After 3

Chapter 283.

Songs for this chapter are:

Yellow- Coldplay

Volcano- Damien Rice

Here we go- Mat Kearney

Hardin's POV.

"Scott!" The familiar voice of Nate echoes through the narrow hallway. Fuck, I knew I wouldn't make it through this shit without seeing one of them.

I came to campus to talk to my Professors. I wanted to make sure my father could drop my last assignments off to them. Having friends, or parents, in high places really does help and I'm given permission to miss the remainder of classes for this semester. I have been missing so many anyway, there won't be much of a difference.

Nate's blonde hair is longer now, pushed up into some sort of messy spike in the front. "Hey man, I get the feeling you were trying to avoid me just now." He says, looking me straight in the face.

"Perceptive, aren't you?" I shrug, no point in lying.

"I always hated your big words," he laughs.

I could have done without seeing him today, or ever again really. It's nothing against him, I always sort of liked him more than any of my other friends anyway, but I'm over this shit.

He takes my silence for another opening to speak, "I haven't seen you on campus in forever. Aren't you graduating soon?"

"Yeah. MIddle of next month."

"Logan is too. You're going to walk right?" He follows next to me at a slow pace.

"Hell no." I laugh, "did you really just ask me that?" Tessa's scowl flashes in my head and I bite down on my lip to keep a smile away. I know she wants me to walk at my graduation but there's no way in hell I'm going to.

Maybe I should at least consider it?

"What's with the cast?" He points to my hand and I lift the black cast.

"It's a long story." One that I'm not going to tell you, I silently add.

See Tessa, I have learned some self control.

Even though, I'm talking to you inside of my head and you're not even here. I'm crazy still, but I'm being nice-ish to people. You would be proud.

Fuck, I've got it so bad.

He shakes his head and holds the door open for me as we walk out of the administration building. "So, how are things?" Nate asks. He's always been the most talkative out of the bunch.

"Fine."

"How's she?" My boots stop moving against the concrete sidewalk and he takes a step back, holding his hands in the air in defense. "I'm only asking as a friend. I haven't seen either of you and you stopped taking our calls a while ago. Zed's the only one that talks to Tessa."

Is he trying to piss me off?

"Zed doesn't talk to her." I snap, annoyed that I let Nate and his mention of Zed get under my skin so easily.

Nate lifts his hand to his forehead, a nervous gesture. "I wasn't saying it like that but he told us about her dad and he said he was at the funeral so..."

"So nothing. He's nothing to her. Move on." This conversation is going nowhere and I'm reminded why I don't waste my time hanging out with any of them anymore.

"Alright." If I look over at him, I know he will be rolling his eyes. "I never did anything to you." He reminds me. There is a hint of emotion behind his words, sounding a little like I hurt his feelings or something.