The Ballerina & The Devil

Thirteen. An Escape Plan From Hell

The next week when I returned to school, a few days after being checked out of the hospital, I noticed that my nonexistent popularity took a very sudden and very noticeable incline.

I say "nonexistent" because that was pretty much what I was at my school. I was nonexistent. A flat out nobody, which I wouldn't say was exactly a bad thing. I wasn't harassed or picked on for not being up there with the "populars". I was left alone. I just wasn't known.

Now, I wouldn't go as far to say I was at the very bottom of the social ladder, but I was by no means at the top. I was the average kid that was just apart of the mass that nobody paid any attention to, or noticed at all.

I did my own thing without people ever looking to me. In fact, they looked through me. I was almost positive that 99.67% of the school population didn't even know my name.

The little bit of people that did know me knew me as "Deacon Lawson's sister", or "The twin". Deacon was the popular sibling among the pair of us, thanks to football being such a highly praised sport at our school.

I wasn't bitter about it. In fact, I actually kind of appreciated being apart of the unknown. The only place I truly liked being the center of attention was on stage when I was dancing. Off it, I was an awkward mess that had yet to excel in the department of "conversationalist", who used corny jokes as ice breakers, which I found really didn't break the ice.

But I guess when you judo flip Aidan Benson, and then get in a car accident the next day, only to be saved by Aidan Benson himself people's interest in you grew, and you became the talk of the school.

I walked down the hallway my first day back with Deacon at my side and the suppressed urge to turn and run out of the building bubbling in the pit of my stomach. All the blatant staring was giving me a lot of anxiety.

"Deacon," I said in a low voice. "Why are people are staring at us?"

"People are staring at you," he corrected me. "You've been the talk of the school for a good week, Sis"

"Why?"

"Why do you think?" Deacon gave me a look. "You were in a car accident. Not to mention the fact that Aidan, of all people, dragged you out of the wreckage. Plus, I'm pretty sure people are still talking about you beating him up, which I will always take complete credit for due to the fact that I'm the one who showed you how to do that."

"That doesn't make me an animal at the zoo," I hissed. "Don't they know it's rude to stare? Oh, and I didn't beat him up. I judo flipped him, and you will take credit for that. I performed the move, not you."

I tugged at my sweatshirt sleeve so my cast was fully covered. I had point blanked refused to wear the recommended sling and dressed in clothes that would cover up my injury, worried that I'd attract attention, and I seemed to have been spot on. I couldn't be more grateful for my decision.

I felt an arm sling around my neck, and when I turned my head I saw Kenzie on my left side with a beam on her face.

"Hello, best friend," she said loudly.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure people know we're together," she said in a much lower voice, combing her hair over her shoulder. "Do you know you're the talk of the school right now?"

I pushed her off me and gave her the dirtiest look I could muster. "Oh, that's nice. Very nice, Kenzie."

"I would allow you to seek opportunity from me if the cards were reversed," she said defensively.

"You are so annoying," I rolled my eyes.

"Taking advantage of my sister's injury?" Deacon fixed Kenzie with a proud look. "I taught you well."