It took one look.

Chapter 7: He actually cares.

I smiled and with non-stop tears streaming down my cheeks creating a puddle on the floor. I looked down at all the photos of me and mom and those weird yet, hilarious selfies we took everywhere we went and some from the hospital, where she took her last breaths uttering my name and telling me that she loves me and to never forget that.

“I will never forget you mom. I love you too. I didn’t even get the chance to tell you that myself. You were my only hope of happiness and now you’re gone too... I miss you mom. Why did you have to leave me alone?” I murmured to myself leaving me to cry to sleep. I went to sleep in my mom’s sweater that she thought was the silliest thing she ever bought and laughed at the embarrassment while I made jokes about it.

Tuesday mornings. Day 2. Maybe that speech yesterday left some sort of mark on this immature kids... No whispers. No stares. No glare. No nothing. I felt a sense of relief.

“You know, no one is making rude comments about you because of Jake” smirked Olivia. She was one of my favourites. No hard feelings to the other but, she was the only one I could actually relate and talk to easily. The others just made me uncomfortable and in a sense that I didn’t fit in or something.

“Wait. What do you mean because of Jake...?” I asked trying to keep up with the conversation.

“He threatened everyone that if they said anything about you in a negative way that they would end up like the quarterback.” She trailed off.

“Wait! Olivia! What happened to the quarterback?” seeming a little set back at this point.

“You can say that he isn’t much of a quarterback anymore. Everyone got scared off to what happened to him that they all backed away and went back to their own business. Even the teachers.” I couldn’t believe he did that for me. Never has someone done that for me. 

“Can I ask you a question?” I couldn’t keep it in my system anymore. Why did he even show any interest in me?

“Sure what’s up?” Olivia sat down and patted the seat beside her on the bench.

“Why does Jake seem so interested in me? Why does he care for me?” I asked.

“You have so many feature Alex that no guy in this world can miss. If they did, well, they might be blind because it’s too beautiful to be missed. There is also another reason but, that’s not for me to tell...” and with that she left. Confused and sitting alone on the bench drowning me with an abundant amount of questions.     

What could this other thing be...?