Owen

Doesn't Mean I Should Have

I hadn't even made it to my first hour before Jase started blowing up my phone. My body ached, I couldn't tell if it was from therapy or just because that's what it did.

Maybe it was both.

I got to my spot in class, wincing as a shock a pain rolled through my legs and pulled out my phone.

Jase: I have to stay late at work

Me: dad then?

Jase: nope

Well that answered a lot.

Me: ...

Jase: Mina

Shit. I could already tell today wasn't going to be one of my finest.

Jase: you're welcome

I ignored him. Ever since I told him that I liked her, he'd been sort of obnoxious about anything related to her.

Me: how much bud we got at home?

Jase: enough to get you through tomorrow. I already talked to my buddy and gave him your card. I can pick some up on my way tomorrow.

Thank god.

Jase: pain?

Me: always

Jase: we can talk to the doctor about trying some different medication maybe something else will work better

Me: sure

Jase: I'll have dad call them

I slipped my phone back into my pocket, buckling down for an unpleasant day.

                              ————————

I hated sixth hour.

Having to roll by Sydney every fucking day was terrible. Today no exception.

I'd been barely managing to stay pleasant, I almost called Nan a couple times, but senior year was coming to a rapid close and I knew if I kept missing days I'd end up not graduating. The fact that they'd cut me some slack while I was out was the only grace period I was going to get and I knew it. So I gritted my teeth and shoved my wheels forward trying to ignore the look that Sydney gave me.

She hadn't said a word to me but that didn't stop her from giving me some pretty wicked looks. Also didn't stop my mind from repeating that word over and over and over again. It was all I heard now, echoing through my brain, when I saw her.

Our eyes connected for a brief moment, long enough to make me slightly nauseous, or maybe that was the pain. I wasn't sure.

But whatever it was, it had distracted me enough and I bumped into her table.

"Watch where you're going cripple." She snapped.

"Fuck off bitch." I barked back without thinking twice.

Her eyes narrowed, hands smacking the table as she leaned over the edge closer to me. I got why everyone was afraid of her. She was nasty and knew exactly where to hit you to make it hurt. But that was the funny thing about it, she hit me and yet here I was. Still rolling my gimp ass past her.

"What did you just call me?" She seethed.

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought we were just pointing out the obvious." I said.

"You little..."

"Cripple? Yeah, you're right I am." I cut her off. I was too pissed and tired to deal with her shit. "Beats the hell out of being a massive bitch though so there's that."

And then I kept rolling, making sure to slam into the desk one more time just to fuck with her. She kept talking, running her mouth at me as I wheeled myself around to face the front of the classroom. We had an audience again but as I looked around my eyes caught Mina's and she smiled at me. At that moment I couldn't even hear Sydney and her constant slew of bullshit that kept falling from her mouth, all there was was Mina and her smile.

                              ———————

"Dude! Wait up!" It was Alec, Colby and Isaac trailing behind him.

"What's up?" I muttered.

I was currently just trying to get to the doors so I could sit at the curb and wait for Pops. I was done with school. Although after sixth hour I had a handful of people from class come up and high five me. Apparently I was some sort of hero for telling Sydney off. I didn't need the status, I just needed her off my back.

"Someone videoed you and Sydney in sixth hour. It's gone through the whole school already." Isaac told me, waving his phone in my face.

"That's cool." I said disinterested.

"I wish I was that ballsy." Colby mumbled under his breath, probably not intending for any of us to hear but I did.

"Are you okay?" Alec asked.

"I'm fine." I barked.

"Dude it was so tight." Isaac said, his voice full of admiration.

I clenched my hands around my wheels stopping myself in seconds.

Alec stopped moments later, I could feel his eyes on me. It took the other two longer to realize I'd stopped, both of them turning around to look at me confused.

"It was not fucking tight and it wasn't ballsy." I snapped.

"You heard that?" Colby mumbled, eyes wide.

"You think I like being called that?" I was fuming.

Colby and Isaac exchanged looks, their faces sober. "We didn't mean it like that." Colby said.

Isaac ran a hand over his head. "Yeah, we were talking about you calling Sydney a bitch."

"I know what I called her. Doesn't mean I should have."

"But she is." Isaac said.

"Doesn't fucking matter." I grumbled, shoving myself forward again.

They stepped back so I could pass and I was thankful when only Alec stepped beside me. I was even more thankful when he let us just fall into silence as we headed outside. I was tired, annoyed, in pain and trying to pull it together knowing that Mina was coming over. So far I was failing.

————————

Alright guys so there's a story on here called "Heavy Where's the Crown" by ObsceneIrrationality and it's quite possibly one of my favorite books I've read. I love it so much I'm doing two things I never do.

1. Telling you about it
2. Rereading it

I'm currently 2/3 of my way through my reread and I'm trying to pace myself because I'm not sure I can bare for it to end again. So if you're in need of something to read and you haven't, you should definitely check it out.