Into Another Space [Completed]

9

Not five minutes after Forest-Esmee leaves, Kyla saunters right in.

"Hey, there, cowboy," she says which makes literally no sense. I'm not from the South nor am I wearing a cowboy hat or boots.

"Why are you hiding?" she asks walking up to my desk. Instead of just standing there like any other normal person, she sits right down on the corner.

"I'm not."

"Alright then I'll keep you company then?"

"I'm okay. Really." I stress out the words so she knows I mean them sincerely.

"I thought you liked sitting with the rest of us in the teacher's lounge?"

The mere thought of sitting with those hypocrites nauseates me.

"I just want to be alone today," I answer.

Kyla reaches over and before I can stop her, flips over the page of my calendar.

There it is. In clear letters for the whole world to see.

March 2.

"Get out," I say trying my best to keep the lid of my anger on.

Don't go off on her. Don't go off on her.

Stay cool.

Kyla slides off my desk looking confused."Was I not supposed to do that?"

"Get. Out."

This part I yell which makes her jump out of her skin.

"Okay. Okay. I'm going."

She gathers herself back up and walks out with less confidence than when she came in.

With one sweeping motion of left hand, I throw the calendar to the floor. The action causes a jolt of pain in my injured hand.

I hold it up and carefully unwrap the gauze. The closer I get, the more blood I see.

Great.

"Oh, my."

I jump at the sound of Forest-Esmee's voice. She's back in the classroom standing about a foot away.

How did she get in here so quietly?

"That looks pretty bad," she says.

"It's fine."

"No, it's not."

She goes back to her seat, and for a second I think she's going to drop it, but then she grabs her backpack and comes back.

"I have a first aid kit in here," she says unzipping her pack and bringing it out.

"That is unnecessary."

"Don't be ridiculous. Do you want it to get infected and possibly end up in the emergency room?"

"Is that glass?" she asks setting her kit down and opening it up.

"Yeah."

"What did you do it to it?"

"It's really none of your business, kid."

Forest-Esmee pulls out a pair of tweezers."I'm not a kid," she says holding out her hand for mine.

I don't make a move so she takes my hand. A tingle of something like pleasure flutters inside of me.