? Maybe he's been after you!"
"Why? You think he's a stalker or something? I don't know him! I've never seen him before in my life!" As soon as I said those words something whispered to me from the back of my mind that I was being untruthful.
"It was just a thought, besides" she added "you don't have to know a stalker for him to be a stalker!"
"Where on Earth do you get these crazy ideas? Sometimes what you say just doesn't make sense—- but, you know what? I love you anyway."
The warning bell rang shrilly. In mass everyone got up to go to their afternoon classes. A couple girls looked at me openly angry, even hostile.
"What's their problem?" I hissed asking Sarah standing behind me in line to empty our trays and set them on carts.
"Bryce is only the most gorgeous boy in the school and you ticked him off making him leave, or so they seem to think. Must have upset the herd mentality of the group. You took away their eye candy. Poor bunnies just don't know which way to hop now. Don't mind them, they can't help their ignorance."
I snorted in laughter. "Bunnies?"
"Yup, bunnies." Patting my back "don't worry, they're harmless."
Matt stood off to the side holding my books for me, already having taken care of his tray.
"C'mon" she grabbed my good arm as I set my tray on the stack. "Head up, and a man-eating smile on your face. We'll set them twittering off to their classes in startled and scared whispers!" she counseled sagely.
I had to admit, it sounded like a good idea.
Jorgi left us when she saw her boyfriend. Matt fell into step on my other side. Tammy went to go talk to one of the bunnies.
"Defector!" Sarah murmured under her breath. "As if she wasn't transparent enough!"
I smiled, grateful for their friendship. Matt and Sarah had English right across the hall from my math class. Matt handed me my books. "I'll meet you after class."
"Thanks" I murmured.
"It's going to get better. You'll see." He turned and went to his class with a quick wave.
I walked into class feeling better than I had in a while. I walked in not really paying attention and then my stomach rose and my throat tightened so that I couldn't exhale. Bryce! At least he looked as frustrated as I felt. I wished now that my Uncle had arrested him. I wished he was sitting in some jail cell somewhere. Anywhere but here! A hole opening up in the floor right now that I could disappear into would do just fine.
My seat was in the next row and just behind him. I stumbled towards it. A few of the kids in the room had watched me walk in. Having seen what had happened in the lunch room and if they hadn't, then they had most certainly heard by now. Gossip traveled fast in High School.
A few of them turned in their seats looking back and forth between Bryce and me, like they were waiting for one of us to do something. My death by humiliation becoming a very strong possibility. Mr. Allen came in right behind me. Numbly I took my seat.
Mr. Allen cleared his throat. "We have a new student today class. Bryce Evans."
Bryce barely nodded his head. Mr. Allen smiled and then launched into today's assignment.
I couldn't think let alone hear through the roaring sound in my ears. I wondered how much of a scene I would cause if I just got up and left. Probably more than I wanted right about now. Talk about fueling the fires of gossip.
Bryce sat there barely moving at all during the whole class except his knee bouncing up and down, in his fist he clenched and unclenched a pencil. At least I wasn't the only one uncomfortable. Even feeling the way I did, I couldn't help staring at him. Long dark wavy hair bound low on his neck. His profile was perfectly chiseled, high cheek bones, a strong chin. And he was tall with wide strong shoulders.
His pencil snapped in half loudly. The class as one turned around looking at him, then at me. As if I had something to do with it!
"Ms. Crofter!" Mr. Allen barked sharply breaking into my thoughts. He'd obviously been trying to get my attention while I'd been mesmerized by the car-killing Bryce. I looked up at him.
"Welcome back Ms. Crofter. And the answer is?" he was looking at me expectantly. He knew he had caught me woolgathering and was intent upon making an example of me.
Hastily I looked up at the board and said the first thing that came to mind.
The class broke out in twitters of laughter.
Just great. My humiliation was now complete.
"Wrong." He said imperiously, casting a disapproving look at me.
"How about you Mr. Daniels?" he asked Derrick who sat behind me.
Derrick gave the correct answer. Of course. I slid further down in my seat.
"Miss Crofter I've come to expect more from you." looking at me disapprovingly. "I want you to do the next page of exercises for tomorrow. Be better prepared young lady. The rest of you, have a great night."
The bell rang.
Terrific. I'd just made more homework for myself and came out looking like a fool yet again.
Bryce just sat there unmoving, like he was carved of stone. Slowly I got up, picking up my book bag. I watched him out of the corner of my eyes as I passed. He was staring straight ahead. I felt self-conscious and awkward. Mr. Allen looked at me reproachfully as I neared the front of the classroom. Looking down I beat a hasty retreat. I'd gotten good at that today.
Matt was there, faithfully waiting right outside the door and looking concerned. "How did it go? I haven't seen Bryce leave yet. I overheard that he was in class with you." he pointed back over his shoulder towards were a group of twittering girls were huddled together moving down the hall.
"Not very good." I looked over my shoulder as we started walking away to see if he came out of the room yet. I didn't see him.
"He say something to you?"
"Not a sound, well except his pencil breaking if that counts."
Matt looked at me puzzled.
"Never mind."
Matt's next classes were on the other side of the building. "I won't be able to help you to your next classes, I'll give you a ride home after school though, if you like."
"Thanks but I've got my Aunt's car, a loaner."
"Oh" he looked down "well, guess I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Okay. Thanks for helping me out today." I tried to smile.
"It was nothing. If you need me, I can help tomorrow too."
I nodded and he left to go to his next classes. I went into my art class with Miss. McNealy. Normally I really enjoyed her class. I tried to immerse myself in drawing but every line I made I had to erase.
Nothing was coming together right. Every time Miss McNealy passed by my desk she frowned at my erasures. Someone else disappointed in me. I couldn't wait for today to end. I regretted my decision this morning, I should have stayed home after all. I sat there watching the clock. Time moved painfully slow when you watched it. Finally, to my relief, the bell rang and then it was time for my last class, study hall. At least I could do the extra assignment that I had gotten today from math class, if I could concentrate on it that is.