His Sunshine

Chapter Seven.

After getting ready, we got in my car and drove to school.

And lucky me, my 'friends' were standing in the parking spot right across from mine, watching as Chicago and I arrived.

"You'll be alright?" He asked, looking at the group and then back to me.
"I don't know why they're so obsessed with me." I grumbled, getting out of the car and walking around to open the door for him.

I don't know when or why I started doing it, but I did.

"I'll see you in class, okay?" He murmured, his hand brushing my wrist as he walked towards the place where him and his friends typically gathered.

I smiled at him with a nod, walking towards the very intimidating group.
"Is it true?" Madelyn immediately asked.
I furrowed my brows in confusion, "Is what true?"
She cleared her throat, "That you and Chicago are..." she lowered her voice, "fucking?"

Taken aback, I let out a laugh. "What? Where'd you get that from?"
She looked at KJ and Colten who were watching my reaction, "They said they saw you after practice, but that it could've just been how dark it was so maybe it just looked like it."

KJ said through gritted teeth, "It had to have just been shadows, right, pockets?"

I nodded.
"And we surely don't want anymore miscommunications, so maybe it's best you stay out of the shadows with him, yeah?"

That sounded like a threat.
"You want me to stay away from him?"
Suddenly, Madelyn interjected. "We all feel very unsafe by him because of the people he's friends with."
I narrowed my eyes, they all looked sincere.

"Unsafe?" I scoffed.

Colten agreed, "Stay away from him, for your own sake."

I backed away from them, heading towards my class.
Lily ran ahead, catching up with me.

"They're serious, Bailey. They'll make your life hell." She warned.

Chicago has been the only thing in my life in the past two weeks that hasn't been hell.
"Yeah, okay."

I had no idea what to do. What were they going to do if I stayed friends with Chicago?

"Are you good?" Chicago asked as I sat next to him.
I nodded, "Yep."

I was hesitant with conversation for the rest of class, not being as talkative as I typically am. I ignored the burning stares of worry and possibly annoyance Chicago targeted onto my face.
Confrontation is not my thing.
We still walked together after class, KJ ramming his shoulder against mine when he walked past me which of course intensified Chicago's stares.
"There's something up with you, what is it?" Chicago asked me.
I shook my head, "Everything's fine, I have practice after school so just take my car back to your house and I'll walk there." I handed him my keys.

He furrowed his brows, "I'm not stealing your car and making you walk home."
"I know, that's why I gave you my keys and volunteered to walk there."
With caution, he took the keys though his eyes never left me.

"I'll see you at home, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah...see you."
He chewed on his lip, turning around slowly to leave me at my locker.

I placed my forehead against the cold locker, hoping to knock some sense into myself though it didn't work.

School was long and painful, I couldn't get the anxious fear out of my head that KJ and Colten placed into it.

As soon as the bell rang, I was hurrying to the outside of Lily's classroom, catching her by surprise when she saw me.
"Are you doing alright?" She asked with a frown on her face.