Bates & Landon [Wattys2015]

LANDON

Landon

"What's up with you?" I asked Alice. Ever since I came back from the bathroom, she was way too quiet to be okay. She seemed a bit off, upset looking.

She glanced at me, looking detached from everyone and everything around her, "Nothing," she said distantly, "I'm fine." My mind was screaming at me that she was so not fine, but the other half was telling me not to press her. She will tell me eventually; she always did.

I chewed lightly on my pencil's eraser. Mrs. Ellie was still talking to Mr. Wright and we were left with no instructions for art class, so all of us just either talked, worked on other subjects, or read a book.

Or some just sat there blankly.

I glanced at Bates who was staring out of the window. It was muddy from the storm last night and the weather reports on the news told everyone this morning it would be raining again today around four. I would've done anything to know exactly what he was thinking right then.

I couldn't believe how pathetic I had become. I had clinged myself onto Bates when he was barely even a friend -- I mean, I had considered him one. But now since he decided to not talk to me, I wasn't quite sure what we were exactly. But now with us not talking, I missed him. Not in the way that you silently miss someone, I mean, like thought-consuming missing them. Like, that person is all that you can think about or focus on. No matter how hard you try, they would leave your mind.

That is what Bates is: consuming. He consumed everything of me; my thoughts, my whole being.

I can't stand to be away from him; it's like withdrawal, yet I haven't even taken a dose yet.

I am pathetic. I latch myself onto him -- even when we most certainly not dating or anything that involved a lot of intimacy -- and I let him get under my skin and live there. I should've known it was going to happen. All of it was too perfect.

All of a sudden, I was angry.

How dare he do such a thing to me without an explanation?

If he thought he could walk right over me like Mandy does, he was wrong. This time, I am not allowing it. I will confront him. I will talk to Bates and demand an explanation.

I at least deserve that much.

When the bell rang, Mrs. Ellie looked aggravated that she didn't get to assign us anything to do because she was too busy chatting with Mr. Wright, but she still let us all leave.

"I'll see you later, Landon!" Alice said over her shoulder as she hurried out of the room.

I huffed out a deep breath and gathered my stuff quickly. Bates had already left the room and I huffed again before stalking out of the room.

Making my way through the waves of people ready to leave school, I headed towards the doors to exit. My eyes searched the faces of my pupils walking around in search for Bates. I got no luck.

Then I saw Jonas.

"Jonas!" I said, sprinting after him. He gave me a questioning look, a hardness in his eyes.

"Yes?" He said, his voice rough and deeper than Bates.

"Umm.." my face got red from embarrassment, "h..have you seen, uh --"

"Bates," Jonas finished, looking beyond me. I turned around to see Bates rubbing his hands over his face, looking stressed. Jonas gripped my forearm, pulling me along with him towards Bates.