Sunlight filtered in through the window as I started to wake up. I leaned onto my stomach to reach for my phone that sat on my nightstand. I rubbed my eyes with my free hand to get rid of the blurriness that clouded my sight.
My stomach dropped when I saw the time. I tried to get out of bed but the comforter was tangled between my legs, causing me to fall onto the floor with a loud thud. A sharp pain shot through my hands from the bruises that laced my knuckles.
My feet pounded the creaky wood floors as I ran downstairs and into the kitchen. Thomas was at the stove, cooking pancakes, as he whistled a tune I didn't know.
He glanced up at me and chuckled. "Someone slept in for once."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why didn't you wake me? It's seven in the morning."
My uncle rolled his eyes at me. "Geez, most kids your age would be complaining if they woke up at seven."
"Thomas," I said sternly. I'd missed my morning run by not waking up on time. I didn't have the nightmare every night to wake me, but I usually woke up with enough time to go on a run.
"Nina." He sighed. "After yesterday I figured it was best to let you get some extra rest. You had a hard day yesterday," he said, glancing at my purplish knuckles.
The anger I had towards him started to subside as I watched him. I couldn't stay mad at him, he was doing what he thought was best for me. "Fine," I mumbled as I took a seat in one of the chairs around our tiny kitchen table.
His eyes were big as he turned around slowly to glance at me.
"What?" The irritation I felt towards him moments ago started to reemerge.
He shook his head, laughing. "Nothing." Before I could ask him what he was really thinking, he changed the subject. "What are you doing Friday night?"
"Nothing," I said, mocking him.
"Funny," he deadpanned back. "I'm going out this Friday, so go out with some friends. Be a normal teenager."
I ignored his last comment and asked, "are you going out with Gracie?"
He sat down across from me with a plate of pancakes in his hand. "That's none of your business."
"So you are going out with her."
He tried to play it off, but his face contorted. He was a terrible liar. "I didn't say that."
"But you didn't say you weren't." I smiled at him and saw the look of defeat on his face as his shoulders slouched. I'd gotten him.
"You're annoying sometimes," he said, forking a piece of pancake and stuffing it into his mouth.
I couldn't stop the smirk that overtook my face as I leaned back into my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm just being a normal teenager."
*****
As I entered school that morning, I couldn't help but feel anxious after what happened yesterday. Between Cole, Mark, and Shelly finding out about my dad being dead and Cole witnessing my meltdown, school was the last place I wanted to be.
My eyes glanced around as I looked at the faces that passed me in the hallway. I'd waited until the very last minute to walk into class so I wouldn't have to talk to any of them. The chatter from the hallway died as I walked into the room, spotting Cole, Mark, and Shelly all sitting in their seats.
The room was quiet besides a few students talking here and there. I felt Cole's eyes on me until I passed him and took my seat next to Shelly, who was avoiding looking at me by staring at her desk. The tension between the four of us was high.
Thankfully Mr. Hall only lectured during class and dismissed us once the bell rang. Students packed up their things as chairs scraped against the floor. Before I could walk out of the classroom, Mr. Hall called my name.
"Yes?" I asked, walking up to his desk and noticing only a few students left in the classroom, Cole being one of them.
Mr. Hall glanced at the remaining students as well, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Finally, he looked at me. "Are you alright?"
I adjusted the strap from my backpack on my shoulder. "Yes, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
He glanced at my hands and nodded. "Because your hands look like that."
My heart dropped as I looked at them, I'd completely forgotten about having to hide my hands. "Oh, it's from punching a punching bag without any tape on."
Mr. Hall pressed his lips into a thin line, like he was thinking about whether I was telling the truth or not. It meant a lot to me that he was asking if I was okay, but I also didn't want to be fussed over and have people think something else was going on when it wasn't.
I felt a presence behind me as someone walked up. "She's telling the truth," his deep voice said. Cole. I turned around to look at him but his eyes were on Mr. Hall, avoiding my gaze. "She was at the gym I workout at and I saw her last night."
Mr. Hall's eyes glanced between the two of us and settled on my hands for a brief second. "Okay," he said reluctantly, "you two better go if you want to get to class on time."
Cole and I nodded our heads before leaving his class. The door closed behind us and I turned to Cole. "Uh," I paused. "Thanks for helping me." I pointed to Mr. Hall's classroom door with my thumb, referring to what he just did.
His eyebrows slightly raised in surprise, like he couldn't believe I was talking to him. "Don't mention it." He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot before turning around and walking away.
Quietly, I sighed. At least I had tried. Before I even took two steps in the opposite direction of Cole, he called my name.
"Nina."
I turned around to find him walking back towards me. A wave of nerves rippled through my body as he got closer. "Yes?"
He stopped right in front of me and looked down, his eyes flickered as he searched my face for something. "I want to say I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. I should've never made those comments."
