Traces of You

Chapter 14

.

.

.

Miles was on the way to his class. He had been sleeping the entire weekend, trying to find the motivation to get back up on Monday. In all honesty, he didn't want to go to class, he didn't even want to get up, but he forced himself out of bed and trudged over to the school gates.

Students all around him were buzzing like bees as they passed by. The indistinct chatter about the weekend and their gossip came out as a murmur to him. If anyone was trying to say 'hi', he wouldn't have heard.

His eyes were focused forward, glued to the entrance of the building. All he wanted to do was go to class and go back home without any interaction. He wouldn't even be willing to stay for any volunteering events Christie had going on. If anything, those things were always getting him into weird interactions with Nina.

Just his luck, he found the one person he wasn't willing to see at that moment. She stood by the door, looking toward the crowd, as if she was waiting for someone. While her eyes were looking about, she quickly met his eyes and gave a slight smile. 

Miles almost turned around. If only he hadn't looked. His feet just wanted to turn around and go home, but it was too late; he was right in front of her. He cursed inwardly.

"Hi, Miles," she greeted.

He walked past her with his eyes glued to the floor. "Hi, Nina," he murmured, walking towards the door without so much as taking a glance.

"Where are you going?" she asked, following his figure.

"Nowhere," he said, opening the door.

"Oh," she said. "Do you mind helping me out with something?"

Miles sighed under his breath. "I'm a bit busy, so I can't—" . A buzz caught his words. When he turned, he saw Nina' phone lighting up.

Nina fumbling through her pocket until she took out her phone. She put it to her ear and answered. "Rhys? What—"

'Rhys.'

Feeling a fire light up in his chest, he pounced toward the phone and grabbed it from her hands. Miles eyed the name on the screen and scowled before ending the call and glaring at her.

Nina yelped and looked at him in shock. "What are you doing?"

Miles pulled her over to the side of the building. She stumbled behind him, but he didn't notice. He was too caught up with the thoughts in his head. They were picking and poking at him. Just seeing her stepbrother's name being on her phone made him want to throw up, but more than that, he wanted to get her away from it.

"Miles?" she asked, confusion plaguing her face.

He pushed her against the brick wall where there was no one nearby. His hand leapt to her shoulders and grabbed them tightly. His eyes became fixated on hers. They were wavering. He wasn't sure if it reflected him shaking in anger, or her eyes shivering in fright.

"Don't answer him— don't even talk to him," he hissed.

Nina looked at him, blinking in confusion. "What?" she said slowly.

He lifted her phone and pushed it into her face. "Him. Don't ever talk to him again." When he eyed the phone, he almost felt his feet fall under him. His teeth bit down onto his lip in fear.

The phone looked way too old for his generation—the one that was could be flipped open and had a keypad. How many years ago did he remember seeing a phone like this? The only time he would find one logically was in a 90's T.V. show, but to see one in this era?