A Year to Live

Colgate and Crest

"Hey Isa, can I talk to you for a second?" Mr. Jones came up to me during lunch. I turned to my friends for a second who just shrugged. I nodded quickly and stood up from seat, following him to the hallway just off of the cafeteria.

"What's up Mr. Jones?" I asked, trying to act cool and failing. I always had a problem with authority, so when someone said they wanted to talk to me who was of a higher rank, I would tend to get extremely nervous. I could already feel my palms getting sweaty.

"I was wondering if you would come to practice after school today. The team misses you, and we need you if we want to get to the national championship." He stated. Mr. Jones was the track team coach, and I had quit recently because I was too busy with school. Don't get me wrong, I loved track, and I was their best runner I just never had the time.

"Let me call my dad, and if I can come I'll meet you at the track." I smiled back, actually hoping my dad would let me.

"Alright thanks sweetie." He smiled before patting my back and walking back down the hall to the teacher's lounge.

I skipped back to my seat and smiled at my friends who were clearly waiting for answers.

"So? What did he say? Did you get a detention?" Carmen asked quickly.

"She's freaking Isadora of course she didn't get detention." Landon pointed out getting a little glare from Carmen.

"True." I nodded scooping up some of the cafeteria's famous poison soup. When I realized that I was about to actually put that gross whatever it was into my mouth, I frowned and pushed my tray away from me.

"So what's the scoop then?" Carmen asked, clearly impatient and hungry for an answer.

"He just wanted to know if I would go to the track practice today after school. Speaking of which, I'll be right back. I have to call my dad." I said excusing myself from the table. I walked over to the less loud spot of the cafeteria and pulled out my phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey dad, I was wondering if I could get a day off watching Graylan to go to the track practice?"

"Well he isn't coming back to the hospital today, so I think that should be fine."

"Thank you!"

I hung up the phone and started heading back to my friends only to be stopped by Parker who was smirking at me. "Are you just going to block me like an idiot or move out of the way so I can go finish my lunch?" I asked, really not in the mood to deal with his shit.

"Actually, I came to collect you." He said with an eye roll.

"What am I, drug money? Should I be worried or something?" I asked, eyeing everyone in the cafeteria as though they were a prime suspect in a murder.

"Just come with me Hale." He said before grabbing my arm and dragging me god knows where.

"Help!" I shouted getting weird looks from everyone. "Seriously? You see a damsel in distress and you go back to eating your freaking lunch! What has this world come to?" I complained before he finally stopped dragging me and stopped in front of a table.

He pushed me to the front and I saw Graylan smiling happily at me. "I just wanted to talk to you. No need to get your knickers in a bunch." He said with a slight wink before standing up and thanking Parker.

I wanted to shout at him for actually talking to me in school. I mean, I had a reputation as a nobody, and once a somebody talked to you, you became a somebody. I felt his hand instantly grab mine and I couldn't help but stare at him in shock. "What are you doing?" I whispered more harshly than intended as he brought me out of the cafeteria.