CH 2: WAWDL
"No, really, I'm fine. I can get up myself. I have the ability to walk." I did not know who I was trying to convince. Me or him? I try to stand up, but I fall immediately down. "No, you are not, Zoe, please let me help you up and take you to the nurse or something." He says down to a whisper now. "I know what this is, Lucas, you think you still owe from when I helped you study. You do not." I reply.
Before exams last year, Lucas needed help to study and he asked Isabelle for help, but she directed him to me, not before making an excuse for how she knew me.
"Please, Zoe, I am not going to ask again, unless you want me to pull you by all your limbs, which I am sure you would not mind." He says wiggling his eyebrows. Ever since we studied together, he thinks I like him. He is right, but I will never tell him that.
I take a deep breath and huff out. "Fine, but straight to the nurse. Also, I cannot walk, so I do not know how you plan-" He stops me from talking by picking me up from under my legs and holding me bridal style. "Wow, for someone who cares about your reputation, you sure do not seem to care about your reputation." I say. "I am not sure if you noticed, Zoey, but I am the coolest guy here, so anything I do is cool." He says, laughing. He does not talk after that. He drops me off by the nurse and sets me down on the chair and then leaves.
"Alright, let's see what we got here." The nurse says. Then she gasps. "Is it bad?!" I shout. "No-Nope." She says, stuttering and trying to act cool. I take a look. There is so much blood and many bruises. I take one look and then I pass out.
I wake up, for what seems like, a moment later. "Oh good. I knew you would wake up. That boy was flipping out trying to figure out if you were okay." What? What boy? "Um- What boy? And what do you mean by flipping out?" I ask, concerned. "Oh, you know, that boy that brought you here. He was telling me to try his best to wake me up. I was telling him that you would wake up any moment. He stormed out." The nurse finishes. Lucas was worried for me? Why? "Well, you are all stitched up, we will provide you with some crutches since you are still sore." She says. Great. I am going have to go around the school on the first day looking like a freak because I have crutches.
I get another text from Isabelle. It reads, "OMG!! Lucas hasn't texted me since last night! Should I be worried? Also, where are you, boo? I was supposed to copy your summer reading notes. Don't abandon me now, darling. 😋😋" I sigh. Whatever. "I think they are in third period now, so hurry along, if you can. Come back here if you need anything." She says. I stand up. A pain shoots through my leg. I hide it and say, "You know what, I do not think I need the crutches." I would rather be in pain then bare the embarrassment that will come with everyone looking at me. "Okay. Bye, Ms. Grassi." And I walk out of there, pain shooting through my leg with every step. It will all be worth it.
I break out into a jog, trying my best to not let the pain get to me. I reach the hallway right before my classroom, and the bell rings. Now it is lunch. Before heading off to lunch, I stop by all my other classes to gather my work. I remember what that Jake kid said about me sitting with him and I wonder if that offer stands.
I quickly grab food from the cafeteria. It looks disgusting, but packing a lunch was the last thing on my mind today. In the corner of my eye, I see Jake on his phone texting someone. I go to him and peek over his shoulder to see who he is texting. The contact has no name and the number looks familiar, but I just cannot place it. "Uh- hey Jake. It's Zoey." I say interrupting whatever he was texting. He quickly places his phone into his pocket. "Oh, hey Zo-Zee-Bo." Jake replies. Where did he come up with that one? I think back to when Lucas was trying to help me up and he called me Zoe. I normally hate when people call me that because it seems like they have forgotten my entire name. I know for a fact Lucas did not because he stated my full name back to me. It was sweet.
"Hello, daydreamer, how has class been so far?" Jake says, breaking me out of my trance. "I have not been to any yet. I was in the nurse. Somebody knocked me down when I was walking. I am fine now of course, though." I say, looking to the ground, trying my hardest to not look like I am lying. "Wait, Lucas?" He says. My eyes dart back up. "Uh- yeah- how do you know that?" I say, nervously biting my lip. "Isabelle was furious. She was screaming at him. She came into the locker room for second period, yelling something about, "Helping that nerd. I do not even know you anymore."" He replies. I thought Isabelle and I were friends. Across the cafeteria, I see Lucas come in, his hair swooped perfectly on top of his head. His blue eyes shining from all the way across the room. I see people all begin to get quiet. "What? You guys got a problem?" He yells at all the silence. The kicker of the football team stands up in front of him. "Well, you're on a roll, Gaybie, first helping that nerd up when you should have left her to cry," He pauses. I see Lucas shoot me a shy glance. Then I see Isabelle shooting me a glare when she thinks I am not looking. She is not even standing up to defend him. "And then you are singing in the locker room all by yourself. Are you joining the gay club, next?" He finishes. Lucas sings? Lucas looks upset for a moment, but then he composes himself. The upsetness was so momentary that most people would not have noticed it. He then says, "Madsen, I suggest that you take a seat and continue kicking balls. Yeah sure, I helped her up. But I did not mean anything by it. I was just trying to make her feel worse for herself. And the singing thing was my own business. How would you know that I was singing unless you were spying on me in the showers? Who is gay exactly?" He finishes. And that's when I realize that I'm in tears. What he said really hurt. I know he could not give two craps about me, but did he feel it necessary to be so mean?
"Zoey, do you want to go to the library to eat instead?" Jake says barely at a whisper, because he cafeteria is still extremely quiet. Before anyone can see, I wipe off my tears. I get up and grab my tray. Everybody's heads snap to my attention. "OMG! It's her!" Isabelle yells. And everyone begins to giggle, even Madsen. I begin to storm right past Lucas, but not before yogurt is thrown directly at me from an unknown source. Are you kidding me? I do not see Jake following me. Maybe he went ahead. I stand in awe, but then I see Isabelle smirking and shoving her finger in her mouth, filled with yogurt. It was Isabelle. "Isabelle, you know how I felt about today!" I yell. "What does she mean by that?" Some of the other cheerleaders ask. "Want to know her middle name?" I shout. Isabelle hates her middle name more than anything. It is so embarrassing. "You wouldn't!" She yells. "Then answer me one thing. Why are you lying to everybody here?" I say, knowing she will not answer. "I-I am not..." She says. She knows what is about to happen. She knows that she cannot admit that she is friends with me or was. "HEROLD-LANDBOTTOM!" I yell and then storm off while hearing an eruption of the cafeteria in laughter.
