Sleeves

Chapter 4

It is now lunch time and I am a nervous wreck. I intend to eat in the bathroom today, but I find my feet taking me to the cafeteria, almost against my will. I have no idea what I will do when I arrive, but I am sure it will only result in my humiliation.

I enter the crowded lunchroom and head for the back table I occupied the day before, scolding myself the entire way. What did I think, that he was going to invite me to sit with him and his friends, maybe ask me on a date, and we could fall in love? Okay, so I tackled the guy and he asked what my name was, so what. He probably just wanted to know so that he could report me to the principal for being a head case. It meant nothing. I lay my forehead on the table, no longer hungry.

Every once in a while, I glance up and see Xander, laughing with his friends as they throw food at one another and goof off like little boys. How is it that I am so aware of him, while he doesn’t even seem to acknowledge my existence?

I stand, unable to sit still any longer, and walk towards the trash can, which is unfortunately located right beside his table. I keep my head down to hide my embarrassment and shuffle by quickly. Suddenly a foot shoots out in front of me and I am sprawled out on the ground. One of Xander’s friend’s cackles and soon many of the nearby tables join in. I feel hot tears stinging in my eyes as everyone laughs at me, lying helplessly on the floor. My ankle burns and I am certain that I have sprained it, but I cannot take this. I pull myself up and limp as quickly as I can to the bathroom, where I lock my stall and burst into tears. I have grown accustom to physical pain, but this is just as bad. I wait until I am out of tears and decide that I need the rest of the day off. I check the mirror but realize it is useless to even try and hide my puffy eyes, plus everyone knows what happened anyways. I duck into the hallway and pass through the nearest exit, making sure I am not in the sights of any teachers.

Just as I step foot off campus, I hear a thud followed by a low groan. I turn back to see what is going on and there stands Xander, towering over the body of one of his friends. I rush over to them, confused because his friend is bloody and bruised, and it looks like Xander is the cause.

“What’s going on?” I cry when I reach them. Xander turns his eyes on me, now instead of a liquid jade they look more like rock-hard emeralds. The expression on his face frightens me. It is not angry, like I would have expected, but cold and calculating, without emotion.

“I was teaching him a lesson,” he practically growls at me. I look down and realize that this was the boy who tripped me in the cafeteria and for the first time, I feel a rush of fear run through me. I’ve heard all the rumors about Xander, but I had no idea that the smiling, dimpled boy I talked with this morning could truly be this dangerous. Yet I know that I won’t be able to stay away from him. I look down at the poor boy lying on the ground and, even though he humiliated me, I could never wish this on anyone. I know only too well exactly how it feels.

I decide that Xander needs a distraction, so I will provide one. “Come on, you need to get out of here. Get a chance to cool down.” I bravely grasp his hand and tug him in the direction of downtown. He follows with surprising ease - I thought it would be much harder than this. We walk for a few blocks and I glance over at him every now and again. He is still not entirely back to the Xander from this morning, but his eyes are no longer solid, they seem to be back to their liquid, heart-melting consistency.