Count On Me(12)

I don’t nod or make any other motion to let him know that I’ll do what he says, instead making my way around him, practically running until I’m in my seat. It’s only when Ms. Taylor makes her way into the room, Kayden right on her heels that I realize he’s not going to give up that easily.

I watch as they whisper to each other, both of their eyes landing directly on me more than once and I feel sick. It’s obvious he’s trying to get the teachers help in making sure that I don’t leave the class. Pushing them and their stupid conversation out of my head, I start pulling my books out of my bag, putting my full attention into making sure I keep my breathing steady so my heart can finally stop racing.

A shadow comes across the desk just as I’m about to start reading and looking up, my eyes lock right on a pair of the lightest green eyes I’ve ever seen. These are eyes I haven’t looked into since we were ten years old, at least not this closely. They’re eyes I’ve missed.

There’s no rage in them this time, they’re soft as they look into my blue ones. Despite the softness, I know I’m not going to like what has to say and thinking about it makes me nervous and uneasy.

“She told me that you get out at 11:15. So I’m gonna come back and be outside the door at 11:10.”

Grabbing the paper off the desk, I grab a pen from my pencil case and start writing. He might have gotten his way in the hallway earlier, but now he’s on my turf. He isn’t going to push me around. His friends have already done that enough already.

Just go, Kayden. You’re not wanted here. I don’t need your pity. Just go.

His eyes turn icy as he reads my words, his lip twitching, almost as if he’s angry with what he read and is trying to control it. He doesn’t break though and the next time he speaks, he makes his point loud and clear, leaving me even more confused.

“It’s not pity, Isabelle. It’s survival. I’m not letting you go through this alone. I’ll see you at eleven.”



Kayden



When I heard the stuff people were saying this morning, it took everything in me not to turn around and punch the living shit out of every one of the people saying it. Apparently Dillon wasted no time spreading yesterday’s garbage around and by the looks of everyone talking, it seems to have spread pretty quick.

It all rolls off my back even though a lot of what is being said has my name attached. I might be one of the popular kids and might even like the perks that being it affords me, but I really don’t give a crap what they say about me. I don’t need the social standing the way most people do.

Isabelle on the other hand, deserves none of what she’s getting. She isn’t like me. The stuff people say about her affects her whether she’s able to show it or not. Hearing what these idiots are saying about her, about us, while she’s running across the campus to escape it bothers the hell out of me.

This girl, who has never done anything bad in her entire life is being torn apart by a bunch of mindless drones and it’s unfair. That’s why I chased after her the way I did, even though I promised myself I wouldn’t go anywhere near her. I couldn’t stand the way her face scrunched in as the words being spread sunk in, hating even more the water pooling in her eyes, clear as day, even though I was pretty far behind her.

When she struggled against me in the hall, it did weird things to me. I wanted to let her go because I knew I was scaring her, but I also wanted to hold on tighter. I don’t know what the hell is going on with me and this girl, but every single time I’m around her, it’s like I lose my shit. I stop thinking about myself and how all of this is gonna come down on me. All I can see is her and how she’s affected.

I’m not that guy. I’m not the one that protects the girl, shielding her from the typical high school bullshit. No, I’m the one that’s creating it and making as many lives as possible horrible for my own personal amusement. As much as I try to remember that though, it seems around her, I can’t. All I want to do is be that guy. The one I can never be.

I’m aware of the fact that standing up for her the way I am is only going to make them go harder at her, if the texts I got last night are any indication. I’m going to be the one making her life worse, but I don’t care. I need to protect her from this since it’s my fault it’s happening at all.

Her movements are predictable. Whenever something happens, she runs for the bathroom. It’s her safe place. She did it this morning, just like I knew she would and I couldn’t let her. I probably should’ve, but I couldn’t.

It’s selfish of me really because she’s not the only one with problems. I’ve got a Mac truck full of them myself and there’s only one person on the planet besides Dean that knows.