My guard dropped as his shoulders tensed up in anticipation of my response.
For a moment my mouth hung open as I tried to find the words. "You're sorry?" I asked, pointing at him. I mentally wanted to slap myself for that response as hurt flashed through his eyes. "No, no! That's not how I meant it," I spoke quickly. "I meant that I'm surprised you're saying sorry."
His face morphed into uncertainty as he took a half step back. "Um-"
I slapped my face, lacking the capability of being able to explain how I felt. "What I meant was I think I should be the one apologizing," I finally explained.
Cole's shoulders slumped down as a slight smile pulled at his lips, like he found me amusing. "You have a great way with words."
I took a deep breath and blew it out, turning around to head back in the direction I needed to go to get to my next class. I wanted Cole to know I didn't blame him, but I also wasn't going to stand around and get laughed at.
"Wait, wait," Cole said, jogging to stand in front of me. He held his hands up for me to stop. "Please wait. What I meant was that-" he closed his mouth as he thought about what he was trying to say. He opened his mouth and closed it again quickly.
I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows at the irony as I watched him struggle now to get out what he needed to say to me.
He was cute.
Finally, he blurted it out. "Why are you apologizing to me?"
The more I thought about his words, the more I didn't really have an answer for him. I felt like I needed to apologize for some reason. "I guess because I got mad at you?"
He chuckled as he shook his head, bringing a small smile to my face.
"Nina, after what I said to you, I think being mad at me was the correct response." He watched me through narrowed eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest, his veins clearly visible.
I tilted my head. "I mean, I guess. But why were you mad at me then?" I tried to keep my tone as light as possible so he could tell I was confused by the whole interaction we had yesterday. My goal wasn't to push him away or to sound angry, I truly wanted an answer.
He looked down at the ground and sighed. "I was mad because you didn't want my apology. I was trying to fix what I'd said to you when you needed your space. Instead I wouldn't leave you alone because I didn't want you to not like me."
His words surprised me. He wanted me to like him?
Before I could say anything back to him, he asked, "so, do you forgive me?"
There was hope in his eyes, like when a little kid wished for something, a promise of some sort. I knew without a doubt what my answer would be. I wouldn't say it to his face, but he was growing on me. "I forgive you."
The smile on his face grew bigger. I don't know why he wanted my forgiveness, but it was nice to know he cared. It was nice to know he cared at all.
"You two!" a stern voice echoed down the hallway. I turned around as Cole's eyes shifted above my head to whoever the voice belonged to. We found a little old lady hobbling towards us. "The tardy bell rang minutes ago. Get to class!" Her voice was scratchy and high pitched, sending goosebumps along my skin.
I hadn't even realized Cole and I were the only ones in the hallway talking. I'd gotten so wrapped up in our conversation.
Cole gripped my shoulders, turned me back around and moved me forward, leaving a tingling sensation where his hands were. "Don't worry, we're getting to class," he called over his shoulder to her.
I glanced around to see her still hobbling towards us as Cole pushed me to keep moving forward. "Isn't your class that way?" I asked him, smiling and pointing towards the old lady.
He frowned. "And face that scary lady? No thank you."
I laughed for the first time in a long time. It felt good.
*****
Later that day I headed towards the locker room to grab my things after P.E., plus I needed to talk to Shelly. I didn't want things to be awkward between us. P.E. was even awkward. Sure she was annoying, but who wasn't at times?
Lockers banged shut as I walked into the locker room, spotting Shelly pulling her wavy hair out of the ponytail it was in moments ago. My honeyed brunette hair looked like a rats nest with my split ends. Her eyes connected with mine through the mirror, pulling me from my thoughts. I gave her a weak smile in return. I've never been good at making friends, let alone girls.
"Hey," I said softly.
"Hey," she repeated, twisting her hands together.
"Can we talk?" I asked, glancing around the room as girls started to leave.
She nodded her head and took a seat on the wooden bench that was placed between rows of lockers.
"About yesterday-"
"I'm so sorry!" she blurted out. "Cole shouldn't have said that and I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. I didn't know how to talk to you after-" She paused, biting her lip as her eyes shifted back and forth. "After finding out about your dad."
I took a deep breath, sitting next to her. "Shelly, there's nothing you need to be sorry about. If I was in your position I wouldn't know how to react either."
She puckered out her lip. "Really?"
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her kid like manners. "Yes, really. But, I do appreciate you giving me space. Just treat me like you would anyone else."
"Okay." She smiled.
Awkward silence filled the air between us now that we didn't have anything to talk about.
"So," Shelly drawled out.
"Are you doing anything Friday?" I asked, remembering my uncle's words from that morning.
"I'm going to the basketball game, if you want to go?"
"Sure."
A/N: Hope you enjoyed, if you did, please vote! It helps out so much. :) Hopefully you're getting a little more insight of each character's personality and getting to know them a little bit better.