Ride the Waves | Chris Brown

3. Rage

Chapter 3: Rage

"Why are you just standing in the middle of hallway?" a candid voice delivered followed by a soft giggle. I turned around on my heels to be met by Kiera followed by her sister Kadirah, both wearing amused smirks on their faces as they awaited my response.

"Oh, uh- I was putting my stuff into my locker and got a little caught up" I said as my hand subconsciously reached up to grasp the golden pendant around my neck, just to see if it was still there. My mind had been fuzzy these last few days and quite frankly I was having a hard time differentiating what was real life and what was happening in my head.

Kiera and Kadirah looked at each other before shrugging. "Okay cool, let's go into the cafeteria then!" Kadirah chimed before they took off with me in tow. I didn't really feel like going into the cafeteria. It was where everyone was going to be and with all the things that's been going on in my life thus far, I couldn't help but think everyone will watch and judge me the minute I walk in.

"No way, Tristan is way cuter. Right Nina?" Kadirah questioned suddenly throwing me into their conversation about who they thought was the hottest in the school. I wasn't bothered to join in their controversial debate and I certainly wasn't going to agree that that narcissistic Neanderthal was anything remotely close to cute. Kiera shrugged and they continued talking when a familiar name sprung up in the conversation.

"Hey that kid Chris is cute"

"No way, he's weird and he doesn't speak to anyone" Kiera said and I raised my eyebrow. "You know Chris right?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I? He's in our English class" I said and the pair of them looked at me like they had more to say.

"He hasn't always been in our class. He was here his freshman and sophomore years and then he vanished in the 11th grade" Kiera explained.

"And now his back to finish senior year. Don't you find that weird?"

"I mean, not really" I shrugged as we entered the cafeteria through the double doors.

Everything seemed to be all good and well until we queued up to get lunch. Everyone was looking at me as if I had five heads or I just killed their dog.

"Ignore them Nina" Kadirah whispered to me. It was easy for her to say, she didn't have a hundred pair of eyes watching her every move. I was feeling overly self-conscious at this point and neither of the twins seemed to notice my heavy breathing and stiff movement.

"I can't" I breathed before I ran out of the cafeteria through the double doors and sped down the hallway, the wind whipping my hair around as I ran past lockers and confused students. I could hear Kadirah and Kiera's distant voices calling my name but I was too breathless to reply. Slowing down only once the library came to view, I leaned against the wall inhaling and exhaling deeply.

"Nina, are you okay?"

I glanced up at the soft voice and noticed it was my favourite librarian, Shelly, coming in to start her shift. Her bright blue eyes stared at me with pure concern from over her glasses which sat low on the bridge of her slender nose. I forced a smile leaning off of the wall and watching as she swiped her card into the reader and unlocked the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I came to borrow some books actually" I lied but now that I think about it, I could do with some new novels to read. Shelly chuckled at me, her eyes creasing with glee as she made her way behind her desk and logged into the computer.

"You're always reading, one of these days you're going to be an author. Are you still writing that book you always talk about?" Shelly questioned repeating what she had always told me. She became accustomed to me sitting in the library writing that we ended up having a long conversation about my in progress story. This was before my tragic incident. I haven't had the strength nor perseverance to carry on that story. My mindset had completely changed and I can't put those happy, candid feelings into the characters in my story because I no longer feel that way